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Dems call for special session on immigration
Republicans allege grandstanding on immigration issue

By April M. Washington And Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News
June 16, 2006

Correction
This story should have said Democrats, who control the Colorado House and Senate, would need 15 Republican crossover votes to achieve a two-thirds majority necessary to call a special session, assuming all Democrats voted in favor of the session.


Democratic lawmakers Thursday called for their own special session to deal with immigration, two days after Gov. Bill Owens said he likely would call one.

At the news, Republicans accused Democrats of trying to steal the governor's thunder after earlier complaining that he was grandstanding.

"Now who's grandstanding?" said House Minority Leader Rep. Mike May, R-Parker. "We don't need dueling sessions. What's the point?"

The immigration issue that Democrats thought they had resolved in the regular session exploded Monday when the Colorado Supreme Court disqualified from the November ballot a measure that would deny state services to illegal immigrants.

The ruling stunned even Democrats and quickly united a fractured Republican Party.

Owens was so angry that he threatened a special session unless the justices reversed themselves and put the measure back on the ballot.

"It's apparent that there will be a special session," Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Coal Creek Canyon, said late Thursday. "We would like it to be in the same spirit when we passed a package of immigration measures during the session."

House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, said that he and Fitz-Gerald have been busy calling lawmakers to decide which immigration issues the session should address.

"We're working hard to find solutions that are comprehensive, cost-effective and constitutional," Romanoff said. "We're not interested in going back into special session for political theater, when the public is paying the tab at the tune of $15,000 a day."

Before the legislature could convene, two-thirds of the House and Senate would have to agree to it. Democrats rule both houses, but they would need 13 GOP votes for the two-thirds margin.

Romanoff could not say when the session would convene, but said that leadership is moving at "warp speed." Ballots will likely be sent to lawmakers in the coming days to allow them to cast votes, he said.

Colorado governors have often called special sessions, but lawmakers apparently never have, and Democrats are still researching the mechanics of such a session.

Dan Hopkins, spokesman for Owens, said the governor is still ready to call a special session. He accused the Democrats of trying to usurp what has traditionally been the governor's role, days after Fitz-Gerald said publicly that she was against a special session to address immigration.

"What was a bad idea 36 hours ago is now apparently a good idea." he said.

"I suspect it will be the governor calling the special session," Hopkins said. "I suspect it will be the governor's agenda."

But the Democrats also want to control the agenda, and that's presumably why they want to beat Owens to the punch in convening a session.

If the governor's in charge, he can narrowly define the subject of the special session, leaving lawmakers little wiggle room to deviate from the GOP agenda.

Hopkins said the governor has met with Romanoff to discuss possible issues that could be included in the session, but that Owens' primary focus will not change.

"The governor has made it clear that the central issue in the call is about voters being able to express the views on the critical issues raised by this initiative," Hopkins said.

The initiative would prohibit illegal immigrants in Colorado from receiving all taxpayer-funded public services except those required by the federal government, which include K-12 education, emergency medical care and assistance in the event of a public safety emergency.

Edie Sonn, spokeswoman for Keep Colorado Safe, said her coalition would oppose any similar measure.

"We have said all along that any special session that only focuses on the current proposed measure is a bad idea," she said. "That measure causes many more problems than it solves. It will cost Colorado untold millions of dollars to enforce and could drive Colorado off a fiscal cliff."

Sonn said that one of the biggest concerns is that the measure allows citizens to sue local governments they believe are providing services to illegal immigrants, leaving the state, cities and counties open for a legal nightmare.

Some Republicans indicated that they may dig in their heels and refuse to give Democrats the 13 votes they need to convene the session.

"I think the governor already laid out a prudent plan," May said. "Let's wait (to see if the court reverses itself) and then resolve it if we need to."

May said he already has told Romanoff that no matter who calls for a special session, he won't support any legislation unless the public gets to vote on the proposal.

Sen. Tom Wiens, R-Castle Rock, echoed those sentiments, and Rep. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, said, "It's a moot point for the Democrats to call it. But I'm glad to see the Democrats are finally on board for limiting taxpayer dollars going to illegal immigrants."