Citizens in Charge

UPDATE: The Durango Herald reports today that SCR 1 failed to make it out of the legislature before the end of the session. So the good news for the time being is that politicians have not succeeded in making it more difficult for Colorado citizens to amend their state constitution. There is still the possibility that supporters of SCR 1 will try and get the measure on the ballot through the petition process, however.

Colorado politicians did not leave the initiative process completely alone however. Despite SCR 1 failing to make it into law, HB 1072 passed and will open up those who run petition drives to frivolous lawsuits from opponents. From a Denver Post editorial back in February regarding HB 1072:

One expert in petition law we consulted, attorney Shayne Madsen, said the bill would provide initiative opponents with additional opportunity to sue, while increasing the already high costs and bureaucratic hurdles for putting a measure on the ballot.

UPDATE: Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed HB 1072 into law on June 2, 2011.

Original Post: The legislative session is almost over in Colorado and a bill making it more difficult for citizens to amend their own constitution has an uphill battle in order to pass. Here’s hoping that hill is huge and it doesn’t pass:

Months after lawmakers from both parties joined hands in support of a bill that would ask voters to make it harder to amend the Colorado Constitution, the proposal is on life support heading into the last day of the session.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 has been sitting in the Senate since March 11, when the House passed it with amendments. The Senate still must either concur with the House amendments or seek a conference today.

But Senate President Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, said the measure, which has passed both chambers once already, faces difficult prospects.

“I don’t know that I have the votes anymore,” Shaffer said Tuesday. “The opposition has gotten much louder, and it’s not from any one segment.”

We’ll keep you updated and let you know if it ends up passing. If you want to read more about what’s going on in Colorado check out a previous blog post here.