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May 6, 2008 9:46 pm US/Mountain
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Lawmakers Nearly Finished With Session
DENVER (CBS4) ―
State lawmakers are nearly finished with this year's session. They have to wrap up by Wednesday at midnight, but it was possible they could finish Tuesday night.
The Democratic leadership took a break to go outside the Capitol steps to pat themselves on the back for a productive session. By mid-afternoon, majority Democrats took time out to claim leadership in a session they say invested in kids.
"We promised our kids a healthy place to go to school, and we delivered," said Andrew Romanoff, D-House Speaker. "We passed the largest single investment in school construction since Colorado became a state in 1876."
But minority Republicans painted a different picture on other issues, describing a session that showed little restraint on new spending.
"This is the second year in a row we passed a record-breaking budget, hired 2,500 new, full-time state employees; no rainy day fund, new taxes, new fees on everything from marriage certificates to birth certificates, to nursing homes, to so on and on," Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, said.
Democrats said at least they didn't get bogged down in divisive social issues, as they feel they have in the past with Republicans in control.
"It's no longer the legislature of guns, God, and gays, or whatever that saying is," Rep. Alice Madden, D-House Majority Leader, said. "We've actually been able to focus on what people care about; and that is having a good job, being able to send your kid to a good school and making sure you get health care when you need it."
"We did see some gains in the educational area, but that's the only place," Sen. Andy McElhaney, R-Senate Minority Leader, said.
If they end up finishing Tuesday, it will save taxpayers about $15,000. That's about what it costs for every day of the 120-day session.
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