House Democrats grade Owens
A mark of 'needs improvement' was their assessment
Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News
Friday, June 9, 2006
Talk about grading on a curve.
House Democrats said they passed the 2006 session with "flying colors," but Republican Gov. Bill Owens' final score is "needs improvement."
House Speaker Andrew Romanoff provided the assessment Thursday, a day after the deadline for Owens to sign or veto bills from the session.
Romanoff couldn't resist taking a playful jab at the term-limited governor.
"The fear was if we flunked him, he'd have to repeat the eight years," Romanoff joked.
The governor's spokesman, Dan Hopkins, was ready with his own crack.
"Since when does the student get to grade the teacher?" Hopkins said.
Democrats flunked Owens on one issue, health care.
They passed him on strengthening the economy, cracking down on illegal immigration and public safety.
And they said Owens needs improvement on education and energy issues.
"He killed a lot of good stuff that we put on his desk, and I think that's a shame," Romanoff said.
But that said, Romanoff had high praise for the governor, whose political career has stretched nearly a quarter of a century, beginning with serving in the House in 1983.
"He's a very shrewd operator," Romanoff said of the governor's ability to work behind the scenes to get deals passed.
The speaker was less complimentary of the Republican seeking to replace Owens, Congressman Bob Beauprez.
"I think Bill Owens has done something Bob Beauprez has not and that's admit a mistake," Romanoff said, referring to a glitch in the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights that crippled the state during a recession.
Owens last year led the charge to fix the glitch, in the form of Referendum C, while Beauprez opposed it.
Without C's passage, Romanoff pointed out, there would have been no money for roads, higher education, tourism and such, and there would have been deeper tax cuts.
John Marshall, campaign manager for Beauprez, said he's not surprised to see a Democrat attacking "the leading gubernatorial candidate."
Governor's grade card
How House Democrats scored Republican Gov. Bill Owens on this year's legislative session:
• Economy Pass
• Education Needs improvement
• Energy Needs improvement
• Health care Fail
• Public safety Pass
• Illegal immigration Pass
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