Printed on 6/5/08
State Rep. Jim Welker, R-Loveland, watched this morning as President George W. Bush accepted the Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award and gave a speech in Grapevine, Texas at the annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council.
"Our president has faced difficult challenges in his term, and he has stood up for what we believe as a nation," Welker said. "He deserves to be recognized for his efforts in the war against terror, and his policies here at home. He has proven himself to be a true leader for our country."
The Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award is presented annually to a nationally-recognized public sector leader who has successfully advanced the Jeffersonian principles of limited government, free markets, individual liberty and federalism.
Welker was at the presentation, where he is attending the 32nd annual ALEC meeting along with more than 2,000 state legislators, business leaders, and public policy experts gathered to exchange ideas on successful public policy making.
"I am here to learn what other states are doing to address some of the same problems that Colorado is facing," Welker said. "Some of the greatest policy minds are here at this conference, and hopefully we can bring back some solid ideas about how to address Colorado's most pressing issues, such as the budget, transportation, health care, and emerging technology policy."
On Thursday, August 4, Welker will be attending a task force meeting on telecommunications and a criminal justice task force meeting. Welker has been studying Colorado's sexual predator laws and hopes to learn what other states are doing to address sexual offenders. He said that he is considering sponsoring legislation next year to strengthen Colorado's laws.
"We have a duty to protect our communities and neighborhoods from known threats," Welker said. "We have to protect our children and families from sexual predators. If that means making Colorado's criminal laws tougher, then I will do everything I can to make that happen."
State Rep. Jim Welker, R-Loveland, joined business leaders and field experts on Friday, Aug. 12, to discuss the future of energy in Colorado.
The Colorado Energy Forum, sponsored by Excel Energy, provided an overview of the state's current energy situation and reviewed Colorado's available resources and power generation needs.
"Energy has always been a pressing issue for Colorado," Welker said. "We need to balance our goal of having reliable power sources with keeping costs down for consumers and not damaging the environment."
The Forum addressed issues surrounding electric power generation, environmental policies, and the future of renewable energy.
Welker, a member of the House Transportation and Energy Committee, said that he would consider sponsoring legislation next year if he felt that Colorado's energy policy could be improved and rates could be lowered for businesses and citizens.
"We all pay for energy, whether it's in the form of higher consumer prices or residential energy bills," Welker said. "We have to address our current energy needs while developing long-term solutions that focus on using more renewable resources and decreasing the financial burden on hardworking Coloradans."
"The U.S. Supreme Court, our Senate, House of Representatives and many of our state legislatures start their day off with a word of prayer to God," Welker said. "We have references to God all over our national Capitol and our state Capitols, and God is recognized in the Declaration of Independence and on our currency. Our children need to be taught that we are one nation under God, and I am extremely disappointed that a member of our court system would try to take that away."
The ruling from the U.S. District Judge, Lawrence Karlton, currently affects three school districts in Sacramento County, California. If a higher court upholds the ruling, however, the Pledge of Allegiance would be considered unconstitutional in public schools throughout the nine states of the 9th Judicial Circuit. Colorado belongs to the 10th Circuit.
"I am extremely disappointed with the ruling, but am thankful that it came from a lower-level court that has no jurisdiction over Colorado," Welker said. "I hope that if this issue is visited at the national level, the Supreme Court will respect Congress' decision to include 'under God' in our pledge, and will respect the First Amendment by not taking the pledge out of our schools. We must instill traditional patriotic ideals in our children and must acknowledge God while expressing allegiance to our country and appreciation for the freedoms that our citizens enjoy."
Colorado schools are not currently required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, but it is allowed in public schools.
Rep. Jim Welker
House District 51
State Rep. Jim Welker, R-Loveland, was one of the highest-ranking members of the Colorado House of Representatives in terms of protecting Colorado taxpayers, according to ratings released last week by the Colorado Union of Taxpayers.
Welker received a score of 80 percent from CUT for supporting their principles of individual liberty, personal responsibility and limited government. He had the sixth-highest score out of the 65-member House.
"There is no reason why our citizens should have to pay the price for government inefficiency," Welker said. "Coloradans work hard for their money and the government needs to earn the taxes it takes from them."
Welker had previously signed a "CUT Taxpayer Pledge," and was praised by the organization for keeping his promise to oppose tax increases and support spending limits.
CUT is an informational organization that promotes fiscally conservative government. It rates each member of the Colorado House and Senate annually based on his/her vote on measures they selected as "key bills" for Colorado taxpayers. The legislators who opposed tax and spend measures scored the highest.
This is Welker's second term in office. Last year, he received the 7th highest CUT rating for the House.
This year, CUT's key bills were: Senate Bill 61, SB 69, SB 71, SB 89, SB174, and SB 182.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Remittances sent home by Mexicans living abroad rose to US$20 billion (euro16.5 billion) in 2005, a 17 percent increase over the year before, the Bank of Mexico reported Tuesday.
Remittances climbed by more than US$5.3 billion (euro4.4 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2005 alone, the bank said. They totaled US$16.6 billion (euro13.7 billion) in 2004.
Remittances have been climbing steadily for years, surpassing the amount the country receives from tourism, which totaled US$10.7 billion (euro8.8 billion) in 2005
The country's top source of foreign income is oil, whose exports totaled US$31.7 billion (euro26.2 billion) in 2005. Approximately 11 million Mexican natives reside abroad, with 98 percent of that number residing in the United States.
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Welker Meets with Legislators From Across U.S., Hears President's Address
State Rep. Jim Welker, R-Loveland, watched this morning as President George W. Bush accepted the Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award and gave a speech in Grapevine, Texas at the annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council.
"Our president has faced difficult challenges in his term, and he has stood up for what we believe as a nation," Welker said. "He deserves to be recognized for his efforts in the war against terror, and his policies here at home. He has proven himself to be a true leader for our country."
The Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award is presented annually to a nationally-recognized public sector leader who has successfully advanced the Jeffersonian principles of limited government, free markets, individual liberty and federalism.
Welker was at the presentation, where he is attending the 32nd annual ALEC meeting along with more than 2,000 state legislators, business leaders, and public policy experts gathered to exchange ideas on successful public policy making.
"I am here to learn what other states are doing to address some of the same problems that Colorado is facing," Welker said. "Some of the greatest policy minds are here at this conference, and hopefully we can bring back some solid ideas about how to address Colorado's most pressing issues, such as the budget, transportation, health care, and emerging technology policy."
On Thursday, August 4, Welker will be attending a task force meeting on telecommunications and a criminal justice task force meeting. Welker has been studying Colorado's sexual predator laws and hopes to learn what other states are doing to address sexual offenders. He said that he is considering sponsoring legislation next year to strengthen Colorado's laws.
"We have a duty to protect our communities and neighborhoods from known threats," Welker said. "We have to protect our children and families from sexual predators. If that means making Colorado's criminal laws tougher, then I will do everything I can to make that happen."
Welker attends Colorado Energy Forum
State Rep. Jim Welker, R-Loveland, joined business leaders and field experts on Friday, Aug. 12, to discuss the future of energy in Colorado.
The Colorado Energy Forum, sponsored by Excel Energy, provided an overview of the state's current energy situation and reviewed Colorado's available resources and power generation needs.
"Energy has always been a pressing issue for Colorado," Welker said. "We need to balance our goal of having reliable power sources with keeping costs down for consumers and not damaging the environment."
The Forum addressed issues surrounding electric power generation, environmental policies, and the future of renewable energy.
Welker, a member of the House Transportation and Energy Committee, said that he would consider sponsoring legislation next year if he felt that Colorado's energy policy could be improved and rates could be lowered for businesses and citizens.
"We all pay for energy, whether it's in the form of higher consumer prices or residential energy bills," Welker said. "We have to address our current energy needs while developing long-term solutions that focus on using more renewable resources and decreasing the financial burden on hardworking Coloradans."
Welker Speaks Out Against Recent Court Ruling
State Rep. Jim Welker, R-Loveland, is very disappointed at the recent ruling of a 9th Circuit Court judge declaring it unconstitutional to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools."The U.S. Supreme Court, our Senate, House of Representatives and many of our state legislatures start their day off with a word of prayer to God," Welker said. "We have references to God all over our national Capitol and our state Capitols, and God is recognized in the Declaration of Independence and on our currency. Our children need to be taught that we are one nation under God, and I am extremely disappointed that a member of our court system would try to take that away."
The ruling from the U.S. District Judge, Lawrence Karlton, currently affects three school districts in Sacramento County, California. If a higher court upholds the ruling, however, the Pledge of Allegiance would be considered unconstitutional in public schools throughout the nine states of the 9th Judicial Circuit. Colorado belongs to the 10th Circuit.
"I am extremely disappointed with the ruling, but am thankful that it came from a lower-level court that has no jurisdiction over Colorado," Welker said. "I hope that if this issue is visited at the national level, the Supreme Court will respect Congress' decision to include 'under God' in our pledge, and will respect the First Amendment by not taking the pledge out of our schools. We must instill traditional patriotic ideals in our children and must acknowledge God while expressing allegiance to our country and appreciation for the freedoms that our citizens enjoy."
Colorado schools are not currently required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, but it is allowed in public schools.
Rep. Jim Welker
House District 51
Welker Scores High for Protecting Colorado Taxpayers
From the State House Press Office:State Rep. Jim Welker, R-Loveland, was one of the highest-ranking members of the Colorado House of Representatives in terms of protecting Colorado taxpayers, according to ratings released last week by the Colorado Union of Taxpayers.
Welker received a score of 80 percent from CUT for supporting their principles of individual liberty, personal responsibility and limited government. He had the sixth-highest score out of the 65-member House.
"There is no reason why our citizens should have to pay the price for government inefficiency," Welker said. "Coloradans work hard for their money and the government needs to earn the taxes it takes from them."
Welker had previously signed a "CUT Taxpayer Pledge," and was praised by the organization for keeping his promise to oppose tax increases and support spending limits.
CUT is an informational organization that promotes fiscally conservative government. It rates each member of the Colorado House and Senate annually based on his/her vote on measures they selected as "key bills" for Colorado taxpayers. The legislators who opposed tax and spend measures scored the highest.
This is Welker's second term in office. Last year, he received the 7th highest CUT rating for the House.
This year, CUT's key bills were: Senate Bill 61, SB 69, SB 71, SB 89, SB174, and SB 182.
Bank of Mexico Reports Remittances Sent Home by Mexicans Living Abroad Rise to $20B in 2005
January 31, 2006 - 16:49:45MEXICO CITY (AP) - Remittances sent home by Mexicans living abroad rose to US$20 billion (euro16.5 billion) in 2005, a 17 percent increase over the year before, the Bank of Mexico reported Tuesday.
Remittances climbed by more than US$5.3 billion (euro4.4 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2005 alone, the bank said. They totaled US$16.6 billion (euro13.7 billion) in 2004.
Remittances have been climbing steadily for years, surpassing the amount the country receives from tourism, which totaled US$10.7 billion (euro8.8 billion) in 2005
The country's top source of foreign income is oil, whose exports totaled US$31.7 billion (euro26.2 billion) in 2005. Approximately 11 million Mexican natives reside abroad, with 98 percent of that number residing in the United States.
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