First Regular Session
               Seventieth General Assembly
                    STATE OF COLORADO
                                                 INTRODUCED
                                                           
                                                           
 LLS NO. M15-1089.01 Bob Lackner x4350            SJM15-002
                   SENATE SPONSORSHIP
 Lambert, Balmer, Cadman, Lundberg
 
                    HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
 Neville P., Humphrey, Joshi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Senate Committees
 House Committees
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                   SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 15-002 
       Memorializing the United States congress regarding the
            pending international agreement permitting the nation
            of Iran to continue its efforts to develop a nuclear
            weapons capability.
       
       
            WHEREAS, The present government of Iran has vowed publicly
       and repeatedly to "wipe Israel from the face of the earth" and has publicly
       and consistently pledged to bring "death to the Great Satan", the United
       States of America; and
       
            WHEREAS, The leaders of Iran have for 36 years refused to
       apologize for the taking and holding of 52 American citizen hostages for
       444 days after the 1979 violent occupation of the American embassy in
       Tehran; and
       
            WHEREAS, The present government of Iran under its present
       constitution is a theocratic dictatorship officially and formally dedicated
       to a permanent war against Western democratic institutions and values;
       and
       
            WHEREAS, Since 1984, Iran has been among the nations listed
       by the United States Department of State as a State Sponsor of Terrorism;
       and
       
            WHEREAS, Since 2013 and the inception of negotiations with
       Iran over its plans for developing nuclear weapons, the United States
       government has promised the American people that the negotiations with
       Iran has as its primary goal the prevention of Iran from continuing to
       develop its capacity for producing nuclear weapons; and
       
            WHEREAS, The terms of the "Framework" agreement announced
       by the White House on April 2 do not prohibit Iran from continuing its
       efforts to develop its nuclear weapons capability; and
       
            WHEREAS, The government of Iran through its Supreme Leader,
       Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has openly rejected the United States
       government's interpretation of the "Framework" and explicitly renounced
       any condition which restricts Iran's right or capacity for the eventual
       production of nuclear weapons; and 
       
            WHEREAS, On April 13, 2015, ten days after the "Framework"
       was announced, Russia announced that it will start selling missiles to
       Iran, thereby abandoning its prior agreement with the United States to
       suspend such sales until Iran agrees to halt its nuclear weapons program;
       and
       
            WHEREAS, The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu,
       has stated that the proposed "Framework" poses a clear and present
       danger to Israel's survival by allowing and accepting Iran's development
       of a nuclear weapons capability; and
       
            WHEREAS, Members of both major political parties in congress
       have voiced serious concerns over the proposed Iran nuclear agreement
       and have asked for the agreement to be submitted to the United States
       Senate for consideration and ratification; and
       
            WHEREAS, It is unacceptable to the people of Colorado that the
       government of the United States enter into any agreement that permits the
       possession of nuclear weapons by any nation that openly supports and
       clandestinely finances terrorist organizations that conduct violent acts
       against the people of the United States, the people of Israel, and other
       peoples and nations; and
       
            WHEREAS, Under article II, section 2 of the United States
       Constitution, the two representatives of Colorado in the United States
       Senate have an indispensable role in the consideration and ratification of
       international agreements negotiated by the President of the United States;
       and
       
            WHEREAS, Each of the seven representatives of Colorado in the
       United States House of Representatives has a vote and a voice in the
       decision to lift or continue the economic sanctions now in place against
       Iran; and
       
            WHEREAS, The citizens of Colorado and their children,
       grandchildren, and future generations have a vital, existential stake in
       preventing terrorist organizations and rogue nations that support terrorism
       from obtaining nuclear weapons; now, therefore,
       
            Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Seventieth General Assembly
       of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:
       
            That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, hereby
       petition and request that the nine members of the Colorado congressional
       delegation take all responsible and appropriate steps to oppose the
       ratification, approval, or implementation of any international agreement
       with Iran which does not unambiguously prohibit that nation from
       developing, producing, or possessing nuclear weapons.
       
            Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of this Senate Joint Memorial
       be sent to each member of Colorado's congressional delegation.