State of Colorado Archives: on Government Reform

Greg Lopez: Opposes National Popular Vote interstate compact

[NationalPopularVote.com describes]: "The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact will guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Compact ensures that every vote, in every state, will matter in every presidential election. The Compact is a state-based approach that preserves the Electoral College, state control of elections, and the power of the states to control how the President is elected. The National Popular Vote bill has been enacted by 16 jurisdictions possessing 196 electoral votes, including 4 small states (DE, HI, RI, VT), 8 medium-sized states (CO, CT, MD, MA, NJ, NM, OR, WA), 3 big states (CA, IL, NY), and the District of Columbia."

Greg Lopez: Local government important; state should stay out of way

Greg Lopez: Wants statewide electoral college to choose who's on ballot

Cory Gardner: Require Senate candidates to e-file campaign finance reports

Cory Gardner: Unclear on disclosure. Supported requiring Senate candidates to e-file campaign finance reports. No other position found.

John Hickenlooper: Yes. Backed election bill H.R.1 to strengthen disclosure and campaign finance laws. Weakening them "has led to corruption." Also, overturn Citizens United decision that removed campaign finance limits.

Cory Gardner: Overturn Colorado being in National Popular Vote Compact

Corey Gardner: No. Opposes Prop 113, as does Colorado Republican Party. Donated to campaign to overturn Colorado's participation.

John Hickenlooper: Yes. Previously ambivalent but now supports Prop 113, as does Colorado's Democratic Party.

John Hickenlooper: Reinstate Voting Rights Act provisions struck down by Court

John Hickenlooper: No. Reinstate Voting Rights Act provisions struck down by the Supreme Court. Criticizes "discriminatory voter ID laws."

Corey Gardner: No position found.

John Hickenlooper: Pass the electoral reforms of the For the People Act

John Hickenlooper: End partisan gerrymandering, support Fair Maps Act

John Hickenlooper: Overturn Citizens United

Dan Baer: Tackle corruption and role of big money in politics

Jared Polis: More limits on campaign donations; more donor disclosure

Jared Polis (D): Yes. Co-sponsored DISCLOSE Act requiring full disclosure of independent expenditures.

Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown.

Q: Support Citizens United decision, allowing unlimited political donations from corporations and unions?

Jared Polis (D): No. Has consistently sought to get campaign finance reform bills through Congress.

Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown.

Jared Polis: Investigate voter suppression; prohibit gerrymandering

Jared Polis (D): Yes. Strongly supports.

Q: Voting Rights: Support stricter voting rules such as voter ID requirements or reduced registration times, even if they prevent some people from voting?

Polis: No. Voted to restore voting rights protections. Signed letter to Trump condemning stricter voter rules & asking to investigate voter suppression.

Walker Stapleton (R): Unknown on both.

Walker Stapleton: Great Colorado Payback: find lost bank accounts

Stapleton sees the program--which returned more money during his tenure than all previous years combined--as one of his better known successes. Democrats, however, hope to turn that popularity against him by convincing voters the program has been mismanaged.

The Great Colorado Payback started in 1989 as a way to tell people about all the unclaimed property the state keeps, such as the contents of forgotten safe deposit boxes and bank accounts.

When Stapleton took office in 2010, he established a tradition of timing his TV ads with March Madness, the spring college basketball tournament. And that's when things took off. The program grew from about 60,000 claims per year to nearly 140,000 in 2017. The size of the staff and its methods for processing claims, however, remained the same. The result was a mess

Walker Stapleton: Ended hired petitioners when one surfaced as not registered

George Brauchler: Sunset law should apply to all regulations

George Brauchler: Move some state offices out of capital

George Brauchler: A record of official transparency

• Created unprecedented and unmatched accessibility to the public and media on issues of accountability, including budget, open records and civil asset forfeitures.
• Made all office expenditures and budget requests available to the public online, as well as all monies spent of the Aurora Theater Shooting case and expenditures of money from forfeited assets.

Steve Barlock: Drain the swamp of Colorado politics

Mike Johnston: No PAC money when running as state senator or as governor

A: There are commitments that Bernie and I share and things I really respect about what he's done. I didn't take any PAC money when running as a state senator, and I won't when running for governor. We're having a deep focus on community organizing and really lifting up the voices of ordinary people to regain their government. I think that commitment to community organizing to give people a voice in government and not just a vote--I really share the belief that we need to make post-secondary education accessible and affordable. So I think those are the things people have picked out as commonalities, and I'm certainly excited about those. I [also] think there are also a lot of ways I've built bridges with Republican leaders and business leaders that I'm proud of.

Darryl Glenn: Supports unlimited contributions by individuals

Bennet: Yes

Glenn: No visible stand.

Q: On Campaign Finance: Support Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, which allows unlimited independent political expenditures by corporations and unions?

Bennet: No. Wants to overturn.

Glenn: No visible stand, but likely yes. Supports unlimited contributions by individuals.

Q: On Voting Rights: Support stricter voting rules such as voter ID requirements or reduced registration times, even if they prevent some people from voting?

Bennet: No. Co-sponsored Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore federal oversight of voting laws. Co-sponsored Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore federal courts' ability to review voting changes made at the state and local level and monitor for discriminatory practices.

Glenn: Unknown

Michael Bennet: Federal review voting of discriminatory state voting changes

Bennet: Yes

Glenn: No visible stand.

Q: On Campaign Finance: Support Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, which allows unlimited independent political expenditures by corporations and unions?

Bennet: No. Wants to overturn.

Glenn: No visible stand, but likely yes. Supports unlimited contributions by individuals.

Q: On Voting Rights: Support stricter voting rules such as voter ID requirements or reduced registration times, even if they prevent some people from voting?

Bennet: No. Co-sponsored Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore federal oversight of voting laws. Co-sponsored Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore federal courts' ability to review voting changes made at the state and local level and monitor for discriminatory practices.

Glenn: Unknown

Darryl Glenn: Democracy needs increased political participation

Darryl Glenn: Increased political participation is an important objective for a well-functioning democracy and donating to a political campaign is a tangible way for citizens to show support. Transparency is key to ensure accountability and I support legislation that requires disclosure of donors over a certain dollar threshold. This method of accountability enables donors to continue exercising their 1st Amendment right to free speech while allowing the public to see whose support each candidate is receiving

Michael Bennet: Constitutional amendment tooverturn Citizens United

Bennet: cosponsored a constitutional amendment that would effectively overturn Citizens United and restore common-sense regulation to our campaign finance system. I've also long been a cosponsor of the DISCLOSE Act, legislation that would help bring transparency to political spending. And I've introduced legislation to prohibit solicitation of campaign contributions from lobbyists while Congress is in session, and eliminate lobbyist bundling.

Owen Hill: Stick to the enumerated powers our founding fathers gave us

Hill took consistent aim at the federal government throughout the hour-long debate. "We've tried Democrat leadership, we've tried Republican leadership, and across the board we have watched for the coming generations the debt grow, freedoms taken away, and power and money consolidated in Washington, D.C.," he said. "Unless we find a way to return opportunities to the state, to follow the Constitution, to stick to the enumerated powers our founding fathers were wise enough to give us in the first place, it is indeed too late."

John Hickenlooper: Apply LEAN principles to EVERY state agency

LEAN, as many of you know, is a type of business audit that scours operations looking for ways to make processes run more efficiently. We have re-evaluated how EVERY state agency does business. And we have initiated more than 100 new LEAN processes, more than any state in America.

• Colorado's Department of Transportation recently reported a 19% decrease in contracting timelines. Combined with other improvements their efforts are saving more than $2 million.
• In 2008, only 33% of property assessment appeals were resolved within one year. Now, 79% are.

Tom Tancredo: 2001: pledged 3-term limit; 2002: served 4th & 5th term

On September 26, 2002 he told the same newspaper he'd spoken with 15 months earlier that the Lord had intervened to absolve him of his pledge. He said that his actions could be characterized as breaking a pledge, but he explained that whether he would run for a fourth term was going to be decided by God and that by putting it in God's hands he hoped he was doing what God wanted. It took the Lord less than eight months to decide what Tom should do. In April 2002, he (Tom--not the Lord) announced that he was no longer bound by his pledge to serve no more than three terms and he went on to serve a total of five terms.

Ken Buck: Opposes secession for northern Colorado counties

When secession from Colorado was proposed, Buck came out against it. Many leaders in Moffat County were for pursuing secession, but the vote failed in Moffat and Weld counties in the November election.

Kinkaid, who was a local proponent of secession, said he doesn't consider that a drawback for Buck. "Nobody has to be in lockstep. I respect his positions," Kinkaid said. In fact, Kinkaid expressed his outright support for Buck. "I think (Buck) has the best chance of winning, and I like what he stands for," he said.

Amy Stephens: Voted NO on same-day voter registration

The intent of this act is to remove barriers to participation in the electoral process by making both voting and voter registration more convenient and accessible. Therefore, all eligible citizens who want to exercise their right to vote should have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote by being able to register to vote up to and on election day.

The general assembly declares that the peoples' self-government through the electoral process is more legitimate and better accepted when voter participation increases. By implementing this act, the general assembly hereby concludes that it is appropriate to expand the use of mail ballot elections as a means to increase voter participation.

Owen Hill: Voted NO on same-day voter registration

The intent of this act is to remove barriers to participation in the electoral process by making both voting and voter registration more convenient and accessible. Therefore, all eligible citizens who want to exercise their right to vote should have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote by being able to register to vote up to and on election day.

The general assembly declares that the peoples' self-government through the electoral process is more legitimate and better accepted when voter participation increases. By implementing this act, the general assembly hereby concludes that it is appropriate to expand the use of mail ballot elections as a means to increase voter participation.

Randy Baumgardner: Voted NO on same-day voter registration

The intent of this act is to remove barriers to participation in the electoral process by making both voting and voter registration more convenient and accessible. Therefore, all eligible citizens who want to exercise their right to vote should have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote by being able to register to vote up to and on election day.

The general assembly declares that the peoples' self-government through the electoral process is more legitimate and better accepted when voter participation increases. By implementing this act, the general assembly hereby concludes that it is appropriate to expand the use of mail ballot elections as a means to increase voter participation.

John Hickenlooper: Pits and Peeves: Replace red tape with LEAN government

Last year we began a rigorous review of state rules and asked for examples of unnecessary regulation from Coloradans across the state. We are scrubbing every state agency to eliminate red tape. Our plan is outlined in the report we issued this week called "Pits and Peeves."

We understand that government is not a business. Still, we need to apply best practices from successful companies where they make sense. That is why we initiated the LEAN program in almost every state agency, where employee teams are now actively identifying waste and inefficiency to create savings.

Mike Johnston: Mail-in voting for all elections

The bill requires all general, primary, odd-year, recall, and congressional vacancy elections to be conducted as mail ballot elections. A mail ballot election is an election for which eligible electors receive a ballot by mail and may cast the ballot by mail or may cast a ballot in person at a service center. Service centers will be open during the 8 days prior to election day and on election day. At a service center, voters may return a voted mail ballot or surrender a mail ballot and cast a vote in person in a voting booth.

Mail ballots will be mailed between 22 and 18 days before the election to each active registered voter, including those whose registration record has been marked "Inactive--failed to vote."; except that, for primary elections, ballots will only be mailed to party-affiliated voters.

Legislative Outcome: Bill died in House Committee

Ken Buck: Not, repeat not, for repealing the 17th Amendment

BUCK: No.

Q: Explain why.

BUCK: I've been to over 800 events and I have talked about the 17th Amendment. Someone asked me a question. I said, 'The short answer is yes, but...' and then I gave an explanation of why I thought there were better answers to restoring the balance of power between the states and the federal government than the 17th Amendment. Senator Bennet has played a commercial over and over that misstates, misquotes, misleads on that issue. The next day, I called the person back and said, 'You know, I've thought about it, and I don't want to leave you with the impression that the answer is yes.' Fifteen times more, with the Democrat tracker camera in my face, I explained that I wasn't in favor of repealing the 17th Amendment.

Jane Norton: Opposes earmarking in $787 billion "stimulus" plan

The $787 billion "stimulus" plan has not created new jobs or helped our economy; it has made things worse. I oppose additional "stimulus" packages.
• I oppose earmarks.
• I will fight against big spenders in Washington regardless of their political party and stand up to get-along, go-along business-as-usual politics that has come to define both Republicans and Democrats in Washington.

Jane Norton: Only strict constructionists as federal judges

Judicial Appointments
• I support the appointment of strict constructionists to the federal bench.
• Judges should not manufacture new rights or remedies not specifically provided for in the Constitution.

Pete Coors: The 527 loophole is also a freedom of speech

A: This is a great country where we’ve got freedom of speech and we should never do anything or pass any laws that abridge that right. I think it was a total surprise to Congress when the Supreme Court decided the McCain-Feingold Act actually was acceptable, because I don’t think Congress felt that the Supreme Court would uphold it. The flaw is the 527 loophole, which allows outside organizations with very little reporting and accountability requirements to come in and do advertising as they see fit to slam the other opponents. I regret that they did that, frankly, and I wish that wasn’t the case. But we have freedom of speech and we should never do anything to remove freedom of speech.

Ed Perlmutter: Supports public funding for political campaigns

A: No.

Q: Corporate contributions?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?

A: No.

Q: Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?

A: No.