Joe Coors Inches Up GOP NRCC "Young Guns" Ladder

by: Jeffco Pols

Fri May 18, 2012 at 17:15:16 PM MST

From the NRCC:

Washington --- The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) today announced its fourth round of 'Contender' candidates. By reaching the third step of the four-step 'Young Guns' program, these Republican candidates have reached the fundamental benchmarks to place them on the road to victory. Now, these eight candidates are ready to take on the Democrat establishment and return fiscal sanity to Washington.

"These candidates have worked hard to meet the benchmarks that have been laid out before them and are determined to hold Washington Democrats accountable this November," said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX). "Hard-working taxpayers are tired of watching the Democrats in Washington spend this country deeper into recession while they have been forced to tighten their belts. With Americans desperate for change, these eight candidates are determined to rein in reckless spending, cut taxes and return the economy back to a state of vitality."

Originally founded in the 2007-2008 election cycle by Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Paul Ryan (R-WI) as a member-driven organization, the Young Guns program has become an official NRCC effort dedicated to electing open-seat and challenger candidates nationwide. Reps. Cantor, McCarthy and Ryan remain actively involved in the Young Guns program, working together to recruit and prime conservative leaders for victory.

After reaching the third step of the four-step program, these 'Contender' candidates now face a new set of rigorous benchmarks that will continue to help them build competitive, effective and winning campaigns.

The NRCC's 'Contender' Candidates Are:

• Kim Vann (CA-03)
• John Tavaglione (CA-41)
• Joe Coors (CO-07)
• Ben Lange (IA-01)
• John Archer (IA-02)
• Dan Dolan (IA-02)
• David Rouzer (NC-07)
• Maggie Brooks (NY-25)

Coors is the most legitimate candidate Perlmutter has faced in years, although the Republican faces an uphill battle to take down the hard-working and widely respected (and recognized) incumbent.

Coors, of course, is only legitimate enough to be recognized by the NRCC and other outside groups by virtue of his last name and personal wealth. His ability to self-fund means that Perlmutter will consistently have to play catch-up, but the congressman has never had any trouble raising significant sums and he's certainly insulated, unlike Coors, from the criticism that he's buying his way into Congress.

We wonder whether Coors really fits the "Young Gun" profile, anyway. If an incredibly wealthy, grey-haired, ex-business executive is considered charismatic, ambitious, and rambunctious enough to be considered a "Young Gun," it's probably time to rename the program. Coors is more old hat than he is young anything.

We wonder how young you have to be to be a "Young Gun." If Coors moves past the "Contender" stage, apparently 70 is young enough.  

Hudak Town Hall Tomorrow

by: Jeffco Pols

Fri May 18, 2012 at 16:22:36 PM MST

From Hudak:

ARVADA --  Evie Hudak (D-Westminster) will host a town hall on Saturday, May 19.  Senator Hudak uses town halls as a way to communicate with the people of Senate District 19.  She welcomes her constituents to participate in the discussion and ask questions.  The event is free, nonpartisan, and open to the public.  

Throughout the legislative session, Senator Hudak worked on vital legislation to help rebuild the economy and get Coloradans back to work.  Notably, Senator Hudak played a key role in revising the state budget to maximize the ways in which it will help rebuild the economy.  Senator Hudak crafted an economic development amendment that directs further funds to the Office of Economic Development and Small Business Development Centers.  Small Business Development Centers help get Coloradans back to work while helping businesses grow and thrive.  With the amendment, the state budget was adopted with a broad margin of support.

Senator Hudak serves Senate District 19 which spans Westminster and Arvada.  She is the Chair of the Senate Transportation committee and a member of the Senate Education committee.

WHAT: Town hall
WHO: Senator Evie Hudak
WHEN: Saturday, May 19 from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: Standley Lake Library: 8785 Kipling Street, Arvada

Make no mistake, while Hudak's incumbency may prove to be a liability in today's heated, anti-establishment political climate, there are definite benefits in campaigning for office as a current officeholder. These town halls, for example, help bolster Hudak's name ID and presence in the district under the mantle of non-partisan, community outreach in line with Hudak's responsibilities as a state senator. It's important to note that, while such outreach is markedly non-partisan, it certainly isn't apolitical: the subheading for Hudak's press release, after all, emphasizes that "engaging the public remains a top priority for Senate Democrats." Town halls serve a political purpose under the guise of constituent engagement.  

With the end of session, Hudak's lost the ability to host these town halls as means of updating constituents on current legislative business. To her credit, she's incredibly active in her district, hosting multiple town halls a month both for the public and advocacy groups. Now that there's no pressing legislative business, however, the state senator will no longer be able to use her office in the same way to engage with constituents and potential voters. This "end-of-session" town hall, then, marks the de facto beginning of the Hudak campaign; Republican Lang Sias hasn't been able to host town halls, and now Evie Hudak won't have much occasion to either.  

Cody McNutt Now Staffing Lang Sias

by: Jeffco Pols

Fri May 18, 2012 at 14:59:21 PM MST

McNutt scored 45% of the vote in 2011, losing to incumbent City Councilman Mark McGoff by about 500 votes. McNutt ran a decent campaign. Sure, he made a couple major mistakes, but we heard good things about McNutt's ground game. His campaign was doomed from the outset, but it was a good foray into politics for the twenty-something first time candidate.

That said, finding a few friends to knock on doors for your upstart city council bid is a lot different than recruiting volunteers for an expansive State Senate race. We're not sure that McNutt's skills as a candidate will translate well into working on someone else's campaign, especially given his incredibly odd personality.  McNutt's enthusiasm may be charming when he appears on your doorstep as a candidate, but in a campaign as competitive as Sias', perhaps someone a little less caustic and with a little more experience would be a better fit to manage field efforts.  

Lakewood Legislators to Host Civil Unions Town Hall on Saturday

by: Jeffco Pols

Mon Apr 30, 2012 at 20:13:08 PM MST

From the Colorado House Democrats:

Town Hall Meeting with Rep. Max Tyler, Rep. Andy Kerr, Sen. Betty Boyd, & Sen. Cheri Jahn

WHAT:  Join the Lakewood legislative delegation for a town hall meeting this Saturday to discuss Civil Unions in Colorado. The Civil Unions bill was recently passed in the Senate and will be debated in the House in the week ahead.

WHO: Rep. Max Tyler (D-Lakewood)
Rep. Andy Kerr (D-Lakewood)
Sen. Betty Boyd (D-Lakewood)
Sen. Cheri Jahn (D-Wheat Ridge)

WHERE: Lakewood Cultural Center (map)
470 S. Allison Parkway
Lakewood, CO 80226

WHEN: Saturday, May 5, 2012 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Notably absent from Saturday's roster is State Representative Ken "Homosexuality is a behavior" Summers -- he'll undoubtedly vote to kill SB-2 if it makes it to the House floor. Still, you have to wonder: if the point of these town halls is to educate voters, doesn't it make sense to invite every area politician, no matter their stance on any particular issue? Summers has participated in town-halls with Democrats before, so it's unusual that he's not coming to this one.

Of course, there's no guarantee that SB-2 will even be "debated in the House" at all, so this whole town hall, with or without Ken Summers, might just be an exercise in futility.  

GOP HD-22 Candidates to Debate on May 29

by: Jeffco Pols

Mon Apr 30, 2012 at 18:48:03 PM MST

From the Foothills Republicans:

House District 22 Republican Candidate Forum

Here is your opportunity to meet Justin Everett and Loren Bauman, candidates for the State House of Representatives.

Registered Republicans will elect one of these individuals on June 26th to run against other political party candidates in the general election. Candidates will be asked to answer a number of pertinent questions with time allotted for audience questions.

Be prepared to make an informed decision at the June Primary by attending this event.

Where: Columbine Library 7706 W. Bowles Ave
When: Tuesday, May 29, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Hudak Campaign Kick-Off Tomorrow

by: Jeffco Pols

Fri Apr 27, 2012 at 15:52:06 PM MST

From the Hudak campaign:

OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN KICKOFF!

Please join hosts

Glenda Barry, Jim Carpenter, Margaret Chapman, Sheryl Lemon,

Jim Polsfut, Jack Robinson, Emily Sirota,

Judy & Manuel Solano, Sue Windels, and Kathryn Wallace

To help me kick off my 2012 re-election campaign!

Saturday, April 28, 3-5 p.m.

7649 Harlan Way, Westminster, CO 80003

RSVP to Julia at 720-233-2168 or democratjulia@hotmail.com

While almost every candidate for public office usually kicks off their campaign near the start of the summer, it's a little odd that Hudak is doing it while the legislature is still in session: lobbyists are barred by statute from contributing to state-level candidates until the General Assembly concludes its business next month. As a result, holding a kickoff now precludes Hudak from accepting lobbyist donations.

Hudak is, of course, trying to raise as much money as possible before the secretary of state's fundraising deadline next week. The timing of this kickoff, then, should give her campaign an infusion of cash that'll look really good on fundraising reports.

Kicking off your campaign right before session ends is always a risky endeavor. In this case, it'll improve Hudak's fundraising haul for this quarter at the cost of opening her up to the criticism that she's raising money for her re-election before she's even concluded the work of the people she's elected to represent.

Have a campaign event coming up? Add us to your press list: info(at)jeffcopols(dot)com.

Poll: Who Will Win the District 2 Commissioner Seat?

by: Jeffco Pols

Tue Apr 24, 2012 at 09:15:00 AM MST

District 2 Commissioner John Odom, however, is left alone to defend his seat from Democratic attorney Casey Tighe. Make no mistake: it's an uphill battle for Tighe. Odom's incumbency will lengthen his fundraising lists, and as a Democrat, Tighe's already starting out behind in a county which favors the GOP for countywide offices. It doesn't help that Odom, unlike his predecessors, is more or less untouched by scandal. At least, scandal that we know of.

Still, Odom's never won an election before. He was appointed to his current position in the wake of Kevin McCasky's now-controversial resignation last year. His only electoral qualification, in fact, is his failed bid against Cheri Jahn in 2010.

We want to know: who do you think will be the next Jefferson County commissioner from District 2, John Odom or Casey Tighe? Remember, vote for the candidate you think will win, not the candidate you'd like to win.    

History Repeats Itself in Jefferson County

by: Jeffco Pols

Mon Apr 23, 2012 at 13:13:00 PM MST

Homeowners have filed a lawsuit against Activation Ministries, which plans to triple the size of a church west of Golden.

Many residents who live in the area claim the Jefferson County Commission was unlawful in issuing a permit allowing the church's expansion. In response, a few dozen neighbors have banded together and filed suit.

A group of concerned citizens met Tuesday afternoon to hear about the lawsuit. Many of the concerns mentioned focused on property rights, safety and traffic.

Sound familiar? It should, considering that the exact same thing happened four years ago.

From a June 2008 report in the now-defunct Rocky Mountain News:

Last month, McCasky and Congrove came under fire when they approved, again by a 2-1 vote, expansion of the Rock South Baptist Church in Littleton.

The church, which sits in the Westridge subdivision, plans to construct a 16,000-square-foot youth center and a parking lot west of its current building along the intersection of West Alamo Place and Kipling Street in Littleton.

Neither Kevin McCasky nor Jim Congrove are commissioners anymore, but you'd think their idealogical successors might've remembered the uproar the last time the Board approved a massive church expansion without citizen input.

Indeed, McCasky and Congrove might be gone, but the culture they created within Jefferson County Government remains: development will always trounce both homeowner concerns and longstanding zoning requirements.  

Poll: Who Will Win the HD-22 GOP Primary?

by: Jeffco Pols

Mon Apr 23, 2012 at 10:14:00 AM MST

Republicans maintain an insurmountable registration advantage in the district, and former State Treasurer Cary Kennedy lost her 2010 campaign there by nearly 4,000 votes. As such, whoever wins the primary will almost certainly be south Jeffco's next state representative.

Everett has a healthy fundraising lead. He's also well-recognized in the community from his tenure as president of homeowners' group COHOPE. We've heard talk that his aggressive, almost abrasive personality has turned some voters off, however, so Loren Bauman's not totally out of the hunt yet.

We want to know: who do you think will win the primary? That is, if the election was held tomorrow, which candidate do you think would come out on top? Remember, vote for the candidate you think is going to win, not the one you'd like to win.

Golden, Jeffco Duke it Out in Capitol on Beltway

by: Jeffco Pols

Mon Apr 23, 2012 at 09:14:00 AM MST

Since then, of course, most of the Beltway has been completed, with the exception of what has been called the "Jefferson Parkway" -- a stretch of road just north of Golden that would finally, some sixty years after the project was first discussed, loop a belt around the waist of the Metro area.

Former Golden Mayor Jacob Smith was elected in 2007 in part because of his pledge to obstruct the Beltway's completion. Golden has always opposed the construction of an arterial road so close to home, citing fears of congestion that would forever change the dynamics behind the city's small-town charm. Negotiations on the issue between Golden, its neighbors, and the county broke down in December.

Since then, the issue has lingered over much of Golden's relationship with Jefferson County, just as it has for the better part of the last two decades.

Lingered, that is, until last week, when a mysterious piece of legislation popped up under the Golden Dome. Fox 31's Eli Stokols has the story:

DENVER - Legislation now being drafted to create a government board with the power to complete a toll road beltway around the metro area over the objections of local town and cities is unlikely to go anywhere during the current legislative session, which ends in a few weeks.

"This bill hasn't even been introduced yet," said Sen. Betty Boyd, D-Lakewood, who's considering sponsoring the legislation if it can be introduced this year. "I haven't even seen a draft yet, and I have some concerns of my own. So it's not looking realistic that we can do this in a few weeks."

But even if the legislation isn't an imminent threat, the cities it would affect are sounding the alarm over what they perceive as a sweeping extension of the government's ability to invoke eminent domain.

"The legislature, over the last five-to-10 years, has been limiting eminent domain," Mike Bestor, the city manager for the City of Golden, told FOX31 Denver Monday. "And now here is this huge grab for dominant eminent domain.

"People want to build this high-speed tollway through our little valley here with no concern for the impact on the quality of life for our homeowners, for our citizens."

What Bestor is calling a "secret attack" marks the latest impasse in a long-running battle between the city and Jefferson County over the proposed "Jefferson Parkway", a toll road that would connect C-470 from where it ends just south of Golden north to Colo. 128 in Broomfield, essentially completing the beltway encircling the Denver metro area.

Jefferson County Commissioner -- and storybook enthusiast -- Don Rosier is happy to take credit for this particular "secret attack," telling KUNC:

Golden has attacked really the entire region and the state by walking away from the negotiation table. They thumbed their nose at the Governor, [and] at CDOT. They didn't negotiate in good faith...when you look at it, they started it. I hate to say that, but in essence, I want to complete the road and do the best job possible...I do not believe the citizens of Golden have been given all the information. I don't believe the City Manager, nor has the Mayor been transparent with them.

Rosier's comments, of course, make this complex issue seem nothing more than a schoolyard fight. "YOU started it!" "No, YOU started it." Is this kind of dialogue really what we expect from elected officials?  With back-and-forths like this, you have to wonder whether or not Jeffco has a little crush on the City of Golden.  

The Beltway has always really just been talk -- it's never once come close to becoming a reality. This particular piece of legislation, for example, is doomed to fail: no legislator has stepped forward to sponsor it, but even if they did, it would no doubt die an ignominious death. The Jeffco delegation would likely vote against it -- excepting Senator Boyd, who is term-limited and has no plans for future office -- and would be joined in their opposition, no doubt, by small government Republicans playing lip-service to "local control" and railing against eminent domain.

Still, you've got to appreciate the sheer ballsiness Jeffco is displaying in drafting this bill. Rosier's basically saying "see what you've made me do, Golden?" in attempting to push this project at the state level. Indeed, the county has shown that it wants this project completed no matter what the cost. The commissioners -- all Republicans, mind you -- will use big government to trample small communities if they have to.

Jeffco's unprecedented aggression in pushing the Beltway's completion should be a major cause of concern for Golden officials. By opposing the project at every step of the process, Golden may be left having no say if and when the Beltway does come to fruition.

"No Means No" is a great strategy for opposition, but it's downright terrible for negotiation. When Jeffco finds a way to get its Parkway completed without any support from Golden, it's pretty safe to say that Golden's not going to get anything that it wants out of the deal.

If Jeffco continues to act so brashly, the question for Golden administrators needs to go from "How can we stop this?" to "What's the best we can get out of this?"

Why Was Jim Congrove Honored on the Senate Floor?

by: Jeffco Pols

Sat Apr 21, 2012 at 18:09:50 PM MST

From the Colorado Senate Majority:

DENVER─ Today, the Senate honored former Republican Senator Jim Congrove in a bipartisan memorial resolution sponsored by Senator Evie Hudak (D-Westminster).  Senator Congrove was a Vietnam War veteran and former undercover narcotics officer. He was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1994 and to the Colorado State Senate in 1996.  Senator Congrove also served as a Jefferson County Commissioner from 2005-2009.  He passed away on January 10.

Below is the full text of Senator Congrove's Senate memorial:

WHEREAS, Our respected former colleague, Jim Congrove, a past  member of the Colorado Senate and House of Representatives, departed this life on January 10, 2012, at the age of 65, in Arvada; and

WHEREAS, Senator Congrove was born on May 5, 1946; and

WHEREAS, Senator Congrove graduated from Boys Town in Nebraska, where he was named head commissioner in the cottage where he resided; and

WHEREAS, After serving in the Vietnam War, Senator Congrove returned to Colorado and enrolled in Adams State College; and

WHEREAS, Senator Congrove served first in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1994 to 1996, during which time he served on the House Finance and State Veterans and Military Affairs committees; and

WHEREAS, From 1996 to 2000, Senator Congrove served in the Colorado Senate, where he was a member of several committees, including the Health Environment Welfare and Institutions, Local Government, and State Veterans and Military Affairs committees; and

WHEREAS, While serving in the Colorado General Assembly, Senator Congrove, who was a former undercover narcotics officer, sponsored a bill that further restricted no-knock warrants; and

WHEREAS, While serving in the Senate, Senator Congrove also sponsored a bill granting disabled veterans free entrance to parks, legislation affecting the governance of charter schools, and legislation updating the certification system of the Peace Officers Standards and Training Board; and

WHEREAS, Senator Congrove's public service did not end with his tenure in the General Assembly; in 2004, he was elected as Jefferson County Commissioner for District 1; and

WHEREAS, Senator Congrove said that the primary job of a county commissioner was to be a good steward of the taxpayers' dollars and support property rights, government accountability, and limited taxation; and

WHEREAS, As a pilot himself, Senator Congrove had a particular interest in improving the Jefferson County Airport, which he called "the absolute crown jewel of Jefferson County", and he was instrumental in changing its name to the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his involvement with public service, Senator Congrove cherished his family and loved spending time with them, especially his two daughters and three grandchildren; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-eighth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:

That, in the death of Jim Congrove, the people of the state of Colorado have lost a dedicated public servant and outstanding citizen, and that we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, do hereby extend our deep and heartfelt sympathy to the members of his family and pay tribute to a man who served his state well and faithfully.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Memorial be sent to Senator Congrove's wife, Judy Congrove; his two daughters, Jennifer Fawcett and Jamie Lombardi; and his sister, Marie Hebdon.

We're sure that this resolution means a lot to Congrove's grieving family. That said, however, Congrove's reputation as a crook most certainly overshadows the positive contributions he did make to public service.

After all, this is the same Jim Congrove who was a card-carrying member of the Jeffco "Kings of Corruption," alongside former Commissioner Kevin McCasky and former Treasurer Mark Paschall. This is the same Jim Congrove who was accused of using public funds to spy on county employees, county critics, private citizens, and even other elected officials; who cost Jeffco taxpayers thousands of dollars in legal fees; who was accused of lying to investigators about his role in the mysterious disappearance of legal files. The list goes on and on.

What was Senator Hudak thinking? We understand the mentality behind memorializing recently-deceased politicians, but usually, those politicians left behind a legacy worth honoring. Jim Congrove's repeated ethical missteps as a county commissioner should have totally precluded the passage -- or even the introduction -- of this resolution.

Put simply, you can't whitewash over Congrove's ethical missteps just because he passed away.

Congrove might have believed that his job as a county commissioner was to "be a good steward of the taxpayers' dollars" and to champion government accountability. The problem is the gigantic chasm between what Congrove said and what he did. It's absurd to celebrate his words while ignoring his actions.

Evie Hudak and the General Assembly could pass hundreds of gushing resolutions honoring Jim Congrove, but they won't make his tainted legacy go away. You can't forgive the unforgivable.

After all, people will remember Jim Congrove not for the kind words spoken about him in the halls of government but instead for the gallons of newspaper ink directly tying him to scandal.  

Fewer Jeffco GOP Delegates This Year? Blame Dan Maes.

by: Jeffco Pols

Sat Apr 21, 2012 at 13:00:00 PM MST

That's why it's so odd that Jeffco Republicans will have a diminished voice in selecting the GOP nominee this year. As Lynn Bartels notes in a blog post for the Denver paper, former 2010 Republican Gubernatorial nominee Dan Maes' piss-poor performance here last cycle reduced the number of delegates that Jeffco sent to the state convention earlier this month.

Because delegates are assigned in relation to the percentage that Maes, as the GOP nominee, won in each county last cycle, the Jeffco GOP sent over 100 delegates fewer to the state convention than they did in 2008. Maes, after all, earned a measly 7% of the vote in Jeffco. As a result, the Jeffco delegation had a lesser voice in deciding which delegates would be nominated to attend the national convention in Tampa later this year.

There's no guarantee that Jeffco GOP voters would elect a delegate who would in turn vote for the candidate most likely to win Jeffco in an election year. But because Dan Maes performed better in smaller, more conservative counties, the faction of the Colorado GOP inclined to vote for Maes will have a bigger say in the national nomination process. In that way, then, the moderate voice that Jeffco Republicans bring to the table -- in recognition of what it takes to win the votes of Jeffco's large chunk of unaffiliated voters -- has been dampened not insignificantly.

Mitt Romney, of course, is destined to become the Republican nominee. It's still rather curious, however, that he may ascend to that position without the input of Republican voters from a county he absolutely needs to win in November.  

Don Rosier's Reading Rainbow

by: Jeffco Pols

Sat Apr 21, 2012 at 09:00:00 AM MST

Rosier, after all, did a commendable job reading a bunch of books about fishes to pre-school students earlier this month at the Lakewood Library.

If you have 20 minutes to kill, and you really, really love public access television production value, you can check out the entire video on the Jeffco Business Guide TV website.

Rosier gets really into his storytelling. To be fair, of course, you have to be enthusiastic when you're reading a story to children if you want them to stay put for more than a minute or two. He seems to take particular pleasure in retelling Ugly Fish, a story in which an abrasive, territorial pet fish eats any other fish which enter into his tank -- until he's devoured by a bigger, uglier fish. There's got to be a political lesson in there somewhere.

We're a little surprised Rosier was let anywhere near preschool children with that beard of his, but that's neither here nor there. What's important is that Don Rosier reading picture books to preschoolers is, at the very least, less controversial than, say, the ill-informed appropriation of public funds for bridge-building.

Hudak's HIRE Colorado Act Passes Senate

by: Jeffco Pols

Wed Apr 11, 2012 at 13:51:46 PM MST

Today, Hudak's legislative centerpiece jumped over its first (and smallest) hurdle.

From the Colorado Senate Democrats:

DENVER-Today, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1, the HIRE Colorado Act, sponsored by Senator Evie Hudak (D-Westminster). The HIRE (Helping Individuals Realize Employment) Colorado Act is designed to create jobs for Coloradans by giving a preference to companies seeking state contracts when those companies agree to employ 90 percent Colorado workers for the job, certify that they are providing those workers with quality benefits, and offer access to a federally qualified apprenticeship training program.  This legislation will aid Coloradans in not just finding employment, but employment with adequate medical and retirement benefits and the opportunity to advance.

Senator Hudak offered the following comment on the passage of the HIRE Colorado Act today:

"As lawmakers, regardless of party, we have a moral obligation to work for the betterment of our constituents, to improve the state's economy and to get Coloradans back to work.  Over the last two years, we have spent close to $800 million to pay people in other states to do work for Colorado.  This is a common sense bill that will work to reinvest our state taxpayers' money within our borders, employ workers here, and reenergize local economies."

The HIRE Colorado Act will direct state agencies that award contracts exceeding $1 million to give up to a five percent preference to a company that bids on a the contract based on a specific set of criteria.  In the case of a service contract a three percent preference is available for a contractor that certifies that at least 90 percent of their employees are Colorado residents. Contractors can receive an additional two percent preference if they certify that they are offering employees health care and retirement benefits.

In the case of construction contracts for a public project a three percent preference is given to a contractor that certifies that at least 90 percent of their employees are Colorado residents.  An additional one percent preference is available if the contactor certifies that they offer health care and retirement benefits, and another one percent is available if the workers have access to an apprentice training program approved by the United States Department of Labor. Any company can take advantage of the preference regardless of where it is based. Any company that chooses to hire Colorado workers will qualify.

Currently 26 states offer some sort of preference process for state contracts. The HIRE Colorado Act is a key component in the Senate Majority's "Colorado Works Jobs package," a series of bills that will be introduced throughout the session focused on continued job creation and economic growth.

This legislation is sponsored in the House by Representative Su Ryden (D-Aurora) and Representative Crisanta Duran (D-Denver). It will now be heard in the House of Representatives.

Hudak's communications shepherds couldn't have phrased it better: this is indeed a common-sense bill that should ostensibly receive bi-partisan support with little effort. While incentivizing local labor for state contracts does run up against the "free market" to some extent, Republicans in the House will have a hard time rationalizing their opposition to a bill that could create jobs.

If the bill passes the House, Governor Hickenlooper's signature is all but assured and Hudak's campaign arsenal is expanded not inconsiderably.

If however, House Republicans are able to strike down the HIRE Colorado Act against their better judgement, Hudak will still be able to campaign on this issue. She'll simply need to ask if Lang Sias would've supported the bill if he was empowered to do so. If he answers affirmatively, Hudak's able to say that even her opponent thinks she's working to create jobs. If he doesn't, Hudak can flip the argument: unlike Sias, she's committed to improving Colorado's economy.

The entire race won't rest on this issue. But because the next senator from SD-19 will likely be elected by a razor-thin margin, barring revelations, of course, of a dead boy or live girl, every small talking point can have a major impact.  

Jeffco Line Updated

by: Jeffco Pols

Tue Apr 10, 2012 at 09:44:20 AM MST

All together now, tell us where we got it wrong.