The 2017 Colorado General Assembly:
Important Bills YOU Should Know About; Part 1 of 2

by George Gramlich
This article features information about important bills from the 2017 Colorado Assembly, Representative Jim Wilson’s take on these and if appropriate, the Republican Caucus’s view on a bill, and occasionally, the Sentinel’s view.
We encourage our readers to ENGAGE our representatives with regards to your opinion on these bills BEFORE THEY ARE VOTED ON.  Make your voices heard. Contact information for our local representatives is at the end of the article.
The Sentinel will be tracking these bills during the legislative session and will keep you updated on their status. We will also include new bills when they are introduced and track them also.
You can view additional information on each bill, including the whole bill, its status and all the sponsors at: leg.colorado.gov and click on the “Find a Bill” icon.
Colorado House Bills:
HB17-1013 Free Exercise of Religion
House Sponsors: S. Humphrey (R), D. Williams (R)
Senate Sponsors: T. Neville (R), V. Marble (R)
Status: In Committee
Description: Specifies that no state action may burden a person’s exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, unless it is demonstrated that applying the burden to a person’s exercise of religion is essential to further a compelling governmental interest and the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest;
•    Defines ‘exercise of religion’ as the practice or observance of religion. The bill specifies that exercise of religion includes the ability to act or refuse to act in a manner substantially motivated by a person’s sincerely held religious beliefs, whether or not the exercise is compulsory or central to a larger system of religious belief; except that it does not include the ability to act or refuse to act based on race or ethnicity.
•     Provides a claim or defense to a person whose exercise of religion is burdened by state action; and
•  Specifies that nothing in the bill creates any rights by an employee against an employer unless the employer is a government employer.
From Representative Jim Wilson: Our Republican Caucus has not met to determine a Caucus position on this bill.  My opinion – this is a “statement bill” (a bill that makes a statement with no chance of passing the Democrat-dominated House).  I agree with the bill and I believe I have signed on as a co-sponsor.  I predict the bill will be assigned to the House State Affairs Committee (the House “Kill Committee”).
HB17-1036 Concealed Carry in Public Schools
House Sponsors: P. Neville (R), K. Ransom (R)
Senate Sponsors: T. Neville (R)
Status: In Committee
Description: With certain exceptions, current law limits the authority of a person who holds a valid permit to carry a concealed handgun by prohibiting permit holders from carrying a concealed handgun on public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school grounds. The bill removes the limitation.
From Representative Jim Wilson: Our Republican Caucus has not met to determine a Caucus position on this bill.  My opinion – this is another “statement bill” (a bill that makes a statement with no chance of passing the Democrat-dominated House).  I will support the bill, but will not have the chance to hear it because I am sure the bill will be assigned to the House State Affairs Committee (the House “Kill Committee”).
HB17-1042 Increasing Funding For Full-day Kindergarten
House Sponsor: J. Wilson (R)
Status: In Committee
Description: Under existing law, the Public School Finance Act of 1994 funds kindergarten students as half-day pupils plus the supplemental kindergarten enrollment, which is an additional .08 of a full-day pupil.
The bill increases the supplemental kindergarten enrollment for the 2017-18 budget year and each budget year thereafter to .16 of a full-day pupil.
From Representative Jim Wilson: Our Republican Caucus has not met to determine a Caucus position on this bill.  My opinion – because it is my bill, Great Bill!  No, seriously – this bill addresses the fact that fully funding Kindergarten has been in statute since the recession. The legislature added .08 the first year and has ignored the obligation from that point.  I believe we should fund our current obligations before adding expenditures for new programs each year.  This bill only increases funding by another .08, but it is a step in the right direction.  Funding this obligation would assist school districts (especially rural ones).  It will be fun to see how this one plays out…
HB17-1063 Reduce Business Personal Property Taxes
House Sponsors: T. Leonard (R)
Senate Sponsors: T. Neville (R), L. Crowder (R)
Status: In Committee
Description: Under current law, if a business has less than $7,300 of personal property that would be listed on a single personal property schedule, then the personal property is exempt from the property tax and the business is not required to submit a schedule to the county assessor. With respect to this exemption, the bill reduces the amount of personal property tax that businesses pay by:
•  Increasing the exemption that applies per schedule from $7,300 to $50,000, adjusted for inflation in the future, which increase will allow more businesses to avoid filing personal property tax schedules; and
•  Allowing businesses whose personal property value exceeds the total exemption amount to claim the exemption.
For public utilities that are assessed statewide, the property tax administrator currently considers all of a public utility’s tangible property within the state as a factor in determining the value of the public utility as a unit. The bill modifies the valuation process by:
•  Exempting the first $50,000 or an inflation-adjusted amount of personal property from the property tax and excluding it from the administrator’s consideration for valuation purposes; and
•  Excluding the exempt personal property from the public utility’s statement of property that it files with the administrator.
From Representative Jim Wilson: Our Republican Caucus has not met to determine a Caucus position on this bill.  My opinion – because of giving tax breaks, it may face opposition in the House.  I will support the bill because it is good for small businesses.  This will a fun one to watch.  Both sides of the aisle claim to support small business — we shall see…
Our state representatives contact information:
House District 60 Rep. Jim Wilson: james.wilson.house@state.co.us, capital phone: 303-866-2747
House District 47 Rep. Clarice Navarro: clarice.navarro.house@state.co.us, capital phone: 303-866-2905
Senate District 35 Senator Larry Crowder: larry.crowder.senate@state.co.us, capital phone: 303-866-4875
Senate District 2 Senator Kevin Grantham: kevin.grantham.senate@state.co.us, capital phone: 303-866-4877

The 2017 Colorado General Assembly:
Important Bills YOU Should Know About; Part 2 of 2

by George Gramlich
This article features information about important bills from the 2017 Colorado Assembly, Representative Jim Wilson’s take on these and if appropriate, the Republican Caucus’s view on a bill, and occasionally, the Sentinel’s view.
We encourage our readers to ENGAGE our representatives with regards to your opinion on these bills BEFORE THEY ARE VOTED ON.  Make your voices heard. Contact information for our local representatives is at the end of the article.
The Sentinel will be tracking these bills during the legislative session and will keep you updated on their status. We will also include new bills when they are introduced and track them also.
You can view additional information on each bill, including the whole bill, its status and all the sponsors at: leg.colorado.gov and click on the “Find a Bill” icon.
Colorado House Bills:
HB17-1013 Free Exercise of Religion
House Sponsors: S. Humphrey (R), D. Williams (R)
Senate Sponsors: T. Neville (R), V. Marble (R)
Status: In Committee
Description: Specifies that no state action may burden a person’s exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, unless it is demonstrated that applying the burden to a person’s exercise of religion is essential to further a compelling governmental interest and the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest;
•    Defines ‘exercise of religion’ as the practice or observance of religion. The bill specifies that exercise of religion includes the ability to act or refuse to act in a manner substantially motivated by a person’s sincerely held religious beliefs, whether or not the exercise is compulsory or central to a larger system of religious belief; except that it does not include the ability to act or refuse to act based on race or ethnicity.
•     Provides a claim or defense to a person whose exercise of religion is burdened by state action; and
• Specifies that nothing in the bill creates any rights by an employee against an employer unless the employer is a government employer.
From Representative Jim Wilson: Our Republican Caucus has not met to determine a Caucus position on this bill.  My opinion – this is a “statement bill” (a bill that makes a statement with no chance of passing the Democrat-dominated House).  I agree with the bill and I believe I have signed on as a co-sponsor.  I predict the bill will be assigned to the House State Affairs Committee (the House “Kill Committee”).
HB17-1036 Concealed Carry in Public Schools
House Sponsors: P. Neville (R), K. Ransom (R)
Senate Sponsors: T. Neville (R)
Status: In Committee
Description: With certain exceptions, current law limits the authority of a person who holds a valid permit to carry a concealed handgun by prohibiting permit holders from carrying a concealed handgun on public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school grounds. The bill removes the limitation.
From Representative Jim Wilson: Our Republican Caucus has not met to determine a Caucus position on this bill.  My opinion – this is another “statement bill” (a bill that makes a statement with no chance of passing the Democrat-dominated House).  I will support the bill, but will not have the chance to hear it because I am sure the bill will be assigned to the House State Affairs Committee (the House “Kill Committee”).
HB17-1042 Increasing Funding For Full-day Kindergarten
House Sponsor: J. Wilson (R)
Status: In Committee
Description: Under existing law, the Public School Finance Act of 1994 funds kindergarten students as half-day pupils plus the supplemental kindergarten enrollment, which is an additional .08 of a full-day pupil.
The bill increases the supplemental kindergarten enrollment for the 2017-18 budget year and each budget year thereafter to .16 of a full-day pupil.
From Representative Jim Wilson: Our Republican Caucus has not met to determine a Caucus position on this bill.  My opinion – because it is my bill, Great Bill!  No, seriously – this bill addresses the fact that fully funding Kindergarten has been in statute since the recession. The legislature added .08 the first year and has ignored the obligation from that point.  I believe we should fund our current obligations before adding expenditures for new programs each year.  This bill only increases funding by another .08, but it is a step in the right direction.  Funding this obligation would assist school districts (especially rural ones).  It will be fun to see how this one plays out…
HB17-1063 Reduce Business Personal Property Taxes
House Sponsors: T. Leonard (R)
Senate Sponsors: T. Neville (R), L. Crowder (R)
Status: In Committee
Description: Under current law, if a business has less than $7,300 of personal property that would be listed on a single personal property schedule, then the personal property is exempt from the property tax and the business is not required to submit a schedule to the county assessor. With respect to this exemption, the bill reduces the amount of personal property tax that businesses pay by:
•  Increasing the exemption that applies per schedule from $7,300 to $50,000, adjusted for inflation in the future, which increase will allow more businesses to avoid filing personal property tax schedules; and
•  Allowing businesses whose personal property value exceeds the total exemption amount to claim the exemption.
For public utilities that are assessed statewide, the property tax administrator currently considers all of a public utility’s tangible property within the state as a factor in determining the value of the public utility as a unit. The bill modifies the valuation process by:
•  Exempting the first $50,000 or an inflation-adjusted amount of personal property from the property tax and excluding it from the administrator’s consideration for valuation purposes; and
•  Excluding the exempt personal property from the public utility’s statement of property that it files with the administrator.
From Representative Jim Wilson: Our Republican Caucus has not met to determine a Caucus position on this bill.  My opinion – because of giving tax breaks, it may face opposition in the House.  I will support the bill because it is good for small businesses.  This will a fun one to watch.  Both sides of the aisle claim to support small business — we shall see…
Our state representatives contact information:
House District 60 Rep. Jim Wilson: james.wilson.house@state.co.us, capital phone: 303-866-2747
House District 47 Rep. Clarice Navarro: clarice.navarro.house@state.co.us, capital phone: 303-866-2905
Senate District 35 Senator Larry Crowder: larry.crowder.senate@state.co.us, capital phone: 303-866-4875
Senate District 2 Senator Kevin Grantham: kevin.grantham.senate@state.co.us, capital phone: 303-866-4877

“Trump Street Team” Gets It Done
Grass Roots Effort Turns Blue Pueblo Red for Trump

for full article as printed see:

120916 pg 1, 23

by Becky Mizel
Election night showed an unprecedented sea of states going from Blue to Red. All against the predictions of “experts” in main stream media and political establishment status quo pundits from the Democrat and GOP elite. Looks of horror and dismay could not be hidden on the faces of those who predicted a Trump win would never happen– in fact Trump would certainly bring ruination and disaster upon the GOP according to “experts” such as National Review globalist William Kristol, Red State’s Erick Erickson, the Bush family, Romney, Lindsey and our own Colorado legislators Cory Gardner and Mike Coffman. The sea of now Red states was spread across the country in states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.
Viewing the United States ‘sea of red’ map, minus the usual states of California, Washington and Oregon and a few east coast states such as New York, we see Colorado. Blue. Sticking out like a sore thumb.  Colorado should have, like so many other states, gone Trump. Our voter numbers are almost equally divided between Democrat and Republicans.  We lost by a narrow margin.   However, nowhere else was the #nevertrump movement more virulent regarding Trump.  The Colorado State GOP Chairman, Steve House, stated in a public meeting that “Trump’s candidacy was a joke and he couldn’t wait for Carly Fiorina to wipe the floor with him in a debate.” No reprimand came his way, despite the fact party officers are bound by bylaws to stay neutral in the primary. After the Colorado State Convention, the tweet, “We did it.” #nevertrump appeared on the Colorado State GOP website.  Three weeks before election only 19 out of 49 Colorado legislators had signed the letter of support for Mr. Trump.  In comparison, all 51 Democratic Colorado legislators signed a similar letter to support their candidate Hillary, in spite of her email debacle, pay for play and other blatant scandals affecting her campaign. The Colorado delegation led the walk-out shunning Mr. Trump at the National Convention in the “Conscience Movement”.  After Trump won the primary the RNC/Colorado GOP ground game was missing in many counties or weak. Dollars spent by the RNC to help Romney vs. Trump was in the million dollar range.  Positive messaging for President Trump was driven by PAC dollars – not the GOP calling and door knocking effort.  Calling or knocking doors consisted of “Who are you voting for Trump or Hillary?”  An attitude of embarrassment  that Trump was our candidate prevailed.  In Pueblo County, the GOP field director instructed paid and volunteer door knockers to say, “Who do you hate least – Trump or Hillary?” – hardly an inspirational message to convince people to vote Trump.
While those in Colorado GOP power held their noses about the crass, brash, populist Trump, one completely unexpected county in Colorado voted and won for Trump, in a 3:1 Democrat majority: Pueblo County.
Trump’s candidacy rang true with a few activists in Colorado early on.  Especially those of us living in or born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado. Pueblo was once a thriving middle-class blue collar, steel community. Pueblo was home to the third largest steel producing mill in the country.  In 1971, Pueblo’s population was the second largest in Colorado, larger than Colorado Springs. Schools competed in every aspect with those in Denver. Low crime and a sense of community were strong, a great place to raise a family.   NAFTA changed manufacturing nationwide, and brought about the ruination of the steel industry. Ross Perot said it best– NAFTA would bring about the “Great Sucking sound of lost jobs to America.”  Pueblo, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Ohio are poster children of the devastation brought about by NAFTA.  Crushing anti-business regulations brought in the closures of coal mines, farming and lumbering.  Politician’s promises to bring back prosperity and jobs especially in former blue collar cities didn’t happen. Politicians from both parties began pushing TPP and open borders threatening more jobs and the economic security and safety of citizens.  Union labor leaders did little to push back against TPP.  Voters had had enough. They stopped voting and left the Democrat and Republican Party in record numbers. Everyday citizens no longer believed politicians had the best interests of Americans in mind. Pueblo mirrored the other “Rust Belt” states that voted for Trump, across ethnic lines.
Then Trump came on the scene. Trump brought the average citizen an air of optimism with his theme “Make America Great Again”.  Americans didn’t want to believe the line of Obama that America is in decline and we’d better get used to a globalist “New World Order”, a theme coined by George H.W. Bush.
Pueblo Trump organizers Becky Mizel, Jennifer and Dr. Keith Lorensen, along with others, Susan Carr, Roxie McNames Paine, Jack Roberts, Joseph Santoro, Hal and Elaine Bowen, Dr. Bruce and Debbie Johnson, Bernice Rivera, Jennifer Krutshke, Marla and Steve Reichert, Carole Morenz, Dr. Chuck and Barb Schneider, Mary Tonne and many others organized early on with a mix of GOP, Tea Party activists, unaffiliated voters and former GOP party chairs Frances Mathews and Tom Ready. Before the primary, an early social media presence was formed on Facebook; Coloradans for Trump.
The Pueblo group decided to approach campaigning and get out the vote effort with an outside out of the box in your face but friendly method. This effort was not coordinated with the Colorado GOP/ RNC or the Colorado Trump campaign which made the decision to let the Colorado GOP and RNC guide and direct the campaigns efforts.  After the primary, the “Pueblo Trump Street Team” was developed and deployed. This team literally hit the streets on corners in the busiest times with positive messaging for Trump that would resonate with local Puebloans. Being on corners engaged in eye to eye direct contact, reaching thousands daily, we encountered drivers who were about 5:1 positive for Trump. We also encountered nasty anti-Trump vitriol, resulting in being sworn at with the worst possible language, things thrown at us and a few physical threats.  Many, many people thanked the wavers profusely for being out there. The positives kept us going and were contagious. The National Trump campaign heard of our efforts and designated 5,000 yard signs and eighteen 4×8 signs the team put together and distributed to smaller counties such as, Custer, Teller and Fremont.   The team wore Trump hats to local bars, coffee shops, grocery stores and restaurants talking to all who would listen. Colorful eye catching banners were developed by Carl Lorensen with themes and messaging that resonate with Puebloans, such as, “Trump Loves Steel”, “Trump Digs Coal”, “Trump for Borders”, “Trump for Safety”, “Save our Guns – Vote Trump” and “Americans for Trump”. Endless hours were spent on street corners talking with drivers face to face and passing out yard signs.   Phone calls and door knocking by the GOP also occurred.  Telephone banks, though necessary, result in most recipients of the calls either not answering or hanging up.  Hang ups by people who are fed up with solicitations can cause irritation if called over and over. Door knocking, while effective and needed, can be counterproductive without a positive convincing message-to-go along with the face to face contact. “Who do you hate less, Trump or Hillary?” is hardly positive messaging and was used for a time with the Trump get out the vote effort in Pueblo.  Nor does it help down ballot candidates by setting negative messaging at the top of the ticket.
Many days the Trump Street Team was discouraged.  We persevered due to the energy of the driver’s honking and waving in encouragement.  And the hope Trump could win and possibly we could play a part. Many said our street waving and outreach efforts were worthless, even discouraged us from doing it.  Pundits and media said Trump had no chance.
Election Day the Pueblo Trump Street Team began waving early, until dark, talking to people and reminding drivers to vote.  That day, I hand delivered my ballot and my aging father’s ballot to the election department. I met a man who was also walking in to vote.   He said, “I saw you early this morning waving your signs.  I wasn’t going to vote. I didn’t think Trump has a chance to win. But when I saw your group out waving, I felt I needed to do my part and go vote.” That said it all for us.  The Trump Street Team did its part. The win in Pueblo for Trump in a Democrat bastion was indeed historic.
(Editor/GG: An outstanding effort by THE PEOPLE. An inspirational story of how to get it down at the street level. We only had two Trump sign wavers here in Westcliffe – should have had a hundred. The apathy of the republican base is appalling. Fox News, email and Facebook do NOT cut it folks if you want to save America. Get off your bu**. Thank God for people like Becky and The Trump Street Team. The Pueblo County results were Clinton, 35,875 and Trump 36,265. Wow.)
Becky Mizel’s Bio:
Becky Mizel is the former Pueblo County GOP chairman. Her county was the only local county party to openly support the grassroots efforts in the historic recall effort of Angela Giron in 2013.  Pueblo County had the highest percent of GOP Get out the Vote in Colorado in 2014. Becky openly exposed voting irregularities that occurred in Pueblo County in the elections of 2012 and 2014.   Becky was Tom Tancredo’s Pueblo Campaign Director in 2010, garnering over 19,000 votes vs. the Pueblo GOP numbers of 9800. Much of the outreach used in Pueblo in 2010 were used in the Pueblo Trump Street Team to help elect Mr. Trump in Pueblo County.  She was a board member of Southern Colorado Tea Party and Liberty Action Group. She has been an active Republican for over 40 years in Colorado and Texas.   Becky was responsible along with Council Woman Vera Ortegon, to have Pueblo officially recognize Constitution Day.  She taught hundreds of students the Constitution through Liberty Day in the schools and through the Center for American Values.
Becky is widowed and has one son Max, who is attending UC Davis, working on his Doctorate in Environmental Engineering and Water,
Becky is semi- retired from a 34-year career in nursing and health care administration.

“In with the New” Primary Results
“Traffic Stoppers”
“Rino Update”
070116 Local Primaries Rino update Traffic Stoppers.1