ATTORNEY GENERAL OUTLINES PRIORITIES

DENVER - State Attorney General Ken Salazar plans to introduce legislation
that will, among other things, change the law to make crystal
methamphetamine in the vicinity of children a child abuse crime, fund a $3
million water study and broaden telemarketing "no-call lists" to include
cell phones.

In the criminal justice and public safety realm, Salazar plans to introduce
legislation that would provide funds to continue law enforcement training
for smaller departments. The money would be raised through a 25-cent fee on
motor vehicle registrations.

He also wants to change a state law addressing clandestine methamphetamine
labs. Salazar said anyone found guilty of making the drug around children
should be charged with child abuse, regardless of whether anyone is injured
in the manufacturing process.

The bill has bipartisan support in the Legislature and with local law
enforcement.

"Kids don't have a say-so," Summit County Sheriff Joe Morales said last
month when the bill was drafted. "The people (the courts) have to be the
advocate for these kids."

He also wants to put more teeth in the state Water Quality Control Act,
allowing prosecutors to pursue felony convictions in water pollution cases.
Currently, it's a felony to dump hazardous materials on the ground, but is
only a misdemeanor to dump the same pollutant in water sources.

Salazar wants to amend state law regarding the statute of limitations and
security fraud. Currently, the statute of limitations clock begins after
the first fraudulent act is discovered; Salazar wants to change the law to
make that clock not start until the last act has been committed.

Consumer protection

If Salazar is successful, he will also see a bill introduced that will
prohibit merchants from taking credit card or Social Security numbers as
identification on checks. That, he said is designed to lessen the chance of
someone stealing those numbers and using them for illegal purposes.

He also hopes to expand the telemarketing no-call law to include cell
phones and increase the authority of the Accountancy Board to allow it to
subpoena documents when investigating irregularities or possible misleading
accounting reports. Additionally, Salazar wants to grant the Department of
Revenue additional authority to penalize tobacco manufacturers that haven't
signed on to the national tobacco agreement and have yet to make payments
required by law.

Environment

Water concerns have replaced developmental sprawl on the Legislative agenda
for 2003. One of Salazar's top priorities would be to spend $3 million for
a water supply investigation by the Colorado Water Conservation Board
(CWCB). The source of the funding and the extent of any investigation are
not yet known.

Salazar also would like to authorize the state engineer to approve the
CWCB's temporary use of donated water to maintain streamflows to protect
wildlife.

With the drought, many wells throughout the state have dried up, placing
increasing demands on diggers and inspectors alike. Salazar would like to
increase well permit fees by $40 to fund a viable well-inspection program
to protect water quality within the state's aquifers.

Additionally, he'd like to see legislation approved that would require
retribution when a water right change affects the so-called "basin of
origin." Such a bill would require a community to address the environmental
and economic injuries it might inflict on another community when water
rights are changed.