Gov. John Hickenlooper signed two bills, visited the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, surveyed the Bridge to Nowhere and even tried his hand at archery during a busy Friday in La Plata County.
In Ignacio, Hickenlooper signed a bill to exempt Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribal members from sales tax on the reservations. Members also do not owe tax on vehicle sales if the vehicle is registered to an address on a reservation.
“This bill does codify something that needed cleaning up,” Hickenlooper said.
State Rep. Mike McLachlan, D-Durango, and Sen. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango, were among the bill’s sponsors.
Clement Frost, in his second day as tribal chairman, presented Hickenlooper with a necklace.
“He needs something to be part of my reservation, one of my people,” Frost said.
Hickenlooper answered questions from tribal youths and ate fry bread. At the SunUte Community Center, the governor tried his hand at archery. He had some trouble keeping the arrow in place before firing but eventually was able to hit the target.
Hickenlooper next visited the Bridge to Nowhere. There, Sidny Zink, a Colorado Department of Transportation commissioner, and Mayor Sweetie Marbury explained the long-term plan to connect the bridge to U.S. Highway 550. Boosters hope the interchange opens room for big-box retail.
As of now, it sees little use. In fact, no cars passed by during the governor’s 20-minute stop on the bridge.
A new route, hashed out in agreements with neighboring property owners, is in the process of being evaluated in an environmental impact statement. If the route emerges from the process unscathed, funding to buy the land and build the bypass would be pursued.
“We don’t want it to linger any longer than it needs to,” Zink said.
Marbury said the new route would be safer and more convenient than the current road down Farmington Hill.
“It makes a better route for all of us,” she said.
To Hickenlooper, she added, “So we hope to see a little money come our way.”
Hickenlooper signed a second bill at Adobe House Farm, located just north of 32nd Street near the Animas River.
The bill, the Colorado Charitable Crop Donation Act, authorizes a 25 percent tax credit for farmers who donate food to soup kitchens and food banks.
One of the greatest challenges facing food banks is a lack of fresh produce, said McLachlan, who again teamed with Roberts and other legislators to sponsor the bill.
Hickenlooper signed the bill on the back of a vintage pickup truck, giving the pen he used to 4-year-old Raina Dixon. Raina is the daughter of Peter and Linley Dixon, owners of Adobe House Farms.
“If it was any further in the election, I’d have to kiss her on the cheek,” Hickenlooper joked.
The governor also hosted an evening fundraiser at Ska Brewing Co. A Democrat, he had raised $2.7 million at the time of a May 19 state filing.
Hickenlooper will face a candidate in November from the Republican field of Bob Beauprez, Scott Gessler, Mike Kopp and Tom Tancredo. The GOP primary is June 24.
cslothower@durangoherald.com
