Amy Stephens
Encyclopedia
Amy Stephens is a Colorado
legislator. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006, Stephens represents House District 20, which covers northern El Paso County, Colorado
, including portions of Colorado Springs
and the areas surrounding the United States Air Force Academy
. She also serves as the House Majority Leader.
in communications in 1980. From 1991 to 2001, she worked as a public policy and youth culture specialist for Christian ministry Focus on the Family
. An abstinence-based sex education
curriculum written by Stephens, No Apologies, has been translated into over a dozen languages.
After leaving Focus on the Family, Stephens founded the consulting firm Fresh Ideas Communication & Consulting, assisting non-profit and faith-based organizations with communication, organization, and development issues. She has also served as a panel expert on federal grant review committees for the federal Department of Health & Human Services. Stephen is married; she and her husband, Ron, have one son, Nicholas.
Before running for the legislature herself, Stephens was a veteran of numerous Republican campaigns, including those of Colorado Governor Bill Owens, 4th Judicial District Attorney John Newsome, El Paso County Commissioner Wayne Williams, and U.S. President George W. Bush
. She has served as a member of the El Paso County Republican Committee, and as a delegate to the 1996
and 2004 Republican National Convention
s. She was also appointed by Governor Owens to the Governor's Commission on the Welfare of Children.
issues, including water, as one of her major legislative concerns. Stephens has already begun her re-election campaign for the 2008 elections and is expected to face Hejtmanek once again, in a rematch of their 2006 race. Hejtmanek has criticized Stephens for her continued support of abstinence-only sex education and for opposing expanded adoption and non-discrimination rights for homosexuals; Stephens has denounced these bills as part of a Democratic "cultural revolution" furthering a "secular agenda."
's appointment to the Colorado Senate, the first-term legislator was elected to succeed him as House Minority Caucus
Chair.
Stephens sponsored a bill to tax in-room pay-per-view
movies sold by hotels to fund child advocacy centers; after facing opposition from the hotel industry, Stephen asked for the bill to be killed in committee. Stephens also sponsored a bill, passed by the General Assembly, to streamline the teaching licensure application process for military spouses, and sponsored another bill to provide unemployment benefits to military spouses forced to relocate out of state. She also sponsored successful legislation to require hospital
s to publicly publish charges for common medical procedures.
Stephens also led Republican opposition to the 2008 state budget, criticizing it for excessive spending.
endorsed her Democratic opponent.
In September 2008, Stephens was named to the "Palin Truth Squad," representatives of the McCain-Palin
presidential campaign tasked with countering alleged distortions concerning the record of Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin
. In that capacity, she made a number of media statements in support of Palin during the 2008 presidential campaign, spoke at an October rally in Colorado Springs featuring Palin, and delivered the invocation
at a Denver rally featuring John McCain
. In October, Stephens, with other Republican legislators, participated in a statewide "Save, Don't Spend" RV Tour critical of Democratic policies.
After winning re-election with 76 percent of the popular vote, Stephens was also re-elected Minority Caucus Chair by House Republicans, fending off a challenge for the post from Rep. Ellen Roberts
.
After House Minority Leader Mike May announced plans to retire in December 2008, Stephens was seen as a possible candidate for the leadership post.
, Stephens sponsored legislation allowing health insurance providers to offer discounts for participation in wellness programs.
Responding to a deal between labor and business leaders to remove several statewide referenda from the 2008 general election ballot, Stephens introduced legislation that would prohibit financial deals that would impact initiatives on Colorado election ballots. The measure was defeated in a House committee.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
legislator. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006, Stephens represents House District 20, which covers northern El Paso County, Colorado
El Paso County, Colorado
El Paso County is the most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States, now more populous than Denver County. The United States Census Bureau concluded that the county population was 622,371 in 2010. In recent years, the population had come closer to that of Denver...
, including portions of Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
and the areas surrounding the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
. She also serves as the House Majority Leader.
Biography
Stephens attended the University of California at Los Angeles and then California State University Fullerton, earning a bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in communications in 1980. From 1991 to 2001, she worked as a public policy and youth culture specialist for Christian ministry Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
. An abstinence-based sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
curriculum written by Stephens, No Apologies, has been translated into over a dozen languages.
After leaving Focus on the Family, Stephens founded the consulting firm Fresh Ideas Communication & Consulting, assisting non-profit and faith-based organizations with communication, organization, and development issues. She has also served as a panel expert on federal grant review committees for the federal Department of Health & Human Services. Stephen is married; she and her husband, Ron, have one son, Nicholas.
Before running for the legislature herself, Stephens was a veteran of numerous Republican campaigns, including those of Colorado Governor Bill Owens, 4th Judicial District Attorney John Newsome, El Paso County Commissioner Wayne Williams, and U.S. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. She has served as a member of the El Paso County Republican Committee, and as a delegate to the 1996
1996 Republican National Convention
The 1996 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, from August 12 to August 15, 1996...
and 2004 Republican National Convention
2004 Republican National Convention
The 2004 Republican National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States, took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York...
s. She was also appointed by Governor Owens to the Governor's Commission on the Welfare of Children.
2006 election
In 2006, Stephens ran for the legislature herself, winning a 3:1 victory over Democratic opponent Jan Hejtmanek in an overwhelmingly Republican district. During her campaign, Stephens identified infrastructureInfrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
issues, including water, as one of her major legislative concerns. Stephens has already begun her re-election campaign for the 2008 elections and is expected to face Hejtmanek once again, in a rematch of their 2006 race. Hejtmanek has criticized Stephens for her continued support of abstinence-only sex education and for opposing expanded adoption and non-discrimination rights for homosexuals; Stephens has denounced these bills as part of a Democratic "cultural revolution" furthering a "secular agenda."
2007 legislative session
In the 2007 session of the state legislature, Stephens sat on the House Judiciary Committee and was the ranking Republican on the House Business & Labor Affairs Committee. Four bills introduced by Rep. Stephens were passed by the General Assembly, most prominently a measure that would prohibit criminal charges against illegal immigrants from being dismissed without their deportation. In November 2007, upon Rep. Bill CadmanBill Cadman
Bill Lee Cadman is a Colorado legislator. First elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 2000, Cadman was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Colorado State Senate in 2007...
's appointment to the Colorado Senate, the first-term legislator was elected to succeed him as House Minority Caucus
Chair.
2008 legislative session
In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Stephens sits on the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee, and the House Judiciary Committee.Stephens sponsored a bill to tax in-room pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
movies sold by hotels to fund child advocacy centers; after facing opposition from the hotel industry, Stephen asked for the bill to be killed in committee. Stephens also sponsored a bill, passed by the General Assembly, to streamline the teaching licensure application process for military spouses, and sponsored another bill to provide unemployment benefits to military spouses forced to relocate out of state. She also sponsored successful legislation to require hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s to publicly publish charges for common medical procedures.
Stephens also led Republican opposition to the 2008 state budget, criticizing it for excessive spending.
2008 election
In a rematch of their 2006 contest, Stephens again faced Democrat Jan Hejtmanek in the November 2008 legislative election. Stephens' re-election bid was endorsed by the Denver Post, while the Colorado Springs IndependentColorado Springs Independent
The Colorado Springs Independent is a newsweekly that serves the Pikes Peak region of Southern Colorado It is Colorado Springs' largest locally owned media company...
endorsed her Democratic opponent.
In September 2008, Stephens was named to the "Palin Truth Squad," representatives of the McCain-Palin
John McCain presidential campaign, 2008
John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona, launched his second candidacy for the presidency of the United States in an unsuccessful bid to win the 2008 presidential election. His candidacy, in the works for a number of years, was informally announced on February 28, 2007 during a...
presidential campaign tasked with countering alleged distortions concerning the record of Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
. In that capacity, she made a number of media statements in support of Palin during the 2008 presidential campaign, spoke at an October rally in Colorado Springs featuring Palin, and delivered the invocation
Invocation
An invocation may take the form of:*Supplication or prayer.*A form of possession.*Command or conjuration.*Self-identification with certain spirits....
at a Denver rally featuring John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
. In October, Stephens, with other Republican legislators, participated in a statewide "Save, Don't Spend" RV Tour critical of Democratic policies.
After winning re-election with 76 percent of the popular vote, Stephens was also re-elected Minority Caucus Chair by House Republicans, fending off a challenge for the post from Rep. Ellen Roberts
Ellen Roberts
Ellen Stuart Roberts is an attorney and Republican legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. Raised in New York, Roberts studied environmental policy at Cornell University, graduating in 1981, and worked as a park ranger before earning a law degree from the University of Colorado in 1986...
.
After House Minority Leader Mike May announced plans to retire in December 2008, Stephens was seen as a possible candidate for the leadership post.
2009 legislative session
With Democratic Rep. Joe RiceJoe Rice
Joe Rice is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado, an Iraq War veteran, and a former mayor of Glendale, Colorado.Rice presently works for Lockheed Martin Space Systems and also is a member of the United States Army Reserve...
, Stephens sponsored legislation allowing health insurance providers to offer discounts for participation in wellness programs.
Responding to a deal between labor and business leaders to remove several statewide referenda from the 2008 general election ballot, Stephens introduced legislation that would prohibit financial deals that would impact initiatives on Colorado election ballots. The measure was defeated in a House committee.
External links
- Amy Stephens - House District 20, campaign website
- Legislative home page