Colorado: Sen. Mike Kopp

THAT'S A LOT OF CREAM CHEESE

700 bagels were delivered to the Capitol on Tuesday morning for the Colorado Association of Cyber School Families' breakfast reception.

FIGHT A COLD, STARVE A LOBBYIST

It's one thing for a lobbyist to have a horrible cold. After all, the Capitol is a virtual Petri dish during the session. It's another when that lobbyist is Brad Young, director of governmental affairs for RxPlus, which represents independent pharmaceutical companies.

. . . AND A CAN OF WHOOP-SOMETHING

"I bought a brand new can of war paint."

Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, referring to how heated a House floor debate over a transportation bill was expected to become

SMACKDOWN BETWEEN THE TWO CHAMBERS

During a debate whether to amend one of the bills in the budget-balancing package, Rep.

The Colorado Senate on Wednesday initially approved a plan to balance the current year's state budget over the objections of Republicans who said it spared too much spending from the ax.

Though lawmakers passed a balanced budget last year, a December economic forecast said that the state would be more than $600 million short of revenue projections for the current fiscal year that ends in June. It also predicted revenue next year would be $385 million short of projections.

The plan to balance the current year's budget relies on transferring $226 million from cash funds as well as spending about $150 million, or roughly half, of the state's reserve fund.

A Senate panel voted 3-2 Wednesday evening against a bill that would establish special elections for vacant U.S. Senate seats.

Colorado law states it is the governor's job to make temporary Senate appointments, though elections already are used to fill vacant seats of congressional representatives.

Sen. Mike Kopp, R-Littleton, was one of two sponsors of the bill and presented it to the state affairs committee. He insisted it wasn't a political issue.

Gov. Bill Ritter recently named Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet to replace Ken Salazar in the Senate.

Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins, vice chairman of the committee, said it would be difficult to put together a Senate campaign in such a short period of time.

House Bill 1255, legislation intended to clarify regulations for oil and gas companies, was laid over until at least next week after nearly two days and close to ten hours of testimony from dozens of witnesses.

If the legislation passes, oil and gas companies could opt out of a process requiring review by the the state's Division of Wildlife for a drilling permit. The companies would still have to comply with existing rules and regulations, but would be able to internally evaluate potential impact to wildlife. The bill summary reads, "...an oil and gas operator is not required to consult with the division of wildlife in the department of natural resources to determine whether wildlife mitigation requirements are reasonably practicable, and requires the Colorado oil and gas conservation commission to make that determination.