Denver ? Ending a bitterly divisive special session of the Legislature, Colorado Republican Gov. Bill Owens cut a deal with Democratic leaders on a package of bills to deny some state services to illegal immigrants and to punish employers who hire them.

But the compromise late Monday brought angry criticism of the governor from some of his GOP allies because it did not include a key Republican goal: a tough referendum on illegal immigration on the November ballot.

Owens had called the special session specifically to reverse a ruling last month by the state Supreme Court that removed the proposed referendum from the ballot. In the end, though, the governor agreed with Democratic leaders of the Legislature to deal with the red-hot political issue through legislation rather than a ballot issue.

In passing its crackdown on illegal immigration, Colorado is following the national trend in which state legislatures are taking the initiative on an issue that used to be considered a matter for the federal government.