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[media-credit name="Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post" align="alignnone" width="495"][/media-credit] Sen. Cheri Jahn, D-Wheat Ridge, Traci May, and her husband, former House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Center of the Universe, at the annual Blue Ribbon Reception on the opening night of the 2013 Colorado legislature.
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[media-credit name="Lynn Bartels" align="alignright" width="270"][/media-credit] Rep. Diane Mitsh Bush, D-Steamboat Springs, enjoys food from Mangia Bevi at the Blue Ribbon Reception on the opening night of the Colorado legislature.
The best legislative reception of the year, the Blue Ribbon Reception sponsored by the Colorado Restaurant Association on opening day, is the place for great food and even greater gossip.
There was plenty of discussion at Wednesday’s soiree of Sen. Greg Brophy’s “drinking with dad” bill, which would allow parents to buy a drink for their children in restaurants in bars if their kids were older than 18 but younger than 21. Apparently, restaurant folks don’t like the measure.
And there was buzz over the prayer in the Senate given by the Rev. Nori Rost of the All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Colorado Springs, who prayed for the lawmakers.
“Let them come together in such a way that the people of Colorado — all people of Colorado, wealthy, poor, straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, people of all races and ethnicities and faith traditions, those who inhale and those who don’t — that all these people are served and that the interests of this fine state are well served,” she said.
“I heard they prayed in honor of everyone but Jesus Christ,” said Rep. Kathleen Conti, R-Littleton.
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[media-credit name="Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post" align="alignnone" width="495"][/media-credit] Rep. Spencer Swalm, R-Centennial, and his wife, Marleen, at the Colorado Restaurant Association’s Blue Ribbon Reception on the opening night of the 2013 legislative session.
Lawmakers also discussed Senate President John Morse’s speech. Was it a “car wreck,” as one lobbyist said, or something refreshingly unusual? Others thought Senate Minority Leader Bill Cadman’s speech was too rambling, while some thought it fab.
Gov. John Hickenlooper, a former restaurant owner, addressed “my peeps,” as he called folks in the hospitality and restaurant industry, in such a loving tone that restaurant lobbyist Bill Artist quipped, “I thought he was going to sign a civil unions bill right here.”
Participating restaurants included Baca at The Inverness, Bonefish Grill, Centerplate Catering, Charles Court at The Broadmoor, Cheyenne Mountain Resort, CityGrille, Lala’s Wine Bar and Pizzeria, Mangia Bevi, Metropolitan State University, Outback Steakhouse, Ted’s Montana Grill, The Fort, The Fresh Fish Company and Wild Eggs.
