Gov. John Hickenlooper addressed the slow start to the 2015 legislative session Wednesday, calling it “probably a good thing” that fewer laws will make it to his desk this year. The General Assembly crossed the midpoint of its 2015 session last Saturday, and as of press time the Governor had signed only twenty four bills into law, including twenty-one on Wednesday. It’s been the fewest bills to reach his desk by mid-session since he took office in 2011.

Hickenlooper did address some of his legislative priorities for 2015, including a felony DUI bill that has been slow to move through the House, its chamber of origin. House Bill 15-1043 would change the penalties for driving under the influence from a misdemeanor to a class 4 felony for a variety of DUI-related offenses, including three or more prior DUI convictions, vehicular homicide or assault, causing damage or injury to people or property, leaving the scene of an accident, or that the driver has a blood alcohol level of 0.15 or higher at the time or within two hours of the accident.

The bill was approved by the House Judiciary Committee more than a month ago and its next hearing, with the House Finance Committee, is scheduled for March 18.

The price tag for the bill has been one of its sticking points. The fiscal note estimates the cost at $10 million in its first two years, and as much as $13 million in 2017-18. Hickenlooper said it would be a “bitter irony” if the bill failed for lack of funding, given the high cost Coloradans are already paying for repeat DUI offenders.

One bill that is likely to hit Hickenlooper’s desk in the coming weeks would regulate the sale of powdered alcohol. The governor said he didn’t think government should outlaw it, as the bill originally intended, but he also joked that he thought the idea of powdered alcohol in general is a “horrible” one.

While it wasn’t on his list of priorities as outlined in the State of the State address, the construction defects bill, Senate Bill 15-177, is on the governor’s radar. Hickenlooper said he didn’t think the state’s construction defects law is the sole reason for the lack of condominium development in the state, and that both sides have strongly held positions regarding the bill. There are four or five “deal points” that each side seeks, but “neither side will get all they want,” Hickenlooper said, assuming a compromise can be reached on the legislation. SB 177 was introduced on February 10 but is not yet calendared for its first hearing with the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee.

Hickenlooper also addressed the delay on funding for driver’s licenses for those in the country illegally. Hickenlooper said police chiefs and sheriffs all agree that people who drive with licenses, which he called a “driver’s privilege card,” make communities safer, and pointed out the program does not use taxpayer money. He said he is still trying to negotiate with both sides over the legislation, Senate Bill 15-161, which is awaiting conference committee reports in both the House and Senate.

— Marianne@coloradostatesman.com