Colorado Senate Passes National Popular Vote Bill
Legislative Hearings Announced in Missouri House - 25 Legislators Now Sponsoring Bill in Illinois - Legislative Hearings Scheduled by California AssemblyBy Every Vote Equal Press Release
April 14, 2006
The Colorado State Senate today passed National Popular Vote's bill to enact the “Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote” on second reading. The favorable vote in the Senate is the first formal vote by a state legislative house on National Popular Vote's plan for nationwide election of the President. In Colorado, the bill (SB 06-223) is sponsored by Senators Ken Gordon (D), John Evans (R), and Lew Entz (R).
The whole Senate's action today followed a favorable vote on April 10 in the Senate Judiciary Committee. At that time, the committee heard testimony from Colorado Common Cause Executive Director Pete Maysmith, National Popular Vote President Barry Fadem, Dr. John R. Koza (originator of the plan), and Colorado attorney Mark Grueskin. Grueskin, along with Fadem and Koza, is a co-author of a book describing the plan entitled Every Vote Equal: A State-Based Plan For Electing The President By National Popular Vote.
The proposed “Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote” in an interstate compact. The bill in Colorado would enact the compact in Colorado. The proposed compact would not take effect in Colorado until identical legislation is enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes (that is, 270 of the 538 electoral votes).
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In other developments, a committee of the Missouri House of Representatives announced plans for a hearing of the National Popular Vote bill. In Missouri, National Popular Vote's plan (HB 2090) is sponsored by Representative Robert Johnson (R) and Representative Jeff Roorda (D).
In addition, there are now 18 sponsors of the bill in the Illinois House (HB 5777) and 7 sponsors in the Senate (SB 2724). The Senate bill in Illinois was the first introduction of the National Popular Vote bill in a state legislature. That bill was introduced by Senators Jacqueline Collins (D), Kirk W. Dillard (R and Du Page County Republican Party Chair), James T. Meeks (I), and others. The House bill in Illinois (HB 5777) was first introduced by Representatives Robert S. Molaro (D) and Jim Durkin (R).
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http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1193&Itemid=26