Dear Friends and Supporters,

This week went by in a hurry as all of them do. It amazes me how many bills are introduced on so many subjects every year.

As of last week, we had 579 bills introducedthe fewest number since the legislature began keeping track 12 years ago. But several late bills were also introduced this week, resulting in several more committee meetings and forcing the House to work after 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

I am working to get our first meeting together for our special task force that is set up to study how to make our sessions more productive. We will discuss how to reduce the number of days in session and the number of bills, and late bills introduced. This time of the year, with only 1 1/2 weeks left, it is hard to get two House members and two Senators together for a one-hour meeting. Hopefully, we can have our first meeting soon and then another one this fall. I would like to introduce legislation next January from the results of our bi-partisan study.

SURVEY:

About a month ago, I mailed a survey to over 18,000 thousand citizens who are registered to vote in Loveland, Republicans and Unaffiliateds, asking them several questions. This survey was funded at no cost to the taxpayer. It was mailed to Republican and Unaffiliated voters. I would have liked to include voters registered Democrat as well, but the additional cost was prohibitive.

Below are the questions:

Question 1: Are you registered to vote?
Yes: 561 No: 0

Question 2: Are you in favor of any increase in Colorado's gas tax?
Yes: 79 (17%) No: 406 (72%) Not Sure: 76 (11%)

Question 3: Do you support TABOR?
Yes: 345 (61%) No: 93 (17%) Not Sure: 123 (22%)

Question 4: Do you want Ward Churchill to be dismissed?
Yes: 434 (77%) No: 59 (10%) Not Sure: 67 (13%)

Question 5: Do you support tax credits or vouchers for school choice?
Yes: 349 (62%) No: 145 (26%) Not Sure: 66 (12%)

Question 6: Should the legislative session be shortened from 120 days to 90 days?
Yes: 203 (36%) No: 213 (38%) Not Sure 145 (26%)

Question 7: Have you ever contributed to a political campaign?
Yes: 395 (70%), No: 166 (30%)

Question 8: Do you think more should be done to address the illegal alien problem?
Yes: 520 (94%) No: 18 (2%) Not Sure: 23 (4%)


Here are my assessments of the data in this survey:

The respondents to this survey do not want a gas tax increase. This is understandable considering the substantial increase in our gas prices in the past few months. I did not explain that almost all of the funds generated from our gas tax are now applied to highway and road maintenance. New highways, bridges, and rail transit will need to come from the tolling or bonding process.

I believe that bonding for our new construction is OK because we do that with our new hospitals, libraries, schools, businesses, and homes.

Many people support TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights), but I have discovered that 123 did not understand what TABOR includes. I plan to mail a response back to them to explain how TABOR works. I will also include this in my Web site so you can read it if you wish.


Obviously, the majority of respondents want Ward Churchill to be given his walking papers77% to be exact. I hope the CU Regents can do this soon with no legal repercussions. But, academic freedom is a much deeper subject than one Ward Churchill. This is just the tip of the iceberg in the public universities throughout our great country.

School choice is becoming better known and supported. I believe in the best educational opportunities for each child and that the parent should be the final decision-maker whether they want their children to attend our good public schools, charter schools, private schools, on-line schools, or home-schooling.

The largest response in percentage was the 94% for more to be done about the illegal alien problem. The Loveland Reporter-Herald completed an unscientific survey about 2 weeks ago and found an 89% of respondents were concerned about this problem. The RSCC (Republican Study Committee of Colorado), of which I am a charter member, plans to hold hearings on this very important topic this summer. I will let you know the date, time, and location of this meeting. From the meeting and study, we plan to introduce legislation next year to help solve this problem. This is a federal problem of course, but we in Colorado should do the best we can - like our volunteer Minutemen are doing as they assist in monitoring our southern border. Attached is a letter from a good friend, Ron Mallett, and his recent experience with them.

Congressman J.D. Hayworth, R-Arizona, is very familiar with the Minuteman Project on the Arizona/Mexican border. This month he spoke of the project's success: "What the Minutemen proved to the American people was this: The federal government can do something about illegal immigration other than to raise a white flag and surrender to the invasion on our southern border."

I am a member of the House Transportation Committee. This week we voted 10 - 0 to approve HB 05-1342 by Rep. Pommer concerning toll roads. Many citizens of El Paso, Douglas, Arapahoe, and Adams County testified how they want the "super-slab toll road" to be better planned with the Colorado Department of Transportation. They do not want their property values or the eminent domain process ruined. Citizens want a private company to exercise eminent domain very carefully; I can't blame them. There are also concerns about the environment and the planning process, and how federal laws apply to them. This bill, along with SB 05-230 by Senator Weins, will greatly change the timing and cost of the proposed 210-mile toll road and rail starting at Wellington on I-25 and ending a few miles south of Pueblo.

As usual, let me finish with a good quote from a former President of the United States:

"Let us look forward to the time when we can take the flag of our country and nail it below the Cross, and there let it wave as it waved in the olden times, and let us gather around it and inscribe for our motto: 'Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever,' and exclaim: Christ first, our country next!" --President Andrew Johnson

Though we only have a week and a half left in this year's session, please e-mail me or call me at 303-866-2947 to let me know of any concerns or ideas you may have. It is truly an honor to represent the citizens of Loveland. I will continue to do my best to communicate with you and to act according to your wishes.

God bless you! Please continue to pray for our country, all elected officials, and those in foreign countries protecting our God-given freedoms!



Rep. Jim Welker
House District 51