Jack Tate is businessman and a Republican legislator in the U.S. State of Colorado. He represents Senate District 27 in the Denver Metro Area, which encompasses parts of unincorporated Arapahoe County, the City ofCentennial, and the town of Foxfield. Since January 2017, he has served as Chair of the Senate Committee on Business, Labor, and Technology. He is also a member of the Senate Finance Committee as well as the Joint Technology Committee, the Pension Reform Commission, the Statutory Revision Committee, the Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Interim Study Committee, and the Alternatives to the Gallagher Amendment Interim Study Committee.
Tate was a member of the , representing from 2014 until his appointment to the state Senate in 2016.
2014 Primary and Election
Tate defeated fellow Republican Michael Fields in a primary election that took place on June 24, with 65.7% of the vote. In the general election for the Colorado House of Representatives on November 4, 2014, he handily defeated Democrat Nancy Cronk with 58% of the vote to win District 37, garnering nearly 6,000 more votes than his opponent.
2015 Legislative Session
For the 2015 legislative session, Tate was a member of the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee, the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee, and the General Assembly Joint Technology Committee. Tate was the prime sponsor of 12 Bills, of which 5 became law and one was vetoed. Tate was honored as Legislator of the Year 2015 by the American Council of Engineering Companies.
In October 2015, Senator David Balmer of Colorado Senate District 27, announced plans to resign in order to care for a sick family member, and to accept a position as political director of state campaigns for the Humane Society Legislative Fund. On Saturday, December 12, 2015, Republican leaders in District 27 voted Tate as Balmer's replacement.
2016 Legislative Session
For the 2016 Legislative session, Senator Tate was appointed to the Business, Labor, & Technology Committee, the Local Government Committee, and the Joint Technology Committee.
2017 Legislative Session
For the 2017 Legislative session, Senator Tate was the Chair of the Business, Labor & Technology Committee. He also became a member of the Finance and Statutory Revision Committees. Senator Tate introduced 44 bills during the 2017 session and 33 of the bills became law.
2018 Legislative Session
In the 2018 Legislative session, Tate sponsored Senate Bill 255 which made some clarification to Statute concerning electronic formats when certificates titles are issued for vehicles. He also sponsored Senate Bill 22 as part of the ongoing battle against the opioid epidemic in Colorado. This bill placed some limitations on the amount of opioid drugs that can be prescribed at one time. He sponsored Senate Bill 200 which put reforms in place to address issues arising with in the Public Employee Retirement Association. This bill was signed by Governor Hickenlooper in the Colorado State Capitol on June 4, 2018.
Legislative harassment allegation
Between November 2017 and April 2018, six Colorado state legislators were accused of sexual harassment covering a range of allegations and circumstances. In November 2017, Sen. Tate was accused by a former House intern of making comments about her clothing and touching her on her shoulder during the 2017 session. On March 29, after consulting independent counsel, Senate President Kevin Grantham wrote in a letter that Tate did not violate any sexual harassment policies and decided to close the investigation. Grantham issued a statement when the story was originally published, saying, "We take every allegation of harassment or misconduct seriously. We ask those who feel they have been victims of harassment or inappropriate behavior at the General Assembly to file an official complaint, in confidence that their anonymity and rights will be protected. Going forward, Senate Republican leaders cannot and will not be responding to unsubstantiated or anonymous allegations against members appearing in the press, which the existing complaint process is designed to handle. This process exists to protect confidentiality, respect the rights of both accuser and accused, rigorously review the facts, give a fair hearing to all sides, and impose penalties proportionate to any confirmed offense."
