Rep. Tim Leonard, R-Evergreen, the newest member of the Legislature, is playing catching up. Tapped last month to replace former Rep. Jon Keyser, R-Morrison, who resigned to run for the U.S. Senate, Leonard told The Colorado Statesman he is focusing on reining in spending and pressing the case at the Capitol for lawmaking that strictly adheres to Constitutional values and requirements.

“There are excellent programs” pitched to lawmakers all the time at the Capitol, Leonard said, but “our job is to choose what is the best amount of money to spend within a constitutional framework.”

“I think we have a constitutional crisis. We have way too many laws that are outside of the Constitution. We see the debate today,” he said, referring to the push and pull over the hospital provider fee and the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. “TABOR is in our Constitution, and yet we have legislators and a governor who want to circumvent that. My job is to protect the Constitution.”

Leonard was selected over six other candidates to fill the House vacancy.

In 2010, the real estate developer and father of six ran with no primary opponent to represent state Senate District 16. Leonard lost to Sen. Jeanne Nicholson, D-Black Hawk, who won by 658 votes. He ran for the same seat in 2006 on the American Constitution Party ticket and was the American Constitution Party nominee for governor in 1998. Leslie Hanks, currently president of American Right to Life, ran with him for Lt. governor.

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Q&A with Rep. Tim Leonard, R-Evergreen part 1 from The Colorado Statesman

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Q&A with Rep. Tim Leonard, R-Evergreen part 2 from The Colorado Statesman

— ramsey@coloradostatesman.com