Mike Kopp
Encyclopedia
Mike Kopp is a politician from the U.S. state
of Colorado
. Elected to the Colorado State Senate as a Republican in 2006, Kopp represented Senate District 22, which encompasses southern Jefferson County
, until his resignation in October 2011.
in 2008), Kopp enlisted in the United States Army
after graduating from high school. A paratrooper
with the 82nd Airborne Division, Kopp trained to become a member of the United States Army Rangers
, graduating from Ranger School
in 1990. Kopp also completed the Army Basic Leadership Course that same year. While in the Army, Kopp was deployed to Honduras
in support of Operation Just Cause, as well as in the Gulf War
in Operation Desert Storm. He was honorably discharged in 1991 at the rank of Sergeant, having also received two Army Commendation Medals, the Combat Infantryman Badge
and the Army Achievement Medal.
While pursuing higher education, Kopp worked with fire-fighting crews for the National Park Service
. He graduated in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in ministry from North Central University
in Minneapolis. He also worked for two years as a clerk in the United States Border Patrol
's Detention and Deportation Division.
Following graduation, Kopp worked in the non-profit and ministry fields in New Mexico
, Arizona
, and Colorado
. He is currently the principal of ForwardThink Strategies, a non-profit consulting firm specializing in non-profit, charter school, and ministry development. He is also pursuing a Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of Colorado Denver
Graduate School of Public Affairs.
Kopp is a widower; he and his wife, Kimberly, had four children: Meghan, Ethan, Allie-Grace, and Soren (named after philosopher Søren Kierkegaard
). He resides in Ken Caryl Ranch
near Littleton, Colorado
.
Kopp ran as a more conservative candidate than Traylor, criticizing her positions on spending and immigration. During the race, a supporter of the Kopp campaign filed, and later withdrew, a campaign finance complaint against Traylor regarding a donation from a teachers' union that Traylor refused to accept. Kopp received endorsements from former U.S. Senator Bill Armstrong
and former Colorado Senate President John Andrews. Kopp achieved a narrow victory, taking 45 percent of the vote over Traylor's 44 percent, with and Everett receiving 8 percent. Citing tactics used by Kopp and his supporters, Traylor refused to endorse fellow Republican Kopp in the general election, even after a request from Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez
.
Despite the district's strong Republican registration advantage, Kopp's right-leaning views and division among Republicans made the seat an attractive target for Colorado Democrats; he faced Democrat Paul Noonan, a business consultant, in the general election. Kopp won the senate seat with 53 percent of the popular vote.
Incumbent Sen. Traylor resigned slightly before the end of her term, in late December 2006. Kopp was appointed by a Republican Party vacancy committee to fill the remainder of Traylor's term, and was sworn in as a state senator on January 4, 2007, a few days ahead of when we would have otherwise taken office.
During the session, Kopp, the only Gulf War
veteran in the Colorado legislature, introduced legislation to create a memorial for Colorado soldiers killed in Iraq
and Afghanistan
near the state capitol. Kopp also lead opposition to a Democratic resolution opposing the 2007 Iraq troop surge
, introducing a competing resolution and leading a pro-war rally at the state capitol.
Following the 2007 session, Kopp served on a school reform task force convened by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, and on the interim legislative Health Care Task Force.
In November 2007, Senate Republicans elected Kopp minority caucus chair, following the resignation of Sen. Ron May
During the 2008 session, Kopp plans to sponsor bills to create a sales tax holiday for school supplies, to require students to pass standardized tests as a requirement for graduating from high school, to provide income tax credits for volunteer firefighters, and to create wildfire
training programs for fire district boards. He was also the Senate sponsor of a measure to create an interim committee to study wildfire risks in the wildland-urban interface, calling it the "most pressing public-safety issue before the state."
After the 2008 session, Kopp proposed an "omnibus bill" with incentives for volunteer fire department
s to retain personnel, and legislation to set "bookends" on the starting and ending dates for school years. Responding to a deal between labor and business leaders to remove several statewide referenda from the 2008 general election ballot, Kopp and Rep. Amy Stephens
announced plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit financial deals for the removal of initiatives from Colorado election ballots.
to save money. On January 25, 2010, the Senator was awarded the 2009 Legislator of the Year award from the Colorado Youth Corps Association because of his work on forest health and job creation issues.
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...
. Elected to the Colorado State Senate as a Republican in 2006, Kopp represented Senate District 22, which encompasses southern Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver....
, until his resignation in October 2011.
Biography
Born in South Dakota (his father was elected to the South Dakota House of RepresentativesSouth Dakota House of Representatives
The South Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Dakota State Legislature. It is made up of 70 members, two from each legislative district...
in 2008), Kopp enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
after graduating from high school. A paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
with the 82nd Airborne Division, Kopp trained to become a member of the United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
, graduating from Ranger School
Ranger School
The United States Army Ranger School is an intense 61-day combat leadership course oriented towards small-unit tactics. It has been called the "toughest combat course in the world" and "is the most physically and mentally demanding leadership school the Army has to offer". The course is conducted...
in 1990. Kopp also completed the Army Basic Leadership Course that same year. While in the Army, Kopp was deployed to Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
in support of Operation Just Cause, as well as in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
in Operation Desert Storm. He was honorably discharged in 1991 at the rank of Sergeant, having also received two Army Commendation Medals, the Combat Infantryman Badge
Combat Infantryman Badge
The Combat Infantryman Badge is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers—enlisted men and officers holding colonel rank or below, who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size...
and the Army Achievement Medal.
While pursuing higher education, Kopp worked with fire-fighting crews for the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. He graduated in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in ministry from North Central University
North Central University
North Central University is a coeducational, undergraduate, primarily residential college owned and operated by 11 Assemblies of God districts of the upper Midwest. It is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA...
in Minneapolis. He also worked for two years as a clerk in the United States Border Patrol
United States Border Patrol
The United States Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency within U.S. Customs and Border Protection , a component of the Department of Homeland Security . It is an agency in the Department of Homeland Security that enforces laws and regulations for the admission of foreign-born persons to...
's Detention and Deportation Division.
Following graduation, Kopp worked in the non-profit and ministry fields in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and 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...
. He is currently the principal of ForwardThink Strategies, a non-profit consulting firm specializing in non-profit, charter school, and ministry development. He is also pursuing a Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of Colorado Denver
University of Colorado Denver
The University of Colorado Denver, shortened as CU Denver, UC Denver, or UCD, is a public university in the United States state of Colorado. It is one of three schools of the University of Colorado system. The university has two campuses — one in downtown Denver at the Auraria Campus, and the other...
Graduate School of Public Affairs.
Kopp is a widower; he and his wife, Kimberly, had four children: Meghan, Ethan, Allie-Grace, and Soren (named after philosopher Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author. He was a critic of idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time, such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel...
). He resides in Ken Caryl Ranch
Ken Caryl, Colorado
Lockheed Martin and its predecessor, Martin Marietta, operate a facility located in Ken Caryl Valley.-In popular culture:In the South Park episode Trapped in the Closet, a reference is made to FunPlex, an amusement center in Ken Caryl, though it has since been renamed Fun City.-External links:*...
near Littleton, Colorado
Littleton, Colorado
Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of...
.
2006 election
In 2006, Kopp sought election to the state senate seat formerly held by term-limited Sen. Norma Anderson. Anderson had retired from her senate seat a year early, and Kiki Traylor had been appointed to the seat. Kopp had sought the vacancy appointment, protesting that the vacancy committee met with insufficient notice and was composed of only five committee members. Kopp faced Traylor and Justin Everett in a three-way Republican contest, and won 52 percent of the vote at the Republican party assembly to qualify for the primary; Traylor and Everett petitioned onto the primary ballot.Kopp ran as a more conservative candidate than Traylor, criticizing her positions on spending and immigration. During the race, a supporter of the Kopp campaign filed, and later withdrew, a campaign finance complaint against Traylor regarding a donation from a teachers' union that Traylor refused to accept. Kopp received endorsements from former U.S. Senator Bill Armstrong
Bill Armstrong
William Harold Armstrong is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in one NHL game for the Philadelphia Flyers during the 1990–91 NHL season and spent the rest of his professional career in the AHL and IHL. Armstrong played collegiately at Western Michigan University from...
and former Colorado Senate President John Andrews. Kopp achieved a narrow victory, taking 45 percent of the vote over Traylor's 44 percent, with and Everett receiving 8 percent. Citing tactics used by Kopp and his supporters, Traylor refused to endorse fellow Republican Kopp in the general election, even after a request from Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez
Bob Beauprez
Robert L. "Bob" Beauprez is an American politician who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 7th Congressional District of Colorado....
.
Despite the district's strong Republican registration advantage, Kopp's right-leaning views and division among Republicans made the seat an attractive target for Colorado Democrats; he faced Democrat Paul Noonan, a business consultant, in the general election. Kopp won the senate seat with 53 percent of the popular vote.
Incumbent Sen. Traylor resigned slightly before the end of her term, in late December 2006. Kopp was appointed by a Republican Party vacancy committee to fill the remainder of Traylor's term, and was sworn in as a state senator on January 4, 2007, a few days ahead of when we would have otherwise taken office.
2007 legislative session
In the 2007 session of the General Assembly, Kopp served on the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Senate Education Committee, and the Senate Finance Committee.During the session, Kopp, the only Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
veteran in the Colorado legislature, introduced legislation to create a memorial for Colorado soldiers killed in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
near the state capitol. Kopp also lead opposition to a Democratic resolution opposing the 2007 Iraq troop surge
Iraq War troop surge of 2007
In the context of the Iraq War, the surge refers to United States President George W. Bush's 2007 increase in the number of American troops in order to provide security to Baghdad and Al Anbar Province....
, introducing a competing resolution and leading a pro-war rally at the state capitol.
Following the 2007 session, Kopp served on a school reform task force convened by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, and on the interim legislative Health Care Task Force.
In November 2007, Senate Republicans elected Kopp minority caucus chair, following the resignation 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...
2008 legislative session
In the 2008 session of the General Assembly, Kopp serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Senate Education Committee, and the Senate Finance Committee.During the 2008 session, Kopp plans to sponsor bills to create a sales tax holiday for school supplies, to require students to pass standardized tests as a requirement for graduating from high school, to provide income tax credits for volunteer firefighters, and to create wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
training programs for fire district boards. He was also the Senate sponsor of a measure to create an interim committee to study wildfire risks in the wildland-urban interface, calling it the "most pressing public-safety issue before the state."
After the 2008 session, Kopp proposed an "omnibus bill" with incentives for volunteer fire department
Volunteer fire department
See also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
s to retain personnel, and legislation to set "bookends" on the starting and ending dates for school years. Responding to a deal between labor and business leaders to remove several statewide referenda from the 2008 general election ballot, Kopp and 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...
announced plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit financial deals for the removal of initiatives from Colorado election ballots.
2009 legislative session
For the 2009 legislative session, Kopp sponsored legislation to repeal the state tax on insurance premiums paid by employers to cover on-the-job injuries, legislation to require a special election to fill vacancies in the U.S. Senate, and legislation to require that the state of Colorado purchase vehicles fueled by natural gasNatural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
to save money. On January 25, 2010, the Senator was awarded the 2009 Legislator of the Year award from the Colorado Youth Corps Association because of his work on forest health and job creation issues.
2010 Legislative Session
For the 2010 legislative session, Senator Kopp sponsored the "Blue Print for a Leaner Government Act." This bill was designed to make the Colorado government more efficient through the use of two task forces. These bipartisan task forces were intended to investigate the executive branch department and agencies as well as the current regulatory system. After a period of analysis, the task forces would then present their findings, recommendations, and estimated cost savings in an attempt to provide a leaner and more effective governmentExternal links
- Senator Mike Kopp - campaign site