Democratic Sen. Deanna Hanna will resign effective March 22. The following statement was released by Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald:
I honor Senator Deanna Hannas personal commitment to the state of Colorado. Today she put the Senate over her political career. Senator Hanna has been a wonderful colleague to work with and she will be missed.
Senator Hannas resignation will be effective on the morning of March 22, 2006. Her last day will be March 21, 2006.
The Rocky Mountain News has the link to Hanna’s resignation letter.
Hanna had been expected to resign, as we reported two days ago, despite public denials to the contrary, and it wasn’t likely that Democrats were going to let her off the hook anyway (after all, it was Democrat Sen. Ken Gordon who called for the ethics hearing). The only matter to be resolved had been the timing of the announcement, because Democrats wanted to make sure that they weren’t facing even one day with a 17-17 tie in the senate.
Speculation now turns to who will replace Hanna, with Rep. Betty Boyd the obvious choice. That would then open up a second vacancy committee for Boyd’s house district seat, where the jockeying will begin shortly.
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Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
So is Betty Boyd the front-runner for Hanna’s seat then? If so, what happens to Boyd’s seat? Who becomes House HHS Chair?
Lots of dominoes about to fall
The proverbial slate is now clean between Dems and Repubs alike. Good. This will hopefully make the House and Senate races a LITTLE more civil.
HA!
I live in Lakewood, and would take on the job, but I prefer blogging; it gives me more power.
3bm, boyd moves up to Hanna’s seat when the vacancy committee meets march 18. three dems have shown interest in running for boyd;s seat when she would have been termed out in 2008: mark messenbaugh, andy kerr and Pam Feely. One of them will probably fill her house seat about March 25, because the vacancy committee has to give 7 days notice and boyd won’t resign until appointed to Hanna’s seat.
Nice try, Druid. But isn’t it now Joe Stengel’s time to show some integrity? You remember – the Republican legislator who falsely and fraudulently submitted per-diem claims to Colorado taxpayers for “working” – when he was actually on vacation in Hawaii. He should be prosecuted, but lingers on, a fine reminder of what it now means to be a Republican “leader”. Dems can only pray that Republicans will remain defensive and arrogant, afraid to clean house, continuing right up through November their corrupt tradition of Tom DeLay and Duke Cunningham.
Careful what you wish for, Hey Joe. Stengel is term limited and despite a signficant Republican registration edge, Democrats think they can win his seat with returning Iraq war vet Joe Rice, former mayor of Glendale and the Democratic party’s answer to Mike Coffman. But if Joe quits now, the Republican vacancy committee can fill Joe’s seat with a fresh face who will have a couploe months to build a record and hold the seat for the Ds. You’re obviously a Democrat, do you still want Stengel to resign? I guarantee you Alice Madden and Andrew Romanoff don’t.
Very good point, Voyager. From a political standpoint, Democrats would be in a much better position if he just stays put.
But the moral side of me thinks I just paid for his f—ing vacation in Hawaii and would prefer to see him get the boot.
He returned the vacation stipend as well as the two days he was taking the bar exam. What burns me is that he charged us all $99 a day during his long campaign against Ref C. Gordon, Fitz-G, Norma, Steve Johnson and the other legislators who fought and won this thing didn’t take a dime for their work, as they shouldn’t have. But still and all, I’d let him serve out his term if only because a guy as good as Maj. Joe Rice deserves a clean shot at this seat, rather than taking on an appointed incumbent. Often in politics we must hold our noses and keep our eye on the greater good.
The Senate is back in play. Matt Kneodler is the guy to win this seat. He could be the guy who returned the senate to its proper place.
Deanna Hanna’s departure shows our political system is healthy. It expelled a corrupt politician.
Joe has to go. He tried to steal tax payer money. There is no excuse. It’s the right and honorable thing to do. So how much integrety does Joe have?
As for letting a new guy build a record, that’s over-rated as a re-election tool. Besides, Joe Rice won’t be running against Stengel anyway. The Stengel stink will be used in a much larger agenda setting cause.
Whether he resigns or not he’ll be used as the example of what’s wrong with the Rep’s. He could have taken the high ground by resigning his seat instead of simply his role. Now, he’ll either hang on or be forced out.
Deanna Hanna may or may not be corrupt. But she was both stupid and obnoxious to send what looks like an extortion letter, even if it was to neurotic group of wing nut shysters in white patent leather shoes that nobody ever heard of. Good riddance!
Joe Stengel, on the other hand, is a thief who should be prosecuted. He intentionally and fraudulently submitted false claims for per-diem to Colorado taxpayers for “work” time when he was really on vacation in Hawaii. There is simply no excuse for knowing abusing his position of trust in the legislature for his personal gain. The fact that he later paid some restitution is of no consequence since it only happened after his petty thievery was exposed. If Joe thinks anyone cares about his jail-house conversion, let him tell it to a judge.
Joe Stengel is but the latest example of an arrogant and corrupt Republican party that has lost all sense that any rules apply to them. It’s time to put a few of these jerks in jail, and I doubt if anyone cares whether that upsets the grand plans of the political strategists – of either party.
DeeDee Hanna was lucky to have ever been in the Senate in the first place, representing a GOP district. When conservatives couldn’t stomach liberal Bonnie Allison anymore, conservative Lynn Watwood beat her in the primary. Mike Feeley served two terms, then liberals refused to back Penn Pfiffner against Hanna, and conservatives refused to back Tori Merrits, who everyone was shocked to discover was a Republican, after her liberal service to the teacher’s union on the Jeffco School Board. A Republican who can unite the party will take the seat and restore GOP control to the State Senate.
DeeDee Hanna was lucky to have ever been in the Senate in the first place, representing a GOP district. When conservatives couldn’t stomach liberal Bonnie Allison anymore, conservative Lynn Watwood beat her in the primary. Mike Feeley served two terms, then liberals refused to back Penn Pfiffner against Hanna, and conservatives refused to back Tori Merrits, who everyone was shocked to discover was a Republican, after her liberal service to the teacher’s union on the Jeffco School Board. A Republican who can unite the party will take the seat and restore GOP control to the State Senate.