Winners & losers

Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 9, 2006 at midnight

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Thumbs up or thumbs down on the 2006 session? As always, it depends on whom you ask.

Small-bar owners say a measure banning smoking in the workplace starting July 1 will put them out of business. But health care advocates and some restaurant owners cheered when the governor signed the bill, which passed with bipartisan support. Here's a look at the session's winners and losers, based on interviews with lobbyists, legislators and other politicos:

Winners

• GOP Gov. Bill Owens: He may be a lame duck, but he gets the last word. Watch for his veto pen in coming days.

• Democratic leadership: Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, of Coal Creek Canyon, and Speaker Andrew Romanoff, of Denver, were viewed as funny and reasonable, even if Republicans can't wait for the day when the pair are back in the minority.

• Rep. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction: A mere freshman and in the minority party at that, Penry was a key player in some of the biggest issues of the session, including rainy-day fund negotiations. On the other hand, that's because Romanoff allowed Republicans a voice. (See above.)

• Referendum C: The 2005 tax measure that voters approved allowed lawmakers to restore deep budget cuts made in a recession.

• Colorado: The state retained its Spanish name - it means red - despite an effort to require English only when printing most government publications.

• Rep. Jim Kerr, R-Littleton: One of the more obscure lawmakers, Kerr doubled his name ID when Jeffco Democrats picked educator Andy Kerr, of Lakewood, to succeed Rep. Betty Boyd after she went to the Senate.

• Drivers: Watch out for - THUD! Coloradans can expect fewer potholes with $350 million to $400 million more of highway construction funds over two years.

• PERA and Dan Hopkins: The governor's unflappable and first-rate spokesman, who retires in January, won't have to worry about his pension. Owens and lawmakers reached a deal on fixing the retirement fund's solvency problem.

• Eastern plains residents: Fears of having their property seized to build a private toll road ended with legislation that made it much tougher for developers.

• College students: They got more state funding and lower tuition increases.

• Gay couples: Voters will decide in November whether to grant them the same rights and responsibilities as married couples.

• Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison: She gained respect from both sides of the aisle for her work on her oil and gas compensation bill, although she ended up killing it.

• The Catholic Church: It scored victories on two bills it hated. The guv vetoed an emergency contraception bill, and lawmakers killed a measure making it easier for victims of childhood sexual abuse to win civil judgments for past abuse.

• Rep. Mark Larson, of Cortez: The hardworking Republican has never been afraid to take on his own party. His departure from the House this year is a reminder of what's wrong with term limits.

• House freshman class: Whether it was Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, or Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, the infusion of new lawmakers with good ideas and energy served as a reminder of everything that's right with term limits.

• Former Sen. Norma Anderson, R-Lakewood: She unexpectedly retired in January at the start of what would have been her 20th and final session, thus avoiding a session filled with the partisan bickering she despised. Plus, lawmakers brought her back Monday for a tribute in the House and Senate.

• Schoolchildren: More money was provided to preschoolers, kindergarteners and special-ed kids.

• Douglas County: The GOP bastion saw two of its own elevated to leadership positions in mid session. Rep. Mike May, of Parker, became the minority leader, and Rep. Ted Harvey, of Highlands Ranch, was elected assistant minority leader.

• Sen. Dan Grossman, D-Denver: He ends his 10-year legislative career on a personal high note, finally getting a law that bans most workplace smoking.

Losers

• Businesses that spent a fortune installing smoke-mitigating devices: Their equipment is useless after July 1, unless bar owners succeed in winning a court injunction to stop the smoking ban from going into effect.

• Colorado residents: Bickering and partisan politics reached new heights this year, with control of the legislature and the governor's office up for grabs in November.

• Rep. Joe Stengel, R-Littleton: On Day 1, he picked a fight with Democrats, and it went downhill after that. He eventually resigned the minority leader's slot in a payroll billing scandal.

• Former Sen. Deanna Hanna, D-Lakewood: She resigned after putting in writing what politicians tend to do verbally: She demanded a campaign contribution, or else.

• Senate Democrats: Hanna's resignation midway into her term means her seat is up for grabs, giving Republicans a chance to gain the majority in November. Dems now hold a one-seat edge.

• Chatty Cathys: Some 5 percent of the lawmakers take up 95 percent of the time debating bills and rarely get listened to anyway. You know who you are. Stop.

• Prison population: Bed space already is lacking, and lawmakers continued to make more crimes felonies.

• Graduate students: University of Colorado President Hank Brown laments that grad students got little from Ref C funding.

• Attorney General John Suthers or his successor: The governor couldn't persuade the legislature to give pay raises to state elected officials, so Suthers, who left a $141,000 job as Colorado's U.S. attorney, will be stuck making $80,000 for the next four years if he wins re-election in November.

• Rest of the constitutional officers: Same for the incoming governor, whose pay will stay at $90,000 (New Mexico's governor makes $120,000 annually) and for the new secretary of state, treasurer and lieutenant governor. Their pay will remain at $68,500.

Mixed bag

• Illegal immigrants: They showed their growing strength in rallies, but the issue of illegal immigration continues to polarize the country. A number of bills that were introduced targeted undocumented workers, their smugglers or their employers.

• Sen. Tom Wiens, R-Castle Rock: He saw some of his immigration and water bills pass but was embarrassed by reports that a nonprofit group he founded to help needy military families failed to file federal tax documents and spent a questionable amount of money on expenses.

• Labor: Union members were happy with the retirement plan compromise but lost a huge drug bill they backed.

• Research & Democracy: The mystery Democratic group paid for constituent mailings last year for 10 targeted Democrats to help raise those lawmakers' profiles. But the move backfired this year when Republicans targeted the Dems, accusing them of tapping a secret political slush fund.

• House Majority Leader Alice Madden: She advised the Democrats who got the Research & Democracy mails to report the cost, although they weren't required to do so, then spent the rest of the session getting pummeled by the state GOP over it.

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