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Colo. Capitol bickering returns

Bipartisanship quickly fades
Talk of bipartisanship at the Colorado Legislature quickly fizzled during the first week of major business. Republicans found themselves at odds with Democrats and several-interest groups, including gays, immigrants and women. “Middle-class voters are tired of this kind of controversy. We should be focused on solutions, not on these partisan dog fights,” said Sen. Jessie Ulibarri of Westminster, the Senate Democrats’ caucus chairman.

DENVER – The bipartisan pomp and circumstance that accompanied the start of Colorado’s legislative session quickly faded to familiar partisan fights as Republicans flexed new muscle.

With the Legislature settling into its business for the year, Republicans found themselves at odds with several key groups, including gays, immigrants and women.

Most of the drama unfolded in the Senate, where Republicans regained control for the first time in a decade after the election.

On Wednesday, Republicans in a Senate committee killed a measure that would have offered a simple cleanup to civil-union statute by clarifying that a person already in a civil union cannot also get married. The measure was offered because Colorado’s ban on same-sex marriage was overturned by a lower federal court.

Also on Wednesday, Republicans in a Senate committee ended a Pay Equity Commission charged with studying salary gaps between men and women.

Then on Friday, the GOP officially defunded large portions of a program that provides driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. Republicans on the Joint Budget Committee rejected the authority needed to spend money that already is available for the program.

“For most Coloradans, they’re shocked,” said Sen. Jessie Ulibarri of Westminster, the Senate Democrats’ caucus chairman, who sponsored legislation in 2013 that created the driver’s license program.

“When we have elections here in Colorado, we want to focus on Colorado issues and Colorado concerns,” he said. “Every single person I’ve talked to has said, ‘It’s the economy. Focus on making sure that we’re the strongest in the country, that the middle class is recovering from this recession.’ In their first full week of power, (Republicans) tried to rehash all of the social issues.”

Republicans have painted their majority in the Senate as tantamount to a new Legislature. Democrats still control the House, so it will be difficult for controversial measures to make it to the governor’s desk.

The result could be competing bills moving between the House and Senate.

For example, Rep. Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, filed a bill Friday seeking to restore the Pay Equity Commission.

“Senate Republicans have taken a step backward in the march towards pay equality instead of working to grow the middle class,” Danielson said.

After the controversial votes from last week, several Republicans told The Durango Herald they were not trying to discriminate against any group.

In the case of the civil-unions cleanup, for example, GOP members said they simply wanted to wait until the U.S. Supreme Court offers guidance on same-sex marriage, which is expected this June.

Senate President Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, said he is focused on the work ahead, not partisan disagreements. He pointed to bipartisan consensus on auditing the state’s online health-insurance exchange, and he is hopeful the two parties can come together on issuing budget refunds to taxpayers.

“We will continue to work with Democrats where there is agreement on key issues and look forward to enacting common-sense legislation for the people of Colorado,” Cadman said in a statement.

But the fights likely are just starting at the Capitol. In the days ahead, Democrats are sure to fight with Republicans over a string of anti-abortion measures that have been introduced, as well as bills seeking to repeal gun-control laws passed by Democrats in 2013 and a rural renewable-energy standard backed by Democrats that same year.

“Middle-class voters are tired of this kind of controversy,” Ulibarri said. “We should be focused on solutions, not on these partisan dog fights.”

pmarcus@durangoherald.com



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