LAWS TAKE AIM AT METH, ID THEFT

On July 1, Colorado laws regarding immigration, dangerous dogs,
protesters at military funerals, and many others will change.

Both parties worked together to pass bills that bail out the state
employee pension fund and put about $800 million of Referendum C
money into public schools, health care, higher education and roads.

Perhaps most notably, the state will be smoke-free in most indoor places.

But several other lesser-known bills will also become law, albeit
with less fanfare.

Some new laws, like one criminalizing identity theft and another
creating a methamphetamine task force, could have direct benefits for
Weld County, local officials said.

Here's a look at some of the new laws.

Identity Theft

Colorado ranks fifth in the nation for identity theft complaints, and
until now, the state had no law against it. A new law sponsored by
Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley, makes identity theft a class 4 felony.

Weld District Attorney Ken Buck said the law gives prosecutors a new,
clearer way to prosecute identity thieves.

"We've been charging a lot of identity thefts as criminal
impersonations, or anything else we can find," he said. "It helps
because it clarifies something that was unclear before."

Meth Task Force

A new Methamphetamine Task Force will examine meth manufacturing,
distribution and abuse in Colorado and provide programs for
preventing and treating abuse.

The task force would also strengthen laws regarding "meth precursor"
sales -- sales of the drugs and ingredients used in making meth.

Buck said the Weld County Drug Task Force believes 90 to 95 percent
of the meth in the county comes in from elsewhere, including Mexico,
so toughening precursor sales laws wouldn't help that much here. In
Greeley and Weld County, some drugs that contain pseudoephedrine, a
key ingredient in making meth, must be sold behind the counter so
it's harder to buy large quantities.

But a task force could work on some of the residual issues caused by
meth, Buck said.

Teen Driving

Two new laws from Rep. Debbie Benefield, D-Arvada, will require extra
instruction for teens learning to drive, and even more instruction
for teens who violate traffic laws.

Before a teen can get a driver's license, a parent or guardian must
sign a driving log certifying that the young driver has completed at
least 50 hours behind the wheel.

If a teen gets a major traffic violation -- such as an accident or a
big speeding ticket -- he or she will have to take a driving course
at his or her own expense. Some jurisdictions already provide driving
instruction as an option to young drivers to reduce the number of
points incurred in the violation.

Tour Colorful Colorado

Earlier this month, Gov. Owens signed a $28 million economic
development package, including $19 million for tourism.

Tourism promotion funding stopped between 1992 and 1997, and the
state's share of overnight domestic travel dropped 30 percent,
according to Sen. Jack Taylor, R-Steamboat Springs. Currently,
Colorado ranks 23rd in the nation for actual visits and 35th for
spending on tourism. With the new package, the state will be 7th in
the country for spending on tourism promotion.

Funding will come from the state's gaming proceeds.