The legislation has passed.  All that’s left is the ceremonial signature from Governor Bill Ritter with all the concerned parties in attendance.  I’m told it is common courtesy to invite the primary bill sponsor to a cermonial signing unless, of course, you are the incredibly effective freshman legislator from Loveland named BJ Nikkel. 

If you have listened to my show you know that I am a huge fan of State Rep BJ Nikkel.  Without her, there is no Colorado Taxpayer Transparency Act.  She embodies what voters want from their elected officials.  She works tirelessly on behalf of her constiuents.   Rep Nikkel’s problem is that she is a Republican and a thorn in the side of Colorado’s weak Governor.

Ritter’s office paid her back by not inviting her to the signing ceremony for her bill (HB 1290) concerning tuition assistance for members of the Colorado National Guard.  In fact, they didn’t even let her know when it was.  Ritter signed the legislation, along with several others, in El Paso County on Monday, May 11.  Others legislators — mostly Democrats and Don Marostica — got the invitation.  According to a press release Ritter praised Democrat legislators:

‘Reps. Apuan and Merrifield and Sen. Morse played a key role in leading Colorado forward during the 2009 legislative session….These three lawmakers worked hard on all of those issues for their El Paso County constituents. All of Colorado also will benefit from the bills I am signing into law here in Colorado Springs today, including measures to increase bicycle safety, help National Guard members go to college, improve civil rights and assist local schools.’

While Ritter praised the “hard work” of legislators including Rep Dennis Apuan, who was a co-sponsor of Nikkel’s legislation, sources tell me that Apuan did nothing to promote the National Guard tuition assistance legislation.  Nikkel did all the heavy lifting.  In fact, a source told me that Nikkel was forced to put Apuan on the bill so that she could get her fifth bill for this session.  Each legislator is allowed five bill titles.  But because Nikkel was appointed to the vacany in HD 49 after Kevin Lundberg moved to the Senate,  House leadership was only going to allow her four bills unless….she included Apuan on HB 1290. 

Why is it important to have Apuan as a co-sponsor on legislation for the National Guard? Good question.  Apparently, Apuan, whose district includes Fort Carson, has a history of protesting the military, and Democrats want to soften his anti-military reputation.  Representative Mark Waller (R-Colorado Springs), a former military member, told Face the State in March:

Essentially the Democrats have Rep. Apuan carrying a lot of military bills, and I believe it is for political reasons…The Democrats are trying to bolster his credentials with the military. If Rep. Apuan wants to use the military for political gain, then he needs to be called on his record.

Ritter has yet to sign Nikkel’s Colorado Taxpayer Transparency Act, which passed at the end of the session.  I called her to find out when he intends to do so.  The legislator known among her colleague as “Miss Transparency” has no idea.  Not that she hasn’t asked.  The Governor’s office won’t tell her.  So much for transparency from the Executive Branch.  They even keep bill signings secret.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 15th, 2009 at 6:00 am and is filed under northern Colorado, politics, transparency. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.