TUESDAY UPDATE: Lobbyist Holly Tarry has some parting words for the exiting Senate GOP majority, et al:
Nice work GOP [and Cheri Jahn (wtf?!)]- you shirked your duty till the bitter end.https://t.co/yf8O0h531z #coleg #copolitics
— Holly Tarry (@HollyTarry) December 18, 2018
—–
Sen. Randy “Boob Grabber” Baumgardner
Republican State Senator Randy “Boob Grabber” Baumgardner has announced his resignation from the legislature. Baumgardner’s departure seemed inevitable when Republicans announced their upcoming committee assignments, leaving the “Boob Grabber” off the list entirely.
Kyle Clark of 9News links to Baumgardner’s resignation letter and spells out pretty succinctly why this is happening now:
Colorado Senate Republicans had the power to shield Sen. Randy Baumgardner from expulsion over sexual harassment allegations last session. Not next year. And with that, Baumgardner announces he’s leaving. #copolitics #coleg #9NEWS pic.twitter.com/RTzYK6iNdK
— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) December 18, 2018
Senate Republicans, who protected Baumgardner despite multiple credible accusations of sexual harassment, can attempt to wash their hands of the “Boob Grabber” on January 21. The putrid smell that has been stuck to the GOP for more than a year will be a lot harder to get rid of.
Why the 21st?
What am I missing here?
Not sure. The Senate can start term as late as the 2nd Wednesday, in 2020 that will be January 8th. So he has to resign after the 8th so it is clearly less than half a term. If he resigned on that day and the call for a vacancy committee went out tomorrow they could meet after Dec. 28, so no problem there.
Maybe the Republicans want him around for some votes before he goes? Or they wanted more time for back room campaigning before the actual official vote?
Since the effective resignation date is the 21st it means that the Republican vacancy committee will have to meet after the 1st of January, but they could meet on any day they please from then until the date of his resignation.
1-12-203
"No vacancy committee may select a person to fill a vacancy at a meeting held pursuant to this section unless a written notice announcing the time and location of the vacancy committee meeting was mailed to each of the committee members at least ten days prior to the meeting by the chairperson of the central committee that selected the members."
"If the letter of resignation gives an effective date of resignation that is later than the date the letter of resignation is submitted, the vacancy committee may meet no more than twenty days prior to the effective date of the resignation for the purposes of nominating a person to fill the vacancy."
My guess is that leaving on the 21st means his successor will serve slightly less than a half term, ergo will be eligible for two more fou r- year terms under our term limit law.
Wouldn't the "less than half a term" threshold be passed by the end of the first week of the session?
I'm wondering about pay periods, pensions and insurance coverage. But just like Sen. Kagan, the timing doesn't seem to be something the resigning individuals want to clarify.
The Doug Bruce strategy. Worked out fine for him…..
Good.
Hmmmm . . .
“ . . . new opportunities . . .”
My curiosity makes me wonder what the GOPers had to give, or promise to, BG to finally buy him off? That ‘ol cowboy’s never seemed to me to be the type to walk away, or do anything for that matter, without something in return . . .
Who is the House member who will presumably replace Boob Grabber? And which local GOP lackey moves into the House seat?
Bob Rankin from HD-57 is the only House Republican who lives in SD-8.
HD-26, HD-13, and HD-61 cover parts of the district, but are all represented by Democrats.
Then I imagine that narrows things down for the vacancy committee.
Doesn't necessarily have to be a House member. I wouldn't mind seeing Al or Jean White return. But Rankin would be OK, from viewpoint of my issues.