Download an audio clip of Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, as he argues for his bill to get tougher on online child sex predators.

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Bill targeting sexual predators on Internet passes in Senate

 

A bipartisan proposal cracking down on Internet child predators was approved nearly unanimously today by the Senate. The bill passed after being derailed early in the session by partisan one-upmanship.

House Bill 1326, by Senators Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, and Paula Sandoval, D-Denver, and Representatives Spencer Swalm, R-Centennial, and Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood, requires registered sex offenders hand over to the state all Internet and e-mail account names or face felony charges for failing to do so.

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Download an audio clip Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, as he argues against a bill that he says amounts to a "get out of jail free card" for criminal defendants.

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Democrats pass “get out of jail free card” over GOP opposition

 

The Senate today approved a bill that critics charge amounts to a “get out of jail free card” for criminals. Proponents argued that it levels the playing field between defendants and prosecutors.

“(This bill) ties the hands of the prosecution to consider current facts, new information, and to bring charges again,” said Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield. “That’s a decision that the people, through their elected prosecutors, should make.”

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Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, argued on the Colorado Senate floor today that "Longer prison sentences haven’t helped us reduce crime at all." Morse's remarks raised eyebrows and drew a sharp rebuke from Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany, R-Colorado Springs, who observed that if someone is in prison, "he can't be breaking into your home." The comments came during debate on a measure that will loosen sentences for convicts in order to save money in the corrections system.

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Click here to listen to Sen. Andy McElhany's response

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Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley, said on the Colorado House floor today that his property taxes are too low and asked, "What tax increase?" during debate over Gov. Bill Ritter's proposal to increase property-tax bills statewide.

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Download an audio clip of Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, as he argues against a bill that would take tens of millions annually out of highway funding.

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Senate Dems drive dollars out of highways, into new state buildings

 

Democrats in the Senate sped forward with a proposal to strip money from transportation funding and shift it to the state’s capital construction bank. The move met with adamant opposition from GOP senators.

Senate Bill 222, by Sen. Sue Windels, D-Arvada, and Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley, takes about $30 million out of highway funding and transfers the amount into constructing new state buildings. The measure was approved today by the Senate on a voice vote.

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Download audio clips Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Eaton, as he argues against a bill that will increase the cost of health care for small businesses.

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Democrat bill bars insurance discounts for healthy workers

 

Senate Democrats passed a bill today that critics say will hike health-insurance rates on small business and eventually reduce the number of covered workers.

House Bill 1355, by Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, and Rep. Anne McGihon, D-Denver, would prohibit health insurers from providing discounts to healthy employees and increases insurance rates for nearly two-thirds of small businesses in Colorado.

“When healthy groups drop out, the ones left on the policy are those that need to be, and the result is a cost increase at a much higher speed,” said Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany, R-Colorado Springs. “This bill is a retread of the old ‘death spiral collapse’ we saw a few years ago. It’s insane to pass HB 1355.”

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Download audio clips Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, as he argues against a bill that will increase the cost of health care.

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Health-coverage mandates pass, rates expected to rise

 

The Senate today approved a bill that is expected to increase the cost of health insurance by requiring insurance companies to cover a list of mental-health afflictions. Senate Bill 36 passed over a largely Republican opposition.

“We’re worried about the rising cost and un-affordability of health insurance, and now we’re proposing a measure with huge potential for dramatically increasing the cost of health insurance,” said Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield. “It will make the problem of the uninsured worse.”

...Read the full story here.

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