Frank McNulty (Colorado legislator)
Encyclopedia
Frank McNulty is a legislator in the U.S. state
of Colorado
. First elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006, McNulty represents House District 43, which centers around the community of Highlands Ranch
. McNulty was elected Speaker of the House on November 9, 2010.
and attended the University of Colorado at Boulder
. After graduation in 1995, McNulty went to work in the Washington, D.C.
office of Colorado Representative and later Senator Wayne Allard
.
In 1998, McNulty returned to Colorado and enrolled at the University of Denver College of Law, focusing on natural resources and water law; he completed his J.D.
degree in 2001 and belongs to the Douglas
/Elbert
Bar Association.
In 2000, McNulty was named Assistant Director for Water with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, part of the administration of Republican Gov. Bill Owens, where he worked on water policy revision with the state legislature. He is also a member of the Colorado Foundation for Water Education.
McNulty lives in Highlands Ranch, where he is a member the Highlands Ranch Community Association, as well as Saint Mark Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus
in Highlands Ranch. He is also a member of the Firearms Coalition of Colorado, and the Colorado State Shooting Association. McNulty also sits on the board of Coloradans for Employee Freedom.
in 2006, defeating Democrat Allen A. Dreher with 61% of the votes cast in the general election
.
During the 2007 legislative session, McNulty sponsored legislation to extend in-state tuition benefits at Colorado colleges and universities to military personnel on temporary assignment in Colorado. The measure was part of a package of veteran's benefits bills backed by a bipartisan coalition of legislators. McNulty also sponsored legislation to create mandatory minimum sentences for certain sex offenders, a measure which died in committee.
During his first session, McNulty focused on water and transportation issues.
McNulty sponsored legislation to facilitate "loaning" of water to the Colorado Water Conservation Board in order to preserve in-stream flows.
Following the legislative session, McNulty sat on the interim Transportation Legislation Review Committee.
McNulty also sat on a special committee that recommended the censure of Rep. Douglas Bruce
for kicking a photographer.
McNulty offered legislation to require that those registering to vote show proof of citizenship; the bill was killed in a House committee. He also pushed for divestment
of state pension funds from companies doing business in Iran
, a move which led to new rules governing Colorado's Public Employees Retirement Association investments.
McNulty also lead opposition to a number of measures sponsored by House Democrats, including vehicle registration fee increases to fund transportation expenses, a bill to require developers to demonstrate the existence of a "sustainable" water supply before proceeding,
a bill to impose additional regulations on in-situ uranium mining.
Following the legislative session, McNulty proposed increasing transportation funding by allocating money from an expiring education funding increase to highway and bridge repair. He then became one of the key proponents of a measure to allocate growth in severance tax
revenue to transportation, which was placed on the November 2008 statewide ballot in Colorado as Amendment 52. McNulty also headed Better Roads Now, a statewide issue committee devoted to supporting the measure.
In September 2008, McNulty announced plans to support, with other Republicans, legislation to allocate additional funding to transportation in the next state budget.
In October, McNulty participated in the "Western Values Tour" with Arizona Senator John Kyl, promoting the McCain-Palin presidential ticket in central Colorado.
With Representatives-elect Laura Bradford
and Scott Tipton
, McNulty plans on re-introducing a version of Jessica's Law
to establish minimum sentences for child sex offenders.
After House Minority Leader Mike May announced plans to retire in December 2008, McNulty was seen as a possible candidate for the leadership post. He planned on running for the post in a House leadership election against Rep. David Balmer, but the vote — and May's resignation — were postponed after allegations that a lobbyist attempted to influence the election in favor of Balmer; allegations against Balmer were investigated by a legislative ethics committee and eventually dropped.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Colorado
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...
. First elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006, McNulty represents House District 43, which centers around the community of Highlands Ranch
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Highlands Ranch is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 96,713 at the 2010 census; it is one of the most populous unincorporated communities in the United States...
. McNulty was elected Speaker of the House on November 9, 2010.
Biography
McNulty graduated from J. K. Mullen High School in Denver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and attended the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
. After graduation in 1995, McNulty went to work in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
office of Colorado Representative and later Senator Wayne Allard
Wayne Allard
Alan Wayne Allard is a member of the Republican Party, and was a United States Senator from Colorado. He did not seek re-election in 2008.-Early life:...
.
In 1998, McNulty returned to Colorado and enrolled at the University of Denver College of Law, focusing on natural resources and water law; he completed his J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree in 2001 and belongs to the Douglas
Douglas County, Colorado
Douglas County is the eighth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado, in the United States. The county is located midway between Colorado's two largest cities: Denver and Colorado Springs...
/Elbert
Elbert County, Colorado
Elbert County is the 21st most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 19,872 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Kiowa...
Bar Association.
In 2000, McNulty was named Assistant Director for Water with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, part of the administration of Republican Gov. Bill Owens, where he worked on water policy revision with the state legislature. He is also a member of the Colorado Foundation for Water Education.
McNulty lives in Highlands Ranch, where he is a member the Highlands Ranch Community Association, as well as Saint Mark Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
in Highlands Ranch. He is also a member of the Firearms Coalition of Colorado, and the Colorado State Shooting Association. McNulty also sits on the board of Coloradans for Employee Freedom.
2006 election
McNulty was elected to his first term in the Colorado General AssemblyColorado General Assembly
The Colorado General Assembly is the state legislature of the State of Colorado.-Constitutional definition:The Colorado Constitution establishes a system of government based on the separation of powers doctrine with power divided among three "departments": executive, legislative and judicial...
in 2006, defeating Democrat Allen A. Dreher with 61% of the votes cast in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
.
2007 legislative session
In the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly, McNulty was a member of the House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee, the House Transportation Committee, and the House Appropriations Committee.During the 2007 legislative session, McNulty sponsored legislation to extend in-state tuition benefits at Colorado colleges and universities to military personnel on temporary assignment in Colorado. The measure was part of a package of veteran's benefits bills backed by a bipartisan coalition of legislators. McNulty also sponsored legislation to create mandatory minimum sentences for certain sex offenders, a measure which died in committee.
During his first session, McNulty focused on water and transportation issues.
McNulty sponsored legislation to facilitate "loaning" of water to the Colorado Water Conservation Board in order to preserve in-stream flows.
Following the legislative session, McNulty sat on the interim Transportation Legislation Review Committee.
2008 legislative session
In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, McNulty sits on the House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee, the House Transportation Committee, and the House Appropriations Committee.McNulty also sat on a special committee that recommended the censure of Rep. Douglas Bruce
Douglas Bruce
Douglas Edward Bruce is a conservative activist and former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado, best known as the author of Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights ....
for kicking a photographer.
McNulty offered legislation to require that those registering to vote show proof of citizenship; the bill was killed in a House committee. He also pushed for divestment
Divestment
In finance and economics, divestment or divestiture is the reduction of some kind of asset for either financial or ethical objectives or sale of an existing business by a firm...
of state pension funds from companies doing business in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, a move which led to new rules governing Colorado's Public Employees Retirement Association investments.
McNulty also lead opposition to a number of measures sponsored by House Democrats, including vehicle registration fee increases to fund transportation expenses, a bill to require developers to demonstrate the existence of a "sustainable" water supply before proceeding,
a bill to impose additional regulations on in-situ uranium mining.
Following the legislative session, McNulty proposed increasing transportation funding by allocating money from an expiring education funding increase to highway and bridge repair. He then became one of the key proponents of a measure to allocate growth in severance tax
Severance tax
Severance taxes are incurred when non-renewable natural resources are separated from a taxing jurisdiction. Industries that typically incur such taxes are oil and gas, coal, mining, and timber industries....
revenue to transportation, which was placed on the November 2008 statewide ballot in Colorado as Amendment 52. McNulty also headed Better Roads Now, a statewide issue committee devoted to supporting the measure.
In September 2008, McNulty announced plans to support, with other Republicans, legislation to allocate additional funding to transportation in the next state budget.
2008 election
McNulty sought a second term in the state legislature in 2008, facing opposition from Democrat John Stevens. McNulty's re-election bid was endorsed by the Denver Post, and he was victorious, with 63 percent of the popular vote.In October, McNulty participated in the "Western Values Tour" with Arizona Senator John Kyl, promoting the McCain-Palin presidential ticket in central Colorado.
2009 legislative session
For the 2009 legislative session, McNulty was named to seats on the House Transportation and Energy Committee and the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee, where he was the ranking Republican.With Representatives-elect Laura Bradford
Laura Bradford
Laura Bradford is a legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2008, Bradford represents House District 55, which encompasses northern portions of Mesa County and northern Grand Junction.-Biography:Born in Crookston, Minnesota and...
and Scott Tipton
Scott Tipton
Scott R. Tipton is the U.S. Representative for . In November 2010, he defeated three-term incumbent Democrat John Salazar, whom he lost to in 2006 by a wide margin. He was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives and a co-owner of a pottery company in Cortez, Colorado...
, McNulty plans on re-introducing a version of Jessica's Law
Jessica's Law
Jessica's Law is the informal name given to a 2005 Florida law, as well as laws in several other states, designed to punish sex offenders and reduce their ability to re-offend...
to establish minimum sentences for child sex offenders.
After House Minority Leader Mike May announced plans to retire in December 2008, McNulty was seen as a possible candidate for the leadership post. He planned on running for the post in a House leadership election against Rep. David Balmer, but the vote — and May's resignation — were postponed after allegations that a lobbyist attempted to influence the election in favor of Balmer; allegations against Balmer were investigated by a legislative ethics committee and eventually dropped.