Author: LYNN BARTELS Special to Colorado Politics
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LYNN BARTELS | Changes in climate are constant in Colorado
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Years ago, when my parents were visiting me in north Denver, it rained for two straight days, a slow rain that never let up. Lynn Bartels It was May and I had taken time off because I thought I’d get some yard work done during their visit. “I hate this rain,” I exclaimed as I…
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LYNN BARTELS | 46 years later, Roe v. Wade debate still rages
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Lynn Bartels Years ago, while on assignment in Albuquerque, N.M., I met a woman who casually asked during lunch one day, “Why isn’t your generation up in arms over attempts to make abortion illegal?” She admitted undergoing three backroom abortions, including one that nearly killed her. The first two were during college. “You would have…
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BARTELS: County Clerks Association honors four lawmakers
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The Colorado County Clerks Association today recognized three lawmakers who sponsored a bill to make it easier for clerks to maintain or upgrade equipment used to record documents. The effort to pass the bill actually began two to three years ago, CCCA director Pam Anderson told clerks at their summer conference, which began Monday. A lot…
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BARTELS: Colorado reporter Joe St. George once covered Tim Kaine
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Reporter Joe St. George made sure that Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine did an in-studio interview when the Democrat came to Colorado in March to campaign for Hillary Clinton for president because, well, the journalist just knew. Kaine was on President Obama’s short list in 2008 for vice president, and St. George was sure Kaine would…
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BARTELS: Secretary Wayne Williams reflects on icons Bill Armstrong, Howard Gelt
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Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams crossed paths with Republican Bill Armstrong and Democrat Howard Gelt, political icons who died last week. Armstrong died July 5, Gelt July 8. Colorado mourned the deaths of both men, who made such an impact on the state. (Check out the Secretary of State blog for separate stories on Armstrong, the guy…
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BARTELS: New election commission to study possible fixes to Colorado laws, constitution
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Two proposed ballot measures dealing with primary elections and a presidential primary will drive up costs for counties to run elections. Language concerning recall elections added to Colorado’s constitution in 1913 conflicts with current federal and state law. And what about signature verification for candidate and initiative petitions? Those topics were discussed Friday during the…
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BARTELS: Howard Gelt was the go-to guy, the unsung force – 1943-2016
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Howard Gelt, the kid who got kicked out of military school and continued a rebellious streak for years, left his mark on Colorado in a number of ways, from politics to transportation to the arts. A pioneer for women’s rights, he helped found the Colorado NARAL chapter. At 6-foot-5, he appeared like a giant when…
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BARTELS: A wave of emotions as immigrants become Americans: “All the hard work pays off”
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Children waved tiny American flags and smiled while some adults couldn’t hold back tears Thursday during a naturalization ceremony in Colorado Springs where 31 immigrants became U.S. citizens. Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams, who regularly participates in naturalization ceremonies, urged the new Americans to register to vote. “You can be a part of whatever…
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BARTELS: Former Sen. Bill Armstrong: The guy who went from saying “no” to saying “maybe”
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As Congress was fighting the debt ceiling in 2013, Dick Wadhams, Colorado’s political historian, passed on a New York Times story he knew I would enjoy: a 1983 feature on U.S. Sen. Bill Armstrong and his brand of conservatism. “In one sense the Senator is a missionary, preaching the gospel of fiscal rectitude to…
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BARTELS: Armenians interested in Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams’ take on presidential politics
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A group of Armenian officials who met with Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams Thursday were interested in a variety of topics, including overseas Americans participating in elections back home to the upcoming presidential contest. Williams explained Colorado is a “swing” state that sometimes votes Republican and sometimes Democrat for president. He stunned the delegation when he told them that Hillary Clinton…