Cool things you wouldn't be seeing in a Both Ways Bob administration (as if) --

Ritter to announce global warming policy

Gov. Bill Ritter plans to outline tough new statewide standards next week to combat global warming, The Associated Press has learned.

Ritter is not expected to focus on new taxes but will set environmental goals, according to three people who have seen the plan. They did not want to be identified because they are not authorized to speak before the plan is made public...

Ritter says Coloradans have a responsibility to preserve the state's beauty for "generations to come."

"In this regard, one of our more urgent responsibilities is to see that Colorado is responsibly addressing the challenge presented by climate change. As responsible stewards of our state, I hope you will join me for the release of the first Colorado Climate Action Plan," Ritter said.

One person who has seen Ritter's plan said it sets a goal of reducing emissions by 20 percent and relies in part on a proposal by the governor, approved by the Legislature this year, to increase Colorado utilities' use of renewable energy to 20 percent of the total by 2020.

Ritter made renewable energy a key part of his campaign last year, and the 2007 Legislature passed a number of measures designed to improve energy efficiency and conservation. They included doubling the amount of renewable energy big utilities are required to use by 2020--to 20 percent, from 10 percent required in the previous law--along with encouraging the construction transmission lines and promoting biofuels.

The second proves what you already know (oh, and all the ways you know), that Republicans pretty much can't take "yes" for an answer.

Exec order giving workers stronger voice angers GOP

Gov. Bill Ritter gave unions a stronger voice in state government Friday, nine months after angering them by vetoing a bill they wanted.

He did it quietly, however, issuing an executive order at 3 p.m., hoping that it will pre- empt a full debate on the topic once the legislature convenes in January.

Republicans and business interests immediately lashed out against the eight-page, single-spaced document, calling it an arrogant payback to big labor for helping Ritter get elected.

But in an interview Friday evening, Ritter said the order, which now will go into effect without approval from the legislature, will empower state employees to improve government without tying his hands.

"At the end of the day, this is not about labor," Ritter said. "This is about state employees. It's about the quality of the workplace and what they can expect from the workplace."

By prohibiting employees from striking, entering into binding arbitration or requiring nonunion members to pay fees, he said, the order hits the right balance.

The order formally recognizes unions in state government for the first time and allows union representatives to negotiate with department heads over "issues of mutual concern."

No strikes? Binding arbitration? No closed shop rule? It's a remarkably modest proposal, but state employees are delighted with it by all accounts, except for about-to-be congressional candidate Mike Coffman's secretary of state office, which according to the Denver Post intends to "ignore" the "Democratic governor's order." I don't understand what "business interests" would be upset about, since the order only pertains to state employees. Must be some kind of generalized "unions are the bogeyman" antipathy, but it couldn't be more misplaced --

It seems to me Ritter has done as much to limit the power of collective bargaining in state government as he has to accomodate it with this executive order. It's a reasonable first step in overcoming years of nonsensical scare tactics from the right about giving workers an organized stake in their workplace. The righties have a simple misconception about the whole relationship--working people don't recoil from the word "union" like they imagine, and many thousands belong to one. This issue not the bogeyman they think it is, and staying on this course may well elicit a fat wad of backfire.

Both of these initiatives are exciting, and we need to keep in mind how cool it is to be arguing about whether we are being progressive enough as opposed to, say, why Governor Owens vetoed energy assistance for poor people--to say nothing about renewable energy mandates or worker's rights or any of this great stuff. Ritter is definitely shaking off any freshman unease he may have started his term with, and keeping promises he made to the progressive community.

This is an important period in the history of our state, and if the next few years are managed properly we will set the model for looking at our common future and innovating solutions.