State Gov: IndyBlog, Colorado Springs Independent

NRA is gunning for Morse

Pam Zubeck — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:52:47 -0600

This just in from Christy Le Lait, who's working to keep Sen. John Morse from being recalled:

A mass mailing funded by the NRA and coordinated with Basic Freedom Defense Fund has gone out to voters throughout Senate District 11 supporting the recall effort of Senate President John Morse and urging voters to join up with BFDF to remove Sen. Morse from office.

“Basic Freedom Defense Fund has released numerous statements to the media and on their website claiming to be a grassroots organization,” stated Christy Le Lait, representative for A Whole Lot of People for John Morse, the issue committee fighting the recall attempt.…
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Hick signs 'Breakfast After the Bell'

J. Adrian Stanley — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:36:00 -0600

Gov. John Hickenlooper has signed the bill known as "Breakfast After the Bell" into law.

The law means that schools with higher levels of impoverished children will be required — with some exceptions — to serve a free breakfast to all students after the start of the school day.…

Want to support John Morse?

Kirk Woundy — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:51:00 -0600

As the effort to recall John Morse continues — and attracts big money on both sides — the El Paso County Democratic Party is holding an event where supporters of the Senate president can thank him and fellow local Democratic lawmakers for their "hard work and bravery."

Here are the details:

Morse, of course, has been a target since shepherding through a spate of gun-control measures during the 2013 legislative session. Signature-gatherers have until June 3 to collect 7,000-plus signatures in their effort to get a recall election OK'd.…

Making Colorado seeks Youth Ambassadors

Edie Adelstein — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:33:00 -0600

In an effort to effectively rebrand the state, Making Colorado isn't playing around. The initiative, launched just last month, wants to incorporate as much public input as possible.…

Morse recall effort gets some help

Chet Hardin — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:06:00 -0600

It appears that the grassroots effort to recall Sen. John Morse has attracted some monied supporters.

We recently wrote about the Basic Freedom Defense Fund, the organization behind the statewide effort to recall a number of Democratic legislators in response to their votes on the gun bills, as well as the El Paso Freedom Defense Committee, its local offshoot.…

Colorado overturns 'sanctuary city' law

Chet Hardin — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 07:42:00 -0600

With the signature of Gov. John Hickenlooper on HB 1258, Colorado has overturned the 2006 law, SB-90, that instituted myriad law-enforcement requirements intended to make it life harder for illegal immigrants.

We wrote about SB 90 when it was signed into law.…

Rep. Tony Exum to hold town hall

Chet Hardin — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:57:00 -0600

On Saturday, Democratic Rep. Tony Exum Sr. will be holding a town hall to discuss the School Finance Reform Act.

From the Denver Post:

The new finance formula would revise the way money is distributed to schools, with greater emphasis on at-risk students and English-language learners and increased transparency in the way funds are spent.…
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City attorney comments on theft legislation

Chet Hardin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:56:00 -0600

Better late than never.

Yesterday afternoon at 4:55, way past our deadline to send the paper to the printer, we received an e-mail from the city of Colorado Springs.…

You can help design Colorado's brand

Edie Adelstein — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:00:00 -0600

Last week, we attended the Governor's Arts Award Luncheon at the Colorado Creative Industries Summit in Pueblo.

As you may already know, Pueblo, along with Aspen, each won the Governor's Art Award, a new and distinctive honor bestowed upon towns that have truly made a concerted effort toward funding and fostering creative development.…

Morse supporters plan to rally

Chet Hardin — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:15:49 -0600

As we reported today, Senate President John Morse is one of a number of state representatives who are being targeted for recall due largely to their support of the new gun laws.

Morse, a Democrat, represents the central part of Colorado Springs, as well as Manitou Springs.…

2013: Year of the Democrat

Chet Hardin — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 07:33:53 -0600

Before the start of the current session of the state General Assembly, we wondered whether the Democrats were going to charge head-long with a progressive agenda, or whether they were going to moderate their goals and play to the right.

When we spoke with Senate President John Morse last November, he stated that the Democrats were going to through consensus and "grand bargains":

But the Colorado Springs-area legislator says the Capitol won't be a Democratic playground under his watch.…
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UPDATE: Spokesman for anti-Morse group is armed and ready

Chet Hardin — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:53:00 -0600

Nick Andrasik has confirmed that he is indeed the proud gun owner in the photos below.

——- ORIGINAL POST, THURSDAY, 7:53 P.M. ——-

The Basic Freedom Defense Fund was formed specifically to lead recall efforts of gun-control-minded Colorado Democrats, such Colorado Springs' Sen. John Morse and his Westminster-based colleague, Sen. Evie Hudak.…

Shelter animals might become Colorado's state pet

Chet Hardin — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:26:00 -0600

Colorado's state tree is the Blue Spruce.

The state animal is the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.…

Hickenlooper signs civil unions into law

Chet Hardin — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:39:00 -0600

Well, this is a big day for Colorado. Gov. John Hickenlooper has signed the civil unions bill into law.…

ACLU comments on death of Corrections leader Tom Clements

Chet Hardin — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:57:45 -0600

Following the news that Tom Clements, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, was shot and killed, the Colorado ACLU released a statement lauding the director's brief tenure with DOC.

Clements was killed last night at his Monument home, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.…

Civil unions bill heads to Hickenlooper's desk

Chet Hardin — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:58:00 -0600

With the historic passage of Senate Bill 11, which will authorize civil unions in Colorado, local LGBT activists and their supporters will be popping the champagne cork tonight.

According to a press release from Colorado Springs Pride:

Civil Unions has passed in Colorado and history has been made!

Come join the celebration Tonight, Tuesday, March 12th, 5pm at the Tim Gill Center for Public Media!

There will be guest speakers, music, wine, beer, food and fun.…
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Morse proposes assault-weapon liability legislation

Chet Hardin — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:10:55 -0700

Fresh off their victory in moving forward a package of gun bills in the House, Democratic leadership has introduced the Assault Weapon Responsibility Act.

The lead sponsor on Senate Bill 13-196 is Senate President John Morse, the Colorado Springs Democrat.…

Hickenlooper throws down the lawsuit gauntlet

Chet Hardin — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:46:39 -0700

Gov. John Hickenlooper is going to sue any municipality that bans fracking. That's what the governor told CBS4 in Denver.…

Immigrant tuition moving to House

Chet Hardin — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:34:13 -0700

Legislation that will provide in-state tuition to Colorado high school graduates, regardless of their residency status, passed out of the state Senate Monday on a 23-12 vote.

Sen. Owen Hill of Colorado Springs was one of three Republicans to vote in favor.…

So rape is a punchline now in the Twitterverse

Chet Hardin — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:12:00 -0700

Is it possible that state Rep. Joe Salazar knew the size of shitstorm he was about to cause ~~Monday~~ Friday when he launched into his impolitic diatribe over House Bill 1226, banning guns on college campuses? Probably not.…

Survey finds support for collective bargaining

Chet Hardin — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:29:37 -0700

Do you support collective bargaining for Colorado firefighters?

According to a survey conducted by Meyers Research, if you don't, you — and Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach — are in the minority of Coloradans.…

Rep. Lee's economic gardening bill makes headway

Chet Hardin — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:09:33 -0700

State Rep. Pete Lee tried to get his economic gardening bill through the Republican-controlled state House last year to no avail.

This session, with his colleagues in the Democratic Party in charge of the Legislature, the Springs Democrat appears to be having better luck.…

Rep. Exum to meet with constituents

Chet Hardin — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 17:20:40 -0700

One of the joys of being a state representative must be the opportunity to call and hold a town hall meeting.

This Saturday, freshman state Rep. Tony Exum Sr. will be hosting his first town hall meeting of the 2013 session.…

Front Range officials seek fire mitigation funding

Pam Zubeck — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:24:52 -0700

A coalition of public officials and others from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs is pushing Colorado's congressional delegation to secure funding for help with watershed protection and mitigation after wildfires in Colorado claimed more than 600 homes and 100,000 acres of forest land last year.

A letter dated today, Jan. 9, was sent by leaders in El Paso and Larimer counties, the cities of Colorado Springs and Greeley, Pikes Peak Council of Governments, Colorado Springs Utilties, Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance, Colorado Municipal League, and Colorado Counties Inc.

The money would come from a bill for disaster help for Hurricane Sandy, which the House of Representatives failed to act on last week.…

Watchdog group lists its top five 2012 state ethics violations

Chet Hardin — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 13:46:17 -0700

We are pleased to announce that, after reading through Colorado Ethics Watch's 2012 report on the state's most egregious lapses in ethics, El Paso County and Colorado Springs appear to be in the clear.

Ethics Watch, the Denver-based nonprofit that spends its time combing through the Secretary of State's website and otherwise poking its nose into the affairs of elected officials and government agencies, has put out a list of the Top 5 scandals from 2012.…