Opinion ID: 1345053
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Deletion of Written Approval Requirement

Text: At one time, the legislature required the Director to obtain written approval of the Governor when determining compensation issues pertaining to the personnel system. See ch. 103, sec. 2, 1953 Colo. Sess. Laws 290 (stating that written approval of the Governor is necessary when determining the value of maintenance or subsistence within the nature of compensation). In 1957, the General Assembly provided that any increase in salaries above the minimum established amount could occur only through the written approval of the Governor. See ch. 97, sec. 1, § 26-2-3(5), 1957 Colo. Sess. Laws 294. Beginning in 1959, the legislature deleted the requirement of written approval in favor of approval by the Governor of classification and salary issues, including reorganizations having fiscal impacts. See ch. 80, sec. 1, § 26-2-3(6), 1959 Colo. Sess. Laws 311. We must give effect to the General Assembly's choice of wording. See Zamarripa v. Q & T Food Stores, Inc., 929 P.2d 1332, 1339 (Colo.1997); see also Colorado Ground Water v. Eagle Peak Farms, 919 P.2d 212, 218 (Colo.1996) (holding that we are not to presume that the legislative body used the language idly and with no intent that meaning should be given to its language). Alexander suggests that the General Assembly has required the Director to obtain individual gubernatorial approval for the statewide job evaluation system study separate from the Governor's annual budgetary approval. However, we must give effect to the entire statutory enactment. See Meyer, 758 P.2d at 153. The reorganization provision of section 24-50-104(4)(d)(II), 10B C.R.S. (1993 Supp.), and the annual salary and fringe benefits provision of section 24-50-104(5)(g)(I), 10B C.R.S. (1993 Supp.), were an integral part of a statutory design that related personnel reorganization studies to the annual budgetary process. In these sections, the General Assembly did not require the Governor's separate and individual written approval of the statewide job evaluation system study. The Governor satisfied the approval requirement of section 24-50-104(4)(d)(II) when he issued his January 14, 1994 letter. With this letter, he submitted the annual survey to the JBC to implement the reorganization. This occurred as part of the budgetary process involving both the legislative and executive branches of state government pursuant to the legislature's intent. 2.