A proposal preventing the state from spending the money it collects under Gov. Bill Ritter's property tax hike--in case it has to be repaid under a pending lawsuit--was killed Wednesday on a party-line vote in the Senate Committee on Finance. 

Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Eaton, the author of Senate Bill 137, proposed the legislation because he says saving money generated from the governor's tax hike in an account for schools is the only responsible course of action.

"I don't care which side of the TABOR vs. Mill Levy Tax Freeze issue you are on, it makes fiscal sense to put this money aside in an account until the courts decide if we legally can collect and spend the increased tax revenue," Renfroe said. 

A breakthrough Republican effort to reward the best and brightest teachers throughout the state has won the support of Colorado's Democrat governor and the bipartisan blessing of some onetime opponents. On Wednesday, assistant Senate GOP leader Nancy Spence's Senate Bill 65--also sponsored by Democrat Sen. Sue Windels--picked up the unanimous approval of the Senate Education Committee.

Spence's proposal to fund performance incentives for teachers was announced last fall as part of the Republican legislative agenda for 2008. The administration of Gov. Bill Ritter, himself a supporter of teacher performance pay, embraced Spence's effort and offered to collaborate on her bill and help find majority Democrat co-sponsors--some of whom had opposed and killed a performance-incentive bill Spence carried last year.

This week, both parties--though not the state teachers union--welcomed the proposal as Spence presented it in committee. The veteran lawmaker from Centennial, the committee's ranking Republican, told fellow committee members that there is a national movement to change the way teachers are paid.

"Governors across the nation are taking the lead in teacher compensation reform," Spence said.