state house

State House Update

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By Christopher Kolomitz

The Colorado legislative has passed the halfway point and session ends May 7. Lawmakers haven’t been as controversial as last year and they’ve made some bipartisan headway on flood relief, fire mitigation efforts and business stimulation.

For the upcoming second half of the session, look for plenty of debate regarding state finances and the budget, especially as it relates to education, lawmakers have said. A March economic and revenue forecast indicates lawmakers will have $924.3 million more to spend in the general fund during FY 2013-14 than the amount budgeted for FY 2012-13. The report indicated the state’s economy is growing and easing into a more stable period.

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Statehouse Update

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By Candice Geier

Uplifting the Recession

Despite the recession, Colorado is still placing high in economic growth when compared to other states, according to CNBC and Forbes Magazine.

According to Forbes, Colorado is fourth in the nation for fostering businesses and economic growth.

“Even in this tough economy, Colorado has remained aggressive, disciplined and focused when it comes to supporting businesses and encouraging economic growth,” Governor Ritter said in a press release from the State House.

The press release stated that because of Colorado’s New Energy Economy, tax cuts for small businesses and investments in employee training have helped keep the state competitive.

According to CNBC, Colorado is third best place in the nation to do business. It took the second spot for quality of life and is the fourth friendliest state. Its economy came in at number eight.

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State House Update

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by Christopher Kolomitz

With a majority of the hot topics finalized, state legislators are eyeing May 12, the scheduled end of the Colorado legislative session. As of the middle of April, more than 100 bills await signature by the governor and close to 600 bills had been introduced into the house and senate.

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State House Update

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by Christopher Kolomitz

The 67th General Assembly

Colorado state senators and representatives convened for the 67th general assembly Jan. 13 in Denver. The session ends on May 12 and is likely to be dominated by efforts to find a balanced budget. Other hot topics include the medical marijuana debate, natural resources, and jobs.

Democrats control the senate 21-14 and the house 37-27. In the first quarter of the session more than 500 bills had been introduced and Democrats used their advantage to kill bills during committee hearings and ramrod a variety of bills to passage, most notably a series that dealt with the budget and increasing revenue.

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