Colorado: Beth Mccann

A bill proposing to increase fees in order to support domestic violence service agencies was heard Wednesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee. If passed, the bill would designate a percentage of funds specifically for organizations that provide domestic abuse services for military members and veterans.

Senate bill 68, sponsored by Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, and Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, seeks a fee increase on all applications for marriage or divorce. The bill specifies a percentage of the money collected would fund domestic abuse services provided by nongovernmental agencies or units of local government and specifically designates a percentage of the money to organizations that provide domestic abuse services to military families.

Colorado dog breeders panned a "puppy mill" bill Wednesday, saying more inspections and not more rules are the answer.

But an animal activist pointed out that some of the same breeders who testified against the measure were found to have operated filthy facilities and had reportedly sold sick dogs.

As amended, House Bill 1072, by Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, limited the number of dogs in a facility to 50 and also required breeding dogs to be seen annually by a veterinarian.

Lawmakers on the House Agriculture Committee killed the bill on a 7-5 vote, saying they were concerned it wouldn't stop puppy- mill operators and instead would hurt reputable breeders.

Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, said animals have been crippled in cages, injured and killed by people who raise them for mass marketing.

Her bill, introduced Wednesday, would prevent dog breeders from keeping more than 25 adult breeding dogs.

"This legislation will crack down on abusive puppy mills where man's best friend is treated like a cash crop instead of members of the family," said Holly Tarry, Colorado director of the Humane Society of the United States.

The Humane Society said one Colorado dog breeder was ordered out of business last year after state inspectors found 40 animals had starved to death on the property and six others were in critical condition.

When B.J. Nikkel - known to her family as Betty June - was sworn in as a state representative last week, Colorado boosted its already impressive record of having the highest percentage of women lawmakers in the country.

Colorado held that distinction even before Nikkel, a Loveland Republican, took office, replacing a male lawmaker who had gone to the state Senate.

Forty percent of Colorado's lawmakers are women; nationally, the average is 24.2 percent.

"I just think it's great that Colorado is leading the way," said Katie Fischer Ziegler, a policy specialist with the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Ziegler said one reason Colorado might be leading the nation is that the White House Project, a national, nonpartisan organization that pushes to put women in leadership, has been "very active in Colorado.