jon becker
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A diehard defender of tax limitation nails state lawmakers to a ‘Wall of Shame’
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Colorado’s political right has made its heartburn abundantly clear by now over Senate Bill 267, the eleventh-hour, catch-all, bipartisan legislation that wound up funding a little of this and a little more of that – and unexpectedly became the sleeper of the 2017 legislature. The bill’s title purported to address the “sustainability of rural Colorado” but, as…
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High heat stirred legislators to bipartisan action in 2017 session
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Tri-partisanship is on life support in Washington, D.C. The nation’s health-care system now has three irreconcilable options: Obamacare, RyanCare and MitchCare. It’s barely possible to see a path to WeAgreeOnThisOneCare. In our own square state, bipartisanship perked up at the end of the 2017 session, even though the bill that most carries the bipartisan brand…
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GOP sponsors of Hospital Provider Fee bill outraged with Colorado governor
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Two Republican state lawmakers are irked at Gov. John Hickenlooper for not signing a bill to maintain funding for rural hospitals at one of the hospitals that would have been affected. Rep. Jon Becker, R-Fort Morgan, and Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, who sponsored the omnibus bill that provided money for roads, schools and hospitals, told…
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Hickenlooper vetoes bill to extend tax credit on some cigar sales
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Gov. John Hickenlooper uncapped his veto pen for the first time this session to reject a bill that would extend a tax credit on cigars sold to out-of-state consumers, saying the credit hasn’t generated enough economic activity to pay for even one job. Senate Bill 139, would extend for three years a credit retailers have been…
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Give us the news: Lynchpin hospital fee bill still under wraps
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“Senate Bill 267 will be laid over,” said Appropriations Committee Chair Kevin Lundberg. “We’ll begin now with…” But the room wasn’t listening to him anymore. Nearly all of the reporters and lobbyists sitting arrayed before the committee members rose from their chairs at once and headed to the door. “Thank you for coming, everyone,” joked…
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Noonan: Bipartisanship may set a new high bar with rural sustainability bill
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Gov. John Hickenlooper takes first place, with his signature, as currently the most bipartisan politician in Colorado. He has signed 137 bills in the 2017 General Assembly. Of those, 111 are bipartisan, 15 are Dem-only sponsored and 11 are GOP-only sponsored. He has clearly set a basis that he prefers both chambers to work collaboratively.…
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Report highlights ‘medical debt malpractice’ as Colorado Senate pushes reform of collection tactics
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Have you ever received a medical bill — even though you hadn’t been to the doctor or a hospital in a year? Or opened a letter from a collection agency regarding a debt you had paid off months earlier? If that’s happened to you, you’re not alone. A new report by the Colorado Public Interest Research…
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House votes unanimously to add John Buckner’s name to organ donor awareness fund
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Her tears, she said, were tears of joy. “This gives me so much joy. You don’t have any idea. Now I have peace,” said state Rep. Janet Buckner Wednesday morning from the well of the House of Representatives. “In church, we say ‘a peace that passes all understanding,’” the Aurora Democrat added and then thanked…
