CO: Gov. Owens Continues Rightwing Record

Colorado's Governor Bill Owen achieved the dubious personal record of eighteen vetos in one day, blocking bills to make health care more affordable, education more available and workplaces safer:

Owens vetoed one of the Democrats' top bills of the session on Friday by rejecting Senate Bill 1, a measure that called for the state to join other states in purchasing prescription drugs at a discount by buying in bulk...Five of the 18 bills were related to health care. In addition to the prescription-drug plan, Owens rejected bills that would have:

Required health insurers to allow customers to cover their grandchildren in certain cases;

Allowed communities to set up special "health assurance districts" that could levy sales and property taxes;

Encouraged health-related degrees in higher education to include coursework on cultural awareness;

Mandated terms that must be included in contracts between health care providers and insurers... Owens rejected a bill that would have prohibited employers from requiring workers to attend meetings regarding "religious or political matters" and another bill that would have barred workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Owens also gave a wet kiss to government contractors ripping off the public by vetoing a bill that would have required tigher monitoring of state contractors. All in all, an impressively wretched performance by one of the worst governors in the nation.