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April 17, 2001 Capitol
Report
"God help me, I do love it so." * * * * * * * * Growth-control legislation has brought out the worst in the Colorado general assembly. The state Democratic Party is running reckless radio ads in Denver attacking Republican Gov. Bill Owens on the issue. In the House Local Government Committee, Republicans iced Senate Bill 148, a Democratic senator’s reasoned growth plan. This senator now holds a Republican-sponsored growth control scheme, House Bill 1225, hostage in Senate Public Policy and Planning Committee, also a notoriously partisan panel. With a scant three weeks remaining in the 120-day session, I am reminded of the movie version of Gen. George S. Patton, surveying a battlefield of carnage and burning hulks, and uttering the memorable line, "God help me, I do love it so." I do believe that in the end some good will rise phoenix-like from the gore of dismembered bills. The ghost of SB-148 will be amended into an emaciated version of HB-1225. Then it would be sent back to the House, where the Senate’s handiwork would be rejected and a conference committee formed. These six legislators, evenly split between parties and between house and Senate, would have all the elements of both bills on the table. The governor could become involved with brokering compromise. with time running out. Maybe, just maybe. * * * * * * * * Although I am honored to chair the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, it seems that I spend most of my time at the witness end of the conference table presenting bills. The many oil and gas bills come to mind, but also bills such as House Bill 1378, "Preventing Livestock Disease," which passed out of the committee last week. The Attorney General’s Office found that the state veterinarian was only authorized to cope with disease in animals after the fact and could not be proactive. My bill changes that. There is a very real threat here of the foot-and-mouth disease that is ravaging herds in England. The state veterinarian estimated that he financial threat could run to $6 trillion when one includes all the major dislocations, restrictions on travel and consumer panic. On the plane home Friday, I talked with a young man who was just returning from Europe. Clearing customs was an ordeal as officials look for any potential disease carrier. This one bears watching for the immediate threat to our lives and livelihood in Southwest Colorado. * * * * * * * * Two Senate appointments were made to the 11-member Legislative Reapportionment Commission. Majority Leader Bill Thiebaut, D-Pueblo, selected himself and Sen. Mark Hillman, R-Burlington, was selected by the minority leader. The commission will redraw district boundary lines based on the 200 census. Statewide, each of the 35 Senate districts ideally would have 122,893 people. Locally, the nine-county 6th Senate District that I am honored to serve has 134,129 good folks within its boundaries. (Well, there are a few soreheads in there too.) This is 11,236 too many, so the boundary must shrink. It is likely that the Delta County part of the 6th District will be moved to another district, and enough precincts in Montrose to constitute 984 people would likewise need to be moved. I haven’t checked the numbers, but intuitively I believe this would make the 6th less Republican. An alternative that I would oppose is to put Archuleta County in a district with the San Luis Valley and leave Delta and Montrose in the 6th District. Archuleta is not a fit with the valley and its uniquely homogenous culture. There are also the issues of different watersheds, different area codes, and the barrier of Wolf Creek Pass. I know that politics is not supposed to give anything but pain, but God help me, I do love it so. Jim Dyer is a state senator from Durango. He can be reached in Durango at (970) 259-1942, or at the Capitol in Denver at (303) 866-4884. |
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