Steve Fenberg

Stephen Fenberg (born January 2, 1984) is an American Democratic politician serving as a State Senator from Colorado, representing the 18th district since 2017.[1] He currently serves as Senate Majority Leader.

Steve Fenberg
Majority Leader of the Colorado Senate
Assumed office
January 4, 2019
Preceded byChris Holbert
Member of the Colorado Senate
from the 18th district
Assumed office
January 11, 2017
Preceded byRollie Heath
Personal details
Born (1984-01-02) January 2, 1984
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Lindsay Urban
EducationUniversity of Colorado, Boulder (BA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Education

Senator Fenberg received his Bachelor's degree in Environmental Policy at the University of Colorado.[2]

Career

A few years after graduating from CU, Fenberg founded New Era Colorado, a nonprofit organization dedicated engaging, educating, and training young people in the political process. The organization has registered hundreds of thousands of young people to vote in Colorado and successfully passed several pieces of legislation related to election reform, student debt, and climate.[3]

He has also served on the Board of Directors for ProgressNow, One Colorado Political Committee, and INVST Community Studies as well as the Boulder Housing Working Group and the city of Boulder Capital Improvement Taskforce.[2] Fenberg now serves as an Advisory Board member for the dZi Foundation, an international nonprofit providing development work in remote areas of Nepal.[4]

Fenberg is part-owner of the Bread Bar, a cocktail bar in the historic town of Silver Plume. Bread Bar resides at the site of a historic bakery from the 1800s.[5].

Policy positions

Environment

As an advocate of a statewide carbon tax, Fenberg would also like to increase the renewable energy standards from 30% to 50% in the next 30 years.

As far as fracking is concerned, he acknowledges the risks involved and the need for tighter regulations but is a supporter of local control by communities.[6]

Social issues

Fenberg is pro-choice and supports same-sex marriage. He supports funding to expand access to comprehensive birth control.

Jobs & growth

Fenberg believes in the right of workers to collectively bargain, strives for an increased minimum wage and sees the current requirements pertaining to sick days as inadequate.[6]

Tenure (Colorado Senate)

Fenberg has served as a member of the following committees:

  • Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Energy Committee
  • State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee
  • Legislative Council
  • Executive Committee of the Legislative Council[1]

Authored/sponsored bills by Fenberg have focused on a variety of topics ranging from the easing of student debt to gerrymandering reform as well as the prohibition of gay conversion therapy.[6] The following bills are some of Fenberg's legislative accomplishments:

Energy, Climate, and the Environment
  • SB19-181: Comprehensive oil & gas reforms to protect health & safety[7]
  • SB19-236: Sunset of the Public Utilities Commission [8]
  • SB18-009: Establishing the right of consumers to store their own energy[9]
  • SB18-143: Parks and Wildlife Measures to Increase Revenue [10]

Election Reform
  • SB19-235: Creating automatic voter registration[11]
  • HB19-1278: Modifications to Uniform Election Code [12]

Human/Civil Rights & Mental Health
  • HB19-1129: Prohibiting gay conversion therapy on minors[13]
  • HB19-1266: Restore Voting Rights to Parolees [14]
  • HB19-1280: Youth Mental Health Education and Suicide Prevention [15]

Hemp & Marijuana
  • SB19-224: Sunset Regulated Marijuana[16]
  • HB19-1028: Medical Marijuana Condition Autism [17]
  • SB19-220: Creating statewide plan for hemp cultivation & regulation[18]

Education
  • SB19-002: Regulate Student Loan Servicers[19]
  • SB19-057: Employee Information Public Student Loan Repayment Programs [20]
  • SB18-087: Providing in-state tuition to refugees in Colorado[21]

Electoral history

2016: Fenberg was the only Democrat to file for his party's 18th district primary on June 28. Incumbent Rollie Heath was term-limited and couldn't run for reelection. Fenberg ran unopposed in the primary and received 12,433 votes. On December 8, 2016, he faced off against Republican primary winner M. Peter Spraitz in the general election. Fenberg had been endorsed by the state branches of the AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America as well as Colorado Voters for Animals and Conservation Colorado.[22] Fenberg coasted to a 59 point victory, the result of 67,799 votes,[23] more than any other senate candidate statewide.[24]

Awards & recognition
  • Speaking Truth to Power Award, 2006 (presented by the AFL-CIO)[5]
  • Future Generations Act recognition, 2018 (presented by the Colorado Sportsmen's Caucus)
  • Legislator of the Year Award, 2018 (presented by the Colorado Trial Lawyer's Association)
  • Solar & Storage Champion of the Year, 2019 (presented by the Colorado Solar & Storage Association)

References
  1. "Senator Steve Fenberg". Denver, Colorado: Colorado Senate Democrats. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  2. "Steve Fenberg: State Senate, District 18". Boulder, Colorado: Daily Camera. 2016-10-15. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  3. "New Leaders for a Generation". Denver, Colorado: New Era Colorado. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  4. "Teams | dZi foundation". Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  5. "About Steve". 2016 Fenberg State Senate. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  6. "Current Legislation and Priorities". Boulder, Colorado: 2016 Feinberg State Senate. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  7. "Protect Public Welfare Oil And Gas Operations | Colorado General Assembly". leg.colorado.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  8. "Sunset Public Utilities Commission | Colorado General Assembly".
  9. "Allow Electric Utility Customers Install Energy Storage Equipment | Colorado General Assembly". leg.colorado.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  10. "Parks and Wildlife Measures to Increase Revenue | Colorado General Assembly".
  11. "Automatic Voter Registration | Colorado General Assembly". leg.colorado.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  12. "Modifications to Uniform Election Code | Colorado General Assembly".
  13. "Prohibit Conversion Therapy for A Minor | Colorado General Assembly". leg.colorado.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  14. "Restore Voting Rights Parolees | Colorado General Assembly".
  15. "Youth Mental Health Education and Suicide Prevention | Colorado General Assembly".
  16. "Sunset Regulated Marijuana | Colorado General Assembly".
  17. "Medical Marijuana Condition Autism | Colorado General Assembly".
  18. "Hemp Regulation Alignment With 2018 Federal Farm Bill | Colorado General Assembly". leg.colorado.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  19. "Regulate Student Education Loan Servicers | Colorado General Assembly".
  20. "Employee Information Student Loan Repayment Programs | Colorado General Assembly".
  21. "In-state Tuition Foreign Nationals Settled In Colorado | Colorado General Assembly". leg.colorado.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  22. "Steve Fenberg's Political Summary". Des Moines, Iowa: Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  23. "Colorado State Senate District 18". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  24. "Colorado State Senate elections, 2016". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
Colorado Senate
Preceded by
Chris Holbert		 Majority Leader of the Colorado Senate
2019–present		 Incumbent
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