I hate you, Colorado Peak Politics
On May 5, the Colorado State Senate voted down the re-appointment of Heidi Hess to the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. So, then, why is Hess still on the commission? That’s the question that Senate President Kevin Grantham is grappling with.
“It’s mind-boggling that the governor would just choose to ignore the (state) constitution’s plain language. It calls into question the governor’s respect for the institution.”
Republican legislators originally voted her down because she advocated for suing business owners instead of finding positive resolutions to civil rights issues. Hickenlooper’s response to the head scratching? Come up with a convoluted legal response that still allows him to keep this trial lawyer advocate his pick on the Commission. Here is what his spokesperson said when pushed on the matter:
“A spokeswoman for the governor said that state law says ‘when an appointee is not confirmed by the Senate, the last person to hold the seat … continues to serve until the governor appoints a successor.'”
So, the governor, in theory, could just never appoint someone else and keep his person on the Commission in perpetuity, which is clearly not in the spirit of the law. But whatever it takes to make Democratic donors happy.