An informational and educational resource for the Colorado General Assembly by the Office of Legislative Legal Services.
By Jennifer Berman and Thomas Morris
During the 2012 interim, the Water Resources Review Committee (WRRC) heard presentations from a variety of stakeholders interested in maintaining the quality and quantity of Colorado’s water supply, including water users, providers, administrators, and experts. The committee also approved six bills and two resolutions to recommend for introduction in the 2013 regular session. (more…)
by Nicole Myers
The Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Pension Reform Commission met once during the 2012 interim for an annual briefing from the Fire and Police Pension Association (FPPA) and to consider one bill recommended by the FPPA Board of Directors for introduction during the 2013 legislative session. (more…)
by Brita Darling
As most schools recently began their new year, the Educational Success Task Force was finishing its major interim work. The task force was created in 2011 and charged with reviewing research concerning academic transition points for students in K-12 and higher education and recommending strategies for identifying and providing developmental education services to ensure that students are successful at navigating through these transition points. The task force includes legislative members and officials from school districts and the executive branch, as well as education advocates. (more…)
by Chuck Brackney
During the 2012 interim, the Transportation Legislation Review Committee (TLRC) met four times to hear presentations from a wide spectrum of individuals and groups involved in meeting Colorado’s transportation needs. It also approved eight bills for introduction in the 2013 regular session. (more…)
by Jennifer Berman
You’re thinking “Gimme a Break, I can’t learn anything about state versus local oil and gas regulation from 1980’s television shows.” But let’s take a Quantum Leap of faith together and I’ll guide you to the Head of the Class on the issue of preemption by using a 1980’s television show analogy. (more…)
by Julie Pelegrin
There’s an old saying: “You can’t play the game if you don’t know the rules.” Although the legislative session is not a game, a legislator who doesn’t know the legislative rules has a difficult time accomplishing his or her legislative goals. (more…)
by Julie Pelegrin
As originally adopted, section 1 of article V of the Colorado constitution gave all of the legislative power to the General Assembly. During the Progressive Era, however, a group called the Colorado Direct Legislation League advocated for an amendment to the constitution to reserve to the people the power of initiative and referendum — law-making powers that the voters of Colorado exercise directly rather than through their elected representatives. In a special legislative session in 1910, the General Assembly referred a constitutional amendment to the ballot, which amendment passed in the 1910 general election, establishing the powers of initiative and referendum. (more…)
by Julie Pelegrin
You hear it all the time, “The General Assembly has plenary power.” But what does that mean? Can the General Assembly really enact any law that it thinks is necessary? Are there limits on what the General Assembly can do? And, if there are, what are those limits and who decides when they’ve been violated? (more…)
by Brita Darling
On June 28, 2012, the United States Supreme Court ruled on objections to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (567 U.S. ___ (2012)), or NFIB v. Sebelius. The majority opinion upheld the ACA, including the provisions relating to the creation of health insurance exchanges and the individual mandate to obtain insurance coverage, as well as the Medicaid expansion provisions. (more…)
by Julie Pelegrin
During the legislative session, legislators and legislative staff are so busy working with bills and amendments that we sometimes lack the opportunity to step back and see the operations of the legislature in context with the other departments of state government. The specific constitutional authority given to and requirements imposed on each of the departments of state government often get confused and even overlooked in the rush of the legislative session. (more…)