Bob Gardner
Encyclopedia
Bob Gardner is a legislator in the U.S. state
of Colorado
. An United States Air Force
veteran and attorney, Gardner was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006. He represents House District 21, which encompasses western El Paso County
and northeastern Fremont County
.
in 1976, and served as a missile launch officer in the Air Force. While an Air Force officer, Gardner earned a J.D.
from the University of Texas in 1981 with honors and a L.L.M. from the George Washington University
School of Law in 1986, specializing in government procurement law. After earning his law degree, Gardner served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps
. He also taught procurement and business law as a member of the Air Force Academy law faculty.
After leaving active duty in 1989 at the rank of lieutenant colonel
, Gardner became an attorney in private practice, specializing in government contract law, representing public contractors and charter schools. He served on the board of Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy
, which he helped found, from 1994 to 1997 and on the board of the Colorado League of Charter Schools Legal Advocacy Fund. He continues to operate a private law practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado
, specializing in government affairs and contracts, business and commercial law, and campaign and election law. The law firm website is www.rsglaw.net.
Gardner is married; he and his wife, LeAnn, have two children: Bob and Laura.
Republican Party and was involved in numerous candidate and issue campaigns in the Colorado Springs area.
In 1999, Gardner was treasurer for the Colorado Springs Safety Association, a group opposing a ballot measure to grant police and fire personnel collective bargaining powers. Gardner registered the political committee Citizens for Honest Government to oppose a slate of candidates during Colorado Springs' 2001 city council elections, and distributed fliers critical of four candidates; he was threatened with arrest following a dispute with a deputy city clerk regarding distributing flyers near an early voting site at city hall.
Gardner also helped coordinate campaigns for a slate of "reform" candidates for Colorado Springs School District 11
in 2003 who backed school vouchers. Gardner also played a prominent role in the formation in 2004 of Citizens for Student Achievement and Progress, a local political committee formed to support "education reform candidates and issues" in El Paso County, In 2005, Gardner was also a spokesperson for the Colorado branch of All Children Matter, a national political group supporting school choice
.
In 2004, Gardner worked on the campaign for a local ballot measure to increase taxes to support The Resource Exchange, a nonprofit serving people with developmental disabilities. During the campaign, he submitted, for anonymous publication in voter guides, statements opposing the tax increase that were described as "imflammatory," including: "The families of people with mental retardation, [should] not expect the government to help," and "By funding programs to care for these children, we are encouraging irresponsibility." Others working on the campaign justified the statements as a campaign tactic designed to stir support for the tax measure.
Gardner was also a spokesman and campaign manager for Ed Jones's successful campaign for the Colorado State Senate in 2002, and his unsuccessful reelection campaign against Democratic challenger John Morse
in 2006. During Jones' 2002 campaign, he called for an internal investigation of a police officer who told to news media that Jones had been seen at a bar where drugs were known to be sold. Gardner was also co-manager of Sen. Ron May
's re-election campaign in 2004. and has served as attorney for local Republican candidates on multiple occasions.
Gardner was also involved in the contested Republican primary for Colorado's 5th congressional district
that year, supporting Jeff Crank over victor Doug Lamborn
. During the general election, Gardner filed a complaint against Lamborn, accusing his campaign of coordinating illegally with 527 organizations. The complaint was referenced in attack ads by Lamborn's Democratic opponent, and Gardner withdrew it shortly before the general election. Lamborn was cleared of wrongdoing by the Federal Election Commission
.
; he faced no opposition for the Republican nomination. Gardner won his seat in the Colorado House of Representatives in the 2006 general election, defeating Democrat Anna Lord with about 59% of the popular vote.
, Gardner sat on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Local Government Committee. The newly-elected Rep. Bob Gardner joined Rep. Cory Gardner
in the state house, leading to the need to distinguish them as "Gardner, B." and "Gardner, C." in house roll calls. During his first session, Gardner was noted for his passionate speeches on the House floor.
Gardner proposed legislation to increase driver's license fees by $1 to fund an audit of driver's license office performance. After the bill was defeated in committee, Gardner led a bipartisan effort to request the Legislative Audit Committee to investigate the matter. Gardner also unsuccessfully proposed legislation to ease restrictions on petition circulators.
Gardner introduced legislation — passed and signed into law — to provide a full-time judge for Fremont County and to require that victims of crimes be informed of attempts by offenders to overturn convictions or halt sex offender registration.
Following the legislative session, Gardner served on the legislature's interim committee on Long-Term Care Health Care Services and Support to Persons with Developmental Disabilities
.
In November 2007, Gardner, along with Rep. Amy Stephens
was named Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce legislator of the year.
Gardner was among a number of self-described moderate Republicans who criticized Gov. Bill Ritter for signing an executive order allowing state employees collective bargaining
rights. In response, Gardner introduced a bill that would have prohibited all public employees in Colorado from striking; his bill was voted down in committee, but a narrower measure prohibiting state employees from striking advanced. Gardner unsuccessfully attempted to add some of his bill's stiffer penalties for striking into the competing measure, which was signed into law by Gov. Ritter.
Gardner also proposed a legislative package designed to assist Coloradoans with developmental disabilities. To address backlog in provision of state services, Gardner proposed an $8.6 million increase in funding to reduce the waiting list; Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter similarly supported a $10.6 increase in funding. Gardner's proposal, which would have directed 2 percent of annual budget increases to services for the developmentally disabled, won the endorsement of an interim legislative committee. During the legislative session, the bill passed a House committee after being pared down to a $2 million increase for the following fiscal year. Gardner also proposed giving state preference in contracts to companies that employ developmentally disabled individuals and was the house sponsor of a Senate bill to create a state employment program for the developmentally disabled. Following the legislative session, Gardner was named "Legislator of the Year" by Alliance, a group serving people with developmental disabilities.
Gardner proposed legislation to create a college scholarship program for low-income students, and a bill to guarantee tuition rates for four-year college students, which died in a House committee. A measure to grant immunity to parole board members acting in their official capacity was passed by the state house. A bill to require certain sex offenders to wear GPS monitoring braclets during parole passed a house committee unanimously, but was passed over for funding in the state budget.
Gardner also proposed a constitutional change that would deny bail to illegal immigrants arrested for some felonies and serious drunk driving offenses. The measure was not passed by the legislature, but Gardner pledged during his re-election campaign to re-introduce it in the 2009 session.
. Gardner himself sought a second term in the legislature, again facing Democrat Anna Lord. Gardner's re-election bid was endorsed by the Denver Post, while the Colorado Springs Independent
endorsed his Democratic opponent.
During the final weeks of the campaign, Lord accused Gardner of conflicts of interest because of his law firm's focus on lobbying, government contracts, and policy formation. In response, Gardner stated that Lord's accusations approached the legal threshold of slander. Gardner ultimately won re-election, taking 58 percent of the popular vote.
Following his re-election, Gardner was nominated for the post of House Minority Caucus Whip, but lost the caucus' vote for the post to Rep. Cory Gardner
. Gardner claimed that he had been recruited to run for the whip post by Rep. Cory Gardner, who had planned to run for assistant majority leader. After Cory Gardner chose not to seek the higher post, Bob Gardner claimed that some of his supporters had been threatened with primary challenges, a claim Cory Gardner and his supporters denied.
to levy sales tax
, a power previously only held by home rule
counties. The bill was weakened from its original form to mandate new reporting by the Department of Revenue, taking a step towards its original purpose.
Gardner also led Republican opposition to legislation to create designated beneficiary agreements, calling them "de facto civil unions," and to legislation strengthening regulations on oil and gas drilling, and to Colorado joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
.
In May 2009, Gardner was the commencement speaker at Florence High School's graduation.
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 United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
veteran and attorney, Gardner was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006. He represents House District 21, which encompasses western El Paso County
El Paso County, Colorado
El Paso County is the most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States, now more populous than Denver County. The United States Census Bureau concluded that the county population was 622,371 in 2010. In recent years, the population had come closer to that of Denver...
and northeastern Fremont County
Fremont County, Colorado
Fremont County is the thirteenth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county is named for explorer and presidential candidate John C. Frémont. The county population was 46,824 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Cañon City. The Cañon City...
.
Biography
Gardner graduated from the United States Air Force AcademyUnited States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
in 1976, and served as a missile launch officer in the Air Force. While an Air Force officer, Gardner earned a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of Texas in 1981 with honors and a L.L.M. from the George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
School of Law in 1986, specializing in government procurement law. After earning his law degree, Gardner served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps
Judge Advocate General's Corps
Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, refers to the legal branch or specialty of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called Judge Advocates. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard do not maintain separate JAG Corps...
. He also taught procurement and business law as a member of the Air Force Academy law faculty.
After leaving active duty in 1989 at the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
, Gardner became an attorney in private practice, specializing in government contract law, representing public contractors and charter schools. He served on the board of Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy
Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy
Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy is a public charter school serving elementary, middle school, and high school students in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The K-12 school has some of the highest Colorado Student Assessment Program test scores in the state....
, which he helped found, from 1994 to 1997 and on the board of the Colorado League of Charter Schools Legal Advocacy Fund. He continues to operate a private law practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, specializing in government affairs and contracts, business and commercial law, and campaign and election law. The law firm website is www.rsglaw.net.
Gardner is married; he and his wife, LeAnn, have two children: Bob and Laura.
Political activism
From 1993 to 1997, Gardner served as chair of the El Paso CountyEl Paso County, Colorado
El Paso County is the most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States, now more populous than Denver County. The United States Census Bureau concluded that the county population was 622,371 in 2010. In recent years, the population had come closer to that of Denver...
Republican Party and was involved in numerous candidate and issue campaigns in the Colorado Springs area.
In 1999, Gardner was treasurer for the Colorado Springs Safety Association, a group opposing a ballot measure to grant police and fire personnel collective bargaining powers. Gardner registered the political committee Citizens for Honest Government to oppose a slate of candidates during Colorado Springs' 2001 city council elections, and distributed fliers critical of four candidates; he was threatened with arrest following a dispute with a deputy city clerk regarding distributing flyers near an early voting site at city hall.
Gardner also helped coordinate campaigns for a slate of "reform" candidates for Colorado Springs School District 11
Colorado Springs School District 11
The Colorado Springs School District 11 is the central school district of Colorado Springs, Colorado.- History :The first school in Colorado Springs was organized by Mary Mellen "Queen" Palmer, wife of city founder William Jackson Palmer, in late 1871. Classes were first held in a home on the...
in 2003 who backed school vouchers. Gardner also played a prominent role in the formation in 2004 of Citizens for Student Achievement and Progress, a local political committee formed to support "education reform candidates and issues" in El Paso County, In 2005, Gardner was also a spokesperson for the Colorado branch of All Children Matter, a national political group supporting school choice
School choice
School choice is a term used to describe a wide array of programs aimed at giving families the opportunity to choose the school their children will attend. As a matter of form, school choice does not give preference to one form of schooling or another, rather manifests itself whenever a student...
.
In 2004, Gardner worked on the campaign for a local ballot measure to increase taxes to support The Resource Exchange, a nonprofit serving people with developmental disabilities. During the campaign, he submitted, for anonymous publication in voter guides, statements opposing the tax increase that were described as "imflammatory," including: "The families of people with mental retardation, [should] not expect the government to help," and "By funding programs to care for these children, we are encouraging irresponsibility." Others working on the campaign justified the statements as a campaign tactic designed to stir support for the tax measure.
Gardner was also a spokesman and campaign manager for Ed Jones's successful campaign for the Colorado State Senate in 2002, and his unsuccessful reelection campaign against Democratic challenger John Morse
John Morse (Colorado legislator)
In the 2007 legislative session, Morse served on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and was Vice-Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee...
in 2006. During Jones' 2002 campaign, he called for an internal investigation of a police officer who told to news media that Jones had been seen at a bar where drugs were known to be sold. Gardner was also co-manager of Sen. Ron May
Ron May (Colorado legislator)
Ronny J. "Ron" May is a former Colorado legislator. An Air Force veteran, May was elected to the Colorado Springs, Colorado city council, then to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 1992. Serving eight years in the state house, May was then elected to the Colorado Senate in...
's re-election campaign in 2004. and has served as attorney for local Republican candidates on multiple occasions.
Gardner was also involved in the contested Republican primary for Colorado's 5th congressional district
Colorado's 5th congressional district
Colorado's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. The district lies in the center of the state and mostly comprises Colorado Springs and its suburbs including Cimarron Hills and Fort Carson....
that year, supporting Jeff Crank over victor Doug Lamborn
Doug Lamborn
Doug Lamborn is the U.S. Representative for , in office since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Colorado Springs.-Early life, education, and early career:Lamborn was born in Leavenworth, Kansas...
. During the general election, Gardner filed a complaint against Lamborn, accusing his campaign of coordinating illegally with 527 organizations. The complaint was referenced in attack ads by Lamborn's Democratic opponent, and Gardner withdrew it shortly before the general election. Lamborn was cleared of wrongdoing by the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
.
2006 election
In 2006, Gardner sought the house seat held by retiring Rep. Keith KingKeith King
Keith King is the state Senator from Colorado's Senate District 12. He is a Republican.From 1999 to 2006, King represented House District 21 in the Colorado House of Representatives...
; he faced no opposition for the Republican nomination. Gardner won his seat in the Colorado House of Representatives in the 2006 general election, defeating Democrat Anna Lord with about 59% of the popular vote.
2007 legislative session
During the 2007 session of the Colorado General AssemblyColorado General Assembly
The Colorado General Assembly is the state legislature of the State of Colorado.-Constitutional definition:The Colorado Constitution establishes a system of government based on the separation of powers doctrine with power divided among three "departments": executive, legislative and judicial...
, Gardner sat on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Local Government Committee. The newly-elected Rep. Bob Gardner joined Rep. Cory Gardner
Cory Gardner
Cory Scott Gardner is the Republican U.S. Representative for Colorado's 4th congressional district. In 2010, he defeated incumbent Democrat Betsy Markey. He was formerly a member of the Colorado House of Representatives....
in the state house, leading to the need to distinguish them as "Gardner, B." and "Gardner, C." in house roll calls. During his first session, Gardner was noted for his passionate speeches on the House floor.
Gardner proposed legislation to increase driver's license fees by $1 to fund an audit of driver's license office performance. After the bill was defeated in committee, Gardner led a bipartisan effort to request the Legislative Audit Committee to investigate the matter. Gardner also unsuccessfully proposed legislation to ease restrictions on petition circulators.
Gardner introduced legislation — passed and signed into law — to provide a full-time judge for Fremont County and to require that victims of crimes be informed of attempts by offenders to overturn convictions or halt sex offender registration.
Following the legislative session, Gardner served on the legislature's interim committee on Long-Term Care Health Care Services and Support to Persons with Developmental Disabilities
Developmental disability
Developmental disability is a term used in the United States and Canada to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18. It is not synonymous with "developmental delay" which is often a consequence of a temporary illness or trauma during...
.
In November 2007, Gardner, along with Rep. Amy Stephens
Amy Stephens
Amy Stephens is a Colorado legislator. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006, Stephens represents House District 20, which covers northern El Paso County, Colorado, including portions of Colorado Springs and the areas surrounding the United States Air Force Academy...
was named Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce legislator of the year.
2008 legislative session
In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Gardner sat on the House Finance Committee, and the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee.Gardner was among a number of self-described moderate Republicans who criticized Gov. Bill Ritter for signing an executive order allowing state employees collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
rights. In response, Gardner introduced a bill that would have prohibited all public employees in Colorado from striking; his bill was voted down in committee, but a narrower measure prohibiting state employees from striking advanced. Gardner unsuccessfully attempted to add some of his bill's stiffer penalties for striking into the competing measure, which was signed into law by Gov. Ritter.
Gardner also proposed a legislative package designed to assist Coloradoans with developmental disabilities. To address backlog in provision of state services, Gardner proposed an $8.6 million increase in funding to reduce the waiting list; Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter similarly supported a $10.6 increase in funding. Gardner's proposal, which would have directed 2 percent of annual budget increases to services for the developmentally disabled, won the endorsement of an interim legislative committee. During the legislative session, the bill passed a House committee after being pared down to a $2 million increase for the following fiscal year. Gardner also proposed giving state preference in contracts to companies that employ developmentally disabled individuals and was the house sponsor of a Senate bill to create a state employment program for the developmentally disabled. Following the legislative session, Gardner was named "Legislator of the Year" by Alliance, a group serving people with developmental disabilities.
Gardner proposed legislation to create a college scholarship program for low-income students, and a bill to guarantee tuition rates for four-year college students, which died in a House committee. A measure to grant immunity to parole board members acting in their official capacity was passed by the state house. A bill to require certain sex offenders to wear GPS monitoring braclets during parole passed a house committee unanimously, but was passed over for funding in the state budget.
Gardner also proposed a constitutional change that would deny bail to illegal immigrants arrested for some felonies and serious drunk driving offenses. The measure was not passed by the legislature, but Gardner pledged during his re-election campaign to re-introduce it in the 2009 session.
2008 election
During the contested 2008 Republican presidential primaries, Gardner supported former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt RomneyMitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
. Gardner himself sought a second term in the legislature, again facing Democrat Anna Lord. Gardner's re-election bid was endorsed by the Denver Post, while the Colorado Springs Independent
Colorado Springs Independent
The Colorado Springs Independent is a newsweekly that serves the Pikes Peak region of Southern Colorado It is Colorado Springs' largest locally owned media company...
endorsed his Democratic opponent.
During the final weeks of the campaign, Lord accused Gardner of conflicts of interest because of his law firm's focus on lobbying, government contracts, and policy formation. In response, Gardner stated that Lord's accusations approached the legal threshold of slander. Gardner ultimately won re-election, taking 58 percent of the popular vote.
Following his re-election, Gardner was nominated for the post of House Minority Caucus Whip, but lost the caucus' vote for the post to Rep. Cory Gardner
Cory Gardner
Cory Scott Gardner is the Republican U.S. Representative for Colorado's 4th congressional district. In 2010, he defeated incumbent Democrat Betsy Markey. He was formerly a member of the Colorado House of Representatives....
. Gardner claimed that he had been recruited to run for the whip post by Rep. Cory Gardner, who had planned to run for assistant majority leader. After Cory Gardner chose not to seek the higher post, Bob Gardner claimed that some of his supporters had been threatened with primary challenges, a claim Cory Gardner and his supporters denied.
2009 legislative session
For the 2009 legislative session, Gardner was named to seats on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. During the 2009 session, Gardner introduced legislation to allow all Colorado countiesColorado counties
The U.S state of Colorado is divided into 64 counties. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since the state has no secondary civil subdivisions, such as townships...
to levy sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
, a power previously only held by home rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
counties. The bill was weakened from its original form to mandate new reporting by the Department of Revenue, taking a step towards its original purpose.
Gardner also led Republican opposition to legislation to create designated beneficiary agreements, calling them "de facto civil unions," and to legislation strengthening regulations on oil and gas drilling, and to Colorado joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement among U.S. states designed to replace current state rules governing the electoral college system of presidential elections with rules guaranteeing election of the national popular vote winner...
.
In May 2009, Gardner was the commencement speaker at Florence High School's graduation.