When the Colorado Legislature reapportioned the House and Senate districts last year, it merged a large part of House District 20 (represented by Republican Amy Stephens from Monument) with House District 19 (represented by Republican Marsha Looper from Calhan).House District 19 now covers the eastern half of El Paso County and stretches all the way to Monument at the county’s northern border.Looper and Stephens are running in the Republican primary June 26, seeking to become the Republican nominee to represent House District 19.The election will be conducted via mail-in. Voters in House District 19 who are registered with the Republican Party will receive a ballot in the mail.Both candidates were first elected in 2006 and have served three two-year terms as state representatives.Marsha LooperMilitary families, water and vehicle registration fees have been her top priority, with almost every bill inspired by someone in her district, Looper said.She listed the following as her legislative successes in previous years on military issues:
- Setting up the Veterans Trauma Court, an alternative to incarceration for military personnel in trouble because of post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury
- Making it easier for qualified service members transitioning out of military service to immediately receive a vocational license or certificate in Colorado, which includes firefighters, doctors, nurses and police officers
- Working on the Interstate Compact Educational Opportunity for Military Children, which established common educational criteria so that military children can participate in athletic opportunities
- Setting aside 500 big game hunting licenses a year for severely wounded warriors at Fort Carson
On water issues, Looper said she worked on getting two rainwater harvesting bills signed into law. The bills make it legal (with a permit) to collect rainwater in Colorado.Looper said she also worked on a bill that established the Fountain Creek Watershed District, which eliminated red tape and made it possible for Colorado Springs, Pueblo, El Paso County, Pueblo County and Colorado Springs Utilities to start building the Southern Delivery System pipeline.ìThe pipeline and the reservoir are all in House District 19,î she said. ìA minimum of 1,800 jobs came out of that.îFor the 2012 legislative session, Looper said five of her bills passed and have been or will be signed into law. The bills establish the following:
- A one-time only $100 permanent vehicle registration fee for Class A tractor trailers because past increases in the annual registration fee had driven between 20,000 and 30,000 small, over-the-road tractor trailer businesses out of Colorado
- A moratorium on Environmental Protection Agency regulations that would have driven up the cost of treating waste water
- Allow military spouses who have a vocational state license from another state, such as nursing, teaching and occupational therapy, to use that license in Colorado
- Allow service members deployed in combat areas to vote by obtaining e-mail ballots
If nominated and re-elected to represent House District 19, Looper said she wants to work on these issues:
- Repeal recent vehicle registration fee increases
- Work on underground storage of water, especially in the Upper Black Squirrel Basin, which the U.S. Geological Survey cites as the No.1 location for underground natural water storage
- Include real estate and banking among the licenses military spouses can transfer from other states
- Mitigate the impact frequent moves have on the credit rating of military families
- Work on giving returning military personnel greater access to state government jobs
ìMy goal is to position Colorado as the most pro-military state in our nation when it comes to their families, when it comes to spouses and the soldiers themselves,î Looper said.
Amy StephensìMy proudest achievement is winning the Legislature with Frank McNulty (House speaker). When we got in as freshmen, the two of us said if we have eight years, we have to try everything we can do to win the majority back, and we created a plan, and we did so,î Stephens said.Stephens said she is also proud of the repeal of Colorado’s sales tax on software used by Colorado businesses, and feels vindicated by U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn’s decision that Colorado’s tax on online sales is an undue burden on interstate commerce.The tax would have required online retailers to report sales to the Colorado Department of Revenue and notify customers that a use tax is owed. It’s not that people disagree there’s a use tax, Stephens said. It’s the burden it would impose on small businesses that sell state to state.Eliminating the two taxes means high-tech companies can feel comfortable moving to Colorado.ìWe’re No. 3 in technology right now in the nation,î she said. ìI would love to see Colorado be No. 1.îStephens was also unanimously elected majority leader. ìIíve run a very tight calendar,î she said. ìWeíve ended on time, so I think thatís a big thing.îIn 2011, Stephens sponsored Senate Bill 200, the Colorado Health Care Benefits Exchange, which sets up the health insurance exchange required by the Affordable Care Act.This year, Looper ran a bill to repeal SB 200, but it failed.ìDo you want Colorado to do the plan or do you want the federal government to do the plan?î Stephens said.ìOne of the proudest things I’ve done is put a firewall around our state to tell the federal government ‘sorry, we know how to do health care better for small business and individuals in our state than you.’ìJohn Suthers, our attorney general, has said publicly not only is it constitutional but it was the right course of action for our state.ìNot only did we put in firewalls, but we put in oversight and accountability to move toward a free market exchange. If it doesn’t work, the oversight committee will be able to say ëyou’re not fulfilling the goals of the legislation, see you later.íîIf nominated and elected to represent House District 19, Stephens said she wants to look at health care reforms, such as purchasing insurance across state lines and designing a block grant program for Medicaid.ìWe need to continue reform so we have a stable tax base that companies find attractive ñ and move here,î Stephens said. ìWhen they move, invest and plant their jobs here; it’s better for all of us.ìI’m engaged in long-term productive thinking for Colorado. I don’t run my bills based on what is the headline of the day that seeks to be popular. What do we need to get done here so that Colorado is, on a long-term basis, attractive to jobs and to get them here? That’s my goal.î
