Hodge’s ethics bill passes the Senate

DENVER — The state Senate passed an ethics reform bill Thursday morning. The measure moves onto the House, where it’s awaiting a committee assignment.

State Sen. Mary Hodge, D-Brighton

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    Though the language is not specific, the bill would seem to be a direct response to ongoing investigations in Adams County concerning Quality Paving’s relationship with Adams County government officials. Two company officials are awaiting sentencing on felony theft charges.
    “I’m glad this bill passed,” said the Senate’s sponsor, Mary Hodge, D-Brighton. “When I’m knocking on doors or holding town hall meetings in my district, people tell me they are very concerned about government corruption and they want something done. The belief that we have honest representation is one of the foundations of our democracy, and the goal of this bill is to begin to restore faith and integrity in the system.”
    If passed in present form, Senate Bill 146 would create stricter ethical standards for public and local government officials. It would discourage them from obtaining employment or gifts of value for immediate family members and would prohibit them from receiving gifts of value for personal benefit.
    Hodge said the “discouragement language” adds another item to the list of ethical principles. The “prohibition” language is an amendment to existing statutory rules of conduct.
    “The (Floyd) Ciruli poll this fall found that more than 80 percent of those polled thought the biggest issue in Adams County was corruption,” Hodge said. “This bill was an attempt to bring some specificity to ethics laws.”

Elsewhere: Spaceport
    Gov. John Hickenlooper asked the FAA to designate Front Range Airport as a Spaceport. Four other states – Florida, New Mexico, Texas and Virginia – already have the program.
    The facility in New Mexico has hosted 12 flights since 2006, and it’s hosted limited tours for the public. The public visitor facilities could be open as early as next year.
    Hodge sponsored a bil
l that would limit the liability for participants in space travel except in cases of intentional causes or gross negligence. Before participating in a spaceflight activity, a participant would have to sign an agreement and warning statement acknowledging understanding of limited liability for the entity.
    It passed the Senate 35-0 and is on its way to the House, where it’s waiting for its first committee assignment.
Hodge thinks making the Front Range Airport a Spaceport is sound.
     “It’s the ideal location – close to an international airport but far enough out for takeoff,” she said. “And the infrastructure is already present. This would be a wonderful boost to the state, to the county and for the Front Range.”

Water Court
    The Senate also passed a bill to make certain Water Court procedures easier.
    The Burlington head gate was moved 900 feet upstream in the hopes of removing the danger of Globeville flooding each spring. The result, Hodge said, was anyone who takes water from that head gate had to change its decree to show the location of the change.
    “Water owners are reluctant to go back to Water Court and open their decrees because that puts everything in it on the table,” she said.
    The city of Thornton and other interests drew up a bill that, Hodge said, streamlines the process and makes only the diversion point “actionable” in Water Court.
    Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, is carrying the bill in the House. The measure is awaiting a committee assignment.