Jennifer Veiga

Infobox State Senator
name=Jennifer Veiga

---

width = 150
height = 200
state_senate=Colorado
district=31^st
term_start=July 28, 2003http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS2004A/csljournals.nsf/(jousen)/17491B26D4C7AC1387256E14005AF69F/$FILE/jour_001.pdf]
term_end=present
preceded=Doug Linkhart
succeeded=
state_house2= Colorado
district2=3^rd
term_start2 = January 1997
term_end2 = July 21 2003http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS2004a/csljournals.nsf/3C2D62D305D3DAB18725698300768538/938CD80DED618BFF87256DDE0054D486/$FILE/Jn07.pdf]
predecessor2 =
successor2 =Anne McGihon
date of birth=birth date and age|1962|10|10
place of birth=Long Beach, California [http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=12326 Project Vote Smart - Senator Jennifer L. 'Jen' Veiga - Biography ] ]
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=
profession=Attorney
religion=Roman Catholic
party=Democratic
website= [http://www.jenniferveiga.com jenniferveiga.com] |

Jennifer L. Veiga (born October 10, 1962http://www.jenveiga.com/test/?page_id=9] ) is a Colorado legislator. First elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1996, Veiga was appointed to the Colorado Senate in 2003 and subsequently elected to a full term in 2004. She represents the 31st Senate District, which covers downtown and north-central Denver. [http://comaps.org/district31s.html COMaps: State Senate District 31 ] ]

Biography

Graduating from Irvine High School in 1980, she went on to the University of Colorado at Boulder where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1983. She then received a Juris Doctor from the National Law Center, George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in 1987.

A practicing lawyer with the Denver law firm Hall & Evans, LLC specializing in civil ligitagation, Veiga was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1996 and re-elected three times, in 1998, 2000, and 2002. In 2003, she served as House Minority Leader, as well as a member of the Executive Committee and the Legislative Council.

In July 2003, she was named by a Vacancy Committee to the 31st District seat in the Colorado Senate following the resignation of Doug Linkhart. [http://www.gaywired.com/article.cfm?section=9&id=854 GayWired.com - First lesbian in Colorado House Now First Lesbian in State Senate ] ] She ran unopposed for election to the Senate seat in November 2004 and will face re-election in 2008. She currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and is also a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

A lesbian, she came out publicly in August 2002 and is the first ever openly gay person to serve in the Colorado legislature.cite web |date=2005-06-11 |title=Gay, lesbian politicians are learning the basics |author=Kyle Henley |accessdate=2007-07-18 |url=http://www2.gazette.com/display.php?id=1308221&secid=1 |work=The Gazette (Colorado Springs)] As a representative and then as a senator, Veiga introduced legislation every year to ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, at first with little success.http://jenveiga.com/test/?page_id=10] In 2005 and then in 2006, Veiga's non-discrimination bill was passed by the legislature, but vetoed by Gov. Bill Owens; [http://www.westernequality.org/news050606.htm Western Equality | OutWest Newsletter May/June 2006 ] ] in 2007, however, the bill was signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter. [http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1189240278838&pagename=GovRitter%2FGOVRLayout Press Release- May 25, 2007 ] ] Today, she is one of two openly gay members of the legislature, serving alongside Rep. Mark Ferrandino (D-Denver).

References

External links

* [http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/senate/members/sen31.htm Colorado State Senator Jennifer Veiga] official government website
* [http://www.jenniferveiga.com Jennifer Veiga] official campaign website
* [http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=12326 Project Vote Smart - Senator Jennifer L. 'Jen' Veiga (CO)] profile
*"Follow the Money" - Jennifer L Veiga
** [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=20066&c=426263 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=20046&c=411252 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=20026&c=22119 2002] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=20006&c=347798 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=19986&c=347397 1998] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=19966&c=347022 1996] campaign contributions