Printed on 6/5/08
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Week 15, 2005
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Dear Friends & Supporters,
We only have 2 and 1/2 weeks left for the 2005 session. Our last day is on Wednesday, May 11. Minority leader Joe Stengel just announced that we should end this year session a week earlier. I agree. This week the Speaker of the House appointed me to be the lead person of a bipartisan task force to study how we can have shorter sessions in the future, reduce the number of bills, and streamline our work to be more productive. Two of the members are from the House and two are from the Senate. We plan to meet before May 11, then again late this summer and/or early fallat no cost to the taxpayer. We plan to have concrete, bipartisan proposals to submit to the 2006 session.
Too many bills raise the spending of the state government, raise the cost of doing business, raise the cost of utilities, and further regulate our lives by bigger government. Please open the attached press release by my good friend and colleague, Senator Ron May, R - Colorado Springs about "Democrats' 2005 Legacy: Spend, Spend, and Spend." I couldn't have said it any better.
Below are a few of the bills of notice this past week in the House:
HB 1138 by Rep. Fran Coleman makes it a primary offense for not wearing a seat belt instead of a secondary offense as it is now. A primary offense means that a police officer can pull you over at any time if he/she believes you are not wearing a seat belt. Secondary means that an officer must stop you for a different traffic offense. The bill passed by a 33-31-1 vote. It passed by ONE vote. Rep. Mark Cloer, R - Colorado Springs, said he pressed the wrong button by mistake. Now the bill must go before a Senate committee. If it passes there, it will be considered on the Senate floor.
I voted NO for the following reasons: 1) We already have a law that mandates the wearing of a seat belt. 2) People are wearing their seat belts more and more. The rate is now 80% nationwide. 3) The current training efforts regarding the need to wear seat belts are sufficient. 4) It is hard for officers to tell if many people are wearing their seat belts because of tinted windows and the lack of shoulder belts in older vehicles. 5) This could be a violation of our 4th amendment rights to our U.S. Constitution. Several liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans are very concerned about giving the police this kind of power. 6) Many Representatives believe that police can use this law for profiling.
HB 1145 by Rep. Al White concerns the regulations of plumbers. We don't have a plumbing problem, but the unions have decided that it is important for a master plumber to supervise only one journeyman plumber and for a journeyman plumber to only supervise 3 apprentices. The only reason for this bill is to give unions more power. It passed by a 41-23 vote. All of the NO's were Republicans. I voted NO, of course, and went to the House podium to speak against this bill. This bill has been introduced for the past few years and has always been killed. Hopefully the Governor will use his veto pen.
HB 1318 by Rep. John Soper concerns workers' compensation in the construction industry. Currently, a self-employed person can choose whether or not to buy workers' compensation for him or herself. This bill requires ALL people to buy workers' compensation whether they want to or not. The bill passed by a 38-26 vote. I voted NO and once again went to the House podium a few times to tell my fellow Representatives that this will increase the cost of construction and will take away people's freedoms. Some independent contractors are self-insured or have adequate health insurance. The role of government is not to micro-manage our lives in such a manner.
Health Care Costs:
Many pharmaceutical companies have joined forces to provide discounted prescription drugs. A new program was announced this week. The opening paragraph to their one page brochure says: "Together Rx Access is a free drug card program that offers savings from 25% to 40% and sometimes more on prescriptions for over 275 brand-name drugs for eligible, low-income Americans under age 65 with no prescription drug insurance." Call 1-800-444-4106 or enroll on-line at www.TogetherRxAccess.com. You may want to copy and paste this information and pass it on to friends and relatives.
Survey:
About two weeks ago, I sent a survey to about 18,500 voting citizens of Loveland asking them a few questions. I will share all of the results with you next week, but more than 80% believe that more should be done to address the illegal alien problem. This result agrees with the Loveland Reporter Herald's poll asking about the support for the minuteman border patrol. About 79% of the respondents agreed that the patrol is necessary. The Republican Study Committee of Colorado (RSCC), of which I am a member, plans to have an open forum on this issue sometime this summer at the Capitol. I will let you know of the day and time, so that you can attend if you wish.
---------------------------------------------------
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE GOP
1. Protect the rights of the individual.
2. Protect the free enterprise system.
3. Reduce government to the lowest practical level.
4. Endorse and practice fiscal responsibility.
5. Endorse "traditional family values" from Judeo-Christian beliefs.
6. Protect our great country with a strong national defense and border protection.
---------------------------------------------------
Ronald Reagan
"I have wondered at times about what the ten commandments would have looked like if Moses has run them through congress."
It is an honor for me to represent the citizens of Loveland. I am doing my best to look after your concerns in order that we can live our lives with prosperity, personal freedom, and low taxes. Please feel free to visit me at the Capitol if you wish. I enjoy introducing visitors on the House floor. There are also 45 minute, free guided tours of the Capitol. If you come, please e-mail me or call me at 303 866 2947. I would like to meet you.
I wish you a blessed week. Thank you for your support and prayers!
Rep. Jim Welker
House District 51
We only have 2 and 1/2 weeks left for the 2005 session. Our last day is on Wednesday, May 11. Minority leader Joe Stengel just announced that we should end this year session a week earlier. I agree. This week the Speaker of the House appointed me to be the lead person of a bipartisan task force to study how we can have shorter sessions in the future, reduce the number of bills, and streamline our work to be more productive. Two of the members are from the House and two are from the Senate. We plan to meet before May 11, then again late this summer and/or early fallat no cost to the taxpayer. We plan to have concrete, bipartisan proposals to submit to the 2006 session.
Too many bills raise the spending of the state government, raise the cost of doing business, raise the cost of utilities, and further regulate our lives by bigger government. Please open the attached press release by my good friend and colleague, Senator Ron May, R - Colorado Springs about "Democrats' 2005 Legacy: Spend, Spend, and Spend." I couldn't have said it any better.
Below are a few of the bills of notice this past week in the House:
HB 1138 by Rep. Fran Coleman makes it a primary offense for not wearing a seat belt instead of a secondary offense as it is now. A primary offense means that a police officer can pull you over at any time if he/she believes you are not wearing a seat belt. Secondary means that an officer must stop you for a different traffic offense. The bill passed by a 33-31-1 vote. It passed by ONE vote. Rep. Mark Cloer, R - Colorado Springs, said he pressed the wrong button by mistake. Now the bill must go before a Senate committee. If it passes there, it will be considered on the Senate floor.
I voted NO for the following reasons: 1) We already have a law that mandates the wearing of a seat belt. 2) People are wearing their seat belts more and more. The rate is now 80% nationwide. 3) The current training efforts regarding the need to wear seat belts are sufficient. 4) It is hard for officers to tell if many people are wearing their seat belts because of tinted windows and the lack of shoulder belts in older vehicles. 5) This could be a violation of our 4th amendment rights to our U.S. Constitution. Several liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans are very concerned about giving the police this kind of power. 6) Many Representatives believe that police can use this law for profiling.
HB 1145 by Rep. Al White concerns the regulations of plumbers. We don't have a plumbing problem, but the unions have decided that it is important for a master plumber to supervise only one journeyman plumber and for a journeyman plumber to only supervise 3 apprentices. The only reason for this bill is to give unions more power. It passed by a 41-23 vote. All of the NO's were Republicans. I voted NO, of course, and went to the House podium to speak against this bill. This bill has been introduced for the past few years and has always been killed. Hopefully the Governor will use his veto pen.
HB 1318 by Rep. John Soper concerns workers' compensation in the construction industry. Currently, a self-employed person can choose whether or not to buy workers' compensation for him or herself. This bill requires ALL people to buy workers' compensation whether they want to or not. The bill passed by a 38-26 vote. I voted NO and once again went to the House podium a few times to tell my fellow Representatives that this will increase the cost of construction and will take away people's freedoms. Some independent contractors are self-insured or have adequate health insurance. The role of government is not to micro-manage our lives in such a manner.
Health Care Costs:
Many pharmaceutical companies have joined forces to provide discounted prescription drugs. A new program was announced this week. The opening paragraph to their one page brochure says: "Together Rx Access is a free drug card program that offers savings from 25% to 40% and sometimes more on prescriptions for over 275 brand-name drugs for eligible, low-income Americans under age 65 with no prescription drug insurance." Call 1-800-444-4106 or enroll on-line at www.TogetherRxAccess.com. You may want to copy and paste this information and pass it on to friends and relatives.
Survey:
About two weeks ago, I sent a survey to about 18,500 voting citizens of Loveland asking them a few questions. I will share all of the results with you next week, but more than 80% believe that more should be done to address the illegal alien problem. This result agrees with the Loveland Reporter Herald's poll asking about the support for the minuteman border patrol. About 79% of the respondents agreed that the patrol is necessary. The Republican Study Committee of Colorado (RSCC), of which I am a member, plans to have an open forum on this issue sometime this summer at the Capitol. I will let you know of the day and time, so that you can attend if you wish.
---------------------------------------------------
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE GOP
1. Protect the rights of the individual.
2. Protect the free enterprise system.
3. Reduce government to the lowest practical level.
4. Endorse and practice fiscal responsibility.
5. Endorse "traditional family values" from Judeo-Christian beliefs.
6. Protect our great country with a strong national defense and border protection.
---------------------------------------------------
Ronald Reagan
"I have wondered at times about what the ten commandments would have looked like if Moses has run them through congress."
It is an honor for me to represent the citizens of Loveland. I am doing my best to look after your concerns in order that we can live our lives with prosperity, personal freedom, and low taxes. Please feel free to visit me at the Capitol if you wish. I enjoy introducing visitors on the House floor. There are also 45 minute, free guided tours of the Capitol. If you come, please e-mail me or call me at 303 866 2947. I would like to meet you.
I wish you a blessed week. Thank you for your support and prayers!
Rep. Jim Welker
House District 51
< Back to 2005 Legislative Session
