Two substantial bills passed through the Senate last week and early this week.
The first starts the process of closing the loopholes that have allowed medical marijuana (mmj) use to morph into legalized recreational use.
SB109 passed this morning with only one vote against it. The bill tightens up the rules that apply to doctors who write recommendations, they’re not prescriptions, for mmj. It also deals with whether a person with a criminal conviction for drugs can even have a recommendation for mmj. The bill still allows the latter, but only with much greater scrutiny.
We’re not done with this yet, but this bill was an important first step. It passed quickly with bi-partisan support showing that even when we are fighting mightily over tax increases, we can solve problems for Colorado.
PERA
The other bill modifies public employee retirement (PERA) benefits and contributions by current state employees and the agencies for which the employees work. SB 1 passed this morning 25-10, I voted for it.
This was a tough one; the bill doesn’t make anyone’s retirement check get smaller, but it certainly does reduce what the retiree would received in future years by cutting cost of living adjustments from 3.5% to 2%. It also increases the amount of money current retirees pay in by 2% and state agencies by 2%. When you are in a hole like we are with the PERA fund after the panic of 2008, you have to do unpleasant things crawl out. That’s what this bill does: benefits are reduced and more money will go in to build up this fund.
If you are a PERA retiree, you need to know that we have taken real steps to make the fund solvent. If you are just a taxpayer, you need to know we did it without raising your taxes.
Tax Increases
Speaking of tax increases, this is the week that the Senate will take up all of the Governor’s proposed tax increases. You can count on me to fight hard against all of them. Some of these tax increases really hit agriculture hard; probably the hardest of any industry in Colorado.
If you want to come and testify against these tax increase bills, call my office for updates as to time and place: 303.866.6360.
Second Amendment
I sent a letter last week to Colorado State University telling them that their policy against allowing concealed carry by permit holders on campus makes students and visitors less safe and that it’s against the law. You can read the letter here: http://coloradosenatenews.com/filebrowser_download/1052/uploads/Brophy_CSU_letter.pdf
