Republican senators are suing Senate President Leroy Garcia, of Pueblo, for using five computers to speed-read a 2,000-page bill Monday when GOP lawmakers were trying to slow down the majority Democrats from approving more legislation, including a major rewrite of state oil and gas regulations.

A Denver district judge said he will hear arguments next Tuesday on whether Garcia and Senate Democrats violated Senate rules spelled out in the state constitution.

Republicans had asked that House Bill 1172, an unimportant but long housekeeping measure, be read at length by the Senate clerk on Monday. It was an obvious parliamentary move by Republicans to slow down the Senate agenda. Democrats are in the majority in both the House and Senate and have been busy approving major legislation.

Garcia responded to the GOP slowdown by having five computers read HB 1172 aloud simultaneously, creating a chaotic "gibberish" to Republicans. Garcia countered that it met the obligation of having legislation read out loud.

That riled GOP senators on Tuesday, who charged that they have a right to use Senate rules to defend their minority rights and that Garcia's tactic violated the rule of having bills read clearly and aloud — when lawmakers so choose, which is rare.

A Denver judge has issued a temporary restraining order against continuing to use computers until he hears arguments in the dispute.

On several 19-16 party line votes Tuesday morning, Democrats rejected Republican efforts to change the Senate's journal to reflect their view of what happened Monday.

Republican frustration at not having the votes to stop or amend bills has been growing. Monday, they were objecting to Senate Bill 181, the oil and gas bill which passed two Senate committees last week and was slated for full debate, on Tuesday. Opponents of the bill have repeatedly accused Democrats of "rushing" the legislation.

Sen. Paul Lundeen, R-Colorado Springs, told Garcia that the computer-read "gibberish" on Monday violated Senate rules that are intended to protect the right of the minority party.

"The power of the majority moves from party to party," he warned Democrats.

They responded to the GOP protests by bringing SB 181 to the top of the list of bills to be considered Tuesday — speeding up its consideration even further and leaving Republicans shaking their heads.

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