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ENLARGE
FRISCO — State Attorney General John Suthers made a campaign stop in Frisco Wednesday in an effort to gather voter support for his re-election bid. Before a small gathering at Tuscato Ristorante, Suthers touted his resume as a top reason voters should select him for another term.
Suthers, a Republican, has served as the El Paso County district attorney, U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado and head of the Colorado Department of Corrections. The Colorado Springs native has occupied the state attorney general's office for six years.
Suthers faces Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett, a Democrat, in the November election.
On immigration, Suthers said he wasn't surprised a federal judge blocked major elements of Arizona's new immigration law this week. From a legal perspective, he said Arizona overstepped its authority in creating state crimes to deal with a federal issue. Regardless, Suthers said problems with immigration demand policy solutions.
“We really have a miserable worker permit system,” he said. “There are a lot more jobs than we have worker permits for. We should have a much, much better system than we do now.”
Suthers highlighted his environmental record, noting his involvement in the settlement of a claim over natural resources damages at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Superfund site. His office helped negotiate $35 million in natural-resource improvements by the U.S. Army and Shell Oil.
Suthers also said Colorado's water resources are a big priority in his office.
“We've done a very good job protecting Colorado's water interests. These fights go on forever, and we need to be diligent in making sure those interests are protected in the future,” he said.
Cracking down on white-collar crime and Internet predators is another point of pride for the attorney general. When he entered office in 2005, Colorado had no laws that specifically prohibited online sexual exploitation. But today, about 400 people have been arrested and convicted of such crimes in the state.
“It's a serious problem,” Suthers said of sexual predators' use of the Internet.
Health care reform made its way onto Suthers' agenda in the spring, when he joined 20 other attorneys general in challenging the federal government's ability to require Americans to purchase health insurance.
“The United State Constitution enshrines a form of limited government to protect the rights of the states under a system of federalism and to protect the individual freedom of American citizens. The individual mandate to purchase insurance or suffer economic sanction violates constitutional principles and lacks constitutional authority,” Suthers said in March at the time he joined the lawsuit.
The Justice Department contends the federal government does have the authority to require insurance, reasoning that an individual's decision not to be insured results in the shifting of costs to taxpayers, medical providers and the insured.
SDN reporter Julie Sutor can be reached at (970) 668-4630 or jsutor@summitdaily.com.
Suthers, a Republican, has served as the El Paso County district attorney, U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado and head of the Colorado Department of Corrections. The Colorado Springs native has occupied the state attorney general's office for six years.
Suthers faces Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett, a Democrat, in the November election.
On immigration, Suthers said he wasn't surprised a federal judge blocked major elements of Arizona's new immigration law this week. From a legal perspective, he said Arizona overstepped its authority in creating state crimes to deal with a federal issue. Regardless, Suthers said problems with immigration demand policy solutions.
“We really have a miserable worker permit system,” he said. “There are a lot more jobs than we have worker permits for. We should have a much, much better system than we do now.”
Suthers highlighted his environmental record, noting his involvement in the settlement of a claim over natural resources damages at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Superfund site. His office helped negotiate $35 million in natural-resource improvements by the U.S. Army and Shell Oil.
Suthers also said Colorado's water resources are a big priority in his office.
“We've done a very good job protecting Colorado's water interests. These fights go on forever, and we need to be diligent in making sure those interests are protected in the future,” he said.
Cracking down on white-collar crime and Internet predators is another point of pride for the attorney general. When he entered office in 2005, Colorado had no laws that specifically prohibited online sexual exploitation. But today, about 400 people have been arrested and convicted of such crimes in the state.
“It's a serious problem,” Suthers said of sexual predators' use of the Internet.
Health care reform made its way onto Suthers' agenda in the spring, when he joined 20 other attorneys general in challenging the federal government's ability to require Americans to purchase health insurance.
“The United State Constitution enshrines a form of limited government to protect the rights of the states under a system of federalism and to protect the individual freedom of American citizens. The individual mandate to purchase insurance or suffer economic sanction violates constitutional principles and lacks constitutional authority,” Suthers said in March at the time he joined the lawsuit.
The Justice Department contends the federal government does have the authority to require insurance, reasoning that an individual's decision not to be insured results in the shifting of costs to taxpayers, medical providers and the insured.
SDN reporter Julie Sutor can be reached at (970) 668-4630 or jsutor@summitdaily.com.
