Nearly two years ago, Colorado passed a shall-issue concealed-carry law, and a pre-emption bill which prevents local governments from making their own gun control laws. Among other things, this nullified the city of Denver's ban on assault weapons (enacted in 1990). And while state law allows the carrying of a gun in the car, local laws differed, creating a metaphorical minefield for gun owners. All that changed with the pre-emption law. (Funny how the anti-gunners talked about the virtues of "local control" during that debate, while favoring the state and federal laws that restrict gun rights, but that's another topic.)
While education and the state budget seem to have been the big issue in Colorado -- according to today's "convential wisdom" -- I expect the Democrats to set their sights on gun owners in this state. Especially if their policies don't work out, and they need a distraction.
[BLOCKQUOTE]
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~34018~2509847,00.html
Denver Post
Article Published: Wednesday, November 03, 2004
A seismic shift in Statehouse
Dems say power switch shows new priorities
For the first time in a generation, Democrats appeared to be closing in on control of the state legislature late Tuesday - a seismic shift that promises to realign state policy.
Leaders from both parties said it appeared that Democrats would claim the majority in both chambers - scoring an upset of epic proportions - if the results held in final counts.
Democrats said that solving the state's fiscal problems would be their top priority. Lawmakers are facing $263 million in cuts next year.
Senate Democratic leader Joan Fitz-Gerald said that changing required annual spending increases for primary and secondary education, as mandated by a voter-initiated constitutional amendment, is not the way to solve the fiscal ills.
"We can't afford to touch education. People in the state, by electing Democrats in the majority in the state Senate and possibly in the House, are saying, 'Make public education a priority,"' she said.
Coloradans also charted their own course and seemed to be favoring half of the six constitutional amendments on Tuesday's ballot.
Coloradans were endorsing an increased tobacco tax to pay for health programs by a comfortable margin. Many of the programs were cut by the Republican-dominated legislature. Voters also were endorsing a renewable-energy requirement by a slimmer margin - another measure defeated by the Republican legislature. And they backed cleaning up obsolete constitutional language.
But voters soundly trounced a pet initiative of Gov. Bill Owens to reform the state's civil service system.
On the other hand, they also refused to roll back some limits on the damages homeowners may collect for shoddy construction, which the legislature passed. And they turned down a change to how Colorado casts its electoral votes.
The closely contested renewable-energy measure was one that lawmakers tried to pass last session and failed.
Republican House Speaker Lola Spradley then joined with Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Udall and environmental groups to put a proposal on the ballot. Amendment 37 would require major Colorado utilities to get 10 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2015.
The use of voter initiatives, especially constitutional amendments that direct much of state spending, has eroded the legislature's power to set policy, said John Straayer, a Colorado State University political science professor.
"You hogtie the legislature and ... the legislature can't manage the budget, so the legislature doesn't manage the budget. So where do you go to get something done? You're back to the initiative process. I think it's a vicious cycle," Straayer said.
But the decay of legislative power didn't stop either party from fighting for control. Both parties pummeled each other on the campaign trail.
The contest for control of the state Senate was especially fierce because the balance of power is now held by the Republicans by virtue of a one-seat majority. The two parties targeted six races where they believed control of the Senate would be be determined.
Two outside groups spent a total of nearly $1 million to influence the outcome - and that doesn't include the candidates' own war chests.
"I think it's simply because so many different groups think it's very important who controls the legislature," said Senate Republican Majority Leader Mark Hillman.
Meanwhile, House Republicans were facing loss of power in the chamber that on Tuesday they owned 37-28.
"I think what's at stake here is the direction of our state - whether Coloradans want to continue to lag the country in job growth, health care and education or if they think we can do better," said House Democratic leader Andrew Romanoff.
Like elsewhere, Colorado campaigns were hard-fought, often divisive and sometimes dirty.
Coming into election season, leaders from both political parties predicted record spending - $6 million alone on the six contested Senate races.
Even with the apparent shift in leadership, lawmakers will still be staring down more than $263 million in cuts next year and a constitution that many say needs reform.
The combination of two voter-approved constitutional amendments, the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, which limits state revenue, and Amendment 23, which mandates annual increases in K-12 education, has crunched state spending.
Lawmakers were unable to pass a workable solution and will return to the Capitol next year with the same problems.
[/BLOCKQUOTE]
While education and the state budget seem to have been the big issue in Colorado -- according to today's "convential wisdom" -- I expect the Democrats to set their sights on gun owners in this state. Especially if their policies don't work out, and they need a distraction.
[BLOCKQUOTE]
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~34018~2509847,00.html
Denver Post
Article Published: Wednesday, November 03, 2004
A seismic shift in Statehouse
Dems say power switch shows new priorities
For the first time in a generation, Democrats appeared to be closing in on control of the state legislature late Tuesday - a seismic shift that promises to realign state policy.
Leaders from both parties said it appeared that Democrats would claim the majority in both chambers - scoring an upset of epic proportions - if the results held in final counts.
Democrats said that solving the state's fiscal problems would be their top priority. Lawmakers are facing $263 million in cuts next year.
Senate Democratic leader Joan Fitz-Gerald said that changing required annual spending increases for primary and secondary education, as mandated by a voter-initiated constitutional amendment, is not the way to solve the fiscal ills.
"We can't afford to touch education. People in the state, by electing Democrats in the majority in the state Senate and possibly in the House, are saying, 'Make public education a priority,"' she said.
Coloradans also charted their own course and seemed to be favoring half of the six constitutional amendments on Tuesday's ballot.
Coloradans were endorsing an increased tobacco tax to pay for health programs by a comfortable margin. Many of the programs were cut by the Republican-dominated legislature. Voters also were endorsing a renewable-energy requirement by a slimmer margin - another measure defeated by the Republican legislature. And they backed cleaning up obsolete constitutional language.
But voters soundly trounced a pet initiative of Gov. Bill Owens to reform the state's civil service system.
On the other hand, they also refused to roll back some limits on the damages homeowners may collect for shoddy construction, which the legislature passed. And they turned down a change to how Colorado casts its electoral votes.
The closely contested renewable-energy measure was one that lawmakers tried to pass last session and failed.
Republican House Speaker Lola Spradley then joined with Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Udall and environmental groups to put a proposal on the ballot. Amendment 37 would require major Colorado utilities to get 10 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2015.
The use of voter initiatives, especially constitutional amendments that direct much of state spending, has eroded the legislature's power to set policy, said John Straayer, a Colorado State University political science professor.
"You hogtie the legislature and ... the legislature can't manage the budget, so the legislature doesn't manage the budget. So where do you go to get something done? You're back to the initiative process. I think it's a vicious cycle," Straayer said.
But the decay of legislative power didn't stop either party from fighting for control. Both parties pummeled each other on the campaign trail.
The contest for control of the state Senate was especially fierce because the balance of power is now held by the Republicans by virtue of a one-seat majority. The two parties targeted six races where they believed control of the Senate would be be determined.
Two outside groups spent a total of nearly $1 million to influence the outcome - and that doesn't include the candidates' own war chests.
"I think it's simply because so many different groups think it's very important who controls the legislature," said Senate Republican Majority Leader Mark Hillman.
Meanwhile, House Republicans were facing loss of power in the chamber that on Tuesday they owned 37-28.
"I think what's at stake here is the direction of our state - whether Coloradans want to continue to lag the country in job growth, health care and education or if they think we can do better," said House Democratic leader Andrew Romanoff.
Like elsewhere, Colorado campaigns were hard-fought, often divisive and sometimes dirty.
Coming into election season, leaders from both political parties predicted record spending - $6 million alone on the six contested Senate races.
Even with the apparent shift in leadership, lawmakers will still be staring down more than $263 million in cuts next year and a constitution that many say needs reform.
The combination of two voter-approved constitutional amendments, the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, which limits state revenue, and Amendment 23, which mandates annual increases in K-12 education, has crunched state spending.
Lawmakers were unable to pass a workable solution and will return to the Capitol next year with the same problems.
[/BLOCKQUOTE]
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