· Started by Rep Pace and McKinley – 2.5 min by Sal; 15 sec. by Wes; 3’45 sec by Sal - stated reasons for bill
· Marcia Looper spoke in opposition – 10 minutes – statements included: “NOT constitutional; GAO says they need MORE INFO; there is no expansion of
· David Balmer spoke in opposition – 4 minutes – “we should be welcoming the Army to CO; this bill says Army not welcome; need space to run tanks; etc.
· Scott Tipton – in favor – 2.5 minutes – “obligation to the military but also an obligation to protect property rights”.
· Cory Gardner spoke in favor – 2 minutes – “bill is constitutional; legal opinions; general assembly ability to statutorily regulate land”
· McKinley spoke to ‘constitutional issue’ raises by Looper
· Kathleen Curry – spoke in favor – 2 minutes – “four reasons to support – 1-entirely within our purvue; 2-no adequate demonstration of need for expansion; 3-landowners in area oppose expansion and should be supported; 4-Ultimate authority of military is violating our trust – in fact borderline contempt of Congress”
· Amy Stephens spoke in opposition – 2 minutes – “from
· Gwyn Green – spoke in favor – 1.5 minutes – “bill supports schools and ranchers; area ‘down there’ is filled with dinosaur fossils; need to protect community”
· Larry Liston spoke in opposition to bill – 5 minutes – “southeast Co has long hx of being used for training – used entire area in WWII; in the last BRAC Ft Carson was on chopping block; reason Ft Carson wasn’t lost was because of large training area and Pinon Canyon; Gulf war was fought and won in four days because of adequate training; we’ll be back on BRAC chopping block without expansion of Pinon Canyon; read book ‘Lone Survivor’ about how training helped this marine survive”
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· Dickey Lee Hullinghorst spoke in favor – 3 minutes – “AG memo Looper mentions was found NOT to be from the AG’s office; AG actually says the bill IS constitutional; [read] constitution relative to land board lands – ‘subject to terms and conditions as prescribed by the State of
· McKinley spoke about Bridger fire – spoke to claims by Looper “no plans? Senator Bennet was taken to PCMS in February to be shown ‘plan’; there is a no funding ban in place for expansion because the Army is planning on expanding PCMS; no funding means no candy, no beer – nothing”
· Kathleen Curry – spoke to Looper statement of no expansion – “ since they aren’t supposedly going to expand PCMS then there shouldn’t be any issue with passing this bill – there wouldn’t be any reason for [Looper] opposition; we need to protect our constituents in southeast
· Joe Rice – spoke in opposition – 13 minutes – “in Army Reserves but on record as being against; training is needed – shows 80’s poster of ‘ghost soldier’ looking over a graveyard with the caption: ‘Let no soul cry out – had I but the training’; PCMS is second largest training area in US; at Ft Carson 20 yrs ago; need time and distance training; during Iraq invasion the 507th Maint division was ambushed as they were last in a column 600 mi long – and turned the wrong way; this is the training we can get at PCMS; gave names of soldiers that died in 507th; this bill prohibits the sale of land by willing sellers – and private landowners can’t sell theirs; there have been no bids made; there is great conservation at PCMS – we’d go on ‘field trips’ when I was there; the legislature has a choice to help our soldiers get the training they need or not”
· Jerry Sonnenburg spoke in favor – 3 minutes – “impact right now on ag land being lost; 690 acres/day lost in past 15 years; state land is integral part of ranches; taking state land would ‘gut’ ranches; I lease state land in my operation and losing that land would ‘gut’ my operation; enough land is available – we should use what we have”
· Buffy McFadyen spoke in favor – 6 minutes – “large number of ranchers are veterans; this is about a ‘crazy quilt’ of state land; not contiguous acreage; they have a quarter of a million acres already at PCMS; broken promises and lies; BRAC says they have enough land; it’s NOT a ‘dead’ issue as it continues to shadow those businesses and landowners there; new plan was stated recently - yet no willing sellers stepped forward; why go after ag land when it is an area of the state that is the largest producer of the best beef in the nation?”
· Rice spoke again to space being ‘adequate’ – 3 minutes – “adequate space? – White Sands won’t work; AZ won’t work; not the same lands; it costs to transport troops to other sites; now it’s difficult to schedule training at present sites; live fire ‘lie’ is not true – there IS NO LIVE FIRE at PCMS – only ‘dummy’ rounds from tanks; Army has been true to its word on live fire”
· Bob Gardner spoke against – 14 minutes – “[sarcastic] we are all supporters of the military; we are all supporters of adequate training; training is necessary for our troops safety; who’s way of life is better; who’s economy is more sacred; one more sign @ border of CO saying ‘Army not welcome here’; let’s not kid ourselves what this argument is about; [ indignant ] my district is no less than yours; we’re welcome in KS, TX, AZ, but not in CO?; Pinon Canyon is a part of Fort Carson and is a vital engine for the Colorado economy; Army is my way of life, my heritage, my history; you are making a choice; it’s not just to the benefit of Colo Springs; we place ways of life in competition with each other; before it was eminent domain this year we say ‘state land board don’t make the right choice for the state’; make the choice for the good of the economy for the state”
· Mark Waller spoke against bill – 4 minutes – “support what Gardner said – expansion is important to protect military; this issue has pitted two regions against one another; we lose sight of doing what is better for the greater good of Colorado – vote no on 1317”
· McKinley answers most elements brought up
· Pace brings out key issues and misleading statements from other Reps
Vote taken – ayes have it! The following day they formally voted at '3rd Reading' and the bill passed 47 to 17.
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