February 3, 2006


The Honorable Andrew Romanoff
Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives
200 E. Colfax Ave., Room 246
Denver, CO 80203

Dear Mr. Speaker:

On Thursday, you formally notified me of your decision to have the House join with the Senate in forming a select committee to look into homeland defense.

House Republicans are committed to ensuring that federal homeland defense dollars are spent wisely, with the goal of making Colorado safer. We support the checks and balances contained within our state Constitution, and thus, welcome the chance to participate in an independent evaluation of how to improve our emergency response and terrorist prevention capabilities. Also, we believe that most, if not all, of the state auditor's recommendations regarding Colorado's homeland defense program should be implemented. We are also open to other suggestions that will truly improve the program and make Colorado safer.

However, to date you have failed to provide answers to many key questions concerning this select committee. These include:

--What is the scope and mission of the select committee? Is the goal fact-finding and looking for ways to improve how Colorado spends federal homeland defense dollars, or will it be more investigative and prosecutorial in nature? What assurances does the public have that this will not turn into an election-year witch hunt funded with taxpayer dollars?

--How long have you and Senate President Fitz-Gerald been planning this committee? Despite the fact that the Senate President notified the Senate Minority Leader on Monday, yesterday (Thursday) was the first communication I have had from you on this subject. Neither had you broached this subject at any of our Legislative Council or Executive Committee meetings. This would hardly seem to be in line with your calls for civility and bipartisanship. You say you want to ease tensions within the body, but your actions are otherwise.


I would note that House Democrats, on a near party-line vote, passed a rule change (House Joint Resolution 1003) on Jan. 13, that anticipates and permits the formation of this and possibly another select committee. Yet this was not made apparent to House members three weeks ago when they voted on the rule change. At the time, the Majority Leadership played down the significance of HJR06-1003, saying it was a "simple rule change" and administrative in nature.

--What is the anticipated cost of this committee? HJR06-1003 gives the committee the ability to use nonpartisan legislative staff. Do you anticipate hiring additional staff, or will present staff be diverted from current duties in order to staff the committee? If the committee becomes political in nature, won't this compromise the nonpartisan role that Legislative Council staff has tried to maintain?

--If additional money is involved, where will it come from? -- the additional revenue that is anticipated from Referendum C?

--How many meetings do you anticipate? Will you be asking for subpoena power?

The citizens of our state deserve to know where House and Senate Democrats are going with this committee. I look forward to your earliest possible response.

Sincerely,



Joe Stengel
House Minority Leader

JS/pjb