Legislative Democrats have hijacked what was intended as a simple bill to boost the state's oversight of vote centers and elections, Attorney General John Suthers and Secretary of State Mike Coffman said Wednesday.

Both GOP leaders said they will oppose a change to Senate Bill 83 that would allow parolees the right to vote, saying that it would violate the state constitution.

"We're obviously monitoring this bill closely and trying to work with senators to remove the controversial issues we feel are worthy of debate, but not on this bill," said Jonathan Tee, spokesman for Coffman.

The Senate delayed a final vote on the measure Wednesday in the wake of a growing backlash.

The measure by Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, would require the Secretary of State to set guidelines for vote centers and to increase supervision of how counties conduct elections.

Sen. Peter Groff, D-Denver, amended the measure to allow parolees to vote upon release from prison.

He chided Suthers, in particular, for making political hay out of the bill.

"It's grandstanding," Groff said. "I find it ironic that someone who claims he's trying to support the rights of individuals is now trying to take them away. If he (Suthers) wants to affect legislation, he should run to become a member of the legislature."

The two sides have a different view of the state constitution. Groff and Tupa contend that state law bans anyone still confined behind bars from voting.

After the bill's initial passage Tuesday, Suthers said that the Colorado Supreme Court ruled last July that parolees are not allowed to vote under state law. The court stated "a person who is serving a sentence of parole has not served his or her full term of imprisonment."

"If Senate Bill 83 passes, it could cost taxpayers thousands of dollars in legal expenses, just to plow ground that was tilled less than eight months ago," Suthers said.

The bill's sponsor expressed a different view.

"When you're trying to make individuals coming out of prison feel integrated into society, voting is one of the rights we should want to extend to them," Tupa said.