DENVER -- The state Senate Local Government and Energy Committee unanimously approved a bill Tuesday that would stop the Black Hawk City Council from unilaterally spending state historic dollars.

Sen. Al White, R-Hayden, sponsored the bill after a series of CALL7 investigations exposed city officials spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on their private homes and historic grants going to put in granite countertops, doggy doors and fix water heaters.

“One local government entity that seems to have more money than they have projects to spend it on so I would like to set up a stand alone commission,” White told the Senate Local Government and Energy Committee. “If this statute passes, the citizens of Colorado can be more assured that the dollars that are received by this town will be used in a more efficacious fashion.”

Currently, Black Hawk city council approves where to spend millions of dollars in historic money it receives because of a constitutional amendment that allowed gambling in Colorado. If Senate Bill 101 passes as amended Tuesday, it will allow Gilpin County officials to select members of an independent commission who will approve any spending of state historic dollars.

“This is really a good government bill,” said Sen. Joyce Foster, D-Denver, who is vice-chairwoman of the committee.

No one representing Black Hawk testified during Tuesday’s hearing so the bill moves to the full Senate. A representative of Black Hawk could not immediately be reached for comment.

The original bill allowed Black Hawk officials to appoint the committee, but White said that would not provide the accountability he was looking for in the legislation.

White amended the bill to have Gilpin County officials select committee members “instead of the Black Hawk City Council having the authority to make these appointments directly and dispose of these citizens when they do not serve at their pleasure,” he said.

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