First-day harmony fades quickly at General Assembly

DENVER - The bipartisan spirit of opening day for Colorado’s General Assembly lasted about two hours, withering as a Colorado Springs Republican attempted to shoot down a seemingly benign bill designed to nab federal grant money for public schools.

Political wrangling has long been predicted for the 2010 session, where Democrats have a healthy majority and Republicans are gunning to send a message that will resonate with voters in November.

But most thought the partisan battles would wait a few days until far more controversial budget proposals start moving through the Capitol.

Instead, the first shot was fired by GOP Sen. Dave Schultheis of Colorado Springs, who objected to a measure aimed at helping  Colorado get a piece of the Obama administration’s $4.3 billion Race to the Top grant program.

The assembly’s first day is typically reserved for ceremony. But Colorado’s application for the grant program is due next week, and lawmakers wanted to move quickly on a law to make the application more enticing to the feds.

The bill, sponsored by El Paso County’s Democratic Rep. Mike Merrifield, would have the state track teacher achievement and share the information with the colleges that trained the teachers.

Merrifield said the move would help colleges improve their programs and better prepare new teachers for the classroom. Schultheis said he had no problem with the concept, but objected to the state’s pursuit of federal money in a time of ballooning deficits.

“Let’s stop this nonsense,” Schultheis begged his colleagues.

The debate continued for nearly an hour as other Republicans took up Schultheis’ cause. Democrats countered that the state, facing its own $1 billion shortfall for the fiscal year that starts in July, needs the cash.

The measure in the Senate passed with seven "no" votes  and will move to the House for quick consideration.

School officials in El Paso County hope the state gets the federal windfall it’s seeking — as much as $400 million, of which half would go directly to the districts. The money would be used for innovations in how students are taught and tested, and how teachers are held accountable for classroom progress.

Districts around the region have been signing up for a piece of the money if Colorado gets a grant.

“We don’t know what that means, but we want to be on the team,” said Karin Reynolds, executive director for secondary education at Academy School District 20.

Merrifield, who heads the House’s education panel, said he expects easy passage for the bill.

He said the prize is big enough to have lawmakers jumping, even on the first day of the session.

“It has never happened in the years I have been here,” he said. “But we’ve never had the feds dangling millions of dollars in front of us before.”

On Thursday, Gov. Bill Ritter is scheduled to give his state of the state address at 11 a.m.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: 4 p.m. Lawmakers are heading home after a busy day. They'll be back Thursday to hear Gov. Bill Ritter's 11 a.m. state of the state talk.

2:30 p.m. Republican Sen. Dave Schultheis stands in the chamber to take on Merrifield education bill. He’s mad that it would get the state millions of dollars from the federal government, the same reason other lawmakers love it.

Schultheis leads a brief Republican revolt as he and his colleagues take turns slamming the federal deficit and government over-spending, which they say Merrifield’s bill would further encourage.

The clamor has little result. Merrifield’s bill passed easily.

2:15 p.m. Colorado Springs Republican Sen. Bill Cadman had a quick one-liner about the fleeting nature of bipartisan harmony in Denver this year.

“It’s smooth sailing from here, right to the iceberg,” he said.

2 p.m. Lawmakers in the state Senate gathered to consider the session’s first bill.  That’s lightning fast for a bill to head for a vote, and there’s reason for the speed. Lawmakers want to have the education reform measure passed before the state submits its application for as much as $400 million in federal education grant money next week. The measure, SB 10-036, sponsored by local Democratic Rep. Mike Merrifield would create a system to track how well colleges do in preparing teachers for the classroom.

1:30 p.m. Colorado Springs Democratic Rep. Dennis Apuan says the jovial nature of the first day of the General Assembly just isn’t there in 2010. The state’s problems are too big, he said.

“The seriousness of the recession is felt by everyone.”

12:20 p.m. Here’s a rundown of some of the legislation flowing from El Paso County’s delegation:

Get out of jail free: From Republican Rep. Mark Waller and Democratic Sen. John Morse, HB 10-1090 would eliminate mandatory jail sentences for people caught driving on a suspended or revoked license.

Express lane for lobbyists: From Republican Rep. Larry Liston, HB 10-1092 would allow lobbyists to get a $100 identification card that lets them bypass metal detectors and other searches at the Capitol.

Medicaid changes: Democratic Rep. Dennis Apuan’s HB 10-1043 would change state Medicaid regulations and allow the state’s Medical Services Board broader authority to determine who qualifies for the state’s low-income health care plan.

Speech therapy: Republican Sen. Keith King’s HB 10-1034 would allow the state Department of Education to issue emergency certifications to school speech-language pathology assistants who don’t meet some state requirements.

Medical charity: Democratic Rep. Mike Merrifield’s HB 10-1061 would set up a system to allow medical providers to donate health-related goods and services.

The exterminator: Republican Rep. Marsha Looper’s SB 10-034 would update state pesticide rules to comply with new federal mandates.

Denver hurricane: Republican Rep. Kent Lambert’s HB 10-1080 would let a legislative committee now overseeing preparation for disease epidemics also examine disaster readiness.

11:45 a.m. The first protest of the new legislative session convened on the Capitol’s steps with two dozen people from northern Colorado calling for smaller government and less spending.

Mingling with the crowd was Colorado Springs Republican Sen. Dave Schutheis, a staunch conservative.

The senator said he’s battling for businesses this session. He’s also fighting illegal immigration with his bill SB 10-033 that would require Colorado employers to use a federal database to verify the immigration status of new workers. He said the measure, which he’s pushed with no success since 2006, would stop undocumented immigrants from getting hired.

“We’ll be able to give those jobs to citizens and people who are here legally,” he said.

11:30 a.m. House Speaker Terrance Carroll wrapped up an address that included pleas for harmony.

“But when tomorrow is written, history’s burden will be on us to show that in this building, in this room, in this year, we are standing up for Colorado’s families.”

Lawmakers are headed to lunch.

10:54 a.m. The obligatory opening day speeches by General Assembly leaders in both parties are under way in the state House and Senate.

10:48 a.m. Colorado Springs state Rep. Dennis Apuan, a Democrat whose district includes Fort Carson, rose to recognize fallen soldiers from Fort Carson: "Let us remember that there is currently a memorial service being held at Fort Carson's Soldiers Memorial Chapel for three soldiers who gave their lives in Afghanistan."

Apuan read the names of soldiers killed in the past year before calling for a moment of silence "for these brave soldiers who will never be forgotten."

10:15 a.m. Lawmakers are still being sworn in for the new session of the Colorado General Assembly, but bills are already flying. El Paso County's delegation is responsible for a two-inch stack of new legislation. We'll have details on some of the bills soon.

10 a.m. With the banging of a gavel by Democratic House Speaker Terrance Carroll of Denver, the 2010 session of the Colorado General Assembly is off and running.

9:30 a.m. Lawmakers are ready to go and lobbyists are flitting around the state Capitol like hummingbirds.

In the state House today it will be all ceremony as lawmakers kick off the 2010 General Assembly session.

“This is all quiet on the western front before the artillery starts and the cannons roar,” said Colorado Springs Republican Rep. Larry Liston.

9:15 a.m. Normally, the first day of any legislative session is all about bipartisan peace and harmony. Not in Colorado this year. Colorado Springs Republican state Rep. Bob Gardner says while his fellow Republicans will be respectful of their Democratic colleagues, the fight over everything from taxes to budget cuts will start in 45 minutes.

“It’s about two very different messages,” Gardner said.

  9 a.m. Colorado Springs Republican Rep. Amy Stephens is smiling today. The caucus chairwoman for the GOP said the party had a highly successful fundraiser Tuesday night, where grilled cornbread and other sumptuous sundries brought in a pile of cash for November’s election effort.

The GOP is firmly in the minority in both chambers of the General Assembly, but has high hopes to gain seats in the fall.

8:30 a.m. ProgressNow Colorado started what some call the “silly season” at the Capitol by passing out calculators covered in fake fur. The left-leaning group calls them the “GOP Fuzzy Math Calculator.”

Lawmakers began filtering into the Capitol early this morning for the start of what could be the busiest gathering of Colorado’s General Assembly in years.