After furious last-minute debate, Senate Democrats on Wednesday rejected a compromise on growth from Gov. Bill Owens and said that they were prepared for a special session Thursday to deal with the thorny issue. Angry Lawmakers Point Fingers The Republican governor met with frustrated Democrats at a noon caucus as the session prepared to conclude at midnight. Owens urged them to accept part of House Bill 1225 that Republicans favor, which would require most counties to have a comprehensive plan, end leapfrog annexations and provide a way to resolve disputes. "This is not a sham or a blank check for developers," Owens said. Sen. Ed Perlmutter, D-Golden, who initially sponsored the House measure, said that he was angry that House Republicans refused to even consider an 86-page compromise the Democrats finished early Wednesday. It outlines areas where development would be allowed in return for guarantees for developers. Perlmutter said that he would hold at least one more meeting with a conference committee before urging that the bill be killed. "I'm tired, I'm angry, I'm disappointed, I feel duped in some fashion. People deserve more," Perlmutter said. The senate president, Democrat Stan Matsunaka, said that he was disappointed with Republicans' "gamesmanship." "I'm really disappointed and I'm embarrased for them," Matsunaka said. Growth management has been debated, often contentiously, since the Legislature convened in January. Owens said that a special session will be called to consider growth management if lawmakers failed to agree on a bill. The session is scheduled to start at noon Thursday. "I think there were a lot of things we could have reached agreement on, but the senate democrats' insistence on having everything settled meant that we were going to get nothing," Owens said. Owens plans to break all the growth issues into seperate bills, 7NEWS reporter Hendrik Sybrandy said. Previous Stories:

• May 9, 2001: No Growth Bill As Midnight Deadline Approaches
• May 8, 2001: Growth Bill Stalls In Conference Committee
• May 7, 2001: Growth Bill Still In Limbo
• May 7, 2001: Groups Put Colorado Growth Info On Net
• May 4, 2001: State Senate Approves Growth Bill
• May 1, 2001: Colorado Economy Slowing, Says Economist
• April 25, 2001: Colorado Income: Fastest Growing In U.S.
• April 15, 2001: Growth Plan Would Erode Neighborhoods, Residents Say
• March 29, 2001: Growth Poll Reveals New Concerns
• March 20, 2001: Superior's Growth Is Explosive
• February 14, 2001: Explosive Growth Causes Postal Problems In Aurora