Stella Garza-Hicks

Infobox State Representative
name=Stella Garza-Hicks


state_house=Colorado
state=Colorado
district=17th
term_start=January 10, 2007
preceded=Mark Cloer
succeeded=Incumbent
date of birth=1953
place of birth=Kress, Texas
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=Ray
profession=Cosmetologist, Salesperson
religion=
party=Republican|

Stella Garza-Hicks (born 1953) is a Colorado legislator. Appointed to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006, Garza-Hicks represents House District 17, including southern Colorado Springs and the Fort Carson military base.cite web |url=http://comaps.org/district17h.html |title=State House District 17 |accessdate=2007-11-21 |format=html |work=COMaps ] She is not a candidate for reelection in the 2008 legislative elections.

Biography

Born in Kress, Texas,cite web |url=http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=69478 |title=Representative Garza-Hicks |accessdate=2007-11-21 |format=html |work=Project Vote Smart] Garza-Hicks dropped out of high school in the ninth grade to become a cosmetologist, moving to Colorado in the 1970scite web |url=http://www.housedistrict17.com/Rep_Garza_Hicks.html |title=Rep. Garza-Hicks |accessdate=2007-11-22 |format=html |work=HouseDistrict17.com ] with her first husband, a soldier stationed at Fort Carson. After divorcing her first husband, whom she describes as an alcoholic, Hicks remarriedcite news |first=Michael |last=De Yoanna |title=Back road to the Capitol |url=http://www.csindy.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A19946
work=Colorado Springs Independent |date=11 January 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] ; she has three stepchildren — Frank, Jess, and Kellycite news |first=Lynn |last=Bartels |title=Citizen Legislator, March 21 |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/20/citizen-legislator-march-21/ |work=Rocky Mountain News |date=20 March 2008 |accessdate=2008-03-28 ] — through her husband, Ray Hicks, and worked as a vacuum cleaner salesperson before leaving work to become a homemaker.

Garza-Hicks became involved in politics after a conversation with former state representative Barbara Phillips. An active member of the El Paso County, Colorado Republican Party, Garza-Hicks belongs to the El Paso County Republican Women's Club, the Pikes Peak Republican Club, the Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition, the National Rifle Association, and is a legislative member of the Civil Air Patrol. She has managed the political campaigns of Harrison District 2 School Board member Linda Pugh and Colorado State Representative Mark Cloer, in addition to serving as Cloer's legislative aide.

Legislative career

2006 appointment

Garza-Hicks served as the Republican district chairperson for Colorado House District 17 for six years cite news |first=Anthony |last=Lane |title=Cloer's choice going to House |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20070104/ai_n17109290
work=Colorado Springs Gazette |date=4 January 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] , a seat to which Rep. Mark Cloer was re-elected in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2006. However, instead of serving out what would have been his fourth term in the state legislature, Cloer resigned only a few weeks after his re-election, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.cite news |first=April M. |last=Washington |title=Cloer: Family comes first |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_5241179,00.html
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=28 December 2006 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] Nominated for the position by Cloer himself, Garza-Hicks was unanimously appointed to his seat by a Republican vacancy committee, and was sworn in on January 10, 2007, with the rest of the incoming legislative class.cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics/Clics2007A/csljournals.nsf/(jouhse)/C74DAE3008365363872572580079AA44/$FILE/Jn10.pdf |title=House Journal - January 10, 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-21 |format=pdf |work=Colorado General Assembly ] Garza-Hicks, who speaks Spanish, is one of the few Hispanic women in the Colorado legislature.

2007 legislative session

During the 2007 legislative session, Garza-Hicks served on the House Services Committee and the House Local Government Committee.cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/directory.nsf/HouCommWp?OpenView |title=House Committees of Reference |accessdate=2007-12-11 |format=html |work=Colorado General Assembly]

Garza-Hicks maintained a low profile for most of her first term in the legislature, first speaking in House floor debate two months into the legislative session.cite news |first=Hank |last=Lacey |title=UNDER THE DOME from the Legislature |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20070324/ai_n18760455
work=Colorado Springs Gazette |date=24 March 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] After being criticized by news media for not being the primary sponsor of any legislation, she introduced a late bill to allow members of the Colorado Consortium for Earth and Space Science Education to receive state retirement benefits, as well as a nonbinding resolution honoring Colorado soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.cite news |first=Cara |last=DeGette |title=A Bill Of Her own |url=http://www.coloradoconfidential.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2221
work=Colorado Confidential |date=12 June 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] Both were passed by the legislature; the resolution honoring fallen soldiers was marked in the General Assembly by a ceremony, including the playing of taps in the legislative chambers.cite news |first=Alan |last=Gathright |title=Colorado lawmakers honor state's fallen soldiers |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5473868,00.html
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=9 April 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-04 ] Garza-Hicks also increased her co-sponsorship of legislation from co-sponsoring only one bill at the midpoint of the 2007 legislative session to co-sponsoring over 150 bills by the session's end.

Following the regular session, Garza-Hick was appointed by Attorney General John Suthers to the state Methamphetamine Task Force,cite web |url=http://www.coloradohousegop.com/?q=node/42 |title=Rep. Stella Garza Hicks, HD-17 |accessdate=2007-11-22 |format=html |work=Colorado House Republicans ] and served on the legislature's Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission.cite web |url=http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/lcsstaff/2007/comsched/07FPPAsched.htm |title=Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission |accessdate=2008-04-27 |work=Colorado Legislative Council ]

2008 legislative session

Infobox Colorado Legislation
Name=Garza-Hicks
Title=Rep.
Year=2008
Bill Number 1=HB08-1034
Bill Number 2=HB08-1130
Bill Number 3=HB08-1175
Bill Link 1=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2008a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/A506F454D0CA0DF1872573B0007084BC?Open&file=1034_enr.pdf
Bill Link 2=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2008a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/A65CE766B96AFCEB872573680052ED74?Open&file=1130_enr.pdf
Bill Link 3=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2008a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/A712822F60A89C7D872573A80068EC04?Open&file=1175_rer.pdf
Bill Title 1=Concerning clarifications to employer tax credits for taxpayers utilizing employee leasing companies.
Bill Title 2=Concerning court orders allowing the interception of communications.
Bill Title 3=Concerning the creation of the United States Army Fourth Infantry Division special license plate [...]
Bill Status 1=Signed by Gov. Ritter
Bill Status 2=Signed by Gov. Ritter
Bill Status 3=(in progress)

In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Hicks sits on the House Health and Human Services Committee, and the House Local Government Committee.cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2008a/directory.nsf/HouCommWp?OpenView |title=House Committees of Reference |accessdate=2008-01-19 |format=html |work=Colorado General Assembly] She has sponsored legislation to create a special license plate recognizing the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division,cite news |author=Staff Reports |title=This week in the Legislature |url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/committee_32205___article.html/create_children.html
work=Colorado Springs Gazette |date=21 January 2008 |accessdate=2008-01-23 ] the first military unit to be honored with a special plate in Colorado.cite news |first=Ed |last=Sealover |title=License plates for 4th ID, Norad |url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/plates_34547___article.html/plate_one.html |work=Colorado Springs Gazettte |date=23 March 2008 |accessdate=2008-03-28 ] She was also a primary sponsor of the bipartisan resolution to recognize Military and Veterans Appreciation Day.cite press release | title=Statehouse Honors Military Appreciation Day | publisher=Colorado House Democrats | date=15 February, 2008 | url=http://cohousedems.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/statehouse-hono.html | accessdate=2008-02-23 ] Another of Garza-Hicks' bills addressed expedited extension of police wiretaps for surveillance purposes. The measure initially passed both houses of the legislature with different limits on potential extensions.cite news |first=Ed |last=Sealover |title=Monday in the General Assembly |url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/colorado_33819___article.html/health_senate.html
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=3 March 2008 |accessdate=2008-03-03 ] After being reconciled to allow three monthlong extensions of wiretaps, the bill was signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter.cite news |first=Ed |last=Sealover |coauthors=Michael Davidson |title=Assembly Glance: Monday in review |url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/colorado_34343___article.html/widows_police.html
work=Colorado Springs Gazette |date=17 March 2008 |accessdate=2008-03-18 ]

Garza-Hicks was also one of only a few Republicans to publicly back a measure introduced by Speaker Andrew Romanoff to reformspending requirements in Colorado's state constitution by diverting excess revenues under TABOR to K-12 education.cite news |first=Joe |last=Hanel |title=TABOR reform may go straight to the voters |url=http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/08/news080426_4.htm |work=Durango Herald |date=26 April 2008 |accessdate=2008-04-26 ]

Garza-Hicks announced in October 2007 that she would not seek re-election in 2008, citing health issues within her own family, but she did not rule out a future run for public office.cite news |first=Ed |last=Sealover |title=Republican state rep. won't seek another term in ‘08 |url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/seat_29017___article.html/republican_hicks.html
work=Colorado Springs Gazette |date=27 October 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-22 ] Republicans Kit Roupe and Sheila Hicks (no relation to Garza-Hicks) and Democrat Christine Varney have declared their candidacies for the open seat.cite news |first=Ed |last=Sealover |title=Disability group lobbyist will run for state house |url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/hicks_33146___article.html/district_sheila.html
work=Colorado Springs Gazette |date=15 February 2008 |accessdate=2008-02-23 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/House/members/Hou17.htm Legislative web site]
* [http://www.housedistrict17.com/ Personal web site]