Democratic state Sen. Ron Tupa was booted from the chairmanship of a key committee Wednesday in what some speculated was retribution for bucking his party this summer.
For the past two years, Tupa led the state affairs panel, which is widely considered a “kill committee” because leadership uses it to stop unwanted bills from going to the Senate floor.
During this summer’s special session on immigration, Tupa voted with Republicans to gut his party’s centerpiece legislation. Tupa’s explanation of his vote started an argument with Democratic Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon.
Wednesday’s move, observers said, could signal that Gordon no longer trusts the maverick to run one of the party’s critical levers of power.
“Maybe Gordon’s saying, ‘We have a guy here who we can’t really trust,”‘ said veteran lobbyist Danny Tomlinson.
Gordon said the move wasn’t punitive but designed to give Tupa, a new father, more time at home.
John Straayer, a Colorado State University political science professor, joked that Gordon was “putting the Democratic Party clearly in the family-values camp.”
Tupa, whose district includes the University of Colorado at Boulder, said he was glad to become the vice chairman of the Education Committee.
