Colorado

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CAR CHALKS UP A COUPLE OF KEY VICTORIES EARLY IN 2005 SESSION
The Colorado Association of Realtors logged a couple of early successes in the 2005 legislative session by defeating two bills that would negatively affect real estate professionals and property owners. First, House Bill 1094 that would have drastically reduced the continuing education requirements for real estate licensees was rejected. Second, House Bill 1229 that would have enabled local governments to enact ordinances establishing rent controlled housing was defeated on the House floor by a vote of 32N to 31hing rent controlled housing was defeated on the House floor by a vote of 32N to 31Y. Meanwhile, a heavily amended landlord/tenant bill, HB 1061 passed out of the House on a 32 to 31 vote and will be under considered in the Senate this month.

GOVERNOR AND SENATE PRESIDENT WORK TOWARD BUDGET COMPROMISE
Senate President, Joan Fitz-Gerald and Governor Owens are hashing out a plan to address the state’s fiscal problems and are relying in part on recent polling data. Polling results suggest that voters are willing to let the state keep a portion of the TABOR surplus funds in exchange for a reduced income tax rate but also want to have the right to revisit the budget issue within 5 to 10 years. What voters may see on the ballot this November would allow the state to keep $500 million or more, that would otherwise be refunded, to spend primarily on education and highway construction? The proposal would also reduce the state income tax rate from 4.63 percent to 4.5 percent and would require legislators or voters to reauthorize the provisions in a future legislative session or election. The anticipated compromise will likely contain elements of a proposal sponsored by House Speaker Andrew Romanoff.