There have been a torrent of rumors coming out of the statehouse about what was going to happen with Amendment 41 (A-41). Who wanted to fix it, and how it could be fixed were hotly debated questions.
It was strongly sensed that Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald didn't want anything done about A-41 since her potential CD-2 primary opponent Jared Polis was the financial power and brains behind A-41.
However, according to today's RMN, Senator Steve Ward (R-Centennial) and Representative Rosemary Marshall (D-Denver) will be sponsoring legislation to "fix" A-41. This is a bad idea not only for Ward, but for the Republican party in Colorado.
A-41 is the brain child of one the liberal-billionaires who bought the state legislature for the Democrat Party in 2004 and 2006. Polis' poorly worded Amendment was meant to "fix" the influence of lobbyists over politicians, instead it prevent municipal employee's children from receiving college scholarships.
Polis screwed up and he knows it. The hostility that has risen over A-41 is very good for Republican. There has been a plethora of finger pointing news articles, featuring Dems bashing Dems. This is great for the Republican party and the conservative cause (two issues which don't always walk hand-in-hand).
A-41 is bad policy, so why try to fix it when it could be repealed it all together?
Could Ward be trying to burnish his "moderate" credentials for a potential run in the CO-6 primary? Ward also broke ranks with his pro-life colleagues to vote twice in favor of the Dems Emergency Contraceptive Bill (SB07-60). Ward is out of his mind if he thinks he can run to the left and win a Republican Primary.
From the article:
That is truly a political contortion in the fashion of the prime contortionist himself, John Kerry. Ward will supporting changing A-41 so long as he feels that it is politically expedient for him to do it.Ward said he decided to sponsor the legislation because he feels it is the duty of the legislature to tackle the issue instead of "punting" it to the courts.
He said he voted for Amendment 41 and talked last weekend to numerous constituents who want the law's problems fixed.
He also is bracing for stiff opposition and indicated that he might not support the bill later if he feels it violates the intent of the voters. [Emphasis added]
Ward's trip off the GOP reservation have raised the hackles of Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany:
[McElhany] said Wednesday the bill would drill "a truck-sized loophole" through the new law.
McElhany called the measure "unconstitutional" and a "full- blown rollback."
Read McElhany's full remarks at ColoradoSenateNews.com.
1 comment:
What a huge political blunder on Wards part. If Ward thinks he is going to gain anything from helping to fix 41 he is off his rocker, not one voter in the Republican primary will think more of Ward for fixing a liberal billionaire Democrats bill. On the contrary, many will think oh him as an opportunist without a clue including myself. Fixing bad legislation gives ground on something that we should be standing firm in trying to reject altogether. Absolutely ridiculous.
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