Colorado has six military installations and a significant military population. But the number of bills in the state Legislature this year doesn’t really reflect that. Of the 467 bills introduced so far, only 11 have direct implications for the military and veterans, according to a list compiled by Republicans in the state House of Representatives.

Of those, two have already been killed in committee, and the rest are scattered throughout the legislative process.

Legislators from the El Paso County delegation said the military is always a priority for them, but many of the significant issues facing the military have been resolved in recent years, and there isn’t anything really pressing they’re aware of.

“We have had to deal with several issues in the past, but we’ve dealt with them and now it’s time to work on the economy,” said Senate Majority Leader John Morse, D-Colorado Springs.

Morse cited two bills this year that have to do with voting for troops and professional licenses for spouses, along with bills in recent years that have helped give troops a break on college tuition and bolster mental health services for military families. Another bill from last year, carried by Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Calhan, and Sen. Keith King, R-Colorado Springs, granted free admission to state parks for wounded warriors.

This year, there are almost as many bills to create special license plates as there are bills that affect the military. Two of the special plates concern the military — there’s one for veterans of Operation Desert Storm and another for recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross medal.

That leaves nine other military-related bills. One, a bill to make it easier for troops overseas to vote, has been passed by the Senate and is waiting to be heard by a House committee. Another would help expand the State Veterans Military Cemetery at Homelake, near Monte Vista, by more than 100 graves.

Three other bills would help troops and veterans financially. One that is waiting for a vote in the full Senate would make it easier for troops deployed overseas to obtain home loans.

Another bill would expand unemployment benefits to anyone claiming military benefits and is also enrolled in a training program for a high-demand profession, including several in the health care industry.

And another bill would honor the out-of-state professional licenses of military spouses for a year after they relocate here, so they wouldn’t have to put their careers, and paychecks, on hold until they obtain a Colorado license. Licenses could be, for example, for plumbers or electricians.

Only two of El Paso County’s 13 legislators are named on any of the military bills — Looper and Rep. Pete Lee, D-Colorado Springs.

Looper, whose district includes Schriever and Peterson Air Force bases and portions of Fort Carson, is sponsoring the voting bill and the one for spouse’s licenses, and was a co-sponsor on a bill that would have repealed a fee for veterans who want their driver’s license to have an insignia identifying them as vets.

And Lee sponsored a bill that would have given preference on state contracts to Colorado-owned companies and a higher preference to those owned by veterans.

The latter two died in committee.

Senate Minority Leader Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, said the Legislature does what it can for the military, but he also noted that lawmakers’ power is limited, because the federal government is what controls the armed forces.

“We give consideration to them whenever possible,” he said. “We’ve got their backs.”

Morse and other El Paso County lawmakers pointed out that many important military bills also fly under the radar, though they may deserve more attention. Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, said their limited influence is in many ways a good thing. Many times, he said, legislators just get in the military’s way.

“The fact is that the state’s role is that we can encourage the military and welcome them, but many bills tend to have a negative effect,” Gardner said.

Photo by THE GAZETTE FILE