S_SA_2017A 02/22/2017 Committee Summary

01:37 PM -- SB17-071



Senator Scott announced that the committee would hear testimony on Senate Bill 17-071 and Senate Bill 17-138 but lay the bills over for action only at a later date.



Senator Tate, sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-071 to the committee. For counties with at least 25,000 active voters (large counties), this bill reduces the number of voter service and polling centers (vote centers) required during the first seven days of early voting. During this time, large counties must operate at least one vote center for every 75,000 active voters, rather than one for every 30,000 voters as required under current law. This bill also eliminates the requirement that vote centers be open on the first Saturday of the early voting period. The requirement for operating vote centers in the second half of early voting is unchanged by the bill.



Committee members discussed the bill with Senator Tate.



01:42 PM -- Elizabeth Steele, representing Colorado Common Cause, testified against the bill.



01:46 PM -- Celia Reyes-Martinez, representing herself, testified against the bill.



01:48 PM -- Carla Castedo, representing Mi Familia Vota, testified against the bill.



01:51 PM -- Jessica Campbell-Swanson, representing herself, testified against the bill.























01:55 PM -- Jennifer Levin, representing Disability Law Colorado, testified against the bill.



01:58 PM -- Lizzy Stephan, representing New Era Colorado, testified against the bill.



02:01 PM -- Suzanne Staiert, Deputy Secretary of State, testified in support of the bill. She responded to committee member questions.



02:09 PM -- Matt Crane, Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder, testified in support of the bill. He provided a handout to committee members (Attachment A) and responded to committee member questions.



17SenateState0222AttachA.pdf



02:31 PM -- Ryan Parsell, representing the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder, testified in support of the bill.



02:35 PM -- Harvie Branscomb, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.



02:38 PM -- Eric Bergman, representing Colorado Counties, Inc., testified in support of the bill.



02:39 PM -- Andrea Wilkins, representing the League of Women Voters of Colorado, testified in support of the bill.



02:42 PM -- Cathy Jarrett, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.



02:45 PM -- JM Fay, representing herself, testified on the bill. Senator Holbert read Ms. Fay's testimony.





02:47 PM



Senator Scott laid over SB 17-071 for action only.





02:48 PM -- HB17-1025



Senator Holbert, sponsor, presented House Bill 17-1025 to the committee. Recommended by the Statutory Revision Committee, this bill repeals obsolete laws pertaining to districts drawn by the General Assembly following the 1970 federal census, as well as obsolete laws pertaining to the six House of Representatives districts redrawn by the General Assembly in 1998 following Sanchez v. State of Colorado.



Student Jacob Bailey presented the bill to the committee.



The committee discussed the bill.

02:53 PM -- HB17-1074



Senator Holbert, sponsor, presented House Bill 17-1074 to the committee. Recommended by the Statutory Revision Committee, this bill repeals a law relating to Colorado's congressional districts. It was rendered obsolete by the redistricting premised on the 2010 federal census. Additionally, certain portions of this law were held unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court in People Ex Rel. Salazar v. Davidson.



Student Jacob Bailey presented the bill to the committee.

02:58 PM



The committee recessed.





























03:00 PM -- SB17-138



The committee reconvened.



Senator Tate, sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-138 to the committee. This bill authorizes each political party participating in a primary election to have at least one election watcher in each voter service and polling center (vote center). For general elections, this bill authorizes the registered agent of an issue committee to appoint one or more election watchers. For non-partisan elections, candidates and proponents and opponents of ballot issues are authorized to appoint one or more election watchers in every county. Under current law, only one election watcher is allowed in each of these circumstances. For each of these elections, the names of the election watchers must be submitted no later than the Wednesday prior to the vote centers opening. This bill also specifies the procedure that must be followed if an election watcher sees a potential discrepancy. Additionally, county clerks are authorized to request a name-based criminal history background check of any election watcher using the website maintained by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Lastly, this bill prohibits the sale, disclosure, or release of a photocopied or microfilmed image of a voters' signature.



03:03 PM -- Cathy Jarrett, representing herself, testified against the bill. She responded to committee member questions.



03:13 PM -- Harvie Branscomb, representing himself, testified against the bill. Mr. Branscomb and Ms. Jarrett responded to committee member questions.



03:23 PM -- Martha Tierney, representing America Votes, testified in support of the bill.



03:25 PM -- Elizabeth Steele, representing Colorado Common Cause, testified in support of the bill.



03:27 PM -- Karen Goldman, representing the Colorado Municipal League, the Colorado Municipal Clerks Association, and the City of Aurora, testified in support of the bill.



03:30 PM -- Matt Crane, representing the Colorado County Clerks Association, testified in support of the bill.



03:31 PM -- Suzanne Staiert, Deputy Secretary of State, testified in support of the bill.



03:34 PM -- Ryan Parsell, representing the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder, testified in support of the bill.



03:35 PM -- Mary Eberle, representing herself, testified against the bill.



03:39 PM -- Mark Johnson, representing himself, testified against the bill.



03:42 PM -- Amber McReynolds, representing the City and County of Denver, testified in support of the bill.





03:46 PM



Senator Scott laid over SB 17-138 for action only.















03:47 PM -- HB17-1014



Senator Donovan, co-prime sponsor, presented House Bill 17-1014 to the committee. Under current law, a voter that shows his or her completed ballot in a manner that discloses its contents commits a unclassified misdemeanor offense. This reengrossed bill, as amended by the House State Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, allows a voter to disclose the contents of his or her completed ballot by showing it to any other person or by making an image available through electronic means (social media). The ability of a voter to disclose the contents of his or her ballot at a polling place or other location in which votes are tabulated is subject to the ability of municipal and county clerks to monitor such activity, and clerks may establish reasonable restrictions on the use of photography in polling places.



Committee members discussed the bill with Senator Donovan.



03:53 PM -- Suzanne Staiert, Deputy Secretary of State, testified on the bill from a neutral position.



03:56 PM -- Harvie Branscomb, representing himself, testified on the the bill from a neutral position and responded to committee member questions.



04:00 PM -- David Henderson, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.



04:02 PM -- Scott Romano, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.



04:05 PM -- Ryan Parsell, representing the El Paso County Clerk's Office, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Parsell and Mr. Romano responded to committee member questions.



04:14 PM -- Mary Eberle, representing herself, testified against the bill.



























































04:18 PM



Senator Donovan wrapped up her presentation of the bill.

04:19 PM



The committee adjourned.