Smoking age upped to 21, under bill

The legal smoking age in Colorado would rise to 21, under a bill that cleared a House committee on Feb. 20.

House Bill 1263 passed the House Health, Insurance and Environment Committee on a 6-4 party-line vote.

The bill provides a grandfather clause that would allow persons who are currently between the ages of 18 and 20 to continue smoking. So, the law would apply when kids who are currently 17 turn 21.

If the bill passes, the state is expected to lose more than $5 million in revenue from tobacco sales.

But Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen, a bill sponsor, said the goal of the legislation is to make it more difficult for kids to obtain cigarettes.

The bill now heads to the House Finance Committee.

Greyhound racing ban heads to governor’s desk

A bill that would ban greyhound racing in Colorado is on its way to the governor’s desk.

Revenue generated by the industry had been dwindling for several years leading up to 2008, when Colorado’s last remaining greyhound racing track ceased operations.

House Bill 1146 would ban greyhound racing from starting up again in the state, but would continue to allow for simulcast wagering at off-track betting facilities.

The bill, which is sponsored by Rep. K.C. Becker, D-Boulder, passed the Senate on Feb. 21, following a 20-15 vote.

It had previously passed the House.

A House committee on Feb. 20 gave unanimous approval to a bill that would create a statewide hit-and-run alert system.

House Bill 1191 would set up a program to alert the public when a serious hit-and-run accident occurs.

The bill, which is sponsored by Rep. Kathleen Conti, R-Littleton, is an extension of the Medina Alert that is currently being used in Denver. The alert system is named after Jose Medina, a 21-year-old parking valet who was killed by a hit-and-run driver on Denver’s Capitol Hill three years ago.