They’re bracing for a brawl over how lawmakers spend an estimated $3.7 billion in surplus tax revenues voters have allowed the state to keep over the next five years.

“My No. 1 job this session is being a voice for fiscal discipline, the voice of accountability,” said Rep. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction.

Everyone wants a piece of voter-approved funding, and those promised a share during the election will expect lawmakers to pay up once the session gets under way, Penry said.

Sen. Ron Teck, R-Grand Junction, said he doesn’t doubt a certain level of zeal to spend new money exists, but he’s not so certain about the slew of spending proposals Penry and Rose seem to be bracing for.

A perennial favorite appears poised to make yet another comeback in 2006. Penry said he expects more calls for a “rainy day” fund, based on indications that Referendum C could bring in more revenue than originally projected.

“It’s certainly worth taking a look at,” Teck said of socking away any excess revenue. But he cautioned he doesn’t yet know the legality of putting Referendum C money in a trust fund.

While warding off a predicted flurry of spending proposals dominates some Western Slope lawmakers’ to-do lists, there’s plenty more issues to occupy the Legislature in 2006.

Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, plans to bring back two controversial bills that packed committee hearing rooms and invited lengthy and emotional testimonials. One is an overhauled version of the surface- rights legislation she carried last year. The original bill was aimed at forcing oil and gas developers to reach surface-use agreements to adequately compensate property owners for damage related to drilling.

Legislators tried to tweak Curry’s second high-profile bill this summer, but not to the same satisfaction of its critics. The proposal would regulate the amount of water Colorado communities can use for kayak courses. Lawmakers in 2001 created recreational in-channel diversions, a water right that allows municipalities and other water entities to ask for a certain amount of stream flow to support such water sports as kayaking.

A second piece of legislation would allow independent pharmacies in rural Colorado to band together to provide some of the services and pricing structures as some mail-order pharmacies.

Penry will carry legislation on behalf of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office that would close loopholes in state law regarding sex offenders.

In the works is legislation backed by Grand Valley authorities and advocates for curbing underage drinking that would put teeth into penalties for underage drinkers. Under Penry’s bill, teenagers would lose their driver’s license for progressively longer periods each time they were caught drinking.

Their Republican colleagues have already unveiled half a dozen immigration bills, but Teck and Penry said they’re not so sure the state can do much in the way of cracking down on illegal immigration.

Rep. Jim Welker, R-Loveland, wants to require school districts to collect citizenship information at the time of registration for K-12 students enrolled in Colorado school districts for the 2006-07 academic year.

Rep. Bill Crane, R-Arvada, proposes revoking state-issued licenses if the licensee knowingly employs an undocumented worker. Rep. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, aims to prohibit public contracts with companies that knowingly employ undocumented workers, bar illegal immigrants from establishing residency in order to get in-state student tuition and prevent local governments from passing laws or implementing policies that restrict local officials’ ability to communicate or cooperate with federal officials on illegal immigration cases.

Colorado switched from a no-fault auto insurance system in July 2003 and joined 37 other states in operating under a fault-based or tort system. Western Slope lawmakers expect to take another look at the state’s auto insurance laws this session. Teck said he’s more inclined to tweak existing law rather than overhaul the entire system.

This is cache, read story here