Colorado: Mike Coffman

April 30, 2009 - 05:39 pm
NEWS FEED: Denver Post

Ethics panel clears Coffman

The state's independent ethics commission ruled this morning that there was "insufficient evidence" that former Secretary of State Mike Coffman violated state ethics rules.

Coffman, now a U.S. congressman, repeatedly denied wrongdoing throughout the proceedings, which lasted more than a year.

The complaint against him alleged that he allowed a staffer to run a partisan side business and that he recertified electronic voting machines owned by a client of the consulting firm that also ran his congressional campaign.

While the authors of the complaint said the decision points to serious flaws within the commission, Coffman called it a clear and overdue victory, while blasting the group that brought the complaint against him.

April 30, 2009 - 05:39 pm
NEWS FEED: Denver Post

Rewarding those going with the low-flow

U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman on Monday unveiled a proposal to give tax breaks to people who buy water-saving toilets, sprinkler systems and other items for their houses.

Coffman said he hopes the proposed credit, which was formally introduced earlier this month and has bipartisan support in Congress, will spur a greater culture of conservation in Colorado. He noted the state faces an estimated 630,000-acre-foot water-supply shortfall by 2030. One acre-foot could serve the needs of about eight people for a year.

"This legislation will help conserve one of our most precious resources," said Coffman, an Aurora Republican. "Conservation has got to be our first line of defense in our ability to meet our future water demand.

March 26, 2009 - 01:03 pm
NEWS FEED: Denver Post

Bill saves 2 million U.S. acres as wild

The U.S. House of Representatives — on its second try — passed a bill to preserve 2 million acres as wilderness in nine states, including 315,000 acres in Colorado.

On March 11, the bill failed, by two votes, to get a necessary two-thirds approval for a procedural vote.

Republican Reps. Doug Lamborn of Colorado Springs and Mike Coffman of Aurora voted against the bill then and voted against it Wednesday.

The two lawmakers said they objected to the sweeping nature of the legislation — a collection of 170 different bills — and its estimated $10 billion price tag.

"When there is a $9 billion maintenance backlog on the Park Service land that we already have, why are we spending $10 billion that we will have to borrow to acquire even more land?" Coffman said in a statement.

March 18, 2009 - 04:47 pm
NEWS FEED: Denver Post

Panel gets last words in Coffman ethics case

The attorney for former Secretary of State Mike Coffman says an ethics group engaged in a "scorched-earth public-relations campaign to destroy" Coffman's reputation and discredit the office.

But the director of Colorado Ethics Watch says Coffman's defense is all "smoke and mirrors," and the evidence is clear that Coffman is guilty of ethical violations.

Both made their pitches Monday in written closing arguments sent to a panel investigating an ethics complaint against Coffman, now the Republican congressman from the 6th District.

"Ethics Watch's complaint — the first before this commission — is a pure partisan attack and is disgraceful," attorney Doug Friednash wrote.

March 18, 2009 - 04:47 pm
NEWS FEED: Denver Post

Colorado Votes

Here's how some major bills fared recently in Congress and how Colorado's congressional members voted, as provided by Thomas' Roll Call Report Syndicate.

HOUSE

The Colorado delegation District 1: Diana DeGette (D) District 2: Jared Polis (D) District 3: John Salazar (D) District 4: Betsy Markey (D) District 5: Doug Lamborn (R) District 6: Mike Coffman (R) District 7: Ed Perlmutter (D)

CONSERVATION

For: 282/Against: 144 Members failed to reach a two-thirds majority for passing a bill to give wilderness protection to 2.1 million acres in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia and protect federal land in other states.

March 18, 2009 - 11:24 am

Shinseki: Long-awaited VA hospital will open at Fitzsimons in 2013

(Illustration/fitzscience.com)

After a decade of delays and budget shortfalls, Colorado will finally get the brand-new, stand-alone VA hospital veterans organizations have wanted, U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki announced Wednesday morning. Construction will begin this spring on a 200-bed medical center set to open in the summer of 2013 on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Shinseki said.

The new facility will have a 30-bed, state-of-the art spinal injury center, Shinseki said, meaning nearly 1,000 veterans with spinal-cord injuries in the Rocky Mountain region won’t have to travel to the West Coast for treatment.

“Now we can fulfill the promises that we made to our veterans,” said U.

March 10, 2009 - 07:04 pm

Western Slope GOP caucus declares war on tweakers

Three Grand Junction Republican state lawmakers are standing their ground with a vow to fight to the end against meth, except Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry may want to reconsider the Alamo-inspired drug war battle cry. The 33-year-old politician could be collecting government retirement benefits before ever holding a victory parade — Colorado ranks eighth in the nation in per-capita methamphetamine use.

SB 231, which passed the Senate today, extends the Colorado Methamphetamine Task Force through 2014 from its planned sunset next year. Penry’s fellow co-sponsors state Reps. Steve King and Laura Bradford and Democratic Rep. Judy Solano from Aurora were touted in the press release this afternoon to promote the bill’s bipartisan sponsor bona fides.

March 9, 2009 - 04:23 pm
NEWS FEED: Face the State

LPR gathering reflects growing optimism for Republicans

The weekend, which drew a crowd of 470 to its Saturday night dinner at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, was headlined by speaker Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard, an influential beltway magazine. “Cheer up,” Kristol said, adding that the vigorous internal debate Republicans have been experiencing is actually good for the party.

"The retreat was such a success is because conservatives understand that LPR is beyond election politics," said the program's president Shari Williams. "LPR is about the healthy discussion and debate of ideas, not politics. We see an opportunity for the country to understand why free-markets make a difference.

March 8, 2009 - 03:43 am
NEWS FEED: Denver Post

Colorado Votes this week

Here's how some major bills fared recently in Congress and how Colorado's congressional members voted, as provided by Thomas' Roll Call Report Syndicate.

HOUSE

The Colorado delegation District 1: Diana DeGette (D) District 2: Jared Polis (D) District 3: John Salazar (D) District 4: Betsy Markey (D) District 5: Doug Lamborn (R) District 6: Mike Coffman (R) District 7: Ed Perlmutter (D)

BANKRUPTCY AND MORTGAGES

For: 234/Against: 191 Members voted to allow bankruptcy courts to rewrite loans on primary homes in Chapter 13 actions if borrowers have exhausted other options. A yes vote backed a bill that would permanently hike FDIC insurance to $250,000 per depositor.

March 7, 2009 - 12:04 am
NEWS FEED: ColoradoPols.com

My sit-down with Treasurer Kennedy

I had the opportunity today to interview State Treasurer Cary Kennedy. She is easily the most personable elected official I have met to date (and that is a very high standard). She does an amazing job of connecting with people. She also clearly loves her job and feels very good about how well she is performing - and deservedly so.

Shortly after I arrived she started a tour of her office before our interview and I was allowed to tag along. It was an 8th grade class, from the middle school she went to. She talked to them about the job and what was fascinating was over half the kids were clearly paying attention and following what she said.