Stella Garza-Hicks

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Stella Garza-Hicks
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 17th district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 10, 2007
Preceded by	Mark Cloer
Born	1953 Kress, Texas
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Ray
Profession	Cosmetologist, Salesperson

Stella Garza-Hicks (born 1953^[1][2]) is a Colorado legislator. Appointed to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006, Garza-Hicks represents House District 17, including southern Colorado Springs and the Fort Carson military base.^[3] She is not a candidate for reelection in the 2008 legislative elections.

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

[edit] Biography

Born in Kress, Texas, ^[4] Garza-Hicks dropped out of high school in the ninth grade to become a cosmetologist,^[1] moving to Colorado in the 1970s^[5] with her first husband, a soldier stationed at Fort Carson. After divorcing her first husband, whom she describes as an alcoholic, Hicks remarried^[1]; she has three stepchildren — Frank, Jess, and Kelly^[6] — through her husband, Ray Hicks, and worked as a vacuum cleaner salesperson before leaving work to become a homemaker.^[4]

Garza-Hicks became involved in politics after a conversation with former state representative Barbara Phillips.^[1] 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, and is a legislative member of the Civil Air Patrol. 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.^[4]

[edit] Legislative career

[edit] 2006 appointment

Garza-Hicks served as the Republican district chairperson for Colorado House District 17 for six years ^[7], 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.^[8] Nominated for the position by Cloer himself, Garza-Hicks was unanimously appointed to his seat by a Republican vacancy committee,^[7] and was sworn in on January 10, 2007, with the rest of the incoming legislative class.^[9] Garza-Hicks, who speaks Spanish, is one of the few Hispanic women in the Colorado legislature.^[1]

[edit] 2007 legislative session

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.^[10]

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.^[11] 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.^[12] 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.^[13] 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.^[12]

Following the regular session, Garza-Hick was appointed by Attorney General John Suthers to the state Methamphetamine Task Force,^[14] and served on the legislature's Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission.^[15]

[edit] 2008 legislative session

Bills Introduced in 2008 by Rep. Garza-Hicks (for which Rep. Garza-Hicks is the primary originating sponsor)
BILL	TITLE	OUTCOME
HB08-1034	Concerning clarifications to employer tax credits for taxpayers utilizing employee leasing companies.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB08-1130	Concerning court orders allowing the interception of communications.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB08-1175	Concerning the creation of the United States Army Fourth Infantry Division special license plate [...]	(in progress)

In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Hicks sits on the House Health and Human Services Committee, and the House Local Government Committee. ^[16] She has sponsored legislation to create a special license plate recognizing the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division,^[17] the first military unit to be honored with a special plate in Colorado.^[18] She was also a primary sponsor of the bipartisan resolution to recognize Military and Veterans Appreciation Day.^[19] 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.^[20] After being reconciled to allow three monthlong extensions of wiretaps, the bill was signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter.^[21]

Garza-Hicks was also one of only a few Republicans to publicly back a measure introduced by Speaker Andrew Romanoff to reformspending requirements in Colorado's state constitution by diverting excess revenues under TABOR to K-12 education.^[22]

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.^[2] Republicans Kit Roupe and Sheila Hicks (no relation to Garza-Hicks) and Democrat Christine Varney have declared their candidacies for the open seat.^[23]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Legislative web site
• Personal web site