DENVER | Colorado Democrats are close to a possible showdown with the governor over a labor measure.

House and Senate negotiators planned to meet Friday morning to hammer out differences on a bill to enhance labor rights for professional firefighters. The bill would apply even to communities that have voted to ban collective bargaining by firefighters.

The measure is a similar version of a proposal vetoed in 2009 by former Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter. Gov. John Hickenlooper has threatened to veto this year’s version, too.