There's nothing like being appointed the head of a department that's generated negative headlines for months.

In January, Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter named Roxy Huber to oversee the Department of Revenue.

Her appointment came three weeks after a Denver District Court judge ordered the agency to back off on its stringent ID requirements to get a driver's license.

In some cases, applicants showed up with several different forms of identification and still were turned away.

With the legislature still discussing the ID requirements and this year's April 17 tax deadline looming, Hubert's department is in the public eye these days.

1. What's the biggest surprise about your job?

How much area it covers. There's gaming and lottery. We handle driver's licenses and liquor enforcement.

We oversee ports of entry. And there's revenue.

We collect a lot of money.

2. Nobody likes to pay taxes. Do you hear more complaints about taxes or about the DMV?

Division of Motor Vehicles. That's a tough one. We've had a lot of cuts. We are staffing at 1969 levels. (Colorado's population then was 2.5 million, now it's 4.7 million.)

3. People with legitimate birth certificates and passports have horror stories about getting a driver's license. Why is there such a problem these days?

Not just in Colorado, but in many states requirements have changed as a result of stolen or forged documents. Identity theft in general has changed how most of us do business.

The document provided needs to be in their full legal name. Passports and other documents often use "common law" or nicknames, which may be impossible to verify and have resulted in the past in people obtaining numerous driver's licenses in different names.

Birth certificates need to be certified. That's important to know.

4. What's your party affiliation?

I'm a Republican, but I'm not a politically active person at all.

Tax collection and administration to me is a job. It doesn't matter what side of the aisle you're on; you administer the rules.

5. Do most people get a state income tax refund?

Personal income tax records show that last year 76.5 percent of people who filed received a refund, while 21 percent owed the state money. The remainder filed, but did not have a liability.

The average personal income tax refund is $376.93.

Biography

Born: 1957 in South Dakota

Education: Gayville-Volin High School, 1975; University of South Dakota, 1980

Resides: Adams County with her husband, Tom, and their dog, Jackson

Revenue experience: South Dakota Department of Revenue; private revenue company; revenue manager for Broomfield

In her words:"When I took this job, my husband and I sat down and talked about how this was going to change our lives. And it has. It's a lot of work and long hours. But I'm humbled and honored to have been appointed."

Gov. Ritter last week

Gov. Bill Ritter today begins the second half of his first legislative session. He'll be in Pueblo this morning to sign a landmark water-quality bill. Here's a look at last week:

• Education: It's hard to say "no" to attending a news conference on higher education funding when it's organized by your own son, August Ritter, and attended by your wife, Jeannie Ritter.

The Associated Students of Colorado must be thrilled by all the press it got for Monday's event on the west steps of the Capitol.

• The ultimate price: Ritter skipped the Democratic caucus luncheons Tuesday to attend the funeral for Staff Sgt. Joshua Hager, 29, of Broomfield, who was killed in Iraq.

• Labor: Union members criticized Ritter at a luncheon Wednesday for vetoing a bill on union elections he had told them he would support.

• Bowling for dollars: The governor's office and Denver mayor's office that night participated in a bowlathon to raise money for kids.

• Out West: The governor traveled to Gunnison Friday for his first bill signing ceremony outside the Capitol.

The bill enables Western State College to establish graduate programs in addition to its undergraduate curriculum.

• Back downtown: On Saturday he returned to the Adam's Mark - where a week earlier he dined with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - for the Latino American Educational gala.

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