DENVER—Today the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Reform began working to find possible solutions to the tangle of contradictory provisions in Colorado’s State Constitution.
Chaired by Senate President Pro-Tem Abel Tapia (D-Pueblo), the committee also includes Senator Brandon Shaffer (D-Longmont), Senator Shawn Mitchell (R-Broomfield), Representative Andy Kerr (D-Lakewood), Representative Ellen Roberts (R-Durango) and Representative Al White (R-Hayden).
“We have quite a challenge in front of us and limited time to address these issues,” Tapia said. “We are not here to reinvent the wheel or create more reports to file away. I hope we can accomplish something great for the state of Colorado.”
The Committee will meet again at 8 a.m. Thursday in House Committee Room 112. Senate President Peter Groff and House Speaker Andrew Romanoff have asked the committee to present their recommendations by March 7.
On Thursday authors from the 2007 Colorado Constitutional Panel from the University of Denver will be asked to give a presentation to the committee. The committee will review the recent constitutional study and 12 recommendations proposed by the University of Denver’s constitutional panel.
The Select Committee will work with former legislators who have a unique understanding of Colorado’s constitutional quagmire, including former U.S. Senator and CU President Hank Brown, former Senate President Stan Matsunaka, former Senate Majority Leader Norma Anderson, former Senator and JBC member Penfield Tate.
