Sara Gagliardi

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Sara Gagliardi
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 27th district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 10, 2007[1]
Born	March 9, 1958 (1958-03-09) (age 50) Estherville, Iowa
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Jack
Profession	Nurse
Religion	Roman Catholic

Sara Elizabeth Gagliardi^[2] (born March 9, 1958^[3]) is a legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. A career nurse, Gagliardi was first elected as a Democrat in 2006 to the Colorado House of Representatives. She represents House District 27, which encompasses most of Arvada, Colorado.^[4]

Contents 1 Biography 2 Legislative career 2.1 2006 election 2.2 2007 legislative session 2.3 2008 legislative session 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Biography

Born in Estherville, Iowa,^[3] Gagliardi graduated from high school in 1976 and attended Iowa Lakes Community College from 1976 to 1977, where she earned certification as a licensed practical nurse. ^[2]

She worked as a medical surgical nurse at Emmetsburg Community Hospital,^[3] then worked at The Children's Hospital from 1981 to 1982 and Wallace Village for Children in 1982^[2] before beginning a 23-year career with Kaiser Permanente in 1983.^[3]

A resident of Arvada, Colorado, Gagliardi has been a member of Spirit of Christ Catholic Church since 1989, where she has taught Sunday school. Married with three sons — Gordon, Chris, and Anthony — Gagliardi has served on the accountability committee at Vanderhoof Elementary, the parent advisory committee at Drake Middle School, the Arvada High School Boosters, and a Cub Scout leader. She has also been chair of the Arvada Northwest Business and Professional Women's Committee,^[2] and a union steward for Service Employees International Union Local 105.^[3]

Gagliardi entered politics in the 1990s, volunteering with Gail Schoettler's gubernatorial campaign in 1998, and as senate district coordinator for state senator Sue Windels in 2000,^[3] before running for the state house herself unsuccessfully in 2002.^[2] She has also worked on Denver and Arvada city council races and campaigns for Colorado's Amendment 23, and Referenda C and D.^[2]

[edit] Legislative career

Bills Introduced in 2007 by Rep. Gagliardi (for which Rep. Gagliardi is the primary originating sponsor)
BILL	TITLE	OUTCOME
HB07-1091	Concerning the authority to extend an alternative teacher program for one additional year.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1099	Concerning the repeal of the Colorado Institute of Technology.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1102	Concerning the Nursing Peer Health Assistance Diversion Program.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1195	Concerning the authority of the governing body of a local government that participates in a local government retirement system to determine the contribution rates for the system in which it participates.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1204	Concerning podiatrists' performance of appraisals of patients admitted to a hospital.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1282	Concerning the publication of notice of a final settlement for work performed under a public works contract.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1283	Concerning rules of the state board of health regarding the inspection of machine sources of radiation.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1303	Concerning the ability of a person to refuse unwanted commercial mail, and, in connection therewith, enacting the "Colorado Junk Mail Opt-Out List Act" [...]	Postponed indefinitely in House committee

[edit] 2006 election

In 2006, Gagliardi faced incumbent Republican representative Bill Crane, in a rematch of the 2002 legislative elections, in which Gagliardi had received 46% of the vote against Crane and Libertarian Gregg Miller.^[4] During her 2006 run, she was endorsed by the Denver Post,^[5] and, in a close election not decided until provisional ballots were counted, Gagliardi narrowly defeated Crane by only 111 votes, less than one half of one percent of the total vote.^[6] The race was the narrowest legislative election in Colorado in 2006.^[7]

[edit] 2007 legislative session

In the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Gagliardi sits on the House Health and Human Services and the House Local Government Committee. ^[8]

Gagliardi's most high-profile bill during the 2007 session was a measure to create a statewide "no-junk-mail" registry, similar to successful do-not-call lists. Opposed by some businesses and the U.S. Postal Service,^[9] the bill was killed in a House committee, at her request,^[10] to allow the measure to be revised and reintroduced in future sessions.^[11] Following the session, Gagliardi also joined an effort towards banning spam email.^[12]

Gagliardi also offered an amendment to the state budget to provide additional funding for veterans homes in Colorado,^[13] and was one of the few Democrats to vote against a plan pushed by Gov. Bill Ritter to freeze property tax rates to provide additional public school funding.^[14] Rep. Gagliardi was also a co-sponsor of Senate bills to provide legal immunity to school staff who intervene to stop disruptive behavior,^[15] and an unsuccessful measure to revise rules regarding frequent flier miles.^[16]

[edit] 2008 legislative session

In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Gagliardi sits on the House Health and Human Services and the House Local Government Committee. ^[17] She has sponsored legislation to expand funding for the Colorado Responds to Children with Special Needs (CRCSN) Program by increasing the cost of birth certificates.^[18] Gagliardi sponsored two measures to allow Medicaid reimbursements for services provided by advanced practice nurses in Colorado; both were passed into law and signed by Gov. Ritter in March.^[19]

She has also proposed, with Rep. Mark Ferrandino, the "American Dream Protection Act of 2008," which would allow judges to delay home foreclosures by 90 days, in response to the ongoing subprime mortgage crisis.^[20][21] The bill was amended in the legislature to only increase public outreach efforts and notification requirements before passing the state house.^[22]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Colorado General Assembly profile