Gov. John Hickenlooper will allow two measures to become law without his signature, a rare move that he said is designed to protest actions by lawmakers to “veil a bill’s true cost to the taxpayers.”
The Democrat explained his decision in letters sent Tuesday to the Republican-led Senate, where he said lawmakers made last-minute changes to delay the implementation — and shroud the price tag — for two bills designed to address mental illness in the criminal justice system.
Even as he emphasized that he supports the substance of the legislation, Hickenlooper said he could not put his name on Senate Bill 12 and Senate Bill 19.
In the letters, the governor wrote that “legislation should not contain ‘work-around’ language to the annual appropriations process — whether by delays of implementation dates several years out, use of optional or permissive bill language, or other tactics that may veil the bill’s true cost to the taxpayers.”
The Senate altered both bills, sponsored by Sen. Beth Martinez Humenik, R-Thornton, in the final days of the 2017 session to reduce the face-value cost and secure passage after the money for the legislation was not set aside in the budget process.
Senate Bill 12 revamps the process in the criminal and juvenile justice systems by which a a person is found incompetent because of mental illness. Senate Bill 19 adds new requirements in the criminal justice system to help get medication to people with mental disorders.
Martinez Humenik called the governor’s decision disappointing and defended the process.
“Accountability and restraint with taxpayer dollars is a top priority for me,” she said in a statement. Senate Bill 19 showed “taxpayers that this divided Legislature is securing lasting results for Colorado.”
Without Hickenlooper’s signature, both measures will become law June 10 — the deadline for the governor to act on all legislation from the 2017 session.
Of the dozens of bills the governor receives each year, he allowed legislation to become law without his consent twice in 2016 and three times in 2015.
In calling for lawmakers to be “more transparent on (legislation’s) impact on taxpayer funds,” the governor made a point to note that he is “frequently accused of not correctly prioritizing our resources or not making tough choices.”
