Colorado: Jessica

Gov. Bill Ritter on Tuesday issued a late-in-the-day veto of legislation that would have favored grocery store workers in ongoing negotiations over their union contracts with Colorado's major supermarket chains.

In his veto message, Ritter criticized the timing of House Bill 1170.

Grocery store chains and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7 are trying to hammer out a contract by May 30, although negotiations could be extended. The legislation would have taken effect July 1.

"The parties to these negotiations have been working hard for several months to try to reach an agreement," Ritter wrote. "I believe it is ill-advised and counterproductive to enact legislation that materially impacts the relative bargaining position of parties in the midst of ongoing negotiations.

Gov. Bill Ritter said Monday that a potential $300 million cut to Colorado colleges is off the table, though he offered no guidance on how to solve the state's shortfall as the Senate moved forward with a plan that taps money from a workers' compensation insurer.

College officials greeted the news with cautious optimism but said they're not safe until additional funds are found to balance the state's $17.9 billion budget.

Ritter's announcement, the first time he has publicly stated his position on a major budget proposal this year, came as senators approved the budget and critics accused Ritter of "hiding under his desk" during a crisis.

The unanimous support for state Democratic Party Chairwoman Pat Waak on Sunday was a far cry from her first election to that position four years ago, when the upstart eked by a sitting chairman with just four votes.

The central committee's resounding change of heart as Waak sought a third term came as no surprise.

The Democrats control both state legislative chambers and the governor's seat, just graduated two of their own to U.S. Senate positions, carried the state for President Barack Obama and registered 240,000 new Democrats in the process.

Waak said she can provide some continuity as party leaders work to bring new voters into the fold, and she credited her team of county chairs for the successful run.

Backers of community colleges are expected to square off with historical preservationists for gambling proceeds at the statehouse today, with a wedge-shaped building nestled in downtown Denver casting a shadow over the proceedings.

The way the Colorado Historical Society plans to purchase a $112 million replacement for that familiar building — the state's history museum — would eat up half of its rapidly dwindling operations budget.

The society's plight has some lawmakers wondering whether it's best to postpone the project until the economy recovers.

And historians continue to battle academics for a bigger portion of new gambling revenue expected to be generated by Amendment 50, which boosted betting limits and casino hours to fund community colleges.