Leroy Garcia

This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. (May 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Leroy Garcia
President of the Colorado Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2019
Preceded by	Kevin Grantham
Minority Leader of the Colorado Senate
In office March 22, 2018 – January 4, 2019
Preceded by	Lucía Guzmán
Succeeded by	Chris Holbert
Member of the Colorado Senate from the 3rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2015
Preceded by	George Rivera
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 46th district
In office January 9, 2013 – January 7, 2015
Preceded by	Sal Pace
Succeeded by	Daneya Esgar
Personal details
Born	Pueblo, Colorado, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Children	2
Education	Pueblo Community College University of Phoenix (BS) Ashford University (MS)
Website	Official website

Leroy Garcia is a Democratic Party member of the Colorado State Senate, representing the 3rd district since 2015; he has been President of the Senate since 2019. Garcia previously served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015.

Early life and education[]

Garcia grew up in Pueblo, Colorado where his parents owned a beauty salon. From 2001 to 2007, Garcia served in the United States Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq as a mortuary affairs specialist during the Iraq war. Garcia obtained a degree in emergency medical services from Pueblo Community College, a bachelor's in management from the University of Phoenix and a master's degree in organizational management from Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa.^[1]

Garcia is a former member of the Pueblo City council.

Colorado House of Representatives[]

Leroy Garcia was elected to represent the 46th District in 2012 Colorado House of Representatives elections. He defeated Republican candidate Jerry Denney by a 61-39 margin.

2013 Legislative Session[]

In his first year in the Colorado General Assembly, Leroy Garcia sponsored a bill to turn the closed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, sanatorium and prison Fort Lyon into a shelter targeted for homeless veterans. This bill was passed by the Colorado Legislature and later signed by Governor John Hickenlooper.^[2]

Also in 2013, Garcia lobbied in Washington D.C. to support improved conservation and agricultural efficiency for the Colorado River.^[3]

2014 Legislative Session[]

In 2014, Garcia advocated to preserve Amtrak's Southwest Chief's stops in Southern Colorado arguing that they are essential for the local economy. The Colorado Legislature passed a bill, sponsored by Garcia, that established a commission aimed at preserving the train service. The bill was later signed in to law by Governor Hickenlooper.^[4][5]

Colorado State Senate[]

This section relies too much on references to primary sources. Please improve this section by adding secondary or tertiary sources. (June 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Garcia was first elected to represent the 3rd district in 2014 Colorado State Senate elections. He defeated Republican incumbent George Rivera by a 55-45 margin. Rivera had held office since the recall election of Angela Giron on September 10, 2013.^[6]

2015 legislative session[]

During the 2015 session, his first in the state Senate, Garcia worked on bills concerning easing overseas voting requirements, youth offenders, funding for the Southwest Chief and the judiciary.^{[citation needed]}

2016 legislative session[]

During the 2016 legislative session, Garcia sponsored two bills that eventually passed the Legislature and where signed by the governor. The two bills were SB69, concerning measures to provide community-based out-of-hospital medical services and SB134, concerning professional licensing for military veterans in certain professions.^[7]

2018 legislative session[]

During the 2018 legislative session, Garcia sponsored three bills that eventually passed the Legislature and where signed by the governor. The three bills were SB20, concerning mental health care professionals who are permitted to perform auricular acudetox, SB66, concerning an extension of the operation of the state lottery division beyond July 1, 2024 and SB158, concerning measures to increase school district access to interoperable communication technology to improve school safety.^[7]

2019 legislative session[]

The 2018 Colorado State Senate Elections saw Democrats taking a 19-16 majority in the Colorado Senate, while Senator Garcia was reelected by a 74-26 margin against Libertarian candidate John Pickerill. This new majority enabled a Democratic trifecta in Colorado State Government for the first time since the 2014 Legislative session. The Democratic caucus unanimously selected Senator Leroy Garcia as its leader. With the beginning of the 2019 Legislative Session, Leroy Garcia begun to serve as President of the Colorado Senate.^[8][9]

During the 2019 Session, Garcia sponsored bills concerning Emergency Medical Service programs, tuition assistance programs, the Human Trafficking council, the Public Utilities Commission and Criminal justice reform.^[7]

Garcia voted no on HB1177, a red flag law, citing the successful recall efforts of two state senators after the Democratic majority passed gun-control bills during the 2013 Legislative Session in the wake of the Aurora shooting and lacking mental health considerations within the bill. Garcia was the only Senate Democrat voting against the measure as it passed the chamber on 18-17 vote.^[10][11][12]

Recall efforts[]

In August, 2019, the Colorado Secretary of State approved the circulation of a recall petition against Garcia. The organizers of the recall had until October 18, 2019 to gather 13,506 signatures to put the recall question on the ballot.^[13] The recall petition stated that Garcia should be recalled because of his "yes" vote on SB 19181 to restrict oil and gas drilling.^[14]

Garcia has reacted to the recall efforts with an ad campaign for TV and Facebook discussing his accomplishments and life story.^[15] Just prior to the deadline, the recall organizers submitted only four signatures, having failed to gather sufficient valid signatures to effect the recall. The organizers said they submitted only four signatures to protest the voter intimidation they claimed to have experienced during the recall process. By turning in only a few signatures, the organizers left open the possibility of starting a second recall effort.^[16]

References[]

External links[]

• Profile at Vote Smart
• Legislative website
• Campaign Website