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Colorado Attorney General John Suthers does not have enough resources to enforce consumer protection laws, but has money to challenge same-sex marriage in other states.A document drafted by the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee (JBC) last week shows that Suthers is requesting 2.5 more employees at a cost of approximately $204,000 to combat consumer fraud.
According to the budget proposal, another hired attorney would help “pursue enforcement actions against individuals and entities” that the Attorney General’s Office cannot currently pursue because of a “lack of resources.”
The agency also wants 1.5 of the new staff to tackle “payday” predatory lending practices, at a cost of about $112,000.
Meanwhile, the department’s annual report touts one of the agency’s major initiatives to protect state sovereignty by fighting same-sex marriage in other states, according to the JBC briefing document:
…and a program to defend state sovereignty by filing friend of the court briefs in various cases across the country.