A plan to repair the Colorado's famous gold dome advanced today.
Senate Bill 192, sponsored by Littleton Republican Sen. Mike Kopp, would tap into revenue generated by gambling taxes, already directed towards historic preservation, to pay for the dome's $11.6 million of repairs.
"Colorado citizens deserve to have their Capitol reflect the pride they have in their state," Kopp said. "Letting the dome crumble before our eyes is unacceptable. I'm proud of the bipartisan coalition supporting the effort to restore this important Colorado monument."
Kopp noted the cast iron structure the gold dome sits on top of has deteriorated so badly the state architect put nets around it to catch falling chunks of debris, and that the windows on the lower decking are dry rotting.
"Senate Bill 192 achieves a critical balance of priorities," Kopp said. "The Historic Preservation Fund will still have over $5 million annually to pay for other important local projects around the state. And most importantly, this bill pays for the dome repairs without raising taxes or taking money away from other core government functions."
SB 192 will now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for approval.