EDITORIAL: Don t pass state laws without reading them first gazette.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gazette.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Colorado statehouse. (Courthouse News photo / Chris Marshall)
(CN) The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday shot down a tactic employed by Colorado Democrats in 2019 to circumvent the reading of a 2,000-page bill out loud.
As they held majorities in both the state Senate and House during the 2019 Colorado legislative session, Democrats were in the process of powering through a bill that would massively change the way the state regulates oil and gas development.
In efforts to pump the brakes, several Republicans requested the reading of a 2,000-page bill, “Title 12 Recodification and Reorganization.”
The state constitution requires “every bill shall be read by title when introduced, and at length on two different days in each house; provided, however, any reading at length may be dispensed with upon unanimous consent of the members present.”
This past week, Colorado Senate President Leroy Garcia, Jr. (D) was selected to serve as the immediate past president of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). He joins the bipartisan organization’s leadership team serving the nation’s 7,383 state lawmakers and legislative staff. Garcia was appointed to serve the remaining term of former Vermont Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D), who lost her election in November.
The position exists as one of seven officers who help steer NCSL to best serve legislators and legislative staff by guiding important policy and budgetary decisions.
Colorado State Capitol. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
“I am honored to have been selected to serve on NCSL’s Officer’s
Colorado Senate President Leroy Garcia Jr., a Democrat representing Colorado Senate District 3, has been named the immediate past president of the National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan organization that seeks to support state legislatures and foster interstate cooperation.
Garcia s position will allow him to help steer the NCSL s policy and budgetary decisions through the summer.
“I am honored to have been selected to serve on NCSL’s officers team,” Garcia said. “NCSL’s research, training programs and networking opportunities are integral to the success of the Colorado Legislature, and I am looking forward to working with other leaders from around the country as NCSL’s immediate past president.”