With a month to go, lawmakers have much left on their plates

DENVER • With a month to go in Colorado’s annual legislative session, Republicans and Democrats have found things to smile about.

They also have a ton of work to do before heading home May 12, including fixing college funding and untying the knots of medical marijuana regulation.

Democrats have accomplished most of the agenda they set when the session started Jan. 13.

They’ve balanced the state’s troubled budget, deciding to put more taxes on consumers and businesses. 

Democrats also orchestrated a bailout of the state’s employee retirement system, pushed the state toward a green-energy future and held their ground on state worker pay.

“We’ve accomplished a great deal,” said Colorado Springs Democratic Sen. John Morse, the chamber’s majority leader.

Republicans are smiling because they can turn most of those accomplishments against the Democrats and think that taxes, especially, will send angry Coloradans into voting booths come November.

“The unaffiliated voters in Colorado will see that the Democrats in Colorado are no different than those in Washington,” said Colorado Springs Republican Sen. Keith King.

Long before November, though, taxpayers, businesses and schoolchildren across the state will feel the impacts of lawmakers’ work.

Schools will take a $130 million hit in the budget proposal on the verge of passage at the General Assembly for the fiscal year that starts in July. A version of the budget has passed in each chamber, and now lawmakers are hammering out differences.

Already,  have lawmakers taxed candy, the energy businesses use in manufacturing, pesticides used on farms and software used in offices.

The moves were part of an effort to bridge a $1 billion shortfall in the state’s $7 billion general fund for the fiscal year that starts in July.

“This will be the 10th year in a row that I will be voting against the budget,” said Sen. Dave Schultheis, who wanted steeper cuts and no tax increases.

Colorado Springs Democratic Rep. Mike Merrifield said the state’s budget problems would have been much worse if lawmakers in his party hadn’t charged ahead with their budget balancing program.

“We did what the people of Colorado sent us here to do,” he said.

Said Monument Republican Rep. Amy Stephens: “We’ve got things to run on with the tax increases alone.”

Here’s some of the work lawmakers have to finish before hitting the campaign trail:

SENTENCING REFORM
Lawmakers are wrangling a prison reform bill that would shorten sentences for some drug offenders.
The sentencing reform measure, sponsored by Colorado Springs Republican Rep. Mark Waller, has been gaining steam in the House. He said lawmakers like the money that would be saved by putting drug addicts in treatment rather than prison.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Lawmakers are mulling proposals to regulate the state’s medical marijuana industry. Proposals on the table would clamp down on doctors who prescribe the drug and tighten regulation on dispensaries that sell it.
Amendment 20 allowing the medical use of marijuana was approved by voters a decade ago, but the General Assembly never enacted regulations to accompany it.
That left the state behind the curve in 2009 as the marijuana industry ballooned after the Obama administration pledged to respect state marijuana laws.
Colorado Springs Republicans are backing a plan that would allow cities and counties to vote on whether to allow dispensaries at all.
“The dispensary model is not contemplated by Amendment 20,” said Colorado Springs Republican Rep. Bob Gardner. “A lot of communities, including our own, would reject that model while complying with Amendment 20.”
But arguments over dispensaries will be long and loud this session.
Merrified said he supports regulating dispensaries like liquor stores, with license and tax requirements, but doesn’t want to put them out of business.

COLLEGE FUNDING
Morse has been working with Republicans and Gov. Bill Ritter on  a compromise on college funding. The state has been squeezing college coffers for years in favor of entitlements, such as Medicaid, and other programs.
Colleges will get more money in 2010, but that’s  due to federal cash. When the state has to pick up the tab starting in 2011, it could result in a massive cut for colleges.
Morse said there are dozens of details to iron out.
One challenge is allowing colleges more freedom to charge more to students while still keeping college affordable for Colorado kids.
“We’re still working on it,”  Morse said.

For more on Colorado politics and a list of legislation from local lawmakers, click here.