MAYBE IT WAS THE NEW YEAR’S CHAMPAGNE
For a year that started off with a heady feel,with the markets trying to break out past the 11,000 mark on the Dow, 1200 on the S&P 500, and 2200 on the Nasdaq, it got a hangover fast. The market displayed better-thanexpected fundamentals in the first quarter (i.e., earnings/economic growth), but got tripped up on those other great lubricators (after champagne)—money and oil. The worldwide geopolitical outlook got a little bit better, especially in the Middle East, but it was overtaken by inflationary concerns prompted by strong economic growth here at home.

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A House caucus made official the promotion of Rep Mike May R-Parker to House Minority Leader during a hastily convened caucus of Republican House members. May replaces Joe Stengel R-Littleton. Stengel resigned after it was revealed that he had charged the state a working per diem for 240 of 247 working days last year, including days spent on a Hawaiian vacation. State law allows legislators in leadership positions a per diem for days the legislature is not in session provided the member performs work on behalf of the state on those days.

May, who served under Stengel as Assistant Minority Leader, became Acting Minority Leader upon Stengel’s resignation.

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The Democrat-controlled State, Veterans, & Military Affairs committee voted yesterday to introduce limited measures at immigration reform in what should prove to be the first skirmish in an on-going election-year battle over the state’s response to voter’s concern on the issue.

The House committee heard testimony from over three dozen citizen and lobbyist witnesses on ten Republican-sponsored bills. The bills sought legislation that ranged from limiting government services to illegal aliens, such as in-state tuition, to getting tough on those who knowingly employ illegal aliens. In the end, only two GOP bills were approved for the appropriations committee: HB 1306 which would audit the state’s implementation of the “Secure and Verifiable Identity Document Act,” an act intended to limit government services to only those who can produce secure and verifiable identity documents; and HB 1131 which prohibits bail-bondsmen from posting bail for those who have an immigration status issue.

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Bipartisanship reigned for at least a day in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday as the committee voted unanimously to forward two out of three Republican-sponsored immigration reform measures. Last week, a similar House panel rejected 6 out 9 immigration bills put forth by the GOP.

Wednesday’s lone reject, SB 146, sponsored by Senator Andy McElhany R-El Paso, died 4-3 along a party line vote. SB 146, touted to prevent voter fraud, would have required voters to show proof of citizenship in order to vote.

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