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Colorado House of Representatives

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Colorado House of Representatives


General Information
Type:   Lower house
Term limits:   4 terms (8 years)
2012 session start:   January 11, 2012
Website:   Official House Page
Leadership
House Speaker:  Frank McNulty, (R)
Majority Leader:   Amy Stephens, (R)
Minority leader:   Mark Ferrandino, (D)
Structure
Members:  65
   Democratic Party (32)
Republican Party (33)
Length of term:   2 years
Authority:   Art V, Colorado Constitution
Salary:   $30,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last Election:  November 2, 2010 (65 seats)
Next election:  November 6, 2012 (65 seats)
Redistricting:  Colorado Reapportionment Commission

Contents

The Colorado House of Representatives is the lower house of the Colorado General Assembly and meets at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Sixty-five Members make up the lower chamber of the Colorado General Assembly. House members are limited to 4 consecutive terms in office as dictated per Colorado laws and serve two year terms limiting their time in office to a total of eight years. Each member represents an average of 77,372 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[1] After the 2000 Census, each member represented approximately 66,173 residents.[2]

In 2010, the House convened its regular session on January 13th and adjourned on May 12th.[3]

Sessions

Article V of the Colorado Constitution establishes when the Colorado General Assembly, of which the House is a part, is to be in session. Section 7 of Article V states that the Assembly is to convene its regular session no later than the second Wednesday of January of each year. Regular sessions are not to exceed one hundred twenty calendar days.

Section 7 also states that the Governor of Colorado can convene special sessions of the General Assembly. Special sessions can also be convened by a two-thirds vote of the members of both legislative houses.

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the House was in session from January 11 to May 9. A special session began May 14.[4]

Major issues

Republicans and Democrats have both stressed that job creation and improving the economy are at the top of their agendas. Meanwhile, they will have to deal with an estimated $500 million budget deficit. Additional issues include fracking rules for oil and gas drilling and addressing a voter-approved constitutional amendment giving tax breaks to seniors that includes a provision allowing the legislature to suspend it.[5]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the House was in session from January 12 through May 11.

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the House of Representatives was in session from January 13th to May 12th.

Elections

2012

See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Colorado House of Representatives will be held in Colorado on November 6, 2012. All 65 seats will be up for election.

The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections is February 19, 2012. The primary election day will be March 20, 2012.

Colorado state representatives are subject to term limits, and may not serve more than four two-year terms. In 2012, 9 state representatives will be termed-out of office.

2010

See also: Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Colorado State House were held in Colorado on November 2, 2010. State house seats in all 65 representative districts were on the ballot in 2010.

The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was May 27, 2010, and the primary election day was August 10, 2010.

In 2010, the candidates running for the house raised a total of $5,062,910 in campaign funds. Their top 10 contributors were: [6]

Donor Amount
Kellogg, Lisa $144,566
Colorado Professional Fire Fighters $100,500
House Majority Project State Democratic Campaign Fund $97,509
Colorado Education Association $85,025
Copic Insurance Small Donor Committee $63,440
Colorado State Conference of Electrical Workers Small Donor Committee (CSCEW) $58,775
Colorado Association of Realtors Small Donor Committee $57,700
Service Employees International Local 105 $50,075
Colorado Medical Society $43,800
American Federation of State County & Municipal Employees $38,900


Qualifications

Article 5, Section 4 of the Colorado Constitution states: No person shall be a representative or senator who shall not have attained the age of twenty­-five years, who shall not be a citizen of the United States, who shall not for at least twelve months next preceding his election, have resided within the territory included in the limits of the county or district in which he shall be chosen; provided, that any person who at the time of the adoption of this constitution, was a qualified elector under the territorial laws, shall be eligible to the first general assembly.

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures
How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures
NevadaMassachusettsColoradoNew MexicoWyomingArizonaMontanaCaliforniaOregonWashingtonIdahoTexasOklahomaKansasNebraskaSouth DakotaNorth DakotaMinnesotaIowaMissouriArkansasLouisianaMississippiAlabamaGeorgiaFloridaSouth CarolinaIllinoisWisconsinTennesseeNorth CarolinaIndianaOhioKentuckyPennsylvaniaNew JerseyNew YorkVermontVermontNew HampshireMaineWest VirginiaVirginiaMarylandMarylandConnecticutConnecticutDelawareDelawareRhode IslandRhode IslandMassachusettsNew HampshireMichiganMichiganAlaska

If there is a vacancy in the House, the political party that last held the seat is responsible for selecting a replacement[7]. A vacancy committee consisting of members representing the political party holding the vacant seat must conduct an election to appoint a replacement. The person selected to fill the vacant seat must be approved by a majority of the members in the vacancy committee. The person who is selected to fill the vacancy remains in the seat until the next scheduled general election[8].

Representatives

Partisan composition

See also: Partisan composition of state houses
Party As of May 2012
     Democratic Party 32
     Republican Party 33
Total 65


Leadership

The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body.[9]

Current leadership

Position Representative Party
State Speaker of the House Frank McNulty Republican
State House Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Priola Republican
State House Majority Leader Amy Stephens Republican
State House Assistant Majority Leader Mark Waller Republican
State House Majority Caucus Leader Carole Murray Republican
State House Majority Whip B.J. Nikkel Republican
State House Deputy Majority Whip B.J. Nikkel Republican
State House Minority Leader Mark Ferrandino Democratic
State House Assistant Minority Leader Nancy Todd Democratic
State House Minority Caucus Leader Lois Court Democratic
State House Minority Whip Claire Levy Democratic

2010 Leadership

Position Representative Party
State Speaker of the House Terrance Carroll Democratic
State House Speaker Pro Tempore Liane "Buffie" McFayden Democratic
State House Majority Leader Paul Weissmann Democratic
State House Assistant Majority Leader Andrew Kerr Democratic
State House Majority Caucus Leader Karen Middleton Democratic
State House Majority Whip Claire Levy Democratic
State House Deputy Majority Whip Randy Fischer Democratic
State House Minority Leader Mike May Republican
State House Assistant Minority Leader David Balmer Republican
State House Minority Caucus Leader Amy Stephens Republican
State House Minority Whip Cory Gardner Republican

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2010, members of the Colorado legislature are paid $30,000 per year. They are also given per diem of $45 per day for members living in the Denver metro area, and $99 per day for all others.[10]

The $30,000 that Colorado legislators are paid as of 2010 is the same that they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. The per diem is also the same.[11]

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Colorado legislators assume office on first day of the first legislative session following the election (example January 12 of next year for the upcoming elections.)

Current members

District Representative Party Residence
1 Jeanne Labuda Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Denver
2 Mark Ferrandino Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Denver
3 Daniel Kagan Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Denver
4 Dan Pabon Image:Bluedot.png Democrat
5 Crisanta Duran Image:Bluedot.png Democrat
6 Lois Court Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Denver
7 Angela Williams Image:Bluedot.png Democrat
8 Beth McCann Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Denver
9 Joe Miklosi Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Denver
10 Dickey Hullinghorst Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Boulder
11 Jonathan Singer Image:Bluedot.png Democrat
12 Matt Jones Image:Bluedot.png Democrat
13 Claire Levy Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Boulder
14 Janak Joshi Image:Reddot.png Republican
15 Mark Waller Image:Reddot.png Republican Colorado Springs
16 Larry Liston Image:Reddot.png Republican Colorado Springs
17 Mark H. Barker Image:Reddot.png Republican
18 Pete Lee Image:Bluedot.png Democrat
19 Marsha Looper Image:Reddot.png Republican Calhan
20 Amy Stephens Image:Reddot.png Republican Colorado Springs
21 Bob Gardner Image:Reddot.png Republican Colorado Springs
22 Kenneth Summers Image:Reddot.png Republican Lakewood
23 Max Tyler Image:Bluedot.png Democrat
24 Sue Shafer Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Wheat Ridge
25 Cheri Gerou Image:Reddot.png Republican Evergreen
26 Andrew Kerr Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Lakewood
27 Libbi Szabo Image:Reddot.png Republican
28 James Kerr Image:Reddot.png Republican Littleton
29 Robert Ramirez Image:Reddot.png Republican
30 Kevin Priola Image:Reddot.png Republican Brighton
31 Judith Anne Solano Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Brighton
32 Edward Casso Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Thornton
33 Donald Beezley Image:Reddot.png Republican
34 John Soper Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Westminster
35 Cherylin Peniston Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Westminster
36 Su Ryden Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Aurora
37 Spencer Swalm Image:Reddot.png Republican Centennial
38 Kathleen Conti Image:Reddot.png Republican
39 David Balmer Image:Reddot.png Republican Centennial
40 Cindy Acree Image:Reddot.png Republican Aurora
41 Nancy Todd Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Aurora
42 Rhonda Fields Image:Bluedot.png Democrat
43 Frank McNulty Image:Reddot.png Republican Highlands Ranch
44 Chris Holbert Image:Reddot.png Republican
45 Carole Murray Image:Reddot.png Republican Castle Rock
46 Sal Pace Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Pueblo
47 Keith Swerdfeger Image:Reddot.png Republican
48 Glenn Vaad Image:Reddot.png Republican Mead
49 B.J. Nikkel Image:Reddot.png Republican Loveland
50 Dave Young Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Greeley
51 Brian DelGrosso Image:Reddot.png Republican
52 John Kefalas Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Fort Collins
53 Randy Fischer Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Fort Collins
54 Ray Scott Image:Reddot.png Republican
55 Laura Bradford Image:Reddot.png Republican Grand Junction
56 Millie Hamner Image:Bluedot.png Democrat
57 Randy Baumgardner Image:Reddot.png Republican Winter Park
58 Don Coram Image:Reddot.png Republican
59 J. Paul Brown Image:Reddot.png Republican
60 Thomas Massey Image:Reddot.png Republican Sherrelwood
61 Roger Wilson Image:Bluedot.png Democrat
62 Edward Vigil Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Antonito
63 Jon Becker Image:Reddot.png Republican
64 Wesley McKinley Image:Bluedot.png Democrat Walsh
65 Jerry Sonnenberg Image:Reddot.png Republican Sterling

Standing committees

Colorado House has 10 standing committees:

External links

References

  1. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  2. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  3. ↑ Session dates for Colorado legislature, 2010
  4. ↑ Pueblo Chieftain, "Civil Union supporters rally prior to special session," May 14, 2012
  5. ↑ Denver Post, "Colorado legislature faces key issues," January 8, 2012
  6. ↑ Follow the Money: "Colorado House 2010 Campaign Contributions"
  7. ↑ Michie "Colorado Constitution"(Referenced Section Article V, Section II, Subsection 3)
  8. ↑ Michie "Colorado Revised Statutes"(Referenced Statute 1-12-203, (1)-(3))
  9. ↑ Colorado House Leadership Positions
  10. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
  11. ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
v • d • e
Republican majority Current members of the Colorado House of Representatives
Majority Speaker: Frank McNulty (R) • Majority Leader: Amy Stephens (R) • Minority Leader: Mark Ferrandino (D)
   
Democratic (32) • Republican (33) • Colorado State Senate • Colorado House of Representatives
v • d • e
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