Earlier I linked to the audio of former Governor Bill Owens and former U.S. Senator Hank Brown giving their endorsements of Amendment 49, Colorado's Ethical Standards initiative. Compliments of Ethical Standards Now, here is a longer version of the Hank Brown Amendment 49 radio ad set to YouTube video - "Amendment 49 keeps lobbyists in line": (Full disclosure: I also happen to work for the Independence Institute, which has provided the intellectual ammunition behind Ethical Standards.) … [Read more...]
Colorado’s Amendment 49 Better Version of Idaho Clean Government Law
The latest edition of Budget & Tax News highlights an important case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court about a clean elections law from Idaho:In 2003, the Idaho Legislature passed the Voluntary Contributions Act, which banned the collection of political contributions through government payroll systems throughout the state. Nothing in the law prohibits union members from contributing to candidates by choice, and nothing in it prohibits unions from engaging in politics. Policy experts view the law favorably. Noted Ben DeGrow, an education analyst with the Independence Institute, "Governments should be focused on performing vital services for taxpayers, not on acting as a bill collector for private groups--especially groups that are … [Read more...]
Colorado Education Association Reports Zero Dollars Spent on Politics?
The Colorado Supreme Court may have given the Colorado Education Association (CEA) a pass from the state's electioneering laws, but the Landmark Legal Foundation has taken the same evidence to file a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service that the union violated its tax-exempt status. In other words, CEA spent members' general dues money on union employees to coordinate political campaigns but reported zero dollars spent on politics to the IRS. Listen to Landmark's Pete Hutchison tell the story on this newly-released iVoices podcast. … [Read more...]
Hear Bill Owens, Hank Brown Endorse Amendment 49 on Colorado Ballot
Two of Colorado's most respected political heavy hitters - former Gov. Bill Owens and elder statesman former U.S. Senator Hank Brown both have endorsed Amendment 49 (Ethical Standards Initiative) on the November ballot:Government should not be the bagman for special interests. Amendment 49 will prohibit governments from bundling money from public employees' paychecks and delivering the cash to special interests who use it to lobby politicians. Government should be using our tax dollars to provide crucial public services, not to funnel money to political organizations. Amendment 49 keeps lobbyists in line. Bill Owens gave a thumbs-up to Ethical Standards when he guest-hosted the Mike Rosen Show last week: Listen to the audio here. You … [Read more...]
It’s Official: Colorado Government 100% Unionized, Thanks to Bill Ritter
It's not often I break news on this site, but just remember it was reported here first: As of today, the entirety of Colorado state government is officially unionized. Previously, the "Colorado WINS" union coalition won the right to represent six of eight occupational groups in state government - despite being outvoted by the "don't give a crap" coalition. While political junkies in Colorado await the results of candidate primary campaigns, results from mail-in ballot elections for the final two occupational groups of Colorado state government were counted and tabulated today. Via an email from the state labor department, here are the results (which should be posted here shortly):Financial Services Group: Colorado WINS was successful in … [Read more...]
Reasonable Solution Needed in Denver Post Lawsuit against Bill Ritter
So the Denver Post is suing Gov. Bill Ritter for access to his personal cell phone records? While I'm a strong proponent of transparency in government, it would seem this is slightly over the line. Over at The Colorado Index, a watcher writes "in defense of Bill Ritter." The typically conservative blogger is no big fan of either the Governor or the Post. A watcher especially has problems with the way the latter has responded to his quest for legal ethics reform. So what should be done? I agree with Rocky Mountain Right's assessment:Ritter should disclose any calls he made related to state business in accordance with the law even if they were on a private phone, but he should also not have to disclose every time he called his wife or … [Read more...]
Amendment 47 Moves Past Frivolous Legal Attacks to Make Public Case
A common and repeated tactic of the Left this year has been to throw frivolous legal challenges at ballot initiatives they don't like in an effort to keep Coloradans from deciding the issues themselves. Well, last Thursday the Denver Business Journal reported that a judge has tossed out legal complaints against one certain initiative:A Denver District Court judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit from opponents of Amendment 47, the so-called “right-to-work†ballot initiative that would bar labor unions from collecting mandatory dues in workplaces that engage in collective bargaining. Incidentally, the same publication endorsed Amendment 47 only days before (subscription required). Meanwhile, Fred Barnes at the Weekly Standard has an … [Read more...]
Face The State: Colorado Ethics Watch Still in the Tank for Democrats
Face The State calls out Colorado Ethics Watch for its deafening silence on Bill Ritter's admitted campaign violation. But we already knew Colorado Ethics Watch was a partisan tool. Face The State also notes:Additionally, Judge Michelle Norcross took the bizarre step of ordering the Republican who filed the complaint to pay Ritter’s legal fees. Interestingly, Michelle Norcross is the same judge who initially let the teachers union off the hook in its case of campaign coordination with state senator Bob Bacon. Legal ethics reform, anyone? You won't hear Colorado Ethics Watch crowing about that issue - not with the trial lawyers' association sitting on their side of the partisan fence. … [Read more...]
Pushy Union Rep Making Himself at Home on Colorado State Property
Regular readers of this blog and followers of the Colorado political scene generally are aware of Gov. Bill Ritter's executive order that has given union leaders the keys to state government. Already the "Colorado WINS" labor union coalition has ridden the popularity of the "don't give a crap" mentality to become the "exclusive representative" for a majority of state workers. Right now, two elections are pending that would unionize the remaining 9,500 Colorado state employees. Disturbed by the "don't give a crap" mentality and wanting his fellow public servants to judge the union's promises for themselves, state employee Dave Ohmart has started the tongue-in-cheek group "Colorado Loses." He has a regular e-mail list of interested state … [Read more...]
Colorado’s Initiative Deadline Today
In Colorado, today is the last day initiative proponents can hand over their signatures to the Secretary of State to certify measures on November's statewide ballot. By the end of the day, we should have a fairly clear idea of how crowded the ballot will be -- though we have to await the roughly two-week certification process. Currently, the ballot contains: Amendment 46, the Colorado Civil Rights Initiative Amendment 47, the Right-to-Work Amendment Amendment 48, the Personhood Amendment Amendment 49, the Ethical Standards Initiative Another measure to clean up the government contracting process turned in more than 120,000 signatures a few days ago, and figures to make the ballot, too - likely as Amendment 50. Last week we … [Read more...]