Twenty Years Ago this week in The Colorado Statesman … While the state was only in the “infancy stage” as a player in presidential politics, Colorado’s second presidential primary, in 1996, was shining a spotlight on a state that had been mostly ignored by presidential hopefuls. “Colorado got an enormous amount of attention from the primary,” said former state Sen. Mike Bird, R-Colorado Springs, who sponsored the primary referendum approved by state voters in 1990. “Colorado turned out to be a pivotal state.” Former Secretary of State Natalie Meyer, who was heading Republican Bob Dole’s campaign in Colorado, agreed. “Iowa and New Hampshire have been established for so many years, we’re not going to compete with them. But (Colorado’s primary) has definitely changed the complexion of the race. Before that, we weren’t even a spot on the horizon.” The March 5 primary — the same date New England states and Georgia were also voting on “Junior Tuesday” — was “snugly” in the thick of the nomination process, when the Republican race was taking shape but was not yet determined. (Democrat Bill Clinton was running without serious challenge for his second term.) “Being the only western state, I think Colorado’s going to get a lot of activity,” said Colorado College professor Bob Loevy. Bird, who co-sponsored the primary measure with House Speaker Chuck Berry, R-Colorado Springs, said the two ran into little resistance from legislators. “Nobody really had a substantive argument against it,” Bird recalled, saying skeptics were concerned about the cost of conducting a primary. “(The cost issue) was overwhelmed, not only by the political benefits of putting Colorado on the map, but the economic benefits.” …

… Texas Sen. Phil Gramm chose Valentine’s Day to end his quest for the Republican presidential nomination, freeing up a number of high-powered supporters in Colorado who were being wooed by rival campaigns. Jim Nicholson, vice chairman of the Republican National Committee, had co-chaired the Gramm campaign in Colorado but was going to stay neutral going forward, he said. Instead, he planned to spearhead a task force to study the presidential primary system at the request of RNC chairman Haley Barbour, who was concerned that the “quick-paced, roller-coaster” primary calendar was eliminating candidates too quickly based on the whims of small, unrepresentative states. Nicholson said he was disappointed that Gramm hadn’t done better in early states but only had the highest praise for his candidate. “This was a tough call for him,” Nicholson said. “He ran a totally focused race, ran a disciplined and civil, high-road campaign and talked about what I know he believes in.” Gramm’s other Colorado co-chair, State Treasurer Bill Owens, a former Texan, agreed, noting that he received a call from Gramm letting him know he was dropping out and would return home to run for his Senate seat. Mike Hesse, western regional director for the Bob Dole campaign and a former executive director of the Colorado GOP, said the massive fundraising and national organization behind the Gramm campaign lost focus and simply “ran out of steam.” Chris Paulson, campaign manager for Lamar Alexander’s Colorado campaign, said his candidate’s third-place finish in Iowa boosted Alexander to the top tier of candidates. “Since the Iowa showing, Lamar is starting to surge and momentum is increasing,” Paulson said. But the Pat Buchanan camp believed the race was narrowing to a Dole-Buchanan race and that it was the outspoken conservative commentator who had knocked Gramm from the race. Doug Dean, co-chair of Buchanan’s Colorado campaign, said the door was always open to pro-life, socially conservative Republicans, including former Gramm supporters. …

… The Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly won Senate approval as the state’s official insect on a 25-7 vote, but not before some legislative maneuvering. The bill’s chief sponsor, Sen. Frank Weddig, D-Aurora, with the help of Sen. Linda Powers, D-Crested Butte, successfully urged the Senate to strip a committee amendment that would have named the creature the state butterfly, leaving the official insect spot unfilled. Senators also swatted away a proposal by Sen. Mike Coffman, R-Aurora, to name the mosquito the state insect, suggesting the designation might scare outsiders and encourage them to move elsewhere. More seriously, Coffman voted against final passage, saying the Legislature shouldn’t “clutter up the statutes” with such things. The idea originated with a fourth-grade class at Aurora’s Wheeling Elementary School, and several youngsters testified in support. …

… State Rep. Peggy Lamm, D-Boulder, said she was somewhat encouraged even though her “Death with Dignity” bill died 7-4 in the House Health, Environment, Welfare and Institutions Committee, since it came a little closer to passing than it had the year before. Lamm, the sister-in-law of former Gov. Dick Lamm, said she planned to continue introducing some version of the bill each year until the Legislature allowed terminally ill patients to ask a doctor to prescribe drugs to end their lives. Rep. Martha Kreutz, R-Littleton, joined three Democrats on the panel to support the bill, while Rep. Gloria Leyba, D-Denver, voted with majority Republicans against it. Organizations representing older Coloradans testified in favor, while physicians and anti-abortion groups lined up against it.

— ernest@coloradostatesman.com