The smug, smarmy, gun nut and ideologue Chris Holbert
Last week, I got a call from my friend and neighbor Bette Davis. She is running against Chris Holbert (R-BLECH) for Colorado Senate. Holbert, currently a State Representative, (MY State Rep, alas) is term-limited, but apparently unwilling to give up sucking on the government teat. It seems to be a family thing--his wife, Diane Holbert, is the Douglas County Treasurer.
The smug, smarmy, gun nut and ideologue Chris Holbert
Chris Holbert is a disgrace to Colorado. He was the one who sneakily tried to attach an ANTI-ABORTION amendment to the $19 billion bipartisan state budget, then had a hissy fit and stormed off, refusing to sign it after his little piece of bullshit was not approved.
As the Denver newspaper reports, the Colorado House today voted to approve a $19 billion state budget by a 64-1 margin.
The sole ‘NO’ vote was from Republican Rep. Chris Holbert, who fellow Republicans say apparently wouldn’t support the budget because he was mad that his caucus rejected his idea for a budget amendment dealing with abortion — presumably because they understood how bad it would look for the GOP to hijack the budget process over abortion in a state where the “Personhood” amendment continues to get voted down in overwhelming numbers.
But hey, good job sticking to your, uh, principles or whatever, Chris. If they won’t play by your rules, just refuse to play!
- See more at: http://coloradopols.com/...
But he hastily tried to backpedal:
A tea-party radio crowd is mad at Fox 31 reporter Eli Stokols for failing to report what they see as the real story behind Rep. Chris Holbert’s lone no vote against the state budget bill April 12.
Citing unnamed sources, Stokols reported Friday:
“Republicans privately groused that Holbert’s vote amounted to ‘sour grapes’ after the House GOP caucus refused to allow him to run an amendment dealing with abortion on Wednesday, when the House spent hours debating a few dozen ‘message amendments’ to the budget that aimed to make political points.”
Stokols’ story came after Holbert issued a news release stating he voted against the budget bill because it didn’t set aside any money for a so-called “rainy day fund,” to be used for unanticipated state needs.
Stokols reported Holbert’s explanation, as well the view that allegedly “swirled around the Capitol” that Holbert was essentially lying about his real reason for the “no” vote.
- See more at: http://coloradopols.com/...
Emphasis mine.
He supports Personhood, school vouchers, carrying concealed weapons WITHOUT A PERMIT, and assorted other crap. Chris Holbert's voting record He is, naturally, like all good little GOP puppets, an ardent, if inarticulate, climate-change denier as well as an apparent creationist who objects to evolution being taught in schools.
HOLBERT: Thank you, Madam Chair. Ms. Nevin, I wonder if you could describe any efforts by your group or others around the state to empower, encourage, enable, teachers and students to, especially in the high school environment, to, um, to discount what I believe to be the myth of climate change and global warming. [Pols emphasis] You referred to that as a "theory," so if that, if that is a theory, um, I hope that we are again encouraging and empowering to take a position where they could just absolutely attack that as nonsense.
NAVIN: Um, I think that (Oh, thank you), I think there's general, the general populace uses the word "theory" differently than it is used in science. And so a theory is pretty much as close to fact as you can get. Gravity is a theory in science, but you know we all drop something and I'm pretty sure it's going to hit the ground. So really, I think the language of the bill lacks clarity in describing what a theory is, in terms of discussing the strengths and weaknesses towards it. Did that answer the question?
HOLBERT: No.
CHAIR: Representative Holbert, do you want to ask, uh, the question differently?
HOLBERT: Does your, does your group do anything to encourage, communicate to students, uh, in K through 12 or higher ed, um, the, the, uh, to oppose, to encourage them to speak out and oppose things, because it's my impression that, that my sons are being taught one side of that. That it is, in fact "fact," and, and it's not.
- See more at: http://coloradopols.com/...
What a damned idiot.
He also voted against an anti-bullying bill, appearing to support corporal punishment in schools instead:
But there was one dissenting voice. Freshman Rep. Chris Holbert, R-Parker, said, “I think this is the wrong answer to the right problem.
“The fundamental problem is that we’ve taken discipline out of our public schools. … As a society we have withdrawn that corporal punishment, that discipline in the schools. … This void of discipline sets up a framework that is destined to fail.”
In a further example of being a good little puppet, the despicable Holbert also voted to
take away insurance from Coloradans
Ladies and gentlemen, we reluctantly direct your attention to Colorado House Bill 13-1078, calendared for next Tuesday in the House Health, Insurance and Environment Committee. HB13-1078 is sponsored in the House by Rep. Janak "Dr. Nick" Joshi, along with Reps. Chris Holbert, Jared Wright, Justin Everett, Steve Humphrey, and Lori Saine. In the Senate, though it's very unlikely to get that far, the bill is sponsored by Republican Sens. Ted Harvey and Scott Renfroe. Without further adoo, here is the summary of HB13-1078.
In 2010, pursuant to the enactment of federal law that allowed each state to establish a health benefit exchange option through state law or opt to participate in a national exchange, the general assembly enacted the "Colorado Health Benefit Exchange Act" (act). The act created the state exchange, a board of directors (board) to implement the exchange, and a legislative health benefits exchange implementation review committee to make recommendations to the board.
This bill repeals the act. [Pols emphasis]
First of all, the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange was established by the passage of Senate Bill 200 in 2011–not 2010. So there's that mistake.
- See more at: http://coloradopols.com/...
I had the great misfortune to meet his staff during Pro-choice Lobby Day. Ugh. Smarmy bunch.
But enough about the putrid, puerile Holbert. Let me introduce you to Bette below the fold.
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