Live from the Colorado Legislature http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/ en Copyright 2008 Wed, 07 May 2008 13:51:32 -0700 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.1 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss The Rocky political team's session wrap-up video Rocky poltical reporters Chris Barge and Alan Gathright lay down the good, the bad and the ugly in on a video wrap-up on the 2008 legislative session

]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/the_rocky_polit.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/the_rocky_polit.html Wed, 07 May 2008 13:51:32 -0700 Down the tubes "Well, since they flushed my sewer amendment, I'm going to vote no on this bill" -- Rep. Jim Kerr, R-Littleton, after his bid to get the Public Utilities Commission to regulate sewer rate hikes failed.

]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/down_the_tubes.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/down_the_tubes.html Tue, 06 May 2008 20:08:56 -0700 "Use the Force, Andrew!" As things turned zany in the last hours of the session, House Speaker Andrew Romanoff put up a life-sized cut out of the ever-wise Yoda with a sign declaring: "May the force be with you - Sine Die."

The latter phrase is Latin for "without day," the motion ending the session.

Romanoff said a bunch of people got the idea years ago that he's really into Star Wars. It's not true, but he doesn't have the heart to tell them. ]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/use_the_force_a.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/use_the_force_a.html Tue, 06 May 2008 20:03:19 -0700 "Don't mind us. We'll just sit in the dark." Term-limited House Speaker Andrew Romanoff and House Majority Leader Alice Madden couldn't resist wisecracking when a reporter asked if they'd told the "kids" left to run the majority party how to hold onto power. Both began their eight-year careers in the minority dungeon.

"I'm sorry. We're so old, we can't hear you," creaked the 41-year-old Romanoff.

"Ohhhh, they hear how we had to walk to the majority in two feet of snow, uphill both ways," Madden added. "I tell them that everyday. They don't listen, they don't write, they don't call."


]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/dont_mind_us_we.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/dont_mind_us_we.html Tue, 06 May 2008 19:51:54 -0700 Who's Your Daddy! "I'm absolutely convinced that Howard Hughes is my daddy and I'm waiting for the check" -- House Minority Leader Mike May, joking to lighten the intense debate over a bill to allow men to escape child support payments if DNA confimrs they're not the father.

]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/whos_your_daddy.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/whos_your_daddy.html Tue, 06 May 2008 19:47:43 -0700 "P-Dog" Returns! State Troopers returned "P-Dog," the kidnapped fiberglass prairie dog, to a relieved Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon Tuesday evening. The Superman constume-clad critter was unharmed.]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/pdog_returns.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/pdog_returns.html Tue, 06 May 2008 19:38:21 -0700 House agrees to put measure on ballot asking voters to raise bar on Constitutional tinkering Rep. Douglas Bruce, who authored the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights embedded in the Constitution, blasted Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 as "another political power grab."

]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/house_agrees_to.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/house_agrees_to.html Tue, 06 May 2008 14:17:29 -0700 Burn, Baby, Burn! Somebody's termed-limited

]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/burn_baby_burn.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/burn_baby_burn.html Tue, 06 May 2008 11:09:21 -0700 Gov. Ritter drops in to congratulate House lawmakers on their hard work The top executive drops by the House to praise lawmakers as they push through what may be the last day of the 2008 session

]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/gov_ritter_drop.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/gov_ritter_drop.html Tue, 06 May 2008 10:18:22 -0700 Can you say "Sine Die?" - Smart money is on legislature wrapping '08 session today - or tonight! Majority Democratic lawmakers are holding a 1:30 p.m. balloons-and-streamers rally on the Capitol steps to celebrate their "Invest in Kids" legislative achievements - from expanding health care coverage for 50,000 children to growing preschool and full-day kindergarten.

]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/can_you_say_sin.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/can_you_say_sin.html Tue, 06 May 2008 09:02:35 -0700 "Kumbaya amendment" saves bid to raise the bar on constitutional amendments Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 appeared doomed Friday until both parties found common ground.

]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/kumbaya_amendme.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/kumbaya_amendme.html Mon, 05 May 2008 17:33:12 -0700 When's the Call of the House Happy Hour? As spring heats up, Senior-itis blooms and the days drag longer, lawmakers are getting zippy and punchy.]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/when_the_call_o.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/when_the_call_o.html Mon, 05 May 2008 15:28:37 -0700 With fellow Republicans like these... Showin' Doug the Love

]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/with_fellow_rep.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/with_fellow_rep.html Mon, 05 May 2008 14:06:28 -0700 Stop the Muzak!

Elevator ride to Hell

]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/stop_the_music.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/stop_the_music.html Mon, 05 May 2008 13:10:33 -0700 House going Red - at least when it comes to licorice flavors Forget those other legislative session accomplishments.

Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, reports that it takes a whole lotta licorice to power the body through four months of sweet-and-sour debate.

"We've gone through 1,370 red licorices from Don Marostica's little stash that he has on top of his desk. That's not counting the 7th bin that he just opened," she said.

We await rebuttal from the black licorice lobby.

--Alan Gathright ]]> http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/house_going_red.html http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/live_from_the_colorado_legislature/archives/2008/05/house_going_red.html Mon, 05 May 2008 11:20:19 -0700