DENVER — Today, Democrats on the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee, killed House Bill 1009 on a party-line vote. The bill, sponsored by Representative Kevin Van Winkle (R-Highlands Ranch) would have eliminated a double tax effect that food providers and restaurateurs, as well as the consumer, must pay on products such as packaging, sauce packets, straws, napkins and containers.  

As part of the 2010 tax increase package known as the “dirty dozen”, this additional tax was implemented with the passage of House Bill 10-1194. The bill, which passed with no Republican support in the House or Senate, removed an existing tax exemption on items deemed nonessential to consumers.

“Restaurants and food providers must maintain competitive prices, and cannot simply recover these additional taxes with price increases that can compromise their ability to stay open,” said Van Winkle. “Taxes on items like bags, straws, containers, pizza boxes, napkins and condiments add thousands of dollars of overhead to businesses that are already operating with razor thin margins, and unfortunately today, Democrats turned their back on the business community in Colorado.”

Approximately 80% of Colorado restaurants are small businesses, and the restaurant industry makes up the second largest private industry in the state.

Jan. 27 – Gathered to recognize our armed forces, members of the General Assembly today honored Coloradans who have served our country. As chair and vice chair of the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs committee, Reps. Mike Foote, D-Lafayette, and Susan Lontine, D-Denver, were instrumental in organizing this year’s day of appreciation.

With veterans, reservists and active-duty military personnel watching on the House floor and in the gallery, members of the House and Senate came to the well to recognize the sacrifice of all those who have served and remind all Coloradans of our continuing responsibility to support our veterans.  

Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, told the story of her own military family—her grandfather, father, husband, son and daughter who have all served their country.

“We believe that service to this country is paramount, whether we are refugees, whether we are immigrants, or whether we are born to this country with all the beautiful freedoms that our ancestors allotted us,” said Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City. “And to the men and women who have served, my incredible and undying gratitude to you for your service and the freedoms that you have won for us. My family serves with you.”

“Several members of my family served in our armed forces, including my father, both grandfathers, and a great-uncle,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora. “Our service members all make commitments and sacrifices on many levels—from time away from family, to combat injuries, both visible and those less so—and I hope that we honor those sacrifices of our armed forces and veterans by living up to the ideals and values that they served to protect.”

“It’s a wonderful thing to recognize the sacrifices of our men and women who have served our country,” said Rep. Tony Exum, Sr., D-Colorado Springs. “It was an honor to be able to recognize my dear friends this morning on the House floor and be able to thank them for all they have done to defend our freedom.”

Approved by voice votes were these resolutions:

·        HJR17-1005, sponsored by Rep. Mike Foote, D-Lafayette; Rep. Kim Ransom, R-Littleton; Sen. Vicki Marble, R-Fort Collins; and Sen. Minority Leader Lucia Guzman, D-Denver, recognizing Military, Veterans, and MIA/POW Appreciation Day.

·        HJR17-1006, sponsored by Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo; Rep. Clarice Navarro, R-Pueblo; Sen. Leroy Garcia, D-Pueblo; and Sen. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, commemorating the U.S.S. Pueblo, a surveillance ship that was captured by North Korea in 1968.

·        HJR17-1007, sponsored by Rep. Tony Exum, D-Colorado Springs; House Minority Leader Patrick Neville, R-Castle Rock; Sen. Daniel Kagan, D-Cherry Hills Village; and Sen. Larry Crowder, R-Alamosa, recognizing 100 years of service by the 4^th Infantry Division.

·        HJR17-1008, sponsored by Rep. Pete Lee, D-Colorado Springs; Rep. Jim Wilson, R-Salida; Sen. Michael Merrifield, D- Colorado Springs; and Sen. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, recognizing the 150th anniversary of Canadian self-rule and Colorado’s relationship with Canada through the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

·        HJR-1009, sponsored by Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City; Rep. Dave Williams, R-Colorado Springs; Sen. Chris Holbert, R-Parker; and Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada, commemorating the 75^th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

·        HJR17-1010, sponsored by Rep. Susan Lontine, D-Denver; Rep. Yeulin Willet, R-Grand Junction; Sen. Owen Hill, R-Colorado Springs; and Sen. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora, recognizing the defense industry in Colorado.

·        HJR17-1011 sponsored by Rep. Terri Carver, R-Colorado Springs; Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora; Sen. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs; Sen. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, commemorating the 35^th anniversary of the United States Air Force Space Command.

·        HJR17-1012 sponsored by Rep. Steve Lebsock, D-Thornton; Rep. Lang Sias, R-Arvada; Sen. Kevin Grantham, R-Canon City; and Sen. Kerry Donovan, D-Vail, recognizing the service of Coloradans who have served in the fight against terrorism and honoring those who have died for the cause of freedom.

Rep. Paul Rosenthal’s bill to legalize the taking of “ballot selfies” sailed through the State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee Wednesday night.

HB17-1014, also sponsored by Rep. Dave Williams, R-Colorado Springs, would end the prohibition on voters making images of their completed ballots and introduce the word “selfie” to the Colorado Revised Statutes.  

The bill also makes it possible for the over 90 percent of Coloradans who fill out their ballots at home to be able to show their ballot to a family member if they wish to do so.

The issue earned more attention when US District Court Judge Christine Arguello issued a temporary injunction before the 2016 election barring enforcement of the existing Colorado law.

“This bill recognizes the First Amendment right of free speech of voters who want to show their pride in the fact they voted, to put a picture of their completed ballot on social media if they and only they choose to do so,” Rep. Rosenthal told the committee, before closing with a quip: “If free speech you are no longer going to deny, you must vote aye!”

The State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee agreed, voting 8-1 to send the bill to the House floor.

Just after President Trump signed executive orders Jan. 25 to build a wall on the Mexico border and to block federal grants to “sanctuary cities,” House Democrats voiced their strong opposition to the measures.

 “The border wall is offensive, useless and costly to our taxpayers who will have to foot the bill despite President Trump’s fantasy that the Mexican government will pay for it,” said Rep. Jovan Melton, D-Aurora. “The marches across the country showed us that Americans reject hateful and divisive ideas and want us to work on ways to keep families together, not tear them apart.”

“Many Colorado communities feel, as I do, that the job of local law enforcement is to protect public safety, not to carry out the work of federal immigration enforcement,” said Rep. Joe Salazar, D-Thornton. “Colorado has lived through the ‘Show me your Papers Law’ that was passed in 2006 and repealed in 2013. We’ve seen the harmful consequences of forcing local law enforcement to do the work of immigration officials. It hurts families, destroys trust in our local police departments and harms public safety.”

“These executive orders are the exact reason I have been working on the Ralph Carr Freedom Act, which protects our state’s right to not cooperate with federal orders that violate our constitution,” continued Rep. Salazar. The bill would ensure that no state agencies have to cooperate with federal efforts to set up religious registries, internment camps, or with federal immigration enforcement.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Ken Buck voted to protect life by making permanent the United States’ long-time policy of prohibiting federal funding for abortion. Since 1976, majorities in Congress have supported adding the Hyde Amendment, a provision that prohibits federal dollars from paying for abortions, onto federal funding bills. H.R. 7 permanently codifies this long-standing prohibition in statue. The bill also finally pulls Obamacare into line with Hyde Amendment precedent, ensuring that federal subsidies are no longer used for Obamacare plans that cover abortions.

“No taxpayer should be forced, against their moral or religious conscience, to fund an abortion,” Congressman Ken Buck stated. “Americans and Congress have prohibited federal funding of abortion for decades, and this bill simply makes that prohibition permanent.”

A recent Knights of Columbus-Marist poll revealed that 61% of Americans oppose using taxpayer dollars to pay for abortion.

DENVER—Today, Democrats on the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee, killed, on a party-line vote, a Republican-led effort to protect Colorado citizens’ right to free exercise of religion. The bill, House Bill 1013, sponsored by Representatives Steve Humphrey (R-Eaton) and Dave Williams (R-Colorado Springs) is similar to the 21 other state laws that protect religious freedom.

 “Religious freedom is the primary right of all Americans, and it is unfortunate that here in Colorado there is no protection for the free exercise of religion as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights,” said Humphrey. “Business will continue to thrive, as they do in Indiana and the majority of states that have strong legal protections against religious discrimination – we need to get the balance right for our citizen’s here in Colorado!”

 Representative Williams added:

 “It’s troubling that Democrats are willing to violate the sincerely held beliefs of an individual. Millions Coloradans agree that they should be free to practice their faith without the threat of reprisal from government or political extremists whose ideology denies our fundamental First Amendment rights.”

During the committee hearing, two Democrats, who were not members of the committee, were given unprecedented permission to question witnesses. Those additional members brought the total number of Democrats to eight, compared to only three Republicans on the committee for debate.