Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

COMMITTEE ON JOINT STATE VETERANS & MILITARY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Date:01/18/2012
ATTENDANCE
Time:01:32 PM to 03:26 PM
Bacon
E
Baumgardner
E
Place:HCR 0112
Boyd
X
Casso
X
This Meeting was called to order by
Coram
X
Representative Kerr J.
Court
X
Duran
X
This Report was prepared by
Grantham
X
Bo Pogue
Liston
X
Neville
X
Todd
X
Waller
X
Kerr J.
X
Heath
X
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
Briefing by State Auditor's Office
SMART Act Briefing by the Department of State		Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only


01:33 PM -- Briefing by State Auditor's Office

The joint committee was called to order. A quorum was present. Ms. Kerri Hunter, and Ms. Cynthia Hochmiller, representing the Office of the State Auditor, discussed a financial recommendation made by the office to the Department of State that has gone unimplemented. Committee members received a spreadsheet with the recommendation, along with a cover let from the Legislative Audit Committee (Attachment A). Ms. Hunter provided background on the auditing process. Ms. Hochmiller discussed the nature of the specific recommendation that has not been implemented by the Department of State, and provided a time line of the events associated with the recommendation. Ms. Hochmiller responded to questions regarding feedback received by the Office of the State Auditor on the matter, and the result of the Department of State's opinion that the recommendation has been implemented. Discussion ensued regarding the effect of this disagreement, and future steps to be taken to ensure compliance by the department.

JtStateAffairs0118AttachA.pdf

01:43 PM

Discussion ensued regarding the specific actions being undertaken by the Department of State that resulted in the financial recommendation by the Office of the State Auditor, which the office feels has gone unimplemented.






01:44 PM -- SMART Act Briefing by the Department of State

Secretary of State Scott Gessler, and Chief of Staff Gary Zimmerman, both of the Department of State, presented its briefing in compliance with the State Measurements for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act (House Bill 10-1119). Committee members received a packet of information outlining the briefing (Attachment B). Secretary Gessler first provided a rebuttal to the Office of the State Auditor's presentation about an unimplemented financial recommendation made by the office concerning travel expenses associated with bingo and raffle investigations. Secretary Gessler responded to questions regarding the oversight of expense report submissions and coding of these reports under the state financial system. Secretary Gessler then briefed the committee on the Department of State's strategic plan pursuant to the SMART Act. He walked the committee through the contents of Attachment B.

JtStateAffairs0118AttachB.pdf

01:54 PM

Secretary Gessler continued to brief the committee on the contents of Attachment B.


02:05 PM

Secretary Gessler continued to brief the committee on the contents of Attachment B.


02:15 PM

Secretary Gessler continued to brief the committee on the contents of Attachment B. He also discussed efforts to improve election-night results reporting.


02:25 PM

Secretary Gessler responded to questions about the department's Student Ambassador Program, under which students are learning about the elections process. Secretary Gessler responded to further questions regarding the department's efforts to reduce costs associated with the statewide voter (SCORE) database. Discussion ensued regarding the score given to the department's Elections Division by the Pew Center on the States, and filing fees assessed to businesses by the department. Senator Kent Lambert discussed the assignment of Joint Budget Committee members as liaisons to committees of reference under the SMART Act, and explained his role as liaison. Discussion followed regarding issues associated with differing voting systems among the counties, including cost, and efforts to transition to uniform system usage.


02:37 PM

Discussion ensued regarding rules recently put in place by the Department of State pertaining to campaign finance guidance, and a court ruling on these rules. Discussion followed regarding the department's efforts to improve the integrity of the state's voter rolls, including efforts undertaken to ensure the rolls are current and accurate.





02:47 PM

Discussion ensued regarding efforts by the department to reduce the number of filings that are rejected by the department, and requirements for filing documents electronically. Secretary Gessler responded to questions regarding the status of biweekly campaign finance filings. Discussion followed regarding the burdens created by these filings. Secretary Gessler responded to questions regarding the number of Coloradans that have updated their voter registration information in the last year, and costs associated with an upcoming state voter registration drive and partnership with the Pew Center on the States, both initiated by the department.


02:59 PM

Secretary Gessler responded to questions regarding the amount of campaign finance-related fines levied by the department in the last year, and waivers from the fines granted by the department. Discussion ensued regarding grassroots groups that have been subjected to the fines, and the potential for assisting such groups in accessing the political process. Secretary Gessler responded to further questions regarding the legal costs accumulated by the department as a result of lawsuits against the department. Discussion followed regarding the process by which the department has engaged in its strategic planning. Mr. Zimmerman provided input on the strategic planning process.


03:12 PM

Secretary Gessler responded to questions regarding efforts by the department to identify noncitizens who are registered to vote in Colorado. Discussion ensued regarding the amount of vote fraud taking place in the state, and the number of vote fraud prosecutions in the state. Secretary Gessler responded to questions regarding the nature of the vote fraud incidents identified by the department. No one signed up to testify regarding the briefing.


03:26 PM

The committee adjourned.