Expanded gambling proposed as funding source for universities

Good morning. Here's a look at news reports from around the state on issues of interest to the Colorado Center on Law and Policy for Thursday, April 22, 2010.

FISCAL POLICY
The Denver Post: Voters may be asked to expand gambling to aid universities
Out of places to turn for revenue and facing $300 million in cuts to colleges starting July 1, 2011, lawmakers pushing both proposals predict drastic changes to the face of Colorado higher education as a result of the state's multiyear budget crisis.

Durango Herald: Schools hit by budget crunch
Senate leaders opened the door Wednesday to steep tuition increases to protect against a looming financial disaster for Colorado colleges.

The Denver Post: Three counties get federal funds for retrofitting
The White House on Wednesday granted Boulder, Denver and Garfield counties $25 million in federal Recovery Act funds for helping residents save energy.

Denver Business Journal: Eco-devo crackdown bill is stripped of key provisions
A bill that would have allowed Colorado to take back public economic-development dollars if the recipient companies did not prove that they were creating jobs with the money passed out of its first committee Wednesday, but only after its main provisions were stripped from it.

Fort Collins Coloradoan: CSU makes changes to stay competitive
Northern Colorado's largest employer faces a future with fewer employees, more customers and uncertain finances. With about 6,100 employees, CSU is a massive regional economic engine, and its engineers hope they've kept Colorado State University on track to weather the worst of the economic troubles and come out the other side even better than before.

Associated Press via Vail Daily: Colorado providing funds for business loans
Gov. Bill Ritter and Treasurer Cary Kennedy say $40 million is being made available for loans for Colorado small businesses, manufacturers and agriculture.


CONSUMER PROTECTION
The Denver Post: Dems use recession stats to get moving on financial bill, stat
Democrats racing to enact bold financial regulatory reforms are pointing to stark statistics from the recent recession in making the case for the legislation. "There was nothing natural about how we ended up in the crisis," Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said at a news conference Wednesday. "It was a bunch of reckless practices at some of the country's largest financial institutions."


GENERAL
Denver Post commentary: The methods of Tea Party-crashers
The left's latest venture in subverting dissent they disagree with can be found at www.crashtheteaparty.org, described on its website as "A nationwide network of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents who are all sick and tired of that loose affiliation of racists, homophobes, and morons; who constitute the fake grass-roots movement which calls itself 'The Tea Party.' "