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Dan Gibbs

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Dan Gibbs
Member of the Colorado Senate
from the 16th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 11, 2007
Preceded byJoan Fitz-Gerald
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 56th district
In office
January 10, 2007[1] – December 11, 2007
Preceded byGary Lindstrom
Succeeded byChristine Scanlan
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
Height200
ProfessionOutdoor guide, legislative assistant

Dan Gibbs (born c. 1976) is a legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2006, he was appointed to a vacancy in the Colorado State Senate in late 2007. Gibbs, noted for his focus on transportation and environment issues, currently represents a multi-county region stretching from the Colorado Front Range into the Rocky Mountains east of Denver.

Biography

Gibbs' parents were both public school teachers and later school principals;[3] they divorced when Gibbs was young and he split his childhood between Gunnison, Colorado and East Lansing, Michigan. He was influenced at an early age toward public service after meeting former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Gibbs earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Western State College,[4] and then attended the University of Colorado at Denver, where he worked towards a graduate degree in political science.[3]

Gibbs has worked in the timber industry,[3] as a manager with a whitewater rafting company in Lake Luzerne, New York and as an outdoor adventure guide in Gunnison, Colorado.[2] As a local businessperson, he was a member of and diplomat for the Summit Chamber of Commerce,[3] and was elected to their board for a three year term in 2006.[5]

An athlete and outdoorsman, Gibbs has competed in marathon and ultramarathon running races and helped coach the Battle Mountain High School cross-country ski team. He has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Eagle River Clean Up, and the I-70 Clean Up Team, and sat on the boards of Club 20, the High Country Conservation Center, the Vail-Eagle Valley Rotary Club,[3] and Vail Valley Hospital Home Health/Hospice. He has cited being a volunteer youth mentor with the Buddy Mentors program as his most meaningful volunteer experience.[2] He also helped launch the Summit County Young Democrats in 2004.[6]

Gibbs worked in the Washington, DC office of U.S. Congressman Mark Udall before becoming the director for Udall's Western Slope office in Minturn in 2003. As a Congressional staffer, Gibbs sat on the Congressional Legislative Staff Association Board of Directors.[7]

Legislative career

Currently a resident of Silverthorne, Colorado, Gibbs first ran for the state legislature in 2006 for a seat being vacated by Gary Lindstrom, who served as his campaign chair.[3] At the age of 30, Gibbs faced criticism for his relative youth and inexperience,[8] however, he defeated Republican Ken Chlouber by a 2:1 margin to represent House District 56, encompassing Eagle, Lake and Summit Counties, including the skiing communities of Vail and Breckenridge.[9]

2007 legislative session

Bills Introduced in 2007 by Rep. Gibbs
(for which Rep. Gibbs is the primary originating sponsor)
BILL TITLE OUTCOME
HB07-1038    Concerning support for the control of nonnative plants from Colorado's watersheds Postponed indefinitely in House committee
HB07-1130 Concerning the creation of a pilot program to demonstrate community-based approaches to forest restoration Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1160 Concerning abandoned motor vehicles that have been towed Postponed indefinitely in House committee
HB07-1229 Concerning an enhancement of the penalties for the operators of commercial vehicles who fail to comply with inclement weather restrictions Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1298 Concerning the conservation of wildlife habitat in connection with the development of oil and gas [...] Signed by Gov. Ritter

In the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Gibbs sat on the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee and was Vice-Chair of the House Transportation and Energy Committee.[10] Gibbs has also been appointed to the Colorado Interbasin Water Compact Committee[11] and the board of directors of the Colorado Tourism office.[12]

As a staffer for Congressman Udall and as a legislator, Gibbs has promoted increased government assistance on forest management issues, including response to the increased fire danger caused by bark beetle infestations.[13][14] In the general assembly, Gibbs sponsored legislation which established the Colorado Community Forest Restoration grant program, setting aside $1 million for projects to reduce fire risks.[15] The bill was signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter[16] and ultimately yielded $176,000 for forest restoration projects within Gibbs' district.[17] Following the legislative session, in order to better understand issues surrounding forest wildfires, Gibbs trained for and received certification in wildland firefighting; he is now a volunteer firefighter with Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue.[18] Gibbs' first deployment as a volunteer firefighter was to assist fighting the Santiago Fire during the October 2007 California wildfire epidemic.[19][20]

After successfully sponsoring a 2007 bill requiring collaboration between the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission and Colorado Division of Wildlife to minimize the impact on wildlife from oil and gas drilling, Gibbs was asked to testify before the U.S. House's Natural Resources committee on cooperative efforts between oil and environmental interests.[21][22]

After initial resistance,[23] Gibbs also successfully pushed legislation in 2007 to increase penalties for truck drivers who fail to comply with Colorado's law requiring snow chain on roads in winter,[24] a move designed to improve accessibility and safety on I-70, which bisected Gibbs' house district.[25]

Senate appointment and 2008 legislative session

Following the resignation of Colorado Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald in November 2007, Gibbs was unanimously elected by a vacancy committee to take her seat in the Colorado State Senate.[26] He resigned from the House of Representatives at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, December 11, 2007,[27] and was sworn into the Colorado State Senate an hour later.[28] He now represents Senate District 16, which covers Clear Creek Gilpin, Grand, Summit and portions of eastern Boulder and Jefferson counties.[29]

Because of his interim appointment, Gibbs must be elected in November 2008 in order to retain his Senate seat.[30] Christine Scanlan was appointed to fill Gibbs' vacant house seat on December 19, 2007.[31]

In the Colorado State Senate, Gibbs is expected to sit on the Senate Agriculture, Livestock, Natural Resources and Energy Committee and the Senate Transportation Committee — both the counterparts of the House committees he served on — and to be vice-chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.[27]

During the 2008 session, Gibbs plans to introduce at least five bills:

  • the Colorado Forest Restoration Act, a reauthorization of Gibbs' 2007 house bill to provide funds for local forest restoration projects;
  • the Firefighter Protection Act, which would grant additional legal protections for firefighters;
  • a bill clarifying rules regarding sales of gaming machines;
  • a bill requiring that school meals follow nutritional guidelines;
  • a bill prohibiting full credit card numbers from being printed on transaction receipts.[27]

References

  1. ^ "House Journal - January 10, 2007" (pdf). Colorado General Assembly. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  2. ^ a b c "Dan Gibbs - Colorado - State House District 56 candidate" (html). RockyMountainNews.com. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "About Dan" (html). Dan Gibbs for Colorado. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  4. ^ Perry, J.K. (October 16 2006). "Door-to-door route for Gibbs". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Staff report (November 2 2006). "Door-to-door route for Gibbs". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Starr, Jason (August 1 2004). "Dems take lead in young political activism". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ Staff Report (March 15 2003). "Congressman picks longtime aide to run Minturn office". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Hayes, Duffy (March 1 2006). "Gibbs looks at House". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ "State House District 56" (html). COMaps. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  10. ^ "House Committees of Reference" (html). Colorado General Assembly. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  11. ^ Staff Report (September 16 2006). "Gibbs joins H2O committee". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Staff Report (February 2 2007). "State Rep. Gibbs lands seat on crucial state tourism board". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ Hayes, Duffy (March 20 2007). "Gibbs makes House run official". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ Formosa, Nicole (July 17 2007). "Beetle bill lands in D.C." Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ Formosa, Nicole (April 24 2007). "Beetle bill passes Senate committee unanimously". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ Renoux, Matt (May 29 2007). "Gov. Ritter heads to the high country to sign bills". 9news.com. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ Formosa, Nicole (April 24 2007). "Summit County gets grants for forest projects". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Pounder, Lory (June 24 2007). "From policy to preparedness: Rep. Gibbs - wildland firefighter". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ Lopez, Andrea (October 30 2007). "Summit Co. Firefighters Learn As They Help SoCal". CBS4Denver. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ Spagat, Elliot (October 26 2007). "Crews gain on fires; four bodies found". Denver Post. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ Formosa, Nicole (March 25 2007). "Mr. Gibbs goes to Washington". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ Formosa, Nicole (March 28 2007). "Gibbs reflects on recent trip to D.C." Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ Formosa, Nicole (February 20 2007). "Chain Law bill fails to move forward". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ Formosa, Nicole (April 2 2007). "Gibbs' chain law bill moves to the Senate". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ Formosa, Nicole (April 19 2007). "Chain law bill moves to Senate floor". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ Associated Press (November 19 2007). "Gibbs selected to fill Fitz-Gerald's Senate seat". KJCT8.com. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ a b c Formosa, Nicole (10 December 2007). "Gibbs becomes a state senator Tuesday". Vail Daily. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ Sealover, Ed (December 12 2007). "Cadman sworn in to senate". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2007-12-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ "State Senate District 16" (html). COMaps. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
  30. ^ Formosa, Nicole (20 November 2007). "Gibbs looks ahead to the Senate". Summitt Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ Pounder, Lory (19 December 2007). "Scanlan appointed to fill state House seat". Summit Daily News. Retrieved 2007-12-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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