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6 The News-Press
June 12, 2014
A shorter wait at the DMV Hickenlooper visits Lakewood to sign Senate bill into law By Clarke Reader
creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com The department of motor vehicles is certainly not the most glamorous place to have a bill signing, but it was the most fitting for the work Gov. John Hickenlooper and others came to do. Hickenlooper, Sen. Pat Steadman (D-Denver), Rep. Cristana Duran (D-Denver) and Rep. Cheri Jerou (R-Evergreen) were joined by Barbara Brohl, executive director of the Department of Revenue, at the Pierce Street DMV on June 5 to sign a bill aimed at reducing DMV wait times. SB14-194, also known as the “Driver’s License Fee Allocations” bill, changes the funding of the DMV in the hopes of creating a 15-minute wait time. Brohl described the bill as a major step forward in the modernization of the DMV, and it will allow for two consecutive on-line driver license renewals, granting the Department of Revenue fee setting authority within defined parameters, and consolidating cash funds to achieve greater administrative efficiency. “Given all that goes on here at the DMV, this is the perfect place to sign this historic bill,” Brohl said during the signing. “The positive impact it will have on how the DMV does business will help all of Colorado.” The DMV received funding to enhance staff coverage during peak hours, expand office hours, provide additional training, and expand online appointment scheduling statewide. This will assist is reaching the Governor’s vision of average 15 minute wait times at Driver’s License offices.
Court Reporter Belle Fourche, Yankton, and Mitchell
The South Dakota Unified Judicial System is inviting applications for Court Reporter positions in Belle Fourche, Yankton & Mitchell. The salary is $20.70/hour. Additional compensation is given per page for transcripts, $3.00/ original and $.40/copy. 5% increase in salary after successful completion of CRR (Certified Real-time Reporter) certification. Benefits: paid health ins., life ins., generous leave, paid holidays & retirement. Duties include performing stenographic work in recording & transcribing verbatim circuit or magistrate court proceedings, hearings & conferences. Requires graduation from high school and an NCRA accredited/certified Court Reporting School. Successful completion of a criminal background investigation is required. To Apply: please submit an electronic application at http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus
• Belle Fourche - Req. #3068 • Yankton – Req. #3182 • Mitchell – Req. #3203
Small Business Lender’s Panel Local lenders discuss funding options in panel followed by individual meetings
Wednesday, July 16 6:30pm-8:30pm $25.00 per person South Metro Denver Chamber @ The Streets of SouthGlenn (2154 E. Commons Avenue, Suite 342, Centennial, CO 80122)
Panel of experts includes:
Colorado Business Bank/CoBiz Financial Bellco Colorado Enterprise Fund Accion Liquid Capital of Colorado U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Colorado Lending Source Colorado Crowdfunding
Please register at least 48 hours in advance www.smallbusinessdenver.com or call 303-795-0142
Presented by:
The South Metro Denver Small Business Development Center is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Support given by the U.S. Small Business Administration through such funding does not constitute an express or implied endorsement of any of the co-sponsors' or participants' opinions products or services. The Colorado SBDC is a partnership between the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Colorado's institutions of higher education, and local development organizations.
www.SmallBusinessDenver.com
Gov. John Hickenlooper visits the Pierce Street DMV in Lakewood on June 5 to sign a bill aimed at decreasing wait times. Photo by Clarke Reader “This all goes a long way to streamlining and cutting red tape here (at the DMV),” Hickenlooper said. “It will help us comply with the Real ID act as well.” The DMV also received funding for Colorado DRIVES, the DMV’s IT capital construction request. This project will replace both the antiquated title and registration system and the driver’s license system, which will increase efficiency and allow for better communication. “The DMV has been due for a make over for a long time, and we will see some real improvements in the coming
years,” Steadman said. Duran highlighted the importance these changes will have in making it easier to get IDs and for Gerou the bill represented a fitting completion for her time in office. “This is my last bill signing, and it makes sense because this is one of the first problems I saw when I was elected, and now we’ve addressed it,” she said. Brohl added that the process of bringing the wait time to the desired 15 minutes will take time, but people should see some serious reductions in wait time along the way.
Governor vetoes road transparency bill By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com A bill that sought more scrutiny of the teaming of state and privately-backed road projects has failed to make it any further than Gov. John Hickenlooper’s desk. Senate Bill 197 — a bill that would have provided greater oversight and transparency for private-public road construction partnerships — was vetoed by Hickenlooper on June 4. However, some of the bill’s intent survived. The bill — a response to grumblings over the US 36 road project process — would have required any “P3” project that exceeds 35 years to be approved by the Legislature. It also would have required a Colorado Department of Transportation board to hold public meetings throughout any road project process and keep the Legislature and other local elected officials informed along the way. The $425 million, 50-year US 36 project, which will widen the lanes of the highway and incorporate toll lanes, received a great deal of criticism by local residents who felt as though the P3 contract was too secretive and that they were kept out of the loop on key parts of the project. Hickenlooper supports the part of the bill that sought
greater transparency and signed an executive order that requires the state to improve “accountability, transparency and openness” of CDOT P3 projects. But the overall bill, which he said contained “unworkable provisions,” was vetoed. Hickenlooper issued a statement, saying that he took issue with parts of the bill that required legislative go-ahead for projects that exceed 35 years and other features that “inappropriately constrains the business terms of future P3 agreements.” “These constraints on business terms would create a chilling component on future transactions, making investors unlikely or unwilling to bid on Colorado projects due to the increased risks this process would generate,” the governor said. Hickenlooper’s statement was accompanied by a list of 48 persons or local government entities that called on the governor to veto the bill, including many business organizations. Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp, D-Arvada, a bill sponsor, said she was disappointed with the governor’s decision, but that the executive order means that her effort did not go for naught. “I hope we can build on the transparency piece so that we can move toward figuring out a way to figure in oversight,” she said. “We’ll work on this again. I don’t think this is a black and white issue.”
Hickenlooper signs ride-sharing regulations Marijuana, water, Jessica’s Law also addressed in final week of decisions By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com The regulation of ride-sharing services and the creation of a first of its kind marijuana banking law highlighted a busy week of deadline decisions on the part of Gov. John Hickenlooper. June 6 was the last day for bills that passed the Legislature this year to become law. Last week, Hickenlooper made decisions on dozens of bills, including the signing of legislation that allows the Public Utilities Commission to regulate ridesharing services by companies such as Uber and Lyft. The transportation network companies allow passengers to book rides through a smartphone application. However, up until the bill’s signing, those companies did not face any of the kinds of regulations that are required for other transportation services, such as taxis. The bill would require businesses like Uber and Lyft to carry liability insurance, conduct background checks on drivers, inspect vehicles and receive permission to operate from the PUC. The bill received bipartisan sponsorship and support from both legislative chambers. “Now that Senate Bill 125 has been signed into law, the necessary safety regulations will be in place and these new, innovative transportation services will have the freedom to expand in Colorado,” said Rep. Libby Szabo, R-Arvada. The governor also took action on the following pieces of legislation last week: • Hickenlooper vetoed Senate Bill 23, which sought to incentivize Western Slope owners of water rights to make water conservation improvements. The governor’s office said Hickenlooper chose to veto the bill “because of unresolved concerns about its potential impact to water rights.”
Hickenlooper expressed concern over “a breakdown in consensus toward the end of the legislative session that divided the water community and, in our view, would make implementation of the policy more difficult.” Rep. KC Becker, D-Boulder, expressed disappointment over the veto through an emailed statement that read, “The governor repeatedly states that our water efforts need to begin with conservation. … He missed a great opportunity to incentivize water conservation by Western Slope water users.” • The governor signed into law a bill that creates a financial system for marijuana businesses. House Bill 1398 allows retail marijuana and hemp businesses to enter into a banking co-operative system that would operate similarly to credit unions. Supporters say the new law is needed to protect shop owners from crime that can occur when dealing in a cash-only business. Because marijuana is considered an illegal drug at the federal level, federal banking rules make it more difficult for retail pot businesses to gain banking services from financial institutions. • Hickenlooper also signed into law a bill that creates stiffer penalties for those who commit child sex crimes. The governor signed House Bill 1260, Colorado’s version of “Jessica’s Law.” The law — which the majority of states have enacted some version of — is named after a 10-year-old girl in Florida who was raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender. The law creates new mandatory minimums for various felony classifications of sex crimes on children. The most severe of those punishments carry with them prison sentences of 24 years to life. For the past two years, Republicans have pursued their own version of a Jessica’s Law bill, which contained a strict, 25-year minimum sentence for each felony case of child sex assault. That bill, as it did last year, failed in the Democratmajority Legislature, in favor of the Democrats’ own version.