Ellen Roberts
Ellen S. Roberts is a former Republican member of the Colorado State Senate, representing District 6 from 2011 to 2016. She served as the president pro tempore from 2015 to 2016. She resigned on December 31, 2016, to spend more time with her family and to focus on her law practice.[1]
Roberts served in the Colorado House of Representatives, representing District 59 from 2007 to 2010.
Biography
Roberts' professional experience includes working as an attorney with the Ellen Roberts Professional Corporation and Roberts and Steelman, and as a park ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park.
Committee assignments
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Roberts served on the following committees:
| Colorado committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy, Vice chair |
| • Judiciary, Chair |
| • Legal Services |
| • Legislative Council |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Roberts served on the following committees:
| Colorado committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Health and Human Services |
| • Legal Services |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Roberts served on these committees:
| Colorado committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Health and Human Services |
| • Judiciary |
| • Legal Services |
| • Local Government |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Roberts served on these committees:
| Colorado committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Finance |
| • Joint Finance |
| • Judiciary |
| • Joint Judiciary |
| • Legal Services |
Issues
Jerry's kids bill
Jeanne Nicholson sponsored a bill in the 2011 session to give right of way throughout Colorado to police officers and firefighters who approach passing motorists for Jerry's Kids on Labor Day weekend.
Senate bill 270, approved by the Senate Local Government Committee, clarifies when and where public-safety personnel, such as firefighters, can solicit funds from motorists. Local governments would be required to approve permit applications submitted by firefighters to do their fundraising on roadways.
Nicholson contends her bill is really about public safety.
“As long as we can say when and where—this bill protects firefighters and others by law,” said Nicholson. “Because they are professionals, they are aware of the public-safety of the situation.”
The measure overrules local laws and authority in this matter.
Sen. Ellen Roberts said passage of the proposed measure would “open a Pandora’s Box.” Sen. Irene Aguilar, who is also concerned, said she would support SB270 for the time being but would seek additional input.
“I am voting yes because I came in here today saying I would but will need to talk more with (legislative staff),” said Aguilar.
Sen. Bill Cadman opposed the bill and said the measure raised a question of local control—and a constitutional one.
“(SB-270) is a total usurpation of local control. It tries to carve out an exemption from local laws, for a specific group, raising serious constitutional issues,” said Cadman. “It’s a good public service but bad public policy…the ends don’t justify the means.”[2]
Political positions
Debt negotiations
Welch is one of the members of a bipartisan group organized by the National Conference of Legislatures called the Task Force on Federal Deficit Reduction (TFFDR). Consisting of 23 state lawmakers from 17 states,[3] the group went to Capitol Hill on September 21, 2011 to urge the Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to cut the nation's debt but not impose severe budget cuts on the states.
TFFDR urged the Committee to consider new revenue as a possibility, instead of just focusing on budget cuts as House Speaker John Boehner has proposed. The group specifically proposed passage of the "Main Street Fairness Act," which would allow states to tax online retailers.[4]
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2014
- See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Colorado State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 24, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 31, 2014. Incumbent Ellen S. Roberts was unopposed in the Republican primary and was unchallenged in the general election.[5][6][7]
2010
Roberts defeated Dean Boehler (R) in the August 10 primary. She then defeated incumbent Bruce Whitehead (D) in the November 2 general election.
| Colorado State Senate, District 6 General election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
 Ellen Roberts (R)
|
34,574 | |||
| Bruce Whitehead (D) | 22,559 | |||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Roberts won re-election to the 59th District seat in the Colorado House of Representatives, running unopposed in the general election.[8]
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Colorado scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2016
In 2016, the second session of the 70th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 13 through May 11.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills the ACLU of Colorado "felt were the best representations of the civil liberties issues facing Colorado today."
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that are supported or opposed by the organization.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to fiscal policy.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on animal issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental conservation.
- Legislators are scored on their votes related to mental health issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored based on their votes on LGBT issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to "core principles of liberty," which the organization defines as "Free People," "Free Markets," and "Good Government."
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on women's issues.
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2015, the first session of the 70th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 7 through May 6.
|
2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2014, the 69th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 8 to May 7.
|
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2013, the 69th Colorado General Assembly was in session from January 9 to May 9.
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Roberts is a member of the Citizens Health Advisory Council, Club 20, First National Bank Board, First Presbyterian Church and Chair of the Board of Directors of Mercy Regional Medical Center.[9]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for Ellen + Roberts + Colorado + Senate
See also
- Colorado State Senate
- Colorado Senate Committees
- Colorado State Senate District 6
- Colorado State Legislature
External links
- Profile from Open States
- Legislative Profile from Project Vote Smart
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions via OpenSecrets
Footnotes
- ↑ The Denver Post, "Durango’s Republican state senator Ellen Roberts to resign," accessed October 19, 2016
- ↑ Colorado News Agency, "A bill for Jerry’s kids—and fundraising firefighters," May 3rd, 2011
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Task Force on Federal Deficit Reduction," accessed May 15, 2014
- ↑ Stateline, "State legislators want revenue on table in debt talks," September 22, 2011
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official primary candidate list," accessed May 1, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed June 25, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Official general election results," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "2008 General election results," accessed April 14, 2014
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed April 14, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bruce Whitehead (D) |
Colorado State Senate District 6 2011–2016 |
Succeeded by Don Coram (R) |
| Preceded by ' |
Colorado House District 59 2007–2011 |
Succeeded by J. Paul Brown (R) |
