{"id":105463,"date":"2016-04-26T23:18:16","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T05:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/state-lawmakers-debate-funding-a-presidential-primary\/"},"modified":"2016-04-26T23:18:16","modified_gmt":"2016-04-27T05:18:16","slug":"state-lawmakers-debate-funding-a-presidential-primary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/state-lawmakers-debate-funding-a-presidential-primary\/","title":{"rendered":"State lawmakers debate funding a presidential primary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Durango
Durango residents show up for the March 1 caucus at Needham Elementary School. Lawmakers are debating whether to switch to a presidential primary after voter frustrations on caucus night.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file photo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

DENVER \u2013 State lawmakers on Monday began debating legislation that would implement a presidential primary in Colorado.<\/p>\n

The House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee advanced the bill 5-4. It now heads to appropriations to address an estimated $5 million cost.<\/p>\n

While the legislation has bipartisan sponsorship, it passed the Democratic-controlled committee on a party-line vote.<\/p>\n

Sponsors of the legislation introduced the measure after chaotic March 1 caucuses, where many voters expressed frustration. Reports of long lines and confusion swept the state.<\/p>\n

The legislation would stop short of creating a full, open primary, but it would allow unaffiliated voters to temporarily choose a party preference in order to participate.<\/p>\n

Thirty days after the election, the preference would default back to unaffiliated. There would, however, be a public record of what preference that voter chose for the election.<\/p>\n

Under a 2013 law, same-day registration would apply, meaning an unaffiliated voter could show up on the day of the primary, choose a party preference and vote.<\/p>\n

Voters affiliated with a party would simply receive a mail ballot for their party\u2019s presidential candidates and vote like a normal general election.<\/p>\n

The state last held a presidential primary in 2000; the caucus system was restored before the 2004 election.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re listening to the voters. \u2026 They have not just said \u2018we would pretty please like a primary,\u2019 but \u2018we really, really want to be part of this process,\u2019\u201d said Rep. Tim Dore, R-Elizabeth, a co-sponsor of the bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard discontent from people who couldn\u2019t even get into their caucus, who couldn\u2019t even make their voice heard,\u201d added Rep. Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, another sponsor of the legislation.<\/p>\n

Those opposed to the bill believe the effort would erode long-standing participation by established party members.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very concerned that what we are offering is an opportunity to dilute the vote of those members of the party \u2026 because of a beauty contest for various candidates,\u201d said Don Ytterberg, former Colorado Republican Party vice chairman.<\/p>\n

Both major state parties in Colorado support the effort to switch to a presidential primary, as does Secretary of State Wayne Williams, a Republican.<\/p>\n

The plans would not do away with the state\u2019s caucus system, in which neighbors gather to voice their support or opposition to a candidate as part of a grass-roots nominating process. Those caucuses would take place for down ballot offices, such as legislative races.<\/p>\n

Several unanswered questions hang over the legislation, including how to fund it. Lawmakers would have three years to come up with the money.<\/p>\n

The date of the proposed primary is also unclear, as the national parties would choose. Observers say Colorado could become one of the early states \u2013 perhaps February \u2013 to hold a presidential primary, which would add to its national significance.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also unclear how exactly delegates would be awarded based on primary results, another rule established by the national parties.<\/p>\n

Another unknown is how a proposed ballot initiative would impact the legislation. The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce hopes to ask voters this November to institute a primary in which all voters would receive a mail ballot without having to choose a preference.<\/p>\n

With the bill having been introduced on Friday and a hearing quickly scheduled for Monday, some lawmakers worry the issue is being rushed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf this is truly about giving the people a voice, I have to ask, why now?\u201d said Rep. Patrick Neville, R-Castle Rock. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem to me that having a late bill drop on Friday, being heard in committee on Monday, with just days left in the session, when we don\u2019t have this election until 2020, is the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moreno pointed out, however, \u201cNow (is the time) because folks are angry.\u201d<\/p>\n

pmarcus@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Measure would allow unaffiliated electors to participate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":105464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5736,5735],"tags":[94,266,13,265],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-105463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-news","tag-colorado-state-government","tag-election","tag-frontpage-lead","tag-politics"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105463"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=105463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}