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Marsha Looper

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Marsha Looper
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
from the 19th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 10, 2007[1]
Preceded byRichard Decker
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
SpouseLynn

Marsha Looper (born c. 1959[3]) is a Colorado legislator. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006, Looper represents House District 19, which encompasses eastern El Paso County, Colorado.[4]

Early career

Born to a family of Eastern European descent,[5], Looper was raised on Colorado's Western Slope.[6] She graduated from Fruita High School in Mesa County in eastern Colorado and took coursework at Mesa State College. A systems engineer,[2] Looper certification as an IBM Network Engineer and a Novell Systems Engineer,[7] and worked for ROLM, IBM and the Widefield School District[2] before starting a company of her own, Computing Solutions Group, in 1993.[7]

Looper entered the real estate business in 2004 and has earned Associate Broker and Registered Appraiser credentials.[7] Since 2004, she has been a partner in Big Sky Realty,[8] in addition to operating Phoenix & Associates, a home remodeling company.[7]

Looper and her husband, Lynn,[6] have operated their family's ranch in near Calhan, Colorado for two decades, as well as Waterworks Sales, a water pipe distribution company. After Waterworks' was purchased by Hughes Supply, Inc., Looper remained with the company[7] as a branch manager.[8] She and Lynn have three children: Rachelle, Travis, and Justin.[6]

Within the community, Looper has been a member of the Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition,[2], the National Rifle Association,[6] the El Paso County Republican Women, the Falcon School District Accountability Committee,[2] the Pikes Peak Range Riders, and the El Paso County Soil and Water Conservation Society,[7] and volunteered with St. Michael's Church, the Special Olympics,[2] and local 4-H and YMCA clubs.[6]

Property-rights activism

Looper was a driving force behind opposition to a proposed toll road project along the Colorado Front Range — the Prairie Falcon Parkway Express, or "Super Slab" project — a 210-mile highway and rail corridor stretching from Pueblo to Fort Collins. The property would have resulted in the condemnation or taking by eminent domain of privately-held properties in seven Colorado counties; Looper's land fell within the corridor designated by the toll road's developers, and subsequently dropepd in market value.[9][10]

As the founder, in 2004,[11] and chair of the Eastern Plains Citizens Coalition and executive director of Colorado Citizens for Property Rights, Looper led grassroots opposition to the toll road and supported several measures during the 2006 legislative session to tighten the rules regarding eminent domain under which toll roads could be constructed. Among the successful measures Looper and others lobbied for were rules narrowing the proposed corridor for toll roads from twelve miles to three miles,[12], and new reporting requirements that property owners be informed that their land lay within that corridor.[13][14]

Looper also led an effort to place a statewide referendum on the 2006 general election ballot[15] to prohibit governments from condemning private property for the purpose of economic development.[16] The citizen initiative gathered over 30,000 signatures, but fell more than 30,000 signatures short of the total required for placement on the statewide ballot.[17]

Legislative career

2006 election

In February 2006, upon the retirement of term-limited Rep. Richard Decker in House District 19, covering eastern El Paso County, Colorado, Looper announced her candidacy for the seat. After experience pushing for legislation Colorado General Assembly to restrict to use of eminent domain, she cited her frustration at the influence of lobbyists,[11] and Looper identified her top legislative concerns as property rights, transportation, and illegal immigration.[18] She also identified water issues and renewable energy as areas of interest.[19]

Facing military veteran and school board member Jim Brewer,[20] Looper won the Republican primary with 62% of the vote.[21]

In the general election, Looper faced former Fountain, Colorado mayor and Democrat Ken Barela. Barela criticized Looper's emphasis on property rights, calling her a "one issue candidate;" in response, Looper characterized Barela as "too liberal" for the district. Although she was endorsed by Republican Rep. David Schultheis, she was not endorsed by Republican and outgoing Rep. Richard Decker, who criticized her for possible involvement in an independent publication promoting her campaign,[22] and for donating over $50,000 of personal money to her legislative race;[18] Looper outraised Barela by roughly 10 to 1,[22] and won the general election by a 2 to 1 margin.[23]

2007 legislative session

Bills Introduced in 2007 by Rep. Looper
(for which Rep. Looper is the primary originating sponsor)
BILL TITLE OUTCOME
HB07-1068    Concerning [...] requirements on private toll companies for the purpose of alleviating unintended consequences of those provisions that may affect real property. Passed House; Postponed indefinitely in Senate committee
HB07-1156 Concerning the disclosure of water sources in connection with the sale of residential real property. Signed by Gov. Ritter

In the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Looper sat on the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee and the House Local Government Committee.[24]

Stemming from her work on toll road issues, including opposition to the "Super Slab" project as an activist, Looper sponsored legislation to impose new requirements, including planning in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Transporation, on new toll road development in Colorado.[25] Other opponents of the "Super Slab" project criticized the bill for removing requirements that property owners be informed of planned development; the requirements had resulted in a decrease in property values for many in the proposed project's corridor. Looper contended that the purpose of the bill was to reduce the potential property value impact of speculative toll road projects.[13][14] Although the bill passed the Colorado House of Representatives 61-3, [26] the bill was postponed indefinitely in a Senate committee.[27]

Looper also sponsored legislation to require disclosure of water sources for newly-sold homes, a move designed to inform homeowners of possibly scarce groundwater resources. Unsuccessfully put forward in three previous years,[28] the bill pass unanimously through committee[29] and the full house[30] before being signed by Gov. Ritter.[31]

2008 legislative session

In response to concerns about agricultural labor shortages and the difficulty of hiring legal foreign guest workers,[32] Looper and Democratic Sen. Abel Tapia are considering legislation to create a state office to assist with the logistics of clearing guest workers for jobs in Colorado, or creating a Colorado guest-worker office in Mexico.[33][34]

References

  1. ^ "House Journal - January 10, 2005" (pdf). Colorado General Assembly. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Marsha Looper - Colorado - State House District 19 candidate" (html). RockyMountainNews.com. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  3. ^ http://www.coloradoconfidential.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=F07894502326368384ABB2E6F432CD95?diaryId=1122
  4. ^ "State House District 19" (html). COMaps. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  5. ^ Staff Report (13 April 2007). "On the side: Spotlight on Calhan". Denver Post. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ a b c d e http://www.coloradohousegop.com/?q=node/37
  7. ^ a b c d e f http://www.gomarsha.org/info/meet_marsha_looper.html
  8. ^ a b "Representative Looper" (html). Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  9. ^ Nelson, Christiana (3 March 2005). "Toll road idea meets firm foes". Fort Collins Coloradoan. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Leib, Jeffrey (29 August 2006). "Toll road is ramping up". Denver Post. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ a b Whitcombe, Erica (February 2006). "Looper to run for state seat". The New Falcon Herald. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Slevin, Coleen (16 February 2007). "Toll road promoter threatens lawsuit". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ a b Flynn, Kevin (21 February 2007). "Slab foes want change in law". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ a b Flynn, Kevin (24 January 2007). "Slab opponents disappointed". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ Washington, April M. (28 January 2006). "'Super Slab' hits a roadblock". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Henley, Kyle (19 February 2006). "Threat of initiative powerful force". The Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ Associated Press (17 June 2006). "Eminent domain ballot push fails". The Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ a b Correll, Deedee (18 October 2006). "'Too liberal' vs. '1-issue candidate'". The Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ http://www.csindy.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A18930
  20. ^ http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:I7jCfHyMOsAJ:www.koaa.com/News/view.asp%3FID%3D5446+%22marsha+looper%22+%22jim+brewer%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us&client=firefox-a
  21. ^ http://www.elpasoelections.com/2006-primary/results-text.html
  22. ^ a b Zeveloff, Naomi (19 October 2006). "Common nonsense". The Colorado Springs Independent. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ http://www.elpasoelections.com/2006-general/results-text.html
  24. ^ "Representative Marsha Looper" (html). Colorado General Assembly. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
  25. ^ Bunch, Joey (15 February 2007). "Toll-road law hurting land value, citizens say". Denver Post. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ Sealover, Ed (9 March 2007). "Under the Dome". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ News Briefs (7 April 2007). "HB 1068 postponed "indefinitely"". The New Falcon Herald. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ Hartman, Todd (19 January 2007). "New bills, January 19". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ Sealover, Ed (8 February 2007). "Water bill advances". The Colorado Springs Gazettte. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ Staff Report (15 February 2007). "Under the Dome". The Colorado Springs Gazettte. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ Sealover, Ed (15 May 2007). "Gay couples OK'd to adopt; abstinence-only sex ed cut". The Colorado Springs Gazettte. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. ^ Brown, Jennifer (5 September 2007). "Farms short of help at harvest". Denver Post. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ Brown, Jennifer (23 August 2007). "Legislators consider farm-labor solution". Denver Post. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ Washington, April M. (22 August 2007). "Help wanted in Colorado — from Mexico". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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