Ritter signs a slew of bills into law

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 Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Listing does not imply endorsement of the content.

GENERAL
The Denver Post: Measure forces ballot initiative disclosures
Sponsors of a bill signed into law Tuesday say the new restrictions on ballot initiative backers could prevent future tangles like those surrounding a series of anti-tax measures before voters this November.
Also: Denver Business Journal: Ritter signs bills on various business issues

Colorado Springs Gazette: Hearing lifts veil on campaign for disputed measures
The head of a professional petition-circulation company in California saw a “cherry opportunity to make a stupid amount of money” by gathering signatures to get three controversial measures on the November ballot in Colorado.

Denver Daily News: Ritter signs bills into law
Measures address DUIs, the State Capitol gold dome, and more.


FISCAL POLICY
Denver Post commentary: Building more jail space is fiscally insane
The Denver Post said it is a "wise" decision to further expand Denver's jails. The Sheriff's Department is proposing a 10 percent expansion beyond the 40 percent expansion that already took place with the construction of the Justice Center downtown. The result would be nearly 700 empty beds, 250 more than we have today. What part of 700 empty beds is "wise," especially when many of the other 2,000 beds are filled with repeat offenders?

The Denver Post: Does Congress have any juice left to create jobs?
With the national unemployment rate stuck just under 10 percent, and Colorado’s rate drifting up to 8 percent, labor groups want another round of stimulus spending to create jobs.

Boulder Daily Camera: Erie's elected leaders may ask voters for salary
The town's trustees are considering asking voters in November to allow them to collect a salary for their service.

Grand Junction Sentinel: District 51 employees losing 2 days pay in budget cut plan
All School District 51 employees will lose two days in their 2010-11 contracts in an effort to help balance next year’s budget.
Also: Grand Junction Sentinel editorial: An economics exam for School District 51


ECONOMIC SELF SUFFICIENCY
Colorado News Agency: ‘Pay equity’ panel draws Dems’ cheers, GOP’s jeers
Buried in an avalanche of bill signings today–17 total–the governor OK’d an unheralded measure that creates an 11-member “pay equity” commission within the Department of Labor and Employment.

Durango Herald: Ritter signs payday loans bill
Short-term, high-interest payday loans will begin to disappear from Colorado in August, thanks to a bill Gov. Bill Ritter signed into law Tuesday.


HEALTH POLICY
Colorado Springs Independent: Suthers: Memorial is a nonprofit
The news came in an unexpected, two-part serving Tuesday afternoon as Colorado Attorney General John Suthers personally delivered his opinion on how a possible sale of the city-owned Memorial Health System and how it might be affected by 12-year-old state legislation.
Also: Colorado Springs Business Journal: AG: Sale of Memorial to a for-profit won’t make city richer

Associated Press via Greeley Tribune: Ritter to sign new Colorado laws on health care
Bills being signed into law Wednesday include a requirement that children be placed in booster seats while riding in cars. Others track down Medicaid fraud and require that insurance companies cover reproductive services.


ECONOMY
Durango Herald: County sales-tax income drops
These days, not so down is the new up.

Aurora Sentinel: Big drop seen in local April foreclosures
The number of foreclosure filings in Adams and Arapahoe Counties in April 2010 have decreased from the same month in 2008 and 2009, according to statistics released by the state’s housing department Tuesday.


CONSUMER PROTECTION
Durango Herald editorial: Financial oversight
Auto dealers look to have escaped being included in the certain-to-be-approved federal financial oversight legislation that is being reconciled by Senate and House committees. To escape different financing limitations and new transparency requirements that will be applied to bank lending, mortgage companies and credit card companies, auto dealers and their national association traveled to Washington with a strong lobbying offensive. It succeeded.