Spencer Swalm

Infobox State Representative
name=Spencer Swalm


state_house=Colorado
state=Colorado
district=37th
term_start=January 10, 2007
preceded=Lauri Clapp
succeeded=Incumbent
date of birth=
place of birth=
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=Marleen
profession=insurance broker
religion=Christian
party=Republican|

Spencer Swalm is a legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. First elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006, Swalm represents House District 37, which encompasses the most of the city of Centennial, Colorado.cite web |url=http://comaps.org/district37h.html |title=State House District 37 |accessdate=2007-12-24 |format=html |work=COMaps ]

Early career

Born in Colorado,cite web |url=http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=65730 |title=Representative Swalm |accessdate=2007-12-24 |format=html |work=Project Vote Smart] Swalm attended Colorado College before transferring to the University of Colorado at Boulder, graduating with a bachelor's degree in historycite web |url=http://www.campaignsitebuilder.com/templates/displayfiles/tmpl27.asp?SiteID=594&PageID=8315&Trial=false |title=Meet Spencer Swalm |accessdate=2007-12-24 |work=Spencer Swalm for House District 37 ] in 1975cite web |url=http://cfapp2.rockymountainnews.com/election/profiles/c_profiles.cfm?oper=cand_profile&id=11976&qa=1 |title=Spencer Swalm - Colorado - State House District 37 candidate |accessdate=2007-12-24 |format=html |work=RockyMountainNews.com ] . He then earned a J.D. from the University of Denver in 1979.cite web |url=http://cfapp2.rockymountainnews.com/election/profiles/c_profiles.cfm?oper=cand_profile&id=11976&qa=1 |title=Spencer Swalm - Colorado - State House District 37 candidate |accessdate=2007-12-24 |format=html |work=RockyMountainNews.com ]

After practicing law for over a decade, specializing in estate planning, Swalm entered the employee benefits and health insurance business in 1990 as a partner in Redstone Benefit Systems. He has served as the chair of the legislative committee of the Colorado State Association of Health Underwriters.

In the early 1980s, Swalm began writing op-ed pieces opposing government transportation subsidies and joined the Independence Institute, a Colorado free-market thinktank, eventually becoming a senior fellow. He opposed the 2004 tax measure funding the FasTracks light rail expansion.cite news |first=Kevin |last=Flynn |title=RTD to roll out revised cost on FasTracks lines |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/06/rtd-to-roll-out-revised-cost-on-fastracks-lines/ |work=Rocky Mountain News |date=6 August 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-09 ] He has also served on the board of the Colorado Council on Economic Education. Politically, Swalm has been a member of the Colorado Republican Business Coalition, the Centennial Republican Forum, the Arapahoe County Republican Men's Club, and was treasurer for the Sixth Congressional District Republican Committee.

Swalm is married; he and his wife, Marleen, have three children: Byron, Lauren, and Jocelyn.cite news |first=Lynn |last=Bartels |title=Citizen legislator |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/13/citizen-legislator/
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=13 February 2008 |accessdate=2008-02-23 ] Swalm has taught Sunday school and served on the missions committee of his church, Grace Chapel, and has taken several missionary trips to the Amazon Basin in Bolivia.

Political career

2006 election

Swalm won election to Colorado's 37th House District in 2006. He faced Centennial Councilwoman Betty Ann Habig in the Republican primary, losing to her at the party assembly,cite news |author=Staff report |title=Blake: A 'promise' that wasn't |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2006/apr/05/bblakeb-a-promise-that-wasnt/
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=5 April 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-24 ] but defeating her in the party primary.cite news |author=Staff report |title=Blake: Amendment 41 rains on Bill Ritter's inaugural parade |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2006/nov/11/bblakeb-amendment-41-rains-on-bill-ritters/
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=11 November 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-24 ] . He then defeated Democrat Angela Engel with just over 51 percent of the vote.

2007 legislative session

Infobox Colorado Legislation
Title=Rep.
Name=Swalm
Year=2007
Bill Number 1=HB07-1039
Bill Number 2=HB07-1127
Bill Number 3=HB07-1143
Bill Number 4=HB07-1326
Bill Link 1=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/91FF93F7CEA2413887257251007C4E50?Open&file=1039_enr.pdf
Bill Link 2=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/7443E4081CC3BC9687257251007D558D?Open&file=1127_01.pdf
Bill Link 3=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/DA1B1F6E36E70CD687257251007B7BAF?Open&file=1143_01.pdf
Bill Link 4=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/A31471E7670732FA8725728A007A9CFD?Open&file=1326_enr.pdf
Bill Status 1=Signed by Gov. Ritter
Bill Status 2=Postponed indefinitely in House committee
Bill Status 3=Postponed indefinitely in House committee
Bill Status 4=Signed by Gov. Ritter
Bill Title 1=Concerning conforming the "long-term care insurance act to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners model.
Bill Title 2=Concerning requiring sex offenders to provide electronic communication identifiers when registering as sex offenders
Bill Title 3=Concerning the option of a covered state employee under a self-insured group benefit plan to obtain medical care in an accredited foreign health care facility.
Bill Title 4=Concerning requiring sex offenders to provide electronic communication identifiers when registering as sex offenders, and making an appropriation in connection therewith.

In the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Swalm sat on the House Health and Human Services Committee and the House Transportation and Energy 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] Swalm's father, Paul Swalm, had served on the Denver, Colorado city council and in the Colorado House of Representatives in the 1970s, and Swalm was assigned the same seat in the house chamber as his father.cite news |author=Staff report |title=Roll Call, January 11 |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/jan/11/roll-call-january-11/
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=11 January 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-24 ]

That year, Swalm sponsored legislation that would require sex offenders to register their email addresses and other online identities with the state.cite news |first=Kimberly S. |last=Johnson |title=Measure tracks offenders online |url=http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_5171878
work=Denver Post |date=6 February 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-24 ] After being defeated in committee, the bill was resubmitted to apply only to sex offenders whose victims are children,cite news |author=Staff Report |title=Under the dome, 3/13 |url=http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_5421799
work=Denver Post |date=12 March 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-24 ] and was signed into law. He plans on submitting legislation to extend the program to all sex offenders in future sessions.cite news |author=Staff report |title=Legislation to brag about |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/may/05/legislation-to-brag-about/
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=5 May 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-24 ]

Swalm also sponsored successful legislation designed to encourage Coloradans to purchase long term care insurance rather than relying on Medicaid, allowing Coloradans to participate in a federal long term care partnership program.cite news |first=Alan |last=Gathright |title=Insurance bill would shield seniors' savings |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/jan/30/insurance-bill-would-shield-seniors-savings/
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=30 January 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-24 ]

Between legislative sessions, Swalm served on the interim Health Care Task Forcecite web |url=http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/lcsstaff/2007/comsched/07HealthCareTFSched.htm |title=Health Care Task Force |accessdate=2008-04-27 |work=Colorado Legislative Council ] and on the Transportation Legislation Review Committee.cite web |url=http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/lcsstaff/2007/comsched/07TLRCSched.htm |title=Transportation Legislation Review Committee 2007 |accessdate=2008-04-27 |work=Colorado Legislative Council ]

2008 legislative session

For the 2008 legislative session, Swalm plans to sponsor a measure that would create a special pass to offset state park maintenance costs.cite news |author=Associated Press |title=GOP lawmakers offer environmental proposals for next Legislature |url=http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7581729
work=Denver Post |date=28 November 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-24 ] cite news |first=Jerd |last=Smith |title=Pass would help fund state parks |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/nov/29/pass-would-help-fund-state-parks/
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=29 November 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-24 ] As part of a set of Republican health care proposals, Swalm will sponsor legislation to create a low-cost state health insurance plan and to encourage tax breaks for individual health insurance.cite news |first=Chris |last=Barge |title=Republican legislators offer their own health insurance proposals |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/04/republican-legislators-offer-their-own-health/
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=4 December 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-24 ] He has also, working with Democratic Rep. Morgan Carroll, introduced legislation to extend a fund to provide financial assistance to military families.cite news |author=Staff Reports |title=State's school board faces audit |url=http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_8048135
work=Denver Post |date=23 January 2008 |accessdate=2008-01-23 ] cite news |first=Emily |last=Arell |title=House passes re-up of Military Family Relief Fund |url=http://denver.yourhub.com/AuroraSouth/Stories/News/About-Town/Story~420740.aspx
work=YourHub.com |date=28 January 2008 |accessdate=2008-02-23 ] The bill was passed by the legislature and signed into the law by Gov. Bill Ritter.cite press release | title=Swalm’s Military Family Relief Fund Bill Signed By Governor | publisher=Colorado House Republicans | date=18 March, 2008 | url=http://coloradohousegop.com/blog/?p=16 | accessdate=2008-03-18 ]

Swalm also introduced legislation to create the "Colorado Health Plan," a low-cost health insurance program to be run by the state,cite news |first=Sean |last=Andersen-Vie |title=Republican Busy Day at the Capitol |url=http://www.thecherrycreeknews.com/content/view/2519/2/
work=The Cherry Creek News |date=21 February 2008 |accessdate=2008-02-23 ] but the proposal was killed in committee.cite news |first=Bob |last=Mook |title=Committee kills Republican health plan |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2008/02/25/daily59.html
work=Denver Business Journal |date=29 February 2008 |accessdate=2008-03-02 ] Democratic House Speaker Andrew Romanoff has expressed interest in reviving the bill.cite news |author=Editorial Board |title=The coming debate over health care |url=The coming debate over health care
work=Rocky Mountain News |date=9 March 2008 |accessdate=2008-03-14 ]

Swalm also reintroduced his bill to require sex offenders to register their email addresses, which was again killed in committee.cite news |author=Staff Reports |title=Under the Dome |url=http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_8189378
work=Denver Post |date=7 February 2008 |accessdate=2008-02-08 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/house/members/hou37.htm Colorado General Assembly profile]
* [http://www.swalmforhd37.org/ Campaign website]