From The Denver Business Journal: Two bills designed in different ways to reduce Colorado’s business personal property tax won the approval of their initial legislative committees Thursday. House Bill 1141, sponsored by Rep. Chris Holbert, R-Parker, would exempt all business personal property that is purchased in 2012 and 2013 from the tax.

Stay ahead by signing up for State Bill E-News! >

From The Denver Business Journal: The Colorado legislative session that was supposed to be all about jobs and the economy reaches its halfway point today with few bills dealing with jobs and the economy having made much progress. A raft of Republican bills to reduce the business personal property tax or reverse sales tax exemptions have died in the Democratic-controlled Senate. And a number of Democratic bills to require procurement from local companies or enhance the state’s aid to small, developing companies have died in the Republican-controlled House.

Stay ahead by signing up for State Bill E-News! >

From Law Week Colorado: Montrose’s 7th Judicial District will get a new judgeship as a result of legislation signed today by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. Hickenlooper signed SB11-028, a measure that transfers a pending judgeship from the 1st Judicial District, covering Jefferson and Gilpin counties, to the county on Colorado’s Western Slope. The legislation was sponsored by West Slope legislators Sen. Gail Schwartz and Rep. Don Coram.

Stay ahead by signing up for State Bill E-News! >

From The Associated Press: An age limit for electronic cigarettes has won initial approval in the Colorado Senate. The bill makes it illegal to sell the battery-powered nicotine delivery devices to minors.

Stay ahead by signing up for State Bill E-News! >

From The Colorado Independent: Tempers ran high on the floor of the Colorado House today as members discussed reducing the number of PERA board members selected by employees and replacing them with governor appointees. The bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Kerr, R- Littleton, and Sen. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango, passed on second reading. The bill would dramatically change the composition of the Public Employees Retirement Association pension fund board by moving the balance of power away from PERA members and toward political appointees who do not and will not receive PERA retirement benefits.

Stay ahead by signing up for State Bill E-News! >

From Fox31: A panel of lawmakers Wednesday approved a proposal to force schools, teachers and the state to take bullying more seriously after hearing from a number of witnesses who testified about the devastating, and sometimes deadly, consequences of not doing so. House Bill 1254, sponsored by Rep. Sue Schafer, D-Wheat Ridge, and Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Aurora, seeks to clearly define bullying, create a grant program to which schools can apply in order to fund bullying prevention programs, and require each school district to adopt a comprehensive, evidence-based anti-bullying policy.

Stay ahead by signing up for State Bill E-News! >

From Examiner.com: On the same day that Colorado’s unemployment rate jumped above the national average, the Colorado House Economic and Business Development Committee voted to postpone indefinitely House Bill 11-1266. This bill proposed to create new jobs in Colorado through increasing the amount of capital and improving access to existing capital to Colorado small businesses: historically, the single largest source of new job creation

Stay ahead by signing up for State Bill E-News! >

From The Sterling Journal-Advocate: Under the heading of things you don`t see everyday: a bill that passes its committee without its sponsor even being there. But that’s what happened Wednesday in the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee, which had just one bill on its agenda: House Bill 11-1187, concerning employees at Northeastern Junior College. The sponsor of HB 1187, Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, was nowhere to be found. Capitol sergeants searched high and low, but as it turns out Brophy had gone home in pain from back problems.

Stay ahead by signing up for State Bill E-News! >

Associated Press: Elementary schools are a step closer to new recess or physical activity requirements after the state Senate gave initial approval to the proposed mandate Friday. The bill requires full-day students in elementary school to have 30 minutes of physical activity during each school day. Schools wouldn`t be allowed to substitute recess for physical education classes.

Stay ahead by signing up for State Bill E-News! >

LGBTQNation.com: A second state Senate committee approved the Colorado civil unions bill on Thursday evening. The Senate Finance Committee approved the measure 5-4, and as expected, the vote was down party lines.

Stay ahead by signing up for State Bill E-News! >