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<br />TJ~ Pueblo Chieftain Online <br />" <br />~ <br /> <br />n0238~ <br /> <br />Page 1 of2 <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Published: Friday April 29, 2005 <br /> <br />State sends Kansas check for $34.7 million check <br /> <br />By CHARLES ASHBY <br />CHIEFTAIN DENVER BUREAU <br /> <br />DENVER - Kansas has been paid. <br /> <br />Hours after the Colorado Legislature gave final approval to a measure to pay <br />$34.7 million to end the long-running Kansas v. Colorado lawsuit, Gov. Bill Owens <br />signed 5B226 and ordered the State Treasurer's Office to issue the check. <br /> <br />That check was to be sent electronically to Kansas this morning. <br /> <br />The Legislature hurried a bill to pay Kansas to settle a years-long dispute that <br />Colorado partially lost over water rights on the lower Arkansas River. <br /> <br />SB226 was rushed because the state was accruing about $5,000 in interest <br />payments for each day the settlement was not paid. <br /> <br />The dispute began in 1985 when property owners along the Arkansas River sunk <br />several wells that depleted the amount of water Colorado is required to allow to <br />flow downstream across the state line. <br /> <br />As a result, Kansas sued, ultimately sending the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. <br /> <br />Earlier this month, the governor notified the Legislature that the state owed <br />Kansas just under $38 million, not counting an expected $4 million for court costs. <br />At one time, state officials feared that settlement could reach as high as $56 <br />million. <br /> <br />The measure calls for paying the debt out of money from a tax Colorado charges <br />for oil, gas and mineral extractions in the state, prompting some lawmakers to <br />object. <br /> <br />Those revenues go to the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and the <br />Department of Local Affairs, which in turn offers the money in the form of grants <br />to local communities for various projects. <br /> <br />Rep. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, was one of 16 House legislators who voted against the <br />bill for that reason. <br /> <br />"I understand that this needs to be paid and I support that. I don't like where they <br />got the money to pay for this," said Brophy, whose district includes Crowley and <br />Kiowa counties. "They put all this extra money in the State Education Fund, but <br />this should come out of the general fund. I don't like them taking this money away <br /> <br />http://www.chieftain.comlprint.php?article=/metro/1114786753/1 <br /> <br />4/29/2005 <br />