Stella Garza-Hicks | |
---|---|
Member of the ColoradoHouseofRepresentatives from the 17th district | |
In office January 10, 2007 –January 7, 2009 [1] | |
Preceded by | Mark Cloer |
Succeeded by | Dennis Apuan |
Personal details | |
Born | 1953 (age 69–70) Kress,Texas,U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Ray |
Profession | Cosmetologist,Salesperson |
Stella Garza-Hicks (born 1953 [2] [3] ) is a former Republican legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado.
A former cosmetologist and salesperson,Garza-Hicks became active in Republican Party activism in Colorado Springs,Colorado and rose to become a district chairperson and campaign manager for local candidates. A legislative aide to Rep. Mark Cloer,Garza-Hicks was appointed to Cloer's seat in the Colorado House of Representatives when he resigned unexpectedly in 2006.
As a legislator,Garza-Hicks represented House District 17,which included southern Colorado Springs and the Fort Carson military base. [4] She served one term in office,during which she look largely mainstream Republican positions and sponsored relatively little legislation. She did not stand for re-election in 2008 but remains involved in Colorado Republican Party politics.
Born in Kress,Texas, [5] Garza-Hicks dropped out of high school in the ninth grade to become a cosmetologist, [2] moving to Colorado in the 1970s [6] with her first husband,a soldier stationed at Fort Carson. After divorcing her first husband,whom she describes as an alcoholic,Hicks remarried; [2] she has three stepchildren —Frank,Jess,and Kelly [7] —through her husband,Ray Hicks,and worked as a vacuum cleaner salesperson before leaving work to become a homemaker. [5]
Garza-Hicks became involved in politics after a conversation with former state representative Barbara Phillips. [2] An active member of the El Paso County,Colorado Republican Party,Garza-Hicks belongs to the El Paso County Republican Women's Club,the Pikes Peak Republican Club,the Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition,the National Rifle Association of America,and is a legislative member of the Civil Air Patrol.[ citation needed ] She has managed the political campaigns of Harrison District 2 School Board member Linda Pugh and Colorado State Representative Mark Cloer,in addition to serving as Cloer's legislative aide. [5]
Garza-Hicks served as the Republican district chairperson for Colorado House District 17 for six years, [8] a seat to which Rep. Mark Cloer was re-elected in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2006. However,instead of serving out what would have been his fourth term in the state legislature,Cloer resigned only a few weeks after his re-election,citing a desire to spend more time with his family. [9] Nominated for the position by Cloer himself,Garza-Hicks was unanimously appointed to his seat by a Republican vacancy committee, [8] and was sworn in on January 10,2007,with the rest of the incoming legislative class. [10] Garza-Hicks,who speaks Spanish,was one of the few Hispanic women in the Colorado legislature. [2]
Bills Introduced in 2007 by Rep. Garza-Hicks (for which Rep. Garza-Hicks is the primary originating sponsor) | ||
---|---|---|
BILL | TITLE | OUTCOME |
HB07-1365 | Concerning the inclusion of the Colorado Consortium for Earth and Space Science Education in the definition of a Public Employees' Retirement Association employer. | Signed by Gov. Ritter |
During the 2007 legislative session,Garza-Hicks served on the House Services Committee and the House Local Government Committee. [11]
Garza-Hicks maintained a low profile for most of her first term in the legislature,first speaking in House floor debate two months into the legislative session. [12] After being criticized by news media for not being the primary sponsor of any legislation,she introduced a late bill to allow members of the Colorado Consortium for Earth and Space Science Education to receive state retirement benefits,as well as a nonbinding resolution honoring Colorado soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. [13] Both were passed by the legislature;the resolution honoring fallen soldiers was marked in the General Assembly by a ceremony,including the playing of taps in the legislative chambers. [14] Garza-Hicks also increased her co-sponsorship of legislation from co-sponsoring only one bill at the midpoint of the 2007 legislative session to co-sponsoring over 150 bills by the session's end. [13]
For her voting record during the 2007 legislative session,Garza-Hicks earned a 64% rating from the fiscally conservative Colorado Union of Taxpayers, [15] a 60% rating from the environmentally-oriented Colorado Conservation Voters, [16] and a 42% rating from the American Civil Liberties Union; [17] each rating placed Garza-Hicks near the middle of the range of Republican legislators.
Following the regular session,Garza-Hicks was appointed by Attorney General John Suthers to the state Methamphetamine Task Force, [18] and served on the legislature's Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission. [19]
In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly,Hicks sat on the House Health and Human Services Committee,and the House Local Government Committee. [20] She sponsored legislation to create a special license plate recognizing the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division, [21] the first military unit to be honored with a special plate in Colorado. [22] She was also a primary sponsor of the bipartisan resolution to recognize Military and Veterans Appreciation Day. [23] Another of Garza-Hicks' bills addressed expedited extension of police wiretaps for surveillance purposes. The measure initially passed both houses of the legislature with different limits on potential extensions. [24] After being reconciled to allow three month-long extensions of wiretaps,the bill was signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter. [25]
Although interest group ratings from groups including the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, [26] Colorado Conservation Voters, [27] and the American Civil Liberties Union [28] again placed Garza-Hicks solidly within the main body of Republican lawmakers in Colorado,Garza-Hicks was one of only a few Republicans to publicly back a measure introduced by Speaker Andrew Romanoff to reform spending requirements in Colorado's state constitution by diverting excess revenues under TABOR to K-12 education. [29]
Garza-Hicks announced in October 2007 that she would not seek re-election in 2008,citing health issues within her own family,but she did not rule out a future run for public office. [3] Republicans Kit Roupe and Sheila Hicks (no relation to Garza-Hicks) declared their candidacies for the open seat, [30] but the general election was narrowly won by progressive activist and Democrat Dennis Apuan,who defeated Roupe to win the only Democratic takeover of a Republican-held seat in the 2008 legislative elections in Colorado. [31]
While a member of the legislature in 2007,Garza-Hicks was appointed to the War on Terror Fallen Heroes Memorial Commission,which was charged with selecting a design for a memorial to soldiers killed in U.S. actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. She was elected vice-chair at the commission's first meeting;however,after the chairman,former Rep. Rafael Gallegos,left the legislature,the group did not meet again,and Gallegos could not be located. In April 2009,Garza-Hicks expressed a desire that the panel continue its work,but,as vice-chair,stated that she did not have the authority to reconvene it. [32]
In December 2009,Garza-Hicks was announced as a member of county-level leadership for Jane Norton's campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by Michael Bennet. [33]
Don Marostica is a real estate developer and former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado,currently serving as director of the state's Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
Randy Fischer is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. An engineering consultant with a background in natural resources,Fischer was first elected as a Democrat in 2006 to the Colorado House of Representatives,Fischer represented House District 53,which encompasses the western half of Fort Collins,Colorado. In the legislature,Fischer sponsored legislation relating to uranium mining and also focused on water and environmental issues. In the house,he served for a time as Deputy Majority Whip and chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources committees. Term limited,he did not seek re-election in 2014,and his term ended in early January,2015.
Bill Lee Cadman is an American politician who is a former Colorado state legislator. First elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 2000,Cadman was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Colorado Senate in 2007. Later,he represented Senate District 12,which covers rural Colorado Springs,Fort Carson,Security-Widefield,Cimarron Hills,and Cheyenne Mountain.
Mark Steven Ferrandino is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado and former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives. Appointed to the legislature in 2007,Ferrandino represented House District 2,encompassing south central Denver from 2012 to 2014. He is the first openly gay male legislator in Colorado history. He did not seek re-election in 2014,and was the chief financial officer of Denver Public Schools. On November 19,2020,Colorado Governor Jared Polis named Mark Ferrandino as the new executive director for the Colorado Department of Revenue.
Ronny J. "Ron" May is a former Colorado legislator. An Air Force veteran,he was elected to the Colorado Springs city council,then to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 1992. After serving eight years in the state house,he was elected to the Colorado Senate in 2000 and again in 2004. During his two decades in elected office,he was noted for his work on technology issues. He retired from government in 2007 to become a fellow with the Center for Digital Government and Government Technology magazine.
Douglas Edward Bruce is an American conservative activist,attorney,convicted felon,and former legislator who served as a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 2008 to 2009.
Debbie Stafford is a Colorado legislator. First appointed to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2000,Stafford was elected four times to represent House District 40,which encompasses Elbert County and rural Arapahoe County east of Aurora,Colorado. Noted for her work on animal welfare and children's issues,Stafford left the Republican caucus and joined the Democratic Party in October 2007.
Amy Stephens is a Principal in Public Policy and Regulation Practice at Dentons,a multinational law firm;previously,she served as Colorado House Majority Leader and House Minority Caucus Chairman in the Colorado House of Representatives.
John P. Morse is an American former politician who was a state senator in the Colorado Senate from 2007 to 2013,serving as president of the senate in 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Morse represented Senate District 11,which encompasses Manitou Springs,Colorado,and eastern Colorado Springs. On April 17,2009,he was selected to become Colorado's next Senate Majority Leader,following the resignation of Senate President Peter Groff and the promotion of previous Majority Leader Brandon Shaffer. On September 10,2013,Morse was recalled from office as a reaction to his involvement in passing gun control laws. He was the first legislator to be successfully recalled in the state's history.
Dan Gibbs is a politician in the U.S. state of Colorado. He currently serves as the executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.
Marsha Looper was a Colorado legislator. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006,Looper represented House District 19,which encompasses eastern El Paso County,Colorado from 2006 to 2012.
Claire Levy is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2006,Levy represented House District 13,which encompasses Clear Creek,Gilpin,and western Boulder counties. Levy was named the Executive Director of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy on November 1,2013. The Colorado Center on Law and Policy is a Denver-based nonprofit organization working to advance the health,economic security and well-being of low-income Coloradans through research,education,advocacy and litigation.
Kent Douglas Lambert is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. A United States Air Force veteran,Lambert was elected to the Colorado General Assembly as a Republican in 2006. Most recently,he represented Senate District 9,which encompasses northwest Colorado Springs,the United States Air Force Academy,Monument and Black Forest.
Ellen Stuart Roberts is an attorney and former Republican legislator in the U.S. State of Colorado. From 2006-2010,Roberts served as the State Representative for House District 59. In 2010,she was elected to Senate District 6 and served until her resignation at the end of 2016. In 2015,she was elected to serve as the President Pro-Tem for the Colorado State Senate,a position she held until her resignation.
Cherylin Naylor Peniston is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. A career public school teacher,Peniston was first elected as a Democrat in 2006 to the Colorado House of Representatives. She represented House District 35,which encompasses most of Westminster,Colorado and portions of Arvada. Term limited,she did not seek re-election in 2014.
Joe Rice is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado,an Iraq War veteran,and a former mayor of Glendale,Colorado.
Victor Mitchell is an American businessman and former legislator in Colorado. Since 2008,he has been CEO of Lead Funding,a national real estate lender. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006,Mitchell represented House District 45,including Teller County and southern Douglas County,Colorado. Mitchell served one term in office and did not stand for re-election in 2008.
Kenneth Guy Summers is a retired Colorado legislator. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006,Summers represented House District 22,including southern Lakewood,Colorado and portions of Jefferson County from 2006 to 2012.
Dianne I. Primavera is an American politician who is the 50th lieutenant governor of Colorado. A Democrat,she previously served as the Colorado State Representative for the 33rd district from 2007 to 2011,and again from 2013 to 2017. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jared Polis selected Primavera as his running mate,in the 2018 Colorado gubernatorial election.
Robert S. Gardner is a legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. A United States Air Force veteran and attorney,Gardner was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006. From 2006 to 2012,he represented House District 21,which encompasses western El Paso County and northeastern Fremont County.