Colorado Capitol Journal

McNulty now first GOP House speaker since 2005

2011-01-12T11:18:00.001-07:00

A Republican is now the speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives for the first time in six years.

Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, was unanimously elected speaker this morning. He was nominated by both majority leader Amy Stephens, R-Monument, and minority leader Sal Pace, D-Puelbo. No other legislator sought the post.

McNulty received the gavel from outgoing speaker Terrance Carroll, D-Denver, and then gave his Democratic predecessor a hug.

After ascending the podium, McNulty thanked Carroll for his work over the last two years.

"Speaker Carroll, this chamber, the people Colorado, are better for your time as speaker," he said.

McNulty then led the chamber in its first bit of business for the new session, the adoption of a resolution setting forth the rules of the House.

McNulty is a third-term representative from Highlands Ranch.

Carroll leaves the House after serving the maximum four terms allowed by state law. He was the first African-American speaker of the House in state history and, for a time, served alongside the first African-American Senate president, Peter Groff of Denver.

Groff, also a Democrat, left the legislature in 2009 to take a post in the Obama administration.

68th General Assembly opens today

2011-01-12T10:12:00.005-07:00

Colorado's state legislature will convene for its sixty-eighth biannual session today.

The gathering of 65 representatives and 35 senators comes one day after the inauguration of a new governor, new state treasurer, and new secretary of state.

Republicans took control of the House of Representatives by one seat in the November election. Democrats, as they have since Jan. 2005, continue to hold the majority in the Senate.

Both the House and the Senate will convene today at 10 am. After certifying the election results and confirming the eligibility of all members, chief justice Michael Bender will swear in all the legislators.

Outgoing House speaker Terrence Carroll, D-Denver, will preside over that part of the opening day. He will relinquish the gavel when his successor is formally elected by House members.

Bills may be introduced, but committee hearings on proposed legislation will not commence until tomorrow.

Traditionally, the first day of the legislative session focuses on ceremonial and organizational resolutions.

Democrat Brandon Shaffer, a former Navy officer and a lawyer, is president of the Senate. Shaffer, 39, represents Erie, Lafayette, Longmont, and Louisville in the chamber. He is halfway through his second and final term in the Senate, having been first elected in 2004.

The majority leader is John Morse of Colorado Springs. A Democrat in a district that leans toward the GOP, the former Fountain police chief was re-elected to his second term in a close race last autumn.

Morse also worked as an emergency medical technician and as a certified public accountant earlier in his career. He has lived in the Colorado Springs area for more than 30 years and holds both M.B.A. and Ph.D degrees.

The Republican leader in the Senate is Dana "Mike" Kopp of Littleton. Kopp, 32, is an Army veteran. A Ranger, he is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, the first American-led war against Iraq's former Baathist regime.

Kopp is starting his second and last term in the Senate.

Frank McNulty of Highlands Ranch, a former aide to retired U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard and a lawyer who used to work for the state Department of Natural Resources, will become the new House speaker.

The Republican, 37, will lead a GOP majority of one seat. Today marks the start of his third of four possible two-year terms as a representative.

The House majority leader is Amy Stephens of Monument. Republican Stephens, 53, is a former employee of Focus on the Family and a former member of the governor's Commission on the Welfare of Children. She won her seat in 2006 and is starting her third term today.

Minority leader Sal Pace represents Pueblo. Pace, 34, got his start in politics working for former U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa. He was first elected in 2008.

Pace has a masters degree in American political theory and teaches government as an adjunct faculty member at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

Both chambers rely on a number of committees to consider legislation before it comes to a vote on the floor. The state constitution requires that all bills be given a committee hearing.

The General Assembly meets for 120 days each year.

Hickenlooper issues three executive orders

2011-01-11T14:16:00.003-07:00

New Gov. John Hickenlooper is already at work. He issued three executive orders shortly after being sworn in today, including one that bans unfunded mandates from state agencies.

The order does allow for an exception. It provides that unfunded mandates on local governments would be acceptable if "[t]he mandate is specifically required by federal or state law, the agency consults with local governments prior to promulgation of the regulation; and the state government provides the funding necessary to pay for the direct costs incurred by local governments in complying with the mandate.”

The other two order the creation of marketing agencies for the state across the country and in three countries overseas and the third commands the Office of Economic Development and International Trade to develop plans, with input from residents all over Colorado, for the state's economic recovery.

Colorado Statesman gives exiting lawmakers chance to reminisce

2011-01-11T14:12:00.003-07:00

The Colorado Statesman has published an article in which a number of legislators who are leaving office reminisce about their days in the General Assembly.

It's a light, but interesting and entertaining, read.

New Sen. Aguilar gets committee assignments

2011-01-11T13:52:00.002-07:00

The newest state senator got her committee assignments Monday.

Democrat Irene Aguilar of Denver, who was recently appointed to replace Denver mayoral candidate Chris Romer, will serve on three committees: Business, Labor and Technology, Health and Human Services, and Local Government and Energy.

She will be vice-chair of the Business, Labor, and Technology committee.

A physician and a mother of three children, including a developmentally disabled daughter, Aguilar was chosen in December by a Democratic vacancy committee to fill out the remainder of Romer's term representing Senate district 32. Romer had just been re-elected to his second term in the Senate in November.

Senate majority leader Morse takes committee chairmanship from embattled Williams

2011-01-11T13:47:00.002-07:00

Sen. Suzanne Williams, D-Aurora, has lost the chairmanship of the Senate Transportation Committee.

The veteran legislator was involved in a fatal car accident in Texas on Dec. 26, 2010, and majority leader John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, said that he thinks Williams needs the time to focus on her family and the aftermath of the incident.

She had been appointed to lead the committee after the November election.

Instead, Sen. Evie Hudak, D-Westminster, will lead it.

Williams, 65, is in her last term as a senator. She previously served four terms in the state House of Representatives.

Hickenlooper sworn in as governor

2011-01-11T13:20:00.002-07:00

John Hickenlooper was inaugurated as Colorado's 42nd governor this morning at the State Capitol.

He delivered comments indicating that his administration would make job creation a priority.

Lieutenant governor Joe Garcia was also sworn in today.

A report on the event by Denver TV station KDVR is here.

Video courtesy Denver Post.

New Lt. Gov. Garcia to wear 2 hats in gov't, head Department of Higher Ed

2011-01-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

Lieutenant governor-elect Joe Garcia is going to be a little bit busier than most of his predecessors. He'll have two jobs in the Hickenlooper administration.

Garcia, who has served as a college president, will lead the Colorado Department of Higher Education.

Ordinarily that cabinet position is filled by someone who is not the elected number two in the administration. But Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper has apparently concluded that Garcia's experience as an educator is impossible to overlook.

“Joe Garcia is in a unique position to wear two hats in state government,” Hickenlooper said. “He is a known leader with tremendous expertise in education. He also understands the challenges facing higher education because he’s led a community college and a university. Allowing Garcia to serve in two roles will save money and serve the taxpayers of Colorado without compromising the work of the Lieutenant Governor’s Office or the Department of Higher Education."

Although Garcia does not have be confirmed by the state senate to serve as lieutenant governor, his appointment as director of CDHE is subject to that body's consent.

Garcia will be inaugurated as lieutenant governor tomorrow.

Former U.S. Rep. John Salazar to be state agriculture commissioner

2011-01-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. John Salazar will serve in Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper's cabinet as commissioner of agriculture.

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported today that Salazar, a Western Slope rancher and farmer who was defeated in a bid for a fourth term in Congress last November, has accepted the job and likely won't seek a re-match with congressman Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, in 2012.

Salazar, 57, served a term in the state house of representatives before going to Washington. Before that he was a member of the governor's Economic Development Advisory Board, the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, and the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Forum. Salazar also served as a member of the Colorado Agricultural Commission between 1999-2002.

The current agriculture commissioner, John Stulp, has taken a new job as special advisor to Hickenlooper.

Image courtesy Wikimedia.

Sen. White's wife will replace him

2011-01-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

The new senator for district 8, which covers much of northwestern Colorado, will not have to look too far for advice on how to do the job.

Jean White, 60, was chosen by a Republican vacancy committee yesterday to replace her husband, Al White, in the state Senate.

Al White resigned recently after agreeing to lead the state Department of Tourism for Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper. He was in his first term in the Senate after serving eight years in the House of Representatives.

GOP Sen. White to join Hickenlooper administration

2010-12-21T15:00:00.003-07:00

Another lawmaker is leaving the General Assembly to join Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper's administration.

This time, though, it's a Republican - Al White of Hayden.

According to a report by the Denver Post's Lynn Bartels, White will direct the state's Office of Tourism.

He will resign his seat, to which he was elected in 2008, and a Republican vacancy committee in his Senate district will choose a replacement.

PUC puts last nail into coffin of Denver-area coal-fired power plants

2010-12-17T09:56:00.003-07:00

By 2017 there will be no more coal-fired power plants in or near Denver.

The Public Utilities Commission entered an order Wednesday that requires Xcel Energy to close five coal-powered plants, open a natural gas-fired plant in Denver, and convert two other coal-based facilities to natural gas.

The agency also approved a request from Black Hills Energy to close two coal-based power plants near Canon City.

The order is based on the Colorado Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act, the landmark legislation enacted last year that aims to dramatically lower the state's nitrogen oxide emissions to the atmosphere.

Excel's actions will raise electric bills by an average of 2.5 percent by 2020.

Black Hills Energy customers could see an increase of five percent in their electricity rates.

The Washington Post has a story on the PUC's action.

Colorado wildlife agency considering whether to re-introduce wolverines

2010-12-14T18:30:00.002-07:00

The Colorado Department of Wildlife is looking into whether to propose a plan to re-introduce wolverines into the state.

The Fort Collins Coloradoan reported Tuesday that agency representatives have been conducting discussions with interests that would be impacted if the carnivorous mammal is re-introduced on public lands in the mountains.

The article said that the state's Wildlife Commission isn't likely to take up the issue soon enough to allow re-introduction before 2012.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday that the wolverine is eligible for listing as an endangered or threatened species under federal law, but that such protection is precluded by other agency priorities.

A wolverine was discovered in Colorado last year. It was the first known individual of the species within the state's borders since 1919.

A stocky animal that can weigh from about 20 to about 70 pounds, the wolverine is a member of the weasel family and has a reputation for being both strong for its size and a resilient defender of its food.

Image courtesy Wikimedia.

Ritter tells AP his term as guv changed Colorado for the better

2010-12-14T18:22:00.003-07:00

Gov. Bill Ritter says his term as governor brought needed and positive change to Colorado.

Ritter told an AP reporter that the strengthening of the state's renewable energy industry and the stabilizing of funding for transportation will be his most important and enduring legacies.

According to an article in the Durango Herald, Ritter also acknowledged that his efforts to encourage more cooperation between the representatives of the state's business interests and its labor movement had not worked out.

Ritter has not publicly announced his post-gubernatorial plans.

Pace assigns minority Dems to committees

2010-12-14T18:03:00.003-07:00

House minority leader-to-be Sal Pace announced Tuesday the assignment of his party's members to the chamber's committees.

The designations follow:

Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources

Rep. Randy Fischer, Fort Collins (ranking member)
Rep. Wes McKinley, Baca County
Rep. Su Ryden, Aurora
Rep. Ed Vigil, Alamosa
Rep.-elect Matt Jones, Louisville
Rep.-elect Roger Wilson, Glenwood Springs

Appropriations

Rep. Mark Ferrandino, Denver (ranking member)
Rep. Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, Gunbarrel
Rep. Andy Kerr, Lakewood
Rep. Jim Riesberg, Greeley
Rep. Judy Solano, Brighton
Rep.-elect Dan Pabon, Denver

Economic and Business Development

Rep. John Soper, Thornton (ranking member)
Rep. Joe Miklosi, Denver
Rep. Max Tyler, Golden
Rep.-elect Deb Gardner, Boulder
Rep.-elect Angela Williams, Denver
Rep.-elect Roger Wilson, Glenwood Springs

Education

Rep. Judy Solano, Brighton (ranking member)
Rep. Andy Kerr, Lakewood
Rep. Cherylin Peniston, Westminster
Rep. Sue Schafer, Wheat Ridge
Rep. Nancy Todd, Aurora
Rep.-elect Millie Hamner, Frisco

Finance

Rep. Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, Gunbarrel (ranking member)
Rep. Daniel Kagan, Englewood
Rep. John Kefalas, Fort Collins
Rep. Jeanne Labuda, Denver
Rep.-elect Crisanta Duran, Denver
Rep.-elect Dan Pabon, Denver

Health and Environment

Rep. Jim Riesberg, Greeley (ranking member)
Rep. John Kefalas, Fort Collins
Rep-elect Rhonda Fields, Aurora
Rep. Beth McCann, Denver
Rep. Cherylin Peniston, Westminster
Rep. Sue Schafer, Wheat Ridge

Judiciary

Rep. Claire Levy, Boulder (ranking member)
Rep. Daniel Kagan, Englewood
Rep. Su Ryden, Aurora
Rep.-elect Crisanta Duran, Denver
Rep.-elect Pete Lee, Colorado Springs

Local Government

Rep. Ed Casso, Commerce City (ranking member)
Rep. Beth McCann, Denver
Rep. John Soper, Thornton
Rep.-elect Rhonda Fields, Aurora
Rep.-elect Pete Lee, Colorado Springs

State, Veterans, and Military Affairs

Rep. Nancy Todd, Aurora (ranking member)
Rep. Lois Court, Denver
Rep. Claire Levy, Boulder
Rep. Joe Miklosi, Denver

Transportation

Rep. Max Tyler, Golden (ranking member)
Rep. Randy Fischer, Fort Collins
Rep. Matt Jones, Louisville
Rep.-elect Deb Gardner, Boulder
Rep.-elect Millie Hamner, Frisco
Rep.-elect Angela Williams, Denver

Capitol Development

Rep. Ed Vigil, Alamosa

Audit

Rep. Joe Miklosi, Denver
Rep.-elect Deb Gardner, Boulder

Nine new Democratic members are joining the House, joining 23 veteran legislators in the caucus.

The Democrats will have 32 seats in the House when the 68th General Assembly opens Jan. 12. That is one fewer than the Republicans.

Democrats continue to control the state Senate, as they have since Jan. 2005.

Denver Health doc chosen to replace Sen. Romer

2010-12-14T17:54:00.003-07:00

A physician will replace resigning Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver.

Dr. Irene Aguilar, a champion of a single-payer health care system who has pushed for adoption of a bill creating one in Colorado, was chosen by the Senate district 32 Democratic vacancy committee.

According to the Denver Post, Aguilar beat Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, by a wide margin among the party activists who voted.

Romer is leaving office Dec. 31 to seek election as Denver mayor.

Since he was re-elected Nov. 2 to a second four-year Senate term that begins next month, Aguilar can serve until January 2015 before facing the voters.

Denver attorney Lund to be Hickenlooper's chief counsel

2010-12-13T13:07:00.005-07:00

Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper has named a prominent Denver attorney as his chief legal counsel.

Kenneth W. Lund, the managing partner of the law firm Holme Roberts and Owen LLP, got the job Monday.

Lund has practiced law at the firm since 1990. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and a law degree from the University of Denver.

Under his leadership Holme Roberts and Owen was recognized by Colorado Biz magazine in 2009 for its financial strength and community involvement. Since his appointment as managing partner Holme Roberts and Owen has opened two overseas offices and outposts in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco.

Lund is a veteran participant in Front Range urban affairs, having served as a member of the board of directors of the Metro Denver Sports Commission, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, and the chamber's Leadership Foundation.

Marquez takes supreme court seat

2010-12-12T23:43:00.002-07:00

Colorado's 96th supreme court justice took her seat Friday after being sworn in by her father, a retired court of appeals judge.

Monica Marquez replaced Mary Mullarkey on the bench. Mullarkey retired on Nov. 30.

The new justice, 41, is a former deputy attorney general.

She becomes the second Latino justice on the current supreme court, the first Latina ever to sit on the court, Colorado's first openly gay justice, and the third openly gay state supreme court justice in the country.

Marquez's father, Jose D.L. Marquez, administered her oath of office. The elder Marquez also made history as Colorado's first Latino court of appeals judge.

He retired from the state bench in 2008 after 20 years of service.

Ferrandino warns of huge higher education cuts

2010-12-12T23:27:00.003-07:00

A member of the Joint Budget Committee warned a Greeley audience Saturday that Colorado could be facing drastic cuts in higher education funding within the next few years.

A report in Saturday's Greeley Tribune says that Rep. Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, told people attending an open forum at Evans Community College that the requirements of federal stimulus funding, which have protected the colleges' budgets during the last two years, are ending.

Gov. Bill Ritter's FY 2011 budget proposal would set higher education funding at $555 million. If that amount, or less, is adopted by the General Assembly, Colorado would rank last among the 50 states in the amount of money budgeted for colleges and universities.

Unlike other areas of the state budget, such as Medicaid and K-12 education, there is no law that mandates a minimum level of funding for higher education.

Hamner to replace Scanlan in Summit County seat

2010-12-12T23:05:00.004-07:00

The superintendent of the Summit school district will replace resigning Democratic Rep. Christine Scanlan in the state House of Representatives.

According to a report in Sunday's Summit Daily, Millie Hamner was chosen by a District 56 vacancy committee.

Hamner will be replaced in her job as the Frisco-based school district superintendent by her top assistant. She had previously announced that she would retire on July 1, 2011.

Hamner has been a West Slope educator since 1978. She spent the last ten years in Summit County and the prior 23 in Eagle County.

Scanlan is leaving the legislature to join Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper's staff.

Business paper reports that Marostica won't be retained by Hickenlooper

2010-12-10T20:26:00.002-07:00

Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper won't be keeping his predecessor's economic development chief.

The Denver Business Journal reported Thursday that former GOP Rep. Don Marostica, who leads the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade, had sought to keep the post, but that Hickenlooper has decided to bring in a new cabinet when he takes office in January.

Marostica joined Gov. Bill Ritter's administration in July 2009. He had previously served in the House from Jan. 2007, representing a Loveland-area district.

Post: Scanlan, Romer to leave seats Dec. 31

2010-12-10T20:23:00.002-07:00

Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, and Rep. Christine Scanlan, D-Summit County, will leave the General Assembly on Dec. 31.

That's according to a report in today's Denver Post.

Romer resigned to seek election as Denver mayor, while Scanlan is joining Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper's staff.

Democratic vacancy committees will appoint replacements.

Rep. Weissman to serve as House Dems' chief of staff

2010-12-03T09:35:00.003-07:00

The House Democratic caucus has chosen a legislator with long experience at the capitol to serve as its chief of staff for the 68th General Assembly.

Rep. Paul M. Weissman, D-Louisville, will lead the new minority party's team of employees, and provide strategic guidance to members of the caucus, after serving four terms in the House and one in the Senate between 1993-97.

Weissman, 46, is term-limited in the House.

"I feel like we snagged the big one!," minority leader Sal Pace, D-Pueblo, said in a statement. "Paul has managed the Blue Parrot restaurant in Louisville for years, and he understands how to run government like a business, with an eye on the bottom line and balancing the budget. He is widely respected in the Capitol and among stakeholders for his commitment to bi-partisanship. His deep understanding of the issues and of legislative process, and his integrity and ethics make him a natural fit. It doesn't hurt that like all good bartenders, he has a great sense of humor and an ability to listen to others."

Insurance commissioner Morrison steps down

2010-12-01T18:25:00.003-07:00

Colorado insurance commissioner Marcy Morrison has left her post.

The former school board member, Manitou Springs mayor, county commissioner, and state legislator had held the job since 2007. She advocated for a number of consumer-friendly insurance bills, including one adopted in 2010 that will require insurance policies to be readable by a person with a tenth-grade education starting in 2012.

"Marcy is a tireless advocate who worked to balance the needs of consumers with the needs of the insurance industry," Gov. Bill Ritter said.

Morrison will be temporarily replaced by John J. Postolowski, a deputy commissioner of the agency.

The state Division of Insurance is housed within the Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Statehouse Dem spokeswomen leaving for private sector jobs

2010-12-01T11:38:00.006-07:00

The Democratic caucuses in the state Senate and House of Representatives will have new chief media relations officers next year.

Veteran House Democratic spokeswoman Katie Reinisch and Democratic Senate caucus spokeswoman Abigail Vacanti are returning to the private sector.

Reinisch and her husband aim to become entrepreneurs. They plan to open a frozen yogurt franchise in Denver, Reinisch said in an e-mail message.

"After four wonderful sessions in the majority, working for the inspiring Speakers Romanoff and Carroll and with top-notch bosses Kelly Nordini, Will Coyne and Jen Walmer, I had decided months ago that if we lost the majority in the House, I would leave," Reinisch said.

"There's many reasons why: I'm too old and spoiled to lose the clout of the majority, to face a one-third pay cut in the minority, and to have to cut back programs I believe in so that we can continue to balance the budget," she continued.

Reinisch said that her and her husband want to "leave something for our teenage girls to build upon."

"And we hope we will have more money and time for philanthropy, especially with ASAP which brings Denver volunteers to Tanzania to work alongside locals building schools," she explained. "Our whole family is returning this summer for our second ASAP trip."

ASAP is an acronym for The Africa School Assistance Project.

According to a report in the Denver Post, Vacanti will join a public relations firm.

Vacanti was unavailable for comment as this article was posted.

The story by the Post's Jessica Fender indicates that the House Democratic caucus' chief of staff, Jen Walmer, is also leaving her job.