Are the new majority Democrats in Colorado’s statehouse losing focus so soon?
A bill proposed by Senator Jennifer Veiga (D – Denver) that requires employers not to discriminate against employees on the basis of “sexual orientation” or “gender variance” has passed the Senate Business, Labor, and Technology Committee on a 4-3 party-line vote.
The repercussions of such legislation if passed into state law? Employers (except of religious organizations) may have to accept behavior they find morally repulsive or be unable to express deeply-held religious convictions. Such were the objections of Republican committee members Sen. John Evans and Sen. Tom Wiens.
Or imagine this scenario: Mr. Smith owns a small family pharmacy. One of his employees – Bob – decides one day to reveal to the world that he has been hiding that he is really “a woman trapped in a man’s body.” Bob comes to work wearing a skirt and high heels. What can Mr. Smith do? Accept Bob’s new lifestyle decision or keep completely silent. And never mind what the customers think.
This is part of the burning Democrat agenda that is part of their mandate to govern? This reflects mainstream Colorado values?
Less than two weeks after their electoral takeover of the state legislature, the new Senate Majority Leader outlined the party’s focus for the upcoming session:
Sen. Ken Gordon, of Denver, the new majority leader, said he’s working on a 10-year plan for Democratic accomplishments.
“We’re going to do what we said we were going to do – work on the things that matter,” he said, ticking off a list that included transportation, education and, of course, the state budget crisis. “We’re going to get off this right-wing agenda of gays, guns and God.”
Off the right-wing agenda and onto the left-wing agenda of gays, guns and God. Maybe making sure that a man has the unimpeachable right to wear a dress to work is just one of those things that matter.
The Democrat majority has started tackling the “gays” issue. Next up? God and guns. Let’s just face it. A focus on social issues is not the sole provenance either of the Left or of the Right. But let’s see which is more in tune with most Colorado voters.
Meanwhile, the Kestrel points us to a Rocky Mountain News story highlighting that the state’s fiscal year 2004-05 budget deficit is not nearly as large as previously believed, and may not exist altogether. This immediately prompts two questions:
1. Will the Democrats still try to gut TABOR to “fix” a budget crisis that’s not nearly as bad as first believed?
2. If the budget turns out be balanced already, will the Democrats claim credit for it?
A suggestion, with regards to the state budget: Eliminate the general fund. Every cent that comes in should be earmarked to something. If it isn’t then the government is taking in too much money.
I know: That goes to suggest accountability and responsibility, which the Democrats loathe and despise, but it needs to be done.