Isgar, Tipton Target Will Sponsor Relatively Modest Bills

DENVER – Any plans that the southwestern part of the state’s two-man delegation to the Colorado Legislature have for their own bills could be taking a back seat this year to the prospect of a $600 million shortfall in the state budget.

The 2009 version of the Colorado Legislature opened Wednesday under a cloud of gloomy revenue projections that could force cuts in government services, raids on cash funds and dipping deeply into the state’s modest reserve account.

“When we had the downturn before, I recall that most of the cuts had to come out of the next year’s budget,” said Sen. Jim Isgar, D-Hesperus, whose Senate District 6 covers eight southwest Colorado counties. “Now it’s not next year but the current year that’s the big problem.

“If the Legislative Council’s economists are right and we have to cut $600 million this year, we have a huge problem,” Isgar said. “By the time we get it done, we could be down to the last three months.”

The 2008-09 fiscal year ends June 30.

The new representative from House District 58, Republican Scott Tipton of Cortez, said his approach to dealing with the budget crisis is to look for government efficiency in every nook and cranny.

“There is waste in government across the board,” said Tipton, a business major with a background in construction, banking and retail. “I’m looking to try and establish an efficiency ratio. The goal is to maintain services as best we can, not cut services and maintain the bureaucracy.”

Tipton admits there will be some tough votes to cast during his first term as a state lawmaker. He won election to the District 58 House seat after Republican Ray Rose of Montrose decided not to seek re-election to a fourth term.

“It’s not going to be a choice between good and bad but a choice between good and good,” Tipton said.

The legislature’s majority Democrats and Gov. Bill Ritter are focusing their efforts on stimulating the job growth with a package of bills aimed at expanding existing companies and attracting new business to Colorado. They also are hoping for rapid approval of a stimulus package coming out of Washington D.C.

The Republicans, who are outnumbered 27-38 in the House and 14-21 in the Senate, created their own budget task force this week to look for potential solutions to the shortfall.

Isgar and Tipton, meanwhile, are working on their own legislation.

Isgar is preparing to introduce bills to protect funding for water projects, allow for rainwater catchment from rooftops in rural areas, continue funding for family resource centers and facilitate a merger of the Mancos-based San Juan Basin Technical College with Pueblo Community College.

“Southwest Colorado has been underserved as far as having a community college is concerned,” Isgar said. “This won’t be a new community college, but will operate as a branch of Pueblo.”

Isgar said the merger would eliminate some duplications and allow area students to get a more seamless post-secondary education.

As chair of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, Isgar also will be the primary sponsor of the annual “projects bill” that directs funding from the Colorado Water Conservation Board using mostly severance tax revenue.

“There’s nothing major in it,” Isgar said.

Isgar also has not ruled out sponsoring legislation dealing with the controversial new rules governing oil and gas exploration and production in Colorado. The industry continues to rant against the rules, scheduled to take effect in April, claiming they add more uncertainty to the climate of falling prices and pipeline capacity.

“My primary interest is with royalty owners and rural farmers and ranchers,” Isgar said. “Some of it we will know better after we give it a chance to see if it will work.”

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission adopted the new rules late last year. They are aimed at allowed development while protecting water, wildlife, land and air from the impact of drilling and production.

“We still have to make a decision on whether problems can be corrected internally through the commission … or if there are some elements that we think just aren’t going to work or take property rights away to a degree that we can’t wait to fix them,” Isgar said.

Isgar said he also would be working with Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, on a bill that could lead to the re-use of so-called “produced water,” which is a by-product of energy development.

“Once we get beyond defining what is tributary and non-tributary water, it will be easier to determine whether the water can be treated enough to be good to use,” he said. “Currently it’s all treated as waste product and gets disposed of without addressing the injury issue.”

Tipton also has a handful of bills in the works, including one to fund a full-time judge for the 7th Judicial District, which includes Ouray County. Given the state’s tight budget conditions, however, funding any government expansion could prove difficult this year.

Tipton also wants to beef up Colorado’s mild version of Jessica’s Law, which deals with punishment for sexual predators on children.

“Colorado is one of only six states that doesn’t have mandatory sentencing,” Tipton said. “The recidivism rate on predators is 100 percent. We need to do what we can to get presorts off the street and protect our children.”

Without giving details, Tipton said he also is exploring legislation that will “stand up for West Slope water.” His efforts could be helped by his appointment to the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee.

Tipton also will serve on the House Local Government committee. Isgar, while no longer serving as chair of the Senate Democratic caucus, has been named to the Legislative Council executive committee and will continue to serve on the Senate Finance Committee.