Governor writes “John Hickenlooper” over and over as bill deadline approaches

June 7, 2012
By Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post
http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2012/06/07/governor-writes-john/72818/

Gov. John Hickenlooper signed so many bills into law this week he must have writer’s cramp and there are still more measures to act on by the Friday deadline.

At 1:30 this afternoon in the west foyer, the governor will publicly sign a criminal omnibus bill into law. Folded into that bill, by the Judiciary Committee chairs, Sen. Morgan Carroll and Rep. Bob Gardner, are other criminal justices measures, some of which died on the calendar the second-to-last day of the session during a civil unions brouhaha, but were revived by amending them into the omnibus bill.

Yesterday, Hickenlooper signed HB12-1321, a measure designed to improve the state’s personnel system. In addition, the legislature referred a measure to the voters, which is designed to increase the flexibility of the state’s personnel system.

“This ballot measure continues the work we’ve started with changing the state’s personnel system,” Hickenlooper said. “The changes would give state government more flexibility in retaining and recruiting top talent and would make Colorado and even more military-friendly state.”

The personnel bill is sponsored by Reps. Mark Ferrandino and Glenn Vaad and Sens. Keith King and Mike Johnston.

Among the other criminal justice bills folded into the omnibus bill are:

SB12-116, “Bath Salts as Controlled Substances,” sponsored by Sen. Joyce Foster and Rep J. Paul Brown

SB12-104, “Drug Treatment Fund Consolidation,” sponsored by Rep. Brian DelGrosso and Sen. Pat Steadman

SB12-163, “Reduce Penalty Certain Drug Possession Offenses,” sponsored by Sens. Shawn Mitchell and Steadman and Reps. Don Beezley and Claire Levy.

SB12-028, “Aggravated Juvenile Offenders,” sponsored by Sen. Kevin Grantham and Rep. Mark Barker.

Friday is the deadline for the governor to act on legislation passed during the 2012 session. He can either sign the bills into law, let them become law without his signature or veto them. So far this year, Hickenlooper has vetoed only one bill.

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