STATE BILL COLORADO
Here are the headlines from this week’s Colorado Statesman, the leading Capitol political newspaper.

Hickenlooper’s bipartisan supporters convene under one big tent
John Hickenlooper has always had his share of GOP supporters, but rarely have they so publicly deified the Denver mayor as they did Wednesday at a bipartisan fundraising luncheon where the Democratic candidate for governor raised a cool $100,000 at a local hot spot.

Suthers, Dem challenger clash on role of AG
The two lawyers vying to be Colorado next’s attorney general clashed Tuesday over the role of the office at a debate before a business group in Centennial. John Suthers, the Republican incumbent seeking his second full term, and Democrat Stan Garnett, the Boulder County district attorney challenging him, each accused the other of wanting to expand the scope of the state position in ways they said should concern voters

Revenue forecasts spell more budget cuts
Gov. Bill Ritter is back to the drawing board this week to find more ways to cut the 2010-11 budget after new revenue forecasts show this year’s books are once again out of balance.

A political pulse on CD 1 race
The 1st Congressional District candidates, Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette and Republican challenger Dr. Mike Fallon, might agree on their diagnoses of economic and health care ailments — but they each recommend very different cures.

Move under way to change how votes are tabulated
A diverse group of election advocates want to change the way Fort Collins elects city officials.

Proponents of Personhood Amendment feeling blue about current ‘Blue Book’
Supporters of Amendment 62, the “Personhood” amendment that voters will decide in November, filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Denver District Court asking for a temporary injunction to stop the state from printing and mailing out the statewide voter’s guides, known as the Blue Books.

One legal hurdle down, about a dozen more to go
Last week’s ruling that Tom Tancredo could stay on the ballot as a gubernatorial candidate meant Secretary of State Bernie Buescher had one less legal case on his plate. That only leaves about another dozen left.

Hillman: Cory Gardner Should Have Gotten NRA Nod
To anyone who still believes the National Rifle Association cares more about protecting your Second Amendment rights than it does about kissing up to powerful politicians, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee.

Kogovsek: Good Work, Frank. Thank You
In the current era of divisive and downright nasty politics, it’s a pleasure and a delightful reminiscence to think of Frank E. Evans, Third Congressional District representative for 14 years.

Senate debate divisive — from the candidates to the cheering sections
Divisive sums up the second U.S. Senate debate between Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet and Republican candidate Ken Buck that drew several hundred folks to the Centennial Hall auditorium on Friday evening in El Paso County. The exchange between Buck and Bennet was cordial compared to the cheering — and booing — fans mostly seated in separate sections in the Pikes Peak Center.