Dear Friends & Supporters,

This week we voted on several House bills in the committees and on the House floor. Let me list a few of them:

Tenant/Landlord Relationships

HB 1061 This bill passed 34 - 29 with 2 absent. I voted NO along with all of the Republicans. The intentions of
this bill are good. However, this bill will result in less apartments being built. Reducing the number of
apartments being built will drive up rental costs, making housing less affordable to those who need it. This bill
has been introduced but not passed for the past 18 years; with a Democrat controlled House, it finally passed
and is on its way to the Senate.

Energy Efficiency Standards for Specified Devices

HB 1162 This bill stiffens the requirements for all manufacturers of small appliances, and a few large
appliances, to use Colorado's requirements for energy usage. The bill passed 40 to 25. I voted NO along with
the 24 other Republicans. This bill was killed in committee last year. The company should be regulated by
national standards, not state standards. If all 50 of the different states have different requirements, this is costly
and hard on the manufacturing companies. So many people don't understand that although energy is too costly
at times, there is no shortage of it. We have enough coal to last for over 400 years at today's consumption rate.
We have enough oil and oil shale deposits to last for generations. We have solar energy that is ready for home
and commercial use. With nanotechnology and new inventions, I predict that solar energy will be a much bigger
player in our energy needs.

Regulation of the Use of Mobile Communication Devices by Permitted Drivers

HB 1137 This bill passed by 40 to 25; all of the 25 were Republicans. I voted NO because it is more
government interference in the role and responsibilities of the parents. If we are to be consistent, then we
cannot allow permitted drivers to be able to adjust the radio, put in CD's, eat food, talk to passengers in the car,
etc. This bill is just a stepping stone to banning all cell phone usage for all drivers. If we are to eliminate cell
phone usage while driving, then we would have to require people to stop going to drive up windows and eating
Big Macs, fries, etc. while driving down the road. Laws need to be consistent.

Privately Owned Rent-Controlled Housing

HB 1229 The Local Government Committee passed this bill by a 6 to 5 vote; I am on this committee. I stated as
often as I could that "rent control" does not work because it interferes with the marketplace. Santa Monica, CA
tried this method years ago and it escalated real estate prices. Boulder tried this also and it made real estate
prices escalate. President Nixon tried to regulate the price of gas during the 70's and this failed. The intentions
of this bill are good, but rent controls will actually make the problem worse in the long run. The marketplace is
not perfect, but it is still the best system.

Keg Bill

HB 1077 This bill asked for a state requirement for the registration of kegs sold in liquor stores. I voted NO on
this bill because I am not convinced that it reduces alcohol consumption by minors. Tragic deaths from alcohol
consumption by minors are typically due to the use of hard liquor. I hesitate to make this a statewide program
until it is proven that the registration of kegs reduces alcohol consumption by minors. Any town or city in
Colorado could already have a keg monitoring program if they wish. I do support the raising of fines from $200
to $500 for the first offense for the selling of alcohol to minors by adults.

Supplemental Appropriations

We passed 22 Senate Bills concerning the 22 different departments of the state government. These bills
originate in the JBC (Joint Budget Committee) during the months of November - January. The JBC consists
of six members: three from the House, and three from the Senate. Four are Democrats and two are
Republicans. Every department of the state spends several hours with the JBC going over their budget in
detail. Generally, the House and Senate members pass these "supplementals" as given to us because they are
scrutinized by the JBC committee. I attend the JBC meetings that pertain to my committees, "Transportation &
Energy Committee" and the "Local Government Committee."

It amazes me that we spend about $18 million per year just in the utility bills for our 24 state prisons and about
$50 million to pay the salaries of public defenders. There are so many huge expenses required to keep our
judicial system and prisons functioning; these are additional reasons to promote faith-based programs to reduce
recidivism.

Budget information is available to the public. Let me know if you would like to research how funds are allocated.

My Current Legislative Research

1) How to get fewer "late bills" brought before the House and Senate. This ties in with reducing our session
from 120 days to 90 days. Many states meet less than we do, and they get the job done. I will keep you
posted.

2) What to do about illegal aliens. We had a U.S Attorney speak before our Republican caucus on Tuesday.
He told me personally that our illegal alien situation is so "out of control" that law enforcement, consisting of our
State Highway Patrol, our County Sheriffs and our City Police Departments let illegal aliens go when they stop a
car or van load. What an unfortunate situation! As legislators, we can only pass laws, we can't enforce them. I
am disappointed with our federal government for not having better border control and our state law enforcement
for not doing their jobs. But they say, "The INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) just lets them go
anyway, so why should we detain them?"

According to Time Magazine last fall, we have about 3 million illegal aliens coming across our southern border
every year and we now have about 15 million illegal aliens in our nation. We have about 1,600 illegal aliens in
our state prisons at a cost to you and me of $28,000 per year. There is also the cost of paying for public
defenders and the incarceration in our county jails for several weeks and months until they are transferred to a
state prison. The average felon in prison has 9 felonies that are almost always plea bargained down to avoid
expensive court costs. For the 9 felonies, there are usually victims. This is a BIG problem and is getting
BIGGER. Something needs to be done. Maybe we can set up Colorado prisons in Mexico? Arizona is
introducing legislation to this effect.

3) The federal government's "No Child Left Behind" for K-12 needs to be dismantled. Where in our U.S.
Constitution does it say that it is the job of the federal government to educate our children? The Bush
administration is well intentioned, but it is misguided in this effort. We now have an $82 BILLION Federal
Department of Education. Last week, Utah voted 75 to 0 to abandon the "No Child Left Behind" program.
Maybe we should do this in Colorado.

I get comments and complaints that we spend from $25,000 to over $100,000 per year to educate children with
severe disabilities. The teachers know that many of these very unfortunate children will never be able to write
their name after many years of education. Some of these children are violent and are "mainstreamed" into a
classroom, thus disrupting the education of other children. We need to take care of children with severe
disabilities in a different way.

4) SB 85 on Academic Freedom will be pulled until latter in the session due the fiasco of CU's Ward Churchill.

There is much to talk about, but I need to turn my attention to other matters; it's time to see my
cute grandchildren!

Thanks again for your support and prayers. Please continue to pray for our soldiers on foreign soil, and for all
the levels of our government. We really do have the best country in the world. We have much to be very
thankful for!

God's blessings to you,
Rep. Jim Welker
House District 51