Stella Garza-Hicks
Encyclopedia
Stella Garza-Hicks is a former Republican legislator in the U.S. state
of Colorado
.
A former cosmetologist and salesperson, Garza-Hicks became active in Republican Party activism in Colorado Springs, Colorado
and rose to become a district chairperson and campaign manager for local candidates. A legislative aide to Rep. Mark Cloer, Garza-Hicks was appointed to Cloer's seat in the Colorado House of Representatives when he resigned unexpectedly in 2006.
As a legislator, Garza-Hicks represented House District 17, which included southern Colorado Springs and the Fort Carson military base. She served one term in office, during which she look largely mainstream Republican positions and sponsored relatively little legislation. She did not stand for re-election in 2008 but remains involved in Colorado Republican Party politics.
,
Garza-Hicks dropped out of high school in the ninth grade to become a cosmetologist, moving to Colorado in the 1970s with her first husband, a soldier stationed at Fort Carson. After divorcing her first husband, whom she describes as an alcoholic, Hicks remarried; she has three stepchildren — Frank, Jess, and Kelly — through her husband, Ray Hicks, and worked as a vacuum cleaner
salesperson before leaving work to become a homemaker
.
Garza-Hicks became involved in politics after a conversation with former state representative Barbara Phillips. An active member of the El Paso County, Colorado
Republican Party, Garza-Hicks belongs to the El Paso County Republican Women's Club, the Pikes Peak
Republican Club, the Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition, the National Rifle Association
, and is a legislative member of the Civil Air Patrol
. She has managed the political campaigns of Harrison District 2 School Board member Linda Pugh and Colorado State Representative Mark Cloer, in addition to serving as Cloer's legislative aide.
During the 2007 legislative session, Garza-Hicks served on the House Services Committee and the House Local Government Committee.
Garza-Hicks maintained a low profile for most of her first term in the legislature, first speaking in House floor debate two months into the legislative session. After being criticized by news media for not being the primary sponsor of any legislation, she introduced a late bill to allow members of the Colorado Consortium for Earth and Space Science Education to receive state retirement benefits, as well as a nonbinding resolution honoring Colorado soldiers serving in Iraq
and Afghanistan
. Both were passed by the legislature; the resolution honoring fallen soldiers was marked in the General Assembly by a ceremony, including the playing of taps
in the legislative chambers. Garza-Hicks also increased her co-sponsorship of legislation from co-sponsoring only one bill at the midpoint of the 2007 legislative session to co-sponsoring over 150 bills by the session's end.
For her voting record during the 2007 legislative session, Garza-Hicks earned a 64% rating from the fiscally conservative Colorado Union of Taxpayers, a 60% rating from the environmentally-oriented Colorado Conservation Voters
, and a 42% rating from the American Civil Liberties Union
; each rating placed Garza-Hicks near the middle of the range of Republican legislators.
Following the regular session, Garza-Hicks was appointed by Attorney General John Suthers
to the state Methamphetamine Task Force, and served on the legislature's Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission.
She sponsored legislation to create a special license plate recognizing the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division, the first military unit to be honored with a special plate in Colorado. She was also a primary sponsor of the bipartisan resolution to recognize Military and Veterans Appreciation Day. Another of Garza-Hicks' bills addressed expedited extension of police wiretaps for surveillance purposes. The measure initially passed both houses of the legislature with different limits on potential extensions. After being reconciled to allow three month-long extensions of wiretaps, the bill was signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter.
Although interest group ratings from groups including the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, Colorado Conservation Voters
, and the American Civil Liberties Union
again placed Garza-Hicks solidly within the main body of Republican lawmakers in Colorado, Garza-Hicks was one of only a few Republicans to publicly back a measure introduced by Speaker Andrew Romanoff
to reform spending requirements in Colorado's state constitution by diverting excess revenues under TABOR
to K-12 education.
Garza-Hicks announced in October 2007 that she would not seek re-election in 2008, citing health issues within her own family, but she did not rule out a future run for public office. Republicans Kit Roupe and Sheila Hicks (no relation to Garza-Hicks) declared their candidacies for the open seat, but the general election was narrowly won by progressive activist and Democrat Dennis Apuan
, who defeated Roupe to win the only Democratic takeover of a Republican-held seat in the 2008 legislative elections in Colorado.
In December 2009, Garza-Hicks was announced as a member of county-level leadership for Jane Norton
's campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by Michael Bennet
.
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...
.
A former cosmetologist and salesperson, Garza-Hicks became active in Republican Party activism 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...
and rose to become a district chairperson and campaign manager for local candidates. A legislative aide to Rep. Mark Cloer, Garza-Hicks was appointed to Cloer's seat in the Colorado House of Representatives when he resigned unexpectedly in 2006.
As a legislator, Garza-Hicks represented House District 17, which included southern Colorado Springs and the Fort Carson military base. She served one term in office, during which she look largely mainstream Republican positions and sponsored relatively little legislation. She did not stand for re-election in 2008 but remains involved in Colorado Republican Party politics.
Biography
Born in Kress, TexasKress, Texas
Kress is a city in Swisher County, Texas, United States. The population was 826 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kress is located at ....
,
Garza-Hicks dropped out of high school in the ninth grade to become a cosmetologist, moving to Colorado in the 1970s with her first husband, a soldier stationed at Fort Carson. After divorcing her first husband, whom she describes as an alcoholic, Hicks remarried; she has three stepchildren — Frank, Jess, and Kelly — through her husband, Ray Hicks, and worked as a vacuum cleaner
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
salesperson before leaving work to become a homemaker
Homemaker
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management...
.
Garza-Hicks became involved in politics after a conversation with former state representative Barbara Phillips. An active member of the El Paso County, Colorado
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...
Republican Party, Garza-Hicks belongs to the El Paso County Republican Women's Club, the Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County in the United States of America....
Republican Club, the Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition, the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
, and is a legislative member of the Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
. She has managed the political campaigns of Harrison District 2 School Board member Linda Pugh and Colorado State Representative Mark Cloer, in addition to serving as Cloer's legislative aide.
2006 appointment
Garza-Hicks served as the Republican district chairperson for Colorado House District 17 for six years, a seat to which Rep. Mark Cloer was re-elected in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2006. However, instead of serving out what would have been his fourth term in the state legislature, Cloer resigned only a few weeks after his re-election, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. Nominated for the position by Cloer himself, Garza-Hicks was unanimously appointed to his seat by a Republican vacancy committee, and was sworn in on January 10, 2007, with the rest of the incoming legislative class. Garza-Hicks, who speaks Spanish, was one of the few Hispanic women in the Colorado legislature.2007 legislative session
| Bills Introduced in 2007 by Rep. Garza-Hicks (for which Rep. Garza-Hicks is the primary originating sponsor) |
||
|---|---|---|
| BILL | TITLE | OUTCOME |
| HB07-1365 | Concerning the inclusion of the Colorado Consortium for Earth and Space Science Education in the definition of a Public Employees' Retirement Association employer. | Signed by Gov. Ritter Bill Ritter (politician) August William "Bill" Ritter is an American politician of the Democratic Party, and was the 41st Governor of the state of Colorado, from 2007 to 2011. Before his election in 2006, he served as the district attorney for Denver... |
During the 2007 legislative session, Garza-Hicks served on the House Services Committee and the House Local Government Committee.
Garza-Hicks maintained a low profile for most of her first term in the legislature, first speaking in House floor debate two months into the legislative session. After being criticized by news media for not being the primary sponsor of any legislation, she introduced a late bill to allow members of the Colorado Consortium for Earth and Space Science Education to receive state retirement benefits, as well as a nonbinding resolution honoring Colorado soldiers serving 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...
. Both were passed by the legislature; the resolution honoring fallen soldiers was marked in the General Assembly by a ceremony, including the playing of taps
Taps
"Taps" is a musical piece sounded by the U.S. military nightly to indicate that it is "lights out". The tune is also sometimes known as "Butterfields Lullaby", or by the lyrics of its second verse, "Day is Done". It is also played during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet...
in the legislative chambers. Garza-Hicks also increased her co-sponsorship of legislation from co-sponsoring only one bill at the midpoint of the 2007 legislative session to co-sponsoring over 150 bills by the session's end.
For her voting record during the 2007 legislative session, Garza-Hicks earned a 64% rating from the fiscally conservative Colorado Union of Taxpayers, a 60% rating from the environmentally-oriented Colorado Conservation Voters
Colorado Conservation Voters
Colorado Conservation Voters works to turn conservation values into Colorado policy. Its mission is to make environmental protection a top priority for voters, political candidates, and elected officials in Colorado. CCV educates the public about the conservation positions of candidates and...
, and a 42% rating from the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
; each rating placed Garza-Hicks near the middle of the range of Republican legislators.
Following the regular session, Garza-Hicks was appointed by Attorney General John Suthers
John Suthers
John William Suthers is the current Attorney General of Colorado. He is a practicing Catholic and member of the Republican Party.-Background:Suthers was born in Denver, Colorado and adopted a month later by a Colorado Springs couple....
to the state Methamphetamine Task Force, and served on the legislature's Police Officers' and Firefighters' Pension Reform Commission.
2008 legislative session
In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Hicks sat on the House Health and Human Services Committee, and the House Local Government Committee.She sponsored legislation to create a special license plate recognizing the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division, the first military unit to be honored with a special plate in Colorado. She was also a primary sponsor of the bipartisan resolution to recognize Military and Veterans Appreciation Day. Another of Garza-Hicks' bills addressed expedited extension of police wiretaps for surveillance purposes. The measure initially passed both houses of the legislature with different limits on potential extensions. After being reconciled to allow three month-long extensions of wiretaps, the bill was signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter.
Although interest group ratings from groups including the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, Colorado Conservation Voters
Colorado Conservation Voters
Colorado Conservation Voters works to turn conservation values into Colorado policy. Its mission is to make environmental protection a top priority for voters, political candidates, and elected officials in Colorado. CCV educates the public about the conservation positions of candidates and...
, and the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
again placed Garza-Hicks solidly within the main body of Republican lawmakers in Colorado, Garza-Hicks was one of only a few Republicans to publicly back a measure introduced by Speaker Andrew Romanoff
Andrew Romanoff
Harlan Andrew Romanoff is an American politician. A Democrat, he was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 2000 to 2008, serving as Speaker from 2005 to 2008...
to reform spending requirements in Colorado's state constitution by diverting excess revenues under TABOR
Tábor
Tábor is a city of the Czech Republic, in the South Bohemian Region. It is named after Mount Tabor, which is believed by many to be the place of the Transfiguration of Christ; however, the name became popular and nowadays translates to "camp" or "encampment" in the Czech language.The town was...
to K-12 education.
Garza-Hicks announced in October 2007 that she would not seek re-election in 2008, citing health issues within her own family, but she did not rule out a future run for public office. Republicans Kit Roupe and Sheila Hicks (no relation to Garza-Hicks) declared their candidacies for the open seat, but the general election was narrowly won by progressive activist and Democrat Dennis Apuan
Dennis Apuan
Dennis Apuan is a state legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. A Filipino-American activist, non-profit leader, and community organizer, Apuan narrowly won election to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2008...
, who defeated Roupe to win the only Democratic takeover of a Republican-held seat in the 2008 legislative elections in Colorado.
Later political activity
While a member of the legislature in 2007, Garza-Hicks was appointed to the War on Terror Fallen Heroes Memorial Commission, which was charged with selecting a design for a memorial to soldiers killed in U.S. actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. She was elected vice-chair at the commission's first meeting; however, after the chairman, former Rep. Rafael Gallegos, left the legislature, the group did not meet again, and Gallegos could not be located. In April 2009, Garza-Hicks expressed a desire that the panel continue its work, but, as vice-chair, stated that she did not have the authority to reconvene it.In December 2009, Garza-Hicks was announced as a member of county-level leadership for Jane Norton
Jane E. Norton
Jane E. Norton was the 46th Lieutenant Governor for the State of Colorado and an unsuccessful Republican candidate for a party nomination to compete for a U.S. Senate seat to challenge Senator Michael Bennet in the 2010 election...
's campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by Michael Bennet
Michael Bennet
Michael Farrand Bennet is an American businessman, lawyer, and politician. He is currently the junior United States Senator from Colorado, and a member of the Democratic Party...
.