House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs (04/14/2014)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE, VETERANS, & MILITARY AFFAIRS

Date:	04/14/2014	ATTENDANCE

Time:	02:28 PM to 03:36 PM	Conti	X
		Dore	X
Place:	LSB A	Foote	X
		Humphrey	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Labuda	X
	Representative Ryden	Melton	X
		Moreno	X
This Report was prepared by		Nordberg	X
	Jessika Shipley	Williams	X
		Salazar	X
		Ryden	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
HCR14-1001 SB14-153 HB14-1335 HB14-1351		Postponed Indefinitely Referred to Legislative Council Amended, Referred to the Committee of the Whole Referred to Appropriations

02:29 PM -- HCR14-1001

Representative Sonnenberg, sponsor, returned to the table to provide closing comments on House Concurrent Resolution 14-1001. The concurrent resolution refers a constitutional amendment to voters at the 2014 general election that, if approved, will allocate one state representative in the Colorado House of Representatives to each county. State House district boundaries will be set along county lines and the number of state representatives will be equal to the number of counties in the state. The change in state House districts will take effect on January 10, 2017, if approved by voters. State Senate districts are not affected by the resolution. Testimony on the resolution was originally heard on Wednesday, April 9, 2014.

Members of the committee discussed their positions on the bill. Representative Ryden distributed information about Lucas v. Forty-fourth General Assembly of Colorado, 377 U.S. 713 (1964), a U.S. Supreme Court case that held that a majority-approved state apportionment plan that permits one house of its state assembly to be largely apportioned on the basis of factors other than population distribution is in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause (Attachment A).

14HseState0414AttachA.pdf


BILL:	HCR14-1001
TIME:	02:45:21 PM
MOVED:	Dore
MOTION:	Refer HCR14-1001 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion failed on a vote of 4-7.
SECONDED:	Humphrey
		VOTE
	Conti	Yes
	Dore	Yes
	Foote	No
	Humphrey	Yes
	Labuda	No
	Melton	No
	Moreno	No
	Nordberg	Yes
	Williams	No
	Salazar	No
	Ryden	No

YES: 4 NO: 7 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL


BILL:	HCR14-1001
TIME:	02:46:21 PM
MOVED:	Salazar
MOTION:	Postpone HCR14-1001 indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 7-4.
SECONDED:	Melton
		VOTE
	Conti	No
	Dore	No
	Foote	Yes
	Humphrey	No
	Labuda	Yes
	Melton	Yes
	Moreno	Yes
	Nordberg	No
	Williams	Yes
	Salazar	Yes
	Ryden	Yes

Final YES: 7 NO: 4 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:47 PM -- SB14-153

Representatives DelGrosso and Hullinghorst, co-sponsors, presented Senate Bill 14-153. The bill establishes uniform payments of per diem and travel expenses for members of the General Assembly who are statutorily appointed to serve on state entities (boards, commissions, committees, and so forth, except for the Colorado Commission on Uniform State Laws or the Education Commission of the States). Under the bill, during or within three days of a legislative or special legislative session, members are eligible to receive per diem lodging and expense allowances and travel expenses. At other times, members may receive the per diem and reimbursement for all actual and necessary travel and subsistence expenses incurred as a result of attendance at a meeting of the state entity. Mileage rates may not exceed those authorized for the executive department and all compensation and reimbursements are to be made from Legislative Department appropriations.


BILL:	SB14-153
TIME:	02:51:35 PM
MOVED:	Salazar
MOTION:	Refer Senate Bill 14-153 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 11-0.
SECONDED:	Nordberg
		VOTE
	Conti	Yes
	Dore	Yes
	Foote	Yes
	Humphrey	Yes
	Labuda	Yes
	Melton	Yes
	Moreno	Yes
	Nordberg	Yes
	Williams	Yes
	Salazar	Yes
	Ryden	Yes

Final YES: 11 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:53 PM -- SB14-153


BILL:	SB14-153
TIME:	02:53:57 PM
MOVED:	Salazar
MOTION:	Reconsider the previous vote to refer Senate Bill 14-153 to the Committee on Appropriations.The motion passed on a vote of 11-0.
SECONDED:	Nordberg
		VOTE
	Conti	Yes
	Dore	Yes
	Foote	Yes
	Humphrey	Yes
	Labuda	Yes
	Melton	Yes
	Moreno	Yes
	Nordberg	Yes
	Williams	Yes
	Salazar	Yes
	Ryden	Yes

YES: 11 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


BILL:	SB14-153
TIME:	02:54:53 PM
MOVED:	Salazar
MOTION:	Refer Senate Bill 14-153 to the Legislative Council Committee. The motion passed on a vote of 11-0.
SECONDED:	Williams
		VOTE
	Conti	Yes
	Dore	Yes
	Foote	Yes
	Humphrey	Yes
	Labuda	Yes
	Melton	Yes
	Moreno	Yes
	Nordberg	Yes
	Williams	Yes
	Salazar	Yes
	Ryden	Yes

Final YES: 11 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:55 PM -- HB14-1335

Representative Moreno, sponsor, presented House Bill 14-1335. The bill allows candidate committees for write-in candidates, unaffiliated candidates, and minor party candidates nominated by means other than a primary election, to accept individual contributions up to the aggregate contribution limit for the election cycle. Under current law, such candidates who do not compete in a primary election may only collect contributions up to the maximum amount allowed for the general election portion of the election cycle. The bill also allows these candidates to expend contributions received at any point during the election cycle for which the candidate is on the ballot.

Representative Moreno responded to questions from the committee about the bill.

03:03 PM -- Rich Coolidge, representing the Secretary of State's Office, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Coolidge discussed a court decision that necessitated the introduction of the bill. He talked about rules that apply to campaign contributions to third party candidates.


BILL:	HB14-1335
TIME:	03:06:27 PM
MOVED:	Moreno
MOTION:	Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection. 14HseState0414AttachB.pdf
SECONDED:	Salazar
		VOTE
	Conti
	Dore
	Foote
	Humphrey
	Labuda
	Melton
	Moreno
	Nordberg
	Williams
	Salazar
	Ryden

YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

03:07 PM

Representative Moreno wrapped up his presentation of the bill and asked for a favorable recommendation.


BILL:	HB14-1335
TIME:	03:12:47 PM
MOVED:	Moreno
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 14-1335, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 10-1.
SECONDED:	Salazar
		VOTE
	Conti	Yes
	Dore	Yes
	Foote	Yes
	Humphrey	Yes
	Labuda	Yes
	Melton	No
	Moreno	Yes
	Nordberg	Yes
	Williams	Yes
	Salazar	Yes
	Ryden	Yes

Final YES: 10 NO: 1 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

03:12 PM

The committee took a brief recess.

03:13 PM -- HB14-1351

The committee returned to order.

Representatives Ryden and Nordberg, co-sponsors, presented House Bill 14-1351. This bill directs the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) to support state businesses involved in the defense industry and influence federal decision-making that concerns the defense industry in Colorado. Specifically, the OEDIT must:

• advocate for state involvement in U.S. military missions;

• support private businesses that bid on contracts with U.S. armed forces; and

• assist the Colorado Congressional delegation in protecting current U.S. armed

forces bases and commands in Colorado.

Representatives Nordberg and Ryden responded to questions from the committee about Department of Defense installations that could be subject to closure.

03:21 PM -- Andy Merritt, representing the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Merritt spoke about declining Department of Defense budgets, and how that decline has affected the Colorado economy. He discussed ways the bill will benefit the economy. He responded to questions from the committee.

03:29 PM

Representative Ryden wrapped up the presentation of the bill and asked for a favorable recommendation. Members of the committee commented about the bill.


BILL:	HB14-1351
TIME:	03:36:10 PM
MOVED:	Ryden
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 14-1351 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 11-0.
SECONDED:	Nordberg
		VOTE
	Conti	Yes
	Dore	Yes
	Foote	Yes
	Humphrey	Yes
	Labuda	Yes
	Melton	Yes
	Moreno	Yes
	Nordberg	Yes
	Williams	Yes
	Salazar	Yes
	Ryden	Yes

Final YES: 11 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

03:36 PM

The committee adjourned.