A November 30 Rocky Mountain News article about Colorado Attorney General John Suthers' (R) November 29 opinion that “Gov. Bill Ritter's executive order giving unions a larger role in state government can't preclude workers from striking” reported that proposed legislation prohibiting strikes by state employees would put Democrats in a “tough spot” because they “would have to vote for such a bill for it to make it to Ritter's desk.” The article quoted Colorado State University political science professor John Straayer as saying that the measure would “divide” Democrats in the General Assembly.

The News, however, provided no comments from Democratic legislators regarding the proposed no-strike bill. In contrast, a November 30 Denver Post article reported that “Ritter said he would sign the bill if it lands on his desk, and top legislative Democrats said they would support it.”

According to the News article by reporter Chris Barge, “Ritter has said that his order contains a strong no-strike provision that would prohibit state workers from forming a picket line if negotiations between unions and management soured. But state employees already have a right to strike under a 1915 law, and the legislature would have to pass a new law to reverse it, Suthers wrote.” The article continued:

Sen. Nancy Spence, R-Centennial, and Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, have drafted a bill that would do just that. And Suthers' opinion reinforces the need to pass it next session, Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany said.

Ritter, a Democrat, was aware that such legislation was in the works and would sign it, said his spokesman, Evan Dreyer.

However, some Democratic lawmakers would have to vote for such a bill for it to make it to Ritter's desk, since they are the majority party.

Voting in an election year to deny some union members the right to strike would put Democrats in a tough spot, said Colorado State University political science professor John Straayer.

“The question is what happens to the other members of his party,” said Straayer, who likened it to Republicans having to vote for a bill that allowed abortions.

“It would divide them,” Straayer said.

The article included no response from Democratic lawmakers to Straayer's claims that the bill drafted by Spence and Gardner would put them “in a tough spot” and would “divide them.”

In addition to reporting that “top legislative Democrats said they would support” a no-strike bill, the Post quoted Democratic House Speaker Andrew Romanoff (Denver) as saying, “The executive order has never been about the right to strike -- it's been about making state government more efficient. ... State employees haven't asked for the right to strike, and, frankly, I don't think we can afford it.”