Colorado: Sen. John Morse

State Sen. John Morse at the podium is joined by his House colleague Rep. Don Marostica and former Supreme Court Justice Jean Dubovsky at a Feb. 19 press conference. (Photo/Wendy Norris)

Directly after his budget reform bill cleared the state Senate on Tuesday with a 21-14 party-line vote, sponsor John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, joined supporters in the Capitol’s west lobby to celebrate its passage and rally support for the tough battle that awaits it in the House.

State Sen. John Morse at the podium is joined by his House colleague Rep. Don Marostica and former Supreme Court Justice Jean Dubovsky at a Feb. 19 press conference.

Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, known as TABOR, requires voter approval for any net increase in government revenue, contains a section that reads, “other limits on district revenue, spending, and debt may be weakened only by future voter approval.” Republicans are saying this includes the 6 percent limit, also know as Averschoug-Bird, which means that voter approval would be required for its elimination. Democrats, meanwhile, argue that the 6 percent limit is not actually a limit at all. SB 228's sponsor, Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, has taken to calling the 6 percent limit an “arbitrary allocation formula.”

Barry Poulson, one of the original collaborators on TABOR and a senior fellow at the Independence Institute, agrees with Republicans.

At roughly 10:30 p.m., in the waning minutes of the all-day Republican filibuster against Colorado budget reform bill SB 228, Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, threw an elbow.

The Democratic majority wouldn’t budge or break. After 10 hours, partisans on either side of the floor had clearly read into the record all the campaign trail fodder that could be transcribed. They were tired and getting sloppy.

The long-hoarse voice of Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, had by that point crawled to the bottom of his throat to be heard no more.

A half-hour earlier, Sen. Jennifer Veiga, D-Denver, yawned and stretched and yawned and then mistakenly stood up to cast a “yes” vote on one of Sen.

Senate Majority Leader Brandon Schaffer, D-Longmont. (Photo/Bob Spencer, The Colorado Independent)

Colorado Senate Republicans find themselves in the odd position today of arguing for extending dependency on tax money and maligning proposed increases in fees and tolls to pay for roads, a perhaps more obviously free-market solution.

Senate Majority Leader Brandon Schaffer, D-Longmont. (Photo/Bob Spencer, The Colorado Independent)

Heated exchange preceded today’s debate on Colorado Senate Bill 228, which seeks to repeal the the so-called “6 percent solution,” which would put a cap on General Fund growth. The new bill would give lawmakers increased flexibility to decide how to allocate Colorado’s shrinking state budget.

Animated members of the Republican minority trolled the speaker’s podium this morning, taking turns calling out House Majority Leader Brandon Shaffer (D-Longmont) on his decision to move debate on the bill to later in the day by invoking procedural gag rule 9-C, which would limit discussion to five hours.