Israel resolution brings protest, passion to the Capitol

A resolution titled, “Concerning a Season for Nonviolence” ignited one of the nastiest floor fights of the legislative session so far in the state Senate this morning.

It began innocently enough, when freshman Sen. Linda Newell, D-Littleton, offered the resolution, which commemorates Gandhi and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and which calls for a dedication to nonviolence between the end of January and the beginning of April.

“If we want to see peace around us,” Newell said, “we must personally live in peace in our work, our home and our community.”

The resolution passed easily, with only five Republicans voting against it.

The Senate then moved onto the more controversial resolution of the morning, one that expresses support for Israel in its fight against Palestinian militants, as well as for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

“It is wholly appropriate that as a general assembly that we stand up for the state of Israel,” said Sen. Greg Brophy, a Republican from Wray who bought the resolution along with Sen. Joyce Foster, D-Denver.

The resolution brought a cluster of protesters to the Capitol this morning to condemn Israel’s actions, but it, too, received near-unanimous approval. After lawmakers approved it, a protester in the upstairs gallery briefly stood up and started yelling before being escorted away by security.

But, far from that show of passion, the spark that lit the Senate’s flame this morning was Newell’s vote on the Israel resolution. She voted against it, saying it’s not the state’s job to deal with foreign policy.

“I voted no,” Newell explained later, “because I was elected to do that state’s business. I believe resolutions like this take us away from that.”

Angry Republicans, though, were unmoved by the argument. After the vote, Brophy quickly went back to the microphone to ask the Senate to reconsider Newell’s resolution, which he voted for. He wanted to add an amendment that would send a copy of the resolution to Hamas, the Palestinian militant group.

“If you really want to give nonviolence a chance, here is your opportunity,” Brophy said. “Folks, I would suggest that if Hamas would stop raining down rockets on Israel, there would be peace.”

Senate Majority Leader Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, responded by calling Brophy’s amendment, “political gimmickry at its best,” before later apologizing.

The comment only inflamed Republican anger more, sending Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, to the microphone to suggest that Newell’s resolution was meaningless.

“I think we know this resolution, if sent to Hamas, won’t change their behavior,” Penry said. “That makes the need for the second resolution all the more important.”

Foster said she respected Newell’s reason for voting no, and Democrats defended Newell’s resolution. Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, said putting Brophy’s amendment on it would weaken its central message.

“It basically removes the value of passing the nonviolence resolution,” Romer said.

Democrats defeated the amendment on a party-line vote and then, as tempers finally began to simmer down, re-approved Newell’s resolution with the same five Republicans voting against it.

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