John Kefalas
Encyclopedia
John Michael Kefalas is a legislator in the U.S. state
of Colorado
. An educator and lobbyist before first running for the legislature in 2004, Kefalas defeated a Republican incumbent to win election to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2006. He represents House District 52, which encompasses the eastern half of Fort Collins, Colorado
. In the legislature, Kefalas has focused on health care and poverty issues, and he won re-election to a second term in the state house in 2008.
from Colorado State University
in 1978 and then joined the Peace Corps
in 1979, serving as an agricultural extension worker in El Salvador
. After returning to the United States, he earned a master's degree in teaching, with a secondary science specialization from Fairleigh Dickinson University
in 1982 and taught in the Poudre School District
. He has also worked as an employment counselor for Larimer County, Colorado
, and as a health outreach worker.
From 1997 to 2004, Kefalas worked as a public policy advocate and community development coordinator for Catholic Charities
until his departure amidst a controversy regarding his public support for Roe v. Wade
and abortion
rights during his 2004 legislative campaign. Before entering the legislature, he directed the Colorado Progressive Coalition's Tax Fairness Project. He has served as a member of the Fort Collins Housing Authority and the Colorado Social Legislation Committee, and, in 2001, won the City of Fort Collins Human Relations Award.
From 1980 to 1994, Kefalas redirected a portion of his federal income taxes to charitable organizations as a protest against United States military actions in Central America. He has paid his income taxes in full since 1994, but continued to boycott the federal telephone excise tax as recently as 2004. As a result, Kefalas has had a lien
filed him and has had wages garnished
. Kefalas has paid his back taxes and considers his actions to be a conscientious protest. He has also written about his experience of "war tax resistance" for the newsletter of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee
. In both his 2004 and 2006 legislative campaigns, Kefalas was accused of avoiding his federal tax obligation, both by his Republican opponent and by independent political committees. Kefalas has also been an outspoken opponent of the Iraq War, and has engaged in non-violent civil disobedience in protest of the war.
Kefalas is married; he and his wife Beth have two sons — Harlan, an active-duty U.S. Army soldier who has served in Iraq, Kosovo, and Afghanistan, and Timothy, the coach of the Colorado State University ultimate frisbee team.
candidate Jassen Bowman. Kefalas ran unchallenged for the Democratic nomination in 2006, and narrowly prevailed over McCluskey in the general election.
While in the legislature, he sponsored successful bills to encourage state purchasing of "environmentally preferable" products, to allow Colorado State University
to require graduate student health insurance, and to create licensing standards for hemodialysis
technicians.
Kefalas proposed a bill to explore alternative voting system
s, which was defeated in committee, but which led to the creation of an 11-member multi-partisan task force to study related issues. Another of Kefalas' proposed bills, which would have required the Colorado Department of Revenue to regularly report on tax burdens across individual income groups, was also defeated in committee.
During his first year in the legislature, Kefalas also founded the bipartisan Common Good Caucus to address poverty issues, and was a member of the Hispanic Caucus and the Diabetes/Obesity Caucus.
In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Kefalas sits on the House Finance Committee and the House Health and Human Services Committee.
For the 2008 legislative session, Kefalas worked with other Fort Collins legislators, particularly Rep. Randy Fischer
, on bills to increase scrutiny of proposed uranium
mining operations. While one bill, which would require that groundwater quality be restored following mining operations, passed the state legislature and was signed into law, another measure, which would have created stronger public disclosure requirements for mining operations, was killed in committee, but later revived in the state senate.
With Sen. Ron Tupa
, Kefalas was the house sponsor of legislation designed to reduce the cost of college textbook
s by requiring textbook publishers to disclose costs and offer textbooks unbundled
from additional materials, and he sponsored legislation to allow outpatient surgery centers to establish peer review
committees; both bills were signed into law by Gov. Ritter. For his support of ambulatory surgical centers, Kefalas was awarded the Legislator of the Year Award by the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association later that year.
Kefalas also sponsored a bill to authorize local pilot tests of ranked choice voting methods. Kefalas sponsored a bill to establish a Colorado Housing Investment Fund, but withdrew the bill when proponents moved forward with a similar ballot initiative. He later expressed frustration when plans for the ballot measure were withdrawn. Building on his 2007 bill to allow purchasing of "green" products, Kefalas also sponsored a measure to require Colorado governments to consider products' expected life and cost of ownership in making purchasing decisions, which was signed into law.
Among Kefalas' top priorities is restoring and expanding Colorado's earned income tax credit
, a move which met with resistance from legislative leaders in 2007 due to budget constraints. Kefalas introduced a bill in the 2008 session to restore Colorado's EITC at ten percent of the federal credit, but the bill was defeated in a House committee.
parks, and named sustainable economic development his top priority in office.
Former Rep. Bob McCluskey announced his intention to run against Kefalas in February 2008, pitting the two against each other for the third time in as many election cycles and creating a competitive race in what was seen as one of Colorado's "swing" districts.
During the campaign, Kefalas held a fundraising advantage over McCluskey, with $60,000 cash on hand — three times as much as McCluskey — in mid-September. By late October, Kefalas had raised over $100,000, about $15,000 short of McCluskey's fundraising total; which included $65,000 that McCluskey donated to his own campaign.
McCluskey targeted Kefalas with a direct mail
advertisement blaming Kefalas and the Democratic state legislature for high gasoline prices, a tactic Kefalas dismissed as "negative campaigning." Kefalas also condemned independent ads attacking McCluskey's legislative record as having "crossed the line of civility." The 527 group
Accountability for Colorado also spent over $50,000 in support of Kefalas' re-election, including mailers attacking McCluskey's legislative record; Kefalas also expressed disapproval of these advertisements.
McCluskey's bid to unseat Kefalas was endorsed by the Denver Post, while Kefalas was endorsed by the Windsor Beacon and the Fort Collins Coloradoan
. Kefalas ultimately won a second term with about 59 percent of the popular vote, becoming the first Democrat to win re-election in the east Fort Collins district since 1936.
Kefalas also sponsored the Colorado Innovation Investment Tax Credit, legislation to create $750,000 in tax credits for angel investor
s in startup companies, to increase support for job training programs, and to create a Colorado Railroad Authority to begin planning for statewide passenger rail service.
Kefalas also sponsored legislation to create a Economic Opportunity/Poverty Reduction Task Force, which he chaired following the regular session. The committee's objective is to develop plans to reduce Colorado's poverty rate by half in ten years, examining a broad range of issues from economic development to education to transportation to tax policy, and it considered potential legislation on topics ranging from the earned income tax credit
to rent control
.
Following the legislation session, Kefalas was the only male legislator honored with the Colorado Lawmakers Award by the Denver Women’s Commission and the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
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...
. An educator and lobbyist before first running for the legislature in 2004, Kefalas defeated a Republican incumbent to win election to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2006. He represents House District 52, which encompasses the eastern half of Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
. In the legislature, Kefalas has focused on health care and poverty issues, and he won re-election to a second term in the state house in 2008.
Early career
Born in Piraeus, Greece, Kefalas earned a bachelor's degree in botanyBotany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
from Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
in 1978 and then joined the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
in 1979, serving as an agricultural extension worker in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
. After returning to the United States, he earned a master's degree in teaching, with a secondary science specialization from Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
in 1982 and taught in the Poudre School District
Poudre School District
The Poudre School District is K-12 public school district in Larimer County in northern Colorado. The district operates and manages the public schools in the city of Fort Collins, as well as in the towns of Wellington and Timnath, and unincorporated communities of Larimer County including Laporte...
. He has also worked as an employment counselor for Larimer County, Colorado
Larimer County, Colorado
Larimer County is the seventh most populous and the ninth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is located at the northern end of the Front Range, at the edge of the Colorado Eastern Plains along the border with Wyoming...
, and as a health outreach worker.
From 1997 to 2004, Kefalas worked as a public policy advocate and community development coordinator for Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities is a network of charities whose aim is "to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same." It is one of the largest charities in the United States...
until his departure amidst a controversy regarding his public support for Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...
and abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
rights during his 2004 legislative campaign. Before entering the legislature, he directed the Colorado Progressive Coalition's Tax Fairness Project. He has served as a member of the Fort Collins Housing Authority and the Colorado Social Legislation Committee, and, in 2001, won the City of Fort Collins Human Relations Award.
From 1980 to 1994, Kefalas redirected a portion of his federal income taxes to charitable organizations as a protest against United States military actions in Central America. He has paid his income taxes in full since 1994, but continued to boycott the federal telephone excise tax as recently as 2004. As a result, Kefalas has had a lien
Lien
In law, a lien is a form of security interest granted over an item of property to secure the payment of a debt or performance of some other obligation...
filed him and has had wages garnished
Garnishment
A garnishment is a means of collecting a monetary judgment against a defendant by ordering a third party to pay money, otherwise owed to the defendant, directly to the plaintiff...
. Kefalas has paid his back taxes and considers his actions to be a conscientious protest. He has also written about his experience of "war tax resistance" for the newsletter of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee
National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee
The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee is an American activist coalition that promotes tax resistance as a way to protest against and/or disassociate from war and militarism....
. In both his 2004 and 2006 legislative campaigns, Kefalas was accused of avoiding his federal tax obligation, both by his Republican opponent and by independent political committees. Kefalas has also been an outspoken opponent of the Iraq War, and has engaged in non-violent civil disobedience in protest of the war.
Kefalas is married; he and his wife Beth have two sons — Harlan, an active-duty U.S. Army soldier who has served in Iraq, Kosovo, and Afghanistan, and Timothy, the coach of the Colorado State University ultimate frisbee team.
2004 and 2006 campaigns
Kefalas first ran for the state legislature in 2004, winning the Democratic Party primary by only seven votes over Fort Collins councilman Bill Bertschy after a recount process that lasted for several weeks. Kefalas lost the general election by fewer than 500 votes to incumbent Republican Bob McCluskey in a race that also included Libertarian PartyLibertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
candidate Jassen Bowman. Kefalas ran unchallenged for the Democratic nomination in 2006, and narrowly prevailed over McCluskey in the general election.
2007 legislative session
In the 2007-2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Kefalas sat on the House Finance Committee and the House Health and Human Services Committee.While in the legislature, he sponsored successful bills to encourage state purchasing of "environmentally preferable" products, to allow Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
to require graduate student health insurance, and to create licensing standards for hemodialysis
Hemodialysis
In medicine, hemodialysis is a method for removing waste products such as creatinine and urea, as well as free water from the blood when the kidneys are in renal failure. Hemodialysis is one of three renal replacement therapies .Hemodialysis can be an outpatient or inpatient therapy...
technicians.
Kefalas proposed a bill to explore alternative voting system
Voting system
A voting system or electoral system is a method by which voters make a choice between options, often in an election or on a policy referendum....
s, which was defeated in committee, but which led to the creation of an 11-member multi-partisan task force to study related issues. Another of Kefalas' proposed bills, which would have required the Colorado Department of Revenue to regularly report on tax burdens across individual income groups, was also defeated in committee.
During his first year in the legislature, Kefalas also founded the bipartisan Common Good Caucus to address poverty issues, and was a member of the Hispanic Caucus and the Diabetes/Obesity Caucus.
2008 legislative session
For the 2008 legislative session, Kefalas worked with other Fort Collins legislators, particularly Rep. Randy Fischer
Randy Fischer
In the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Fischer sits on the House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee and the House Education Committee.....
, on bills to increase scrutiny of proposed uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
mining operations. While one bill, which would require that groundwater quality be restored following mining operations, passed the state legislature and was signed into law, another measure, which would have created stronger public disclosure requirements for mining operations, was killed in committee, but later revived in the state senate.
With Sen. Ron Tupa
Ron Tupa
Ron Tupa is a staff member of Democrats for Education Reform , a political action committee whose stated purpose is to support Democratic Party policies to reform American public education. His title is Director of State Legislatures...
, Kefalas was the house sponsor of legislation designed to reduce the cost of college textbook
Textbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
s by requiring textbook publishers to disclose costs and offer textbooks unbundled
Product bundling
Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as one combined product. This strategy is very common in the software business , in the cable television industry Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as...
from additional materials, and he sponsored legislation to allow outpatient surgery centers to establish peer review
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
committees; both bills were signed into law by Gov. Ritter. For his support of ambulatory surgical centers, Kefalas was awarded the Legislator of the Year Award by the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association later that year.
Kefalas also sponsored a bill to authorize local pilot tests of ranked choice voting methods. Kefalas sponsored a bill to establish a Colorado Housing Investment Fund, but withdrew the bill when proponents moved forward with a similar ballot initiative. He later expressed frustration when plans for the ballot measure were withdrawn. Building on his 2007 bill to allow purchasing of "green" products, Kefalas also sponsored a measure to require Colorado governments to consider products' expected life and cost of ownership in making purchasing decisions, which was signed into law.
Among Kefalas' top priorities is restoring and expanding Colorado's earned income tax credit
Earned income tax credit
The United States federal earned income tax credit or earned income credit is a refundable tax credit primarily for individuals and families who have low to moderate earned income. Greater tax credit is given to those who also have qualifying children...
, a move which met with resistance from legislative leaders in 2007 due to budget constraints. Kefalas introduced a bill in the 2008 session to restore Colorado's EITC at ten percent of the federal credit, but the bill was defeated in a House committee.
2008 election
Holding office in a closely contested district, Kefalas is expected to be targeted by Colorado Republicans during his 2008 re-election bid, which he formally announced in January 2008. Since taking office, Kefalas sought to maintain a dialogue with constituents by leading a series of monthly "community conversations" on topics ranging from health care to mobile homeMobile home
Mobile homes or static caravans are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied...
parks, and named sustainable economic development his top priority in office.
Former Rep. Bob McCluskey announced his intention to run against Kefalas in February 2008, pitting the two against each other for the third time in as many election cycles and creating a competitive race in what was seen as one of Colorado's "swing" districts.
During the campaign, Kefalas held a fundraising advantage over McCluskey, with $60,000 cash on hand — three times as much as McCluskey — in mid-September. By late October, Kefalas had raised over $100,000, about $15,000 short of McCluskey's fundraising total; which included $65,000 that McCluskey donated to his own campaign.
McCluskey targeted Kefalas with a direct mail
Direct mail
Advertising mail, also known as direct mail, junk mail, or admail, is the delivery of advertising material to recipients of postal mail. The delivery of advertising mail forms a large and growing service for many postal services, and direct-mail marketing forms a significant portion of the direct...
advertisement blaming Kefalas and the Democratic state legislature for high gasoline prices, a tactic Kefalas dismissed as "negative campaigning." Kefalas also condemned independent ads attacking McCluskey's legislative record as having "crossed the line of civility." The 527 group
527 group
A 527 organization or 527 group is a type of American tax-exempt organization named after "Section 527" of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code...
Accountability for Colorado also spent over $50,000 in support of Kefalas' re-election, including mailers attacking McCluskey's legislative record; Kefalas also expressed disapproval of these advertisements.
McCluskey's bid to unseat Kefalas was endorsed by the Denver Post, while Kefalas was endorsed by the Windsor Beacon and the Fort Collins Coloradoan
Fort Collins Coloradoan
The Coloradoan is a daily newspaper in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Coloradoan's website is updated throughout the day with breaking news and video coverage of community news. A portion of the paper's newsroom serves as Northern Newsroom for 9News....
. Kefalas ultimately won a second term with about 59 percent of the popular vote, becoming the first Democrat to win re-election in the east Fort Collins district since 1936.
2009 legislative session
For the 2009 legislative session, Kefalas was named to seats on the House Appropriations Committee, the House Finance Committee, and the House Health and Human Services Committee. Kefalas has named health care reform as his top priority and plans on introducing legislation to create a single-payer universal health care system in Colorado during the 2009 session. The bill was introduced as a proposal to create a 23-member commission to make recommendations as to how to implement a single-payer system, and was reported favorably out of a House committee. However, Kefalas was one vote short of the 33 necessary to pass the legislation out of the house, and in April, asked that the legislation be killed.Kefalas also sponsored the Colorado Innovation Investment Tax Credit, legislation to create $750,000 in tax credits for angel investor
Angel investor
An angel investor or angel is an affluent individual who provides capital for a business start-up, usually in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity...
s in startup companies, to increase support for job training programs, and to create a Colorado Railroad Authority to begin planning for statewide passenger rail service.
Kefalas also sponsored legislation to create a Economic Opportunity/Poverty Reduction Task Force, which he chaired following the regular session. The committee's objective is to develop plans to reduce Colorado's poverty rate by half in ten years, examining a broad range of issues from economic development to education to transportation to tax policy, and it considered potential legislation on topics ranging from the earned income tax credit
Earned income tax credit
The United States federal earned income tax credit or earned income credit is a refundable tax credit primarily for individuals and families who have low to moderate earned income. Greater tax credit is given to those who also have qualifying children...
to rent control
Rent control
Rent control refers to laws or ordinances that set price controls on the renting of residential housing. It functions as a price ceiling.Rent control exists in approximately 40 countries around the world...
.
Following the legislation session, Kefalas was the only male legislator honored with the Colorado Lawmakers Award by the Denver Women’s Commission and the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce.