Update, 9:30 AM: AFL-CIO press release in response to Ritter's SB 180 veto pasted below the fold. Also, Amy Oliver notes that several legislators from northern Colorado went against the will of the people in voting for SB 180 -- having benefited from thousands in labor campaign contributions. Yesterday I gave Governor Bill Ritter kudos for the veto of SB 180. Today's Denver Post follow-up by Lynn Bartels is headlined with the statement that Rep. Edward Casso and organized labor interests see the decision as a "tipping point". It could be my imagination, but I got the impression from reading the story that Ritter essentially is saying something like this to the unions:So yeah, I have this penchant of making a wide spectrum of different … [Read more...]
Ari Armstrong, Modern-Day Sam Adams, Helping Fill the Watchdog Gap
Sign of the times ... The American Journalism Review has released its annual survey of statehouse reporters. The unsurprising result? Forty-four states - including Colorado - have fewer full-time journalistic watchdogs tracking how elected legislatures are doing the people's business. As much as the Right pines about the liberally-biased media, this is not entirely a phenomenon to be rejoiced over. The news-gathering local media terrain is shifting under our feet as we move. A clear reason why we need more of the Modern-Day Sam Adams variety: Congratulations to Ari Armstrong for his well-deserved award and the lucrative success it brings. We don't always agree, but no one can deny Ari's diligent and persistent advocacy on behalf of … [Read more...]
What a Weekend: Human Achievement Hour, “Green” Energy Taxes, & You
My big regret from a low-key weekend? That I somehow forgot to celebrate Human Achievement Hour. Kudos to all those who did, and made a statement for liberty. It's most interesting to me that this weekend's events closely follow the discovery that the infamous solar panels on the Denver Museum of Nature and Science likely won't come close to paying for themselves while state lawmakers seek to induce school districts into installing cost-inefficient "new" "green" energy. Speaking of higher taxes and energy prices for consumers like you and me, Paul Chesser takes on the cap-and-trade folly in the new American Spectator. At least here in the Denver area our big snow has all but melted away ... for now. … [Read more...]
Undeterred by Plain Reading of Constitution, State Supremes Stick It to Colorado Taxpayers
Update, 3/17: Law student Constructively Reasonable says the decision is a cause for "outrage". A watcher says Colorado may not as well even have a constitution. The Colorado Supreme Court has done it again, showing its disdain for taxpayer protections in the state constitution. From the majority opinion:When it issued its declaratory judgment order, the district court did not have the benefit of our recent decision in Barber v. Ritter, 196 P.3d 238 (Colo. 2008), in which we held that a statute challenged under article X, section 20 must be proven to be unconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt. The trial court erroneously held that the relevant test of SB 07-199s constitutionality came from the interpretive guideline included in the … [Read more...]
Good News: Night Twister Spins Liberty on the Rocks into Fort Collins
Kudos to fellow Rocky Mountain Alliance member Randy Ketner (aka Night Twister) for taking the initiative to launch the Fort Collins chapter of Liberty on the Rocks. (Of course, you would already have known this if you were listening to Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio.) The movement continues to grow. … [Read more...]
Colorado Democrats Kill Clean Government, Anti-Political Blackmail Bill
From the Denver Post:A bill that would have barred back-room ballot initiative deals got the heave-ho at the state Capitol Tuesday. House Bill 1069, from state Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, would have made it illegal for anyone with a ballot initiative certified by the secretary of state to then withdraw that initiative because of a deal offering money, gifts or any “other valuable consideration.†A provision like that already exists in state law when it comes to candidates for office. It's official: your Democrats in charge at the Colorado statehouse once again come out against clean government. In voting down House Bill 1069, they have winked at the use of the citizens' ballot initiative process for political blackmail by … [Read more...]