Presidential election bill goes down in flames

Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News

Published March 8, 2007 at midnight

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Two college professors today ripped a bill that would change how Colorado elects a president, but it turns out lawmakers didn’t like the proposal any better.

The State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee voted 10-1 to kill Senate Bill 46.

It would have put Colorado in an interstate agreement to elect the president by popular vote, instead of the electoral system currently in place.

"This proposal has a goal that is misguided, potentially disastrous, uses a method to achieve its passage that is devious and disrespectful of the U.S. Constitution," said Jim Riley, a professor of politics at Regis University.

"Its effects would be potentially catastrophic for the nation. I say this intending no exaggeration."

Law professor Robert Hardaway from the University of Denver was equally critical.

He said problems with a candidate winning the popular vote but losing the electoral vote are rare, but result in cries for changing the system.

Without the electoral college, close votes would be a nightmare, Hardaway said.

"You think 2000 was bad? You’d have recounts in every precinct, in every state," he said.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, who vigorously defended his proposal, and Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder, who said little during the committee hearing.

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