Printed on 6/5/08
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Week 5, 2006
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Dear Friends and Supporters,
One fourth of our 2006 session is now over with 510 bills introduced so far. Only less than 30 bills have been killed in committees or the floors of the Senate and House.
Ronald Reagan Resolution:
Due to the birthday of former President Ronald Reagan (February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004) we started the week off with a Resolution carried by Rep. Lynn Hefley, Colorado Springs. Ronald Reagan was truly a great President in my opinion. Following are just a few of his famous quotes:
"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." At a press conference in Chicago, August 1986
"Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets."
Address to the Nation on the Fiscal Year 1983 Federal Budget, April 29, 1982
Government does not solve problems -- it subsidizes them.
From a speech in 1972, in The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan (1989).
"I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born."
The New York Times, Sept. 22, 1980
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." Remarks to the White House Conference on Small Business, Aug. 15, 1986
"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."
Right after the RR Resolution, we passed HB01-1180 by Representative, John Soper, D Adams County concerning the repeal of the dental advisory committee. I spoke from the House podium that this is a great bill to pass on RR's birthday. He would be proud of us!
Illegal Aliens:
The first GOP bill dealing with this issue this session was killed on a party-line vote in the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee. SB 98 by Senator Greg Brophy, R-Wray, would have barred undocumented workers from getting workers' compensation insurance. Brophy's comments are: "So far, every attempt to address the problem of illegal immigration has been killed on a party-line vote." Last year, Rep. Dave Schultheis R-Colorado Springs carried 4 bills on illegal immigration, all 4 were killed on party line votes. We expect the Democrats to introduce a package of bills soon addressing this serious issue. I am looking forward in making this a bi-partisan issue so we can get something done.
The bill that I am carrying concerning the registration of the citizenship of students in our K-12 schools has not been assigned to a committee yet.
As I have stated in previous Capitol Updates, President Bush should declare a "national emergency" and assign troops to our southern border immediately!!!
With about 10,000 aliens coming across our southern border every night, 1/3 who are not from Mexico, about 7% are involved in crime, women are being raped after crossing the border, some aliens could be terrorists, many are bringing in contagious diseases, and too many don't want to learn our language or become "patriotic Americans." Washington's negligence is setting the United States up for some very serious problems that will be left to our children and grand children.
Transportation:
Many Republicans, including myself, spoke for about an hour for the funding of $80 million for transportation. The House voted 36-29 with one Republican joining the Democrats to not spend the money for transportation. According to the passage of Referendum C, money spent from the "general fund" would go to K-12 and higher education, health care, and transportation. K-12 education funding will go up by 8% without this $80 million that can go to transportation. We will revisit this issue when we do the budget (long bill) later in March.
Energy:
The House Transportation and Energy Committee, of which I am a member of, passed HB 1185 unanimously by Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison that addresses the surface use compensation for private landowners affected by oil and natural-gas development. The Colorado Oil and Gas association and the real estate developers came together after many hours of discussion and compromise to get the language right. Now the bill goes to the House floor for debate. Rep. Curry has done a good job in carrying this bill. My "hats off to her!"
Taxes:
We lost an excellent bill that attempts to ban local taxation of Internet-based telecommunications (Voice over the Internet VOIP). Rep. Matt Knoedler R successfully amended his HB 1173 to declare only a two-year moratorium on taxation of voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) services, but it wasn't enough to lure a single Democrat into his corner. The House Finance Committee killed the bill on a 7-6 party-line vote. A similar bill that Rep. Knoedler carried last year made it to the House floor for debate but failed to win passage by only one vote.
Finally:
I try not to keep these updates too long because I believe that you have enough to read and it would take several hours to give you an update on everything that is happening at the Capitol. I am sure that you read in the newspapers and hear on radio and TV on many of the different issues.
In the future, I would like to report about our PERA (Public Employee Retirement Account), auto insurance bills, smoking in private businesses, educational opportunities, feeding of song birds in your back yard, recidivism problems from those released from our prisons, water, eminent domain, clean air, and many other subjects.
"Bills in the News" for the week ending 2/10/06 are attached.
Please don't hesitate to email or call me at 303 866 2947. I take pride in reading every email myself, talking to you on the phone, and in responding to you in a timely manner.
Best regards,
Rep Jim Welker
Loveland
One fourth of our 2006 session is now over with 510 bills introduced so far. Only less than 30 bills have been killed in committees or the floors of the Senate and House.
Ronald Reagan Resolution:
Due to the birthday of former President Ronald Reagan (February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004) we started the week off with a Resolution carried by Rep. Lynn Hefley, Colorado Springs. Ronald Reagan was truly a great President in my opinion. Following are just a few of his famous quotes:
"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." At a press conference in Chicago, August 1986
"Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets."
Address to the Nation on the Fiscal Year 1983 Federal Budget, April 29, 1982
Government does not solve problems -- it subsidizes them.
From a speech in 1972, in The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan (1989).
"I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born."
The New York Times, Sept. 22, 1980
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." Remarks to the White House Conference on Small Business, Aug. 15, 1986
"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."
Right after the RR Resolution, we passed HB01-1180 by Representative, John Soper, D Adams County concerning the repeal of the dental advisory committee. I spoke from the House podium that this is a great bill to pass on RR's birthday. He would be proud of us!
Illegal Aliens:
The first GOP bill dealing with this issue this session was killed on a party-line vote in the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee. SB 98 by Senator Greg Brophy, R-Wray, would have barred undocumented workers from getting workers' compensation insurance. Brophy's comments are: "So far, every attempt to address the problem of illegal immigration has been killed on a party-line vote." Last year, Rep. Dave Schultheis R-Colorado Springs carried 4 bills on illegal immigration, all 4 were killed on party line votes. We expect the Democrats to introduce a package of bills soon addressing this serious issue. I am looking forward in making this a bi-partisan issue so we can get something done.
The bill that I am carrying concerning the registration of the citizenship of students in our K-12 schools has not been assigned to a committee yet.
As I have stated in previous Capitol Updates, President Bush should declare a "national emergency" and assign troops to our southern border immediately!!!
With about 10,000 aliens coming across our southern border every night, 1/3 who are not from Mexico, about 7% are involved in crime, women are being raped after crossing the border, some aliens could be terrorists, many are bringing in contagious diseases, and too many don't want to learn our language or become "patriotic Americans." Washington's negligence is setting the United States up for some very serious problems that will be left to our children and grand children.
Transportation:
Many Republicans, including myself, spoke for about an hour for the funding of $80 million for transportation. The House voted 36-29 with one Republican joining the Democrats to not spend the money for transportation. According to the passage of Referendum C, money spent from the "general fund" would go to K-12 and higher education, health care, and transportation. K-12 education funding will go up by 8% without this $80 million that can go to transportation. We will revisit this issue when we do the budget (long bill) later in March.
Energy:
The House Transportation and Energy Committee, of which I am a member of, passed HB 1185 unanimously by Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison that addresses the surface use compensation for private landowners affected by oil and natural-gas development. The Colorado Oil and Gas association and the real estate developers came together after many hours of discussion and compromise to get the language right. Now the bill goes to the House floor for debate. Rep. Curry has done a good job in carrying this bill. My "hats off to her!"
Taxes:
We lost an excellent bill that attempts to ban local taxation of Internet-based telecommunications (Voice over the Internet VOIP). Rep. Matt Knoedler R successfully amended his HB 1173 to declare only a two-year moratorium on taxation of voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) services, but it wasn't enough to lure a single Democrat into his corner. The House Finance Committee killed the bill on a 7-6 party-line vote. A similar bill that Rep. Knoedler carried last year made it to the House floor for debate but failed to win passage by only one vote.
Finally:
I try not to keep these updates too long because I believe that you have enough to read and it would take several hours to give you an update on everything that is happening at the Capitol. I am sure that you read in the newspapers and hear on radio and TV on many of the different issues.
In the future, I would like to report about our PERA (Public Employee Retirement Account), auto insurance bills, smoking in private businesses, educational opportunities, feeding of song birds in your back yard, recidivism problems from those released from our prisons, water, eminent domain, clean air, and many other subjects.
"Bills in the News" for the week ending 2/10/06 are attached.
Please don't hesitate to email or call me at 303 866 2947. I take pride in reading every email myself, talking to you on the phone, and in responding to you in a timely manner.
Best regards,
Rep Jim Welker
Loveland
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