Amy Stephens

Amy Stephens is a Colorado legislator. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006, Stephens represents House District 20, which covers northern El Paso County, Colorado, including portions of Colorado Springs and the areas surrounding the United States Air Force Academy.^[2] She also serves as the House Majority Leader.

Biography

Stephens attended the University of California at Los Angeles and then California State University Fullerton, earning a bachelor's degree in communications in 1980. From 1991 to 2001, she worked as a public policy and youth culture specialist for Christian ministry Focus on the Family. An abstinence-based sex education curriculum written by Stephens, No Apologies, has been translated into over a dozen languages.^[3]

After leaving Focus on the Family, Stephens founded the consulting firm Fresh Ideas Communication & Consulting, assisting non-profit and faith-based organizations with communication, organization, and development issues. She has also served as a panel expert on federal grant review committees for the federal Department of Health & Human Services.^[3] Stephen is married; she and her husband, Ron, have one son, Nicholas.^[4]

Before running for the legislature herself, Stephens was a veteran of numerous Republican campaigns, including those of Colorado Governor Bill Owens, 4th Judicial District Attorney John Newsome, El Paso County Commissioner Wayne Williams,^[3] and U.S. President George W. Bush.^[1] She has served as a member of the El Paso County Republican Committee, and as a delegate to the 1996 and 2004 Republican National Conventions. She was also appointed by Governor Owens to the Governor's Commission on the Welfare of Children.^[3]

Political career

2006 election

In 2006, Stephens ran for the legislature herself, winning a 3:1 victory over Democratic opponent Jan Hejtmanek^[5] in an overwhelmingly Republican district.^[6] During her campaign, Stephens identified infrastructure issues, including water, as one of her major legislative concerns.^[1] Stephens has already begun her re-election campaign for the 2008 elections and is expected to face Hejtmanek once again, in a rematch of their 2006 race.^[7] Hejtmanek has criticized Stephens for her continued support of "abstinence-only sex education" and for opposing expanded "adoption and non-discrimination rights" for homosexuals;^[8] Stephens has denounced these bills as part of a Democratic "cultural revolution" furthering a "secular agenda."^[9]

2007 legislative session

In the 2007 session of the state legislature, Stephens sat on the House Judiciary Committee and was the ranking Republican on the House Business & Labor Affairs Committee.^[10] Four bills introduced by Rep. Stephens were passed by the General Assembly,^[11] most prominently a measure that would prohibit criminal charges against illegal immigrants from being dismissed without their deportation.^[12][13] In November 2007, upon Rep. Bill Cadman's appointment to the Colorado Senate, the first-term legislator was elected to succeed him as House Minority Caucus Chair.^[14]

2008 legislative session

In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Stephens sits on the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee, and the House Judiciary Committee. ^[15] Stephens sponsored a bill to tax in-room pay-per-view movies sold by hotels to fund child advocacy centers; after facing opposition from the hotel industry, Stephen asked for the bill to be killed in committee.^[16] Stephens also sponsored a bill, passed by the General Assembly, to streamline the teaching licensure application process for military spouses,^[17] and sponsored another bill to provide unemployment benefits to military spouses forced to relocate out of state.^[18] She also sponsored successful legislation to require hospitals to publicly publish charges for common medical procedures.^[19][20]

Stephens also led Republican opposition to the 2008 state budget, criticizing it for excessive spending.^[21][22]

2008 election

In a rematch of their 2006 contest, Stephens again faced Democrat Jan Hejtmanek in the November 2008 legislative election.^[23] Stephens' re-election bid was endorsed by the Denver Post,^[24] while the Colorado Springs Independent endorsed her Democratic opponent.^[25]

In September 2008, Stephens was named to the "Palin Truth Squad," representatives of the McCain-Palin presidential campaign tasked with countering alleged distortions concerning the record of Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.^[26] In that capacity, she made a number of media statements in support of Palin during the 2008 presidential campaign,^[27] spoke at an October rally in Colorado Springs featuring Palin,^[28] and delivered the invocation at a Denver rally featuring John McCain.^[29] In October, Stephens, with other Republican legislators, participated in a statewide "Save, Don't Spend" RV Tour critical of Democratic policies.^[30][31]

After winning re-election with 76 percent of the popular vote,^[32] Stephens was also re-elected Minority Caucus Chair by House Republicans, fending off a challenge for the post from Rep. Ellen Roberts.^[33]

After House Minority Leader Mike May announced plans to retire in December 2008, Stephens was seen as a possible candidate for the leadership post.^[34]

2009 legislative session

With Democratic Rep. Joe Rice, Stephens sponsored legislation allowing health insurance providers to offer discounts for participation in wellness programs.^[35][36]

Responding to a deal between labor and business leaders to remove several statewide referenda from the 2008 general election ballot, Stephens introduced legislation that would prohibit financial deals that would impact initiatives on Colorado election ballots.^[37][38] The measure was defeated in a House committee.^[39]

References

External links

• Amy Stephens - House District 20, campaign website
• Legislative home page