Edward Casso

Infobox State Representative
name=Edward Casso


state_house=Colorado
state=Colorado
district=32nd
term_start=January 10, 2007cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics/Clics2007A/csljournals.nsf/(jouhse)/C74DAE3008365363872572580079AA44/$FILE/Jn10.pdf |title=House Journal - January 10, 2007 |accessdate=2007-12-08 |format=pdf |work=Colorado General Assembly ]
preceded=Valentin Vigil
succeeded=Incumbent
date of birth=
place of birth=Thornton, Colorado
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=Selena
profession=
religion=
party=Democratic|

Edward Casso (born 1974cite web |url=http://cohousedems.typepad.com/my_weblog/edward-casso-hd-32.html |title=Edward Casso (HD 32) |accessdate=2008-04-23 |work=Colorado House Democrats ] ) is a legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2006, Casso represents House District 32, which encompasses suburbs of Denver, Colorado in northwestern Adams County.cite web |url=http://comaps.org/district32h.html |title=State House District 32 |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format=html |work=COMaps ]

Biography

Born in Thornton, Colorado, Casso earned a bachelor's degree in political philosophy from the dn|University of Colorado in 1997. He was the first member of his family to attend college. While at CU, Casso was president of the CU College Democrats. There, he was a precinct committeeperson for the Boulder County Democratic Party and a member of the vacancy committee that appointed Ron Tupa to the Colorado State Senate.

After moving to Adams County, Casso served as a precinct committeeperson, co-captain of house district 32-D, and vice-chair and later chair of the Adams County Young Democrats. He has also served as chair of the Colorado Democratic Party Outreach Commission, and worked as an intern for Congressman David Skaggs.cite web |url=http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=66685 |title=Representative Edward Casso |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format=html |work=Project Vote Smart]

Before being elected to the legislature, Casso worked as a teacher in an alterative high school during summers,cite news |first=Edward |last=Casso |title=Candidate profile: Edward Casso |url=http://denver.yourhub.com/CommerceCity/Stories/News/Government/Story~122382.aspx |work=YourHub.com |date=7 September 2006 |accessdate=2008-04-23 ] and as a substitute teacher for Denver Public Schools.cite news |first=Lynn |last=Bartels |title=Citizen Legislator, February 8 |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/07/citizen-legislator-february-8/ |work=Rocky Mountain News |date=7 February 2008 |accessdate=2008-04-23 ] Casso resides in Commerce City, Colorado; he and his wife, Selena, have two children: Cecelia and Aristotle.

Legislative career

Infobox Colorado Legislation
Name=Casso
Title=Rep.
Year=2007
Bill Number 1=HB07-1052
Bill Number 2=HB07-1077
Bill Number 3=HB07-1112
Bill Number 4=HB07-1205
Bill Number 5=HB07-1284
Bill Number 6=HB07-1287
Bill Link 1=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/DCB3EF2589E3288B87257251007D5131?Open&file=1052_01.pdf
Bill Link 2=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/9B463A0DFC95978D87257251007D54CC?Open&file=1077_enr.pdf
Bill Link 3=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/A53D108B2905FF1287257251007D58E8?Open&file=1112_01.pdf
Bill Link 4=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/9EE57491CDC3992587257258006D6C23?Open&file=1205_enr.pdf
Bill Link 5=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/57C0D11D320519F9872572640065C0C3?Open&file=1284_ren.pdf
Bill Link 6=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/C13CD017F23480568725727A0077A74E?Open&file=1287_01.pdf
Bill Title 1=Concerning disclosure by issue committees that support or oppose state ballot issues.
Bill Title 2=Concerning imposition of requirements on providers of supplemental education services.
Bill Title 3=Concerning parity in health care coverage for mental illness.
Bill Title 4=Concerning the laden status of a truck trailer that is not carrying cargo.
Bill Title 5=Concerning the exception of certain students' scores from calculations of a school's academic performance.
Bill Title 6=Concerning authorization of parental choice to exempt children from participation in the Colorado Student Assessment Program.
Bill Status 1=Postponed indefinitely in House committee
Bill Status 2=Signed by Gov. Ritter
Bill Status 3=Signed by Gov. Ritter
Bill Status 4=Signed by Gov. Ritter
Bill Status 5=Passed House; Postponed indefinitely in Senate committee
Bill Status 6=Postponed indefinitely in House committee

2006 election

In the 2006 Colorado legislative elections, Casso defeated Republican Tracey Snyder with 57 percent of the popular vote. Casso was endorsed by the "Denver Post",cite news |author=Editorial Board |title=State House races |url=http://www.denverpost.com/dempsey/ci_4448954 |work=Denver Post |date=7 October 2006 |accessdate=2008-04-23 ] but not the "Rocky Mountain News".cite news |author=Editorial Board |title=Our choices for the Colorado House |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/editorials/article/0,2777,DRMN_23964_5059375,00.html |work=Rocky Mountain News |date=12 October 2006 |accessdate=2008-04-23 ]

2007 legislative session

In the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Casso sat on the House Education Committee and the House State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee. cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/directory.nsf/HouCommWp?OpenView |title=House Committees of Reference |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format=html |work=Colorado General Assembly]

During the 2007 session, Casso sponsored two bills to revise the ways in which schools' CSAP test scores were reported. One, which would have exempted scores from special education students, was killed in a Senate committee;cite news |author=Staff Reports |title=Under the dome |url=http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_56464161 |work=Denver Post |date=12 April 2007 |accessdate=2008-04-23 ] the other, which would have exempted scores for students whose parents opt the students out of the test, was killed in a House committee at Casso's request because of concerns that it would jeopardize federal school funding.cite news |first=Jennifer |last=Brown |title=Don't mess with CSAP, panel says |url=http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_5389761 |work=Denver Post |date=9 March 2007 |accessdate=2008-04-23 ]

Following the legislative session, Casso was present at the Colorado State Capitol during an incident in which state troopers shot and killed a mentally ill individual gunman targeting Gov. Bill Ritter. Casso observed the dead body and afterwards supported increased security, including metal detectors, for the state capitol building.cite news |first=Mark P. |last=Couch |coauthors=Jennifer Brown |title=Gunman: "You're gonna pay" |url=http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_6391301 |work=Denver Post |date=17 July 2007 |accessdate=2008-04-27 ] cite news |first=Dan |last=Frosch |title=Troopers Kill Gunman Near Office of Colorado’s Governor |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/us/17colorado.html?pagewanted=all |work=New York Times |date=17 July 2007 |accessdate=2008-04-27 ] cite news |author=Staff Reports |title=32-Year-Old Thornton Man Shot, Killed Inside State Capitol |url=http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/13691120/detail.html |work=TheDenverChannel.com |date=17 July 2007 |accessdate=2008-04-27 ] He also served on the interim legislative 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 the Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission between legislative sessions.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 ]

In October 2007, Casso was honored by LARASA, the Latin American Research And Service Agency with the Lena L. Archuleta Education Service Award, for his work in the legislature, including a vote in committee that benefitted LARASA Learning Centers.cite press release |title=LARASA Honors Two House Democrats Today |publisher=Colorado House Democrats |date=5 October, 2007 | url=http://cohousedems.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/10/larasa-honors-t.html |accessdate=2008-04-23 ] cite web |url=http://www.larasa.org/events/bva.htm |title=Bernie Valdez Awards Luncheon |accessdate=2008-04-23 |work=Latin American Research And Service Agency ]

After the legislative session, Casso was elected deputy whip for the House Democratic Caucus.cite press release |title=House Democrats Elect Andy Kerr to Majority Whip “The next generation of Democratic leadership” |publisher=Colorado House Democrats |date=9 November, 2007 | url=http://cohousedems.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/11/house-democrats.html |accessdate=2008-04-23 ]

2008 legislative session

Infobox Colorado Legislation
Name=Casso
Title=Rep.
Year=2008
Bill Number 1=HB08-1019
Bill Number 2=HB08-1156
Bill Number 3=HB08-1171
Bill Link 1=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2008a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/7FE3532F9A728BA2872573A70064404F?Open&file=1019_enr.pdf
Bill Link 2=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2008a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/0377984097F02F9D872573A700644070?Open&file=1156_rr2.pdf
Bill Link 3=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2008a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/30862054F66FB97E872573A7005D333D?Open&file=1171_enr.pdf
Bill Title 1=Concerning the provision of educational services for children in out-of-home placements.
Bill Title 2=Concerning juvenile parole, and [...] the codification of an improvement upon current Department of Human Services practices relating to juvenile parole [...]
Bill Title 3=Concerning the exclusion of a federal excise tax paid on the first sale of a heavy vehicle from the purchase price of such vehicle for the purpose of determining tax liability.
Bill Status 1=Signed by Gov. Ritter
Bill Status 2=(in progress)
Bill Status 3=(in progress)

In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Casso sits on the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee and the House State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee.cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2008a/directory.nsf/HouCommWp?OpenView |title=House Committees of Reference |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format=html |work=Colorado General Assembly]

After killing a bill he sponsored to extend a combined high school-community college program to school districts on the Ute Mountain and Southern Ute Indian Reservation, at the request of tribal leaders,cite news |first=Joe |last=Hanel |title=Tribes ask Capitol to drop ed bill |url=http://www.cortezjournal.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/08/news080412_2.htm |work=Cortez Journal |date=12 April 2007 |accessdate=2008-05-10 ] Casso is expected to travel to the reservations to discuss the program following the legislative session.cite news |first=Carol |last=Berry |title=Fast College Fast Jobs program comes to a halt |url=http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096417214 |work=Indian Country Today |date=12 April 2007 |accessdate=2008-05-10 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/house/members/hou32.htm Colorado General Assembly profile]