During his State of the State address last month, Gov. John Hickenlooper encouraged legislative leaders to bring “the best minds together” to address the state’s budget challenges.

Rep. Dan Thurlow, R-Grand Junction, has answered the call with an idea that members of the Democrat-controlled House say they like – changing the way the revenue cap under Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights is calculated.

Sounds like an opportunity for bipartisan collaboration on one of the state’s most pressing issues. More likely it’s a sign that Thurlow’s bill, HB1187, is doomed.

That’s a shame because Thurlow’s bill would put a damper on the endless budget maneuvers that spring up as a result of the state’s “fiscal thicket” – the knot of constitutional provisions that limit how much revenue the state can keep, even as it struggles to pay for core services such as education, health care and transportation infrastructure.

Read more at The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.