Vicki Marble is a Republican member of the Colorado Senate, currently serving as the Minority Caucus Chair. First elected to the Senate in 2012 to a four-year term, Marble represents District 23, which runs North along the I-25 corridor. District 23 encompasses parts of Broomfield, Larimer, and Weld Counties. This includes Firestone, Johnstown, Mead, Broomfield, Erie, Longmont, Northglenn, and Windsor, CO.
Biography
Marble was raised in a ranching family that bred horses and livestock. As a child, she was involved in outdoor activities - her father was one of the founders of Kampgrounds of America during the early 1960s. Early in life, Marble became interested in agriculture and participated in the Pro Rodeo. She developed barrel racing skills and became a nationally ranked Pro Rodeo Barrel Racer. Prior to her legislative career, Marble served on the Larimer County Rural Land Use Board as well as the 8th Judicial District Performance Commission. Marble owns and maintains two businesses in the bail bonds industry and a liquor store in the Fort Collins area. Marble has two sons, one a former U.S. Marine and the other is in Business for himself.
In 2016, incumbent Marble ran for reelection to the Colorado State Senate for Senate District 23. She was unopposed in the Republican primary, as was her Democratic opponent T.J. Cole. Marble will be term-limited in 2020 but able to run for another term in 2024.
Senator Marble is currently the Senate Minority Caucus Chair and is a member of the Veteran's and Military Affairs Committee and as a member of the Legislative Council Committee.
2018 Legislative session
In 2018, Senator Marble served as Senate Majority Caucus Chair, as the Chairman of the Senate State Veteran's and Military Affairs Committee and as a member of the Agriculture and the Legislative Council Committees. She was the prime sponsor of a wide variety of legislation, including agriculture-related bills such as Senate Bill 239, concerning animal chiropractors, and Senate Bill 205, concerning the regulation of industrial hemp. Another bill, Senate Bill 230, modified language in statute concerning "pooling orders" for oil and gas drilling and expanded protections for property owners. She also sponsored a bill to update the election code, and another that deals with regulation of toxicology labs. Each of these and more, were signed into law by the Governor.
2013 Legislative session
Ethnic diet comments
On August 21, 2013, at an Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force meeting at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver chaired by State Sen. John Kefalas, Marble ignited controversy and Democratic criticism when she gave a speech that included extensive comments on the eating habits of various minority groups. Further, Marble commented that "Mexicans eat vegetables in Mexico but stop eating healthily when they immigrate to the United States." Fellow state legislatorRhonda Fields, an African-American and Democrat from Aurora, Colorado was also present, and criticized Marble's comments. Marble then released a statement clarifying her remarks: The Denver Posteditorial board described Marble's comments as, "... finger-lickin' stupid." In comments to the press, Ryan Call, former chairman of the Colorado Republican Party distanced the party from Marble's comments. "Sen. Marble's careless comments do not reflect the views of Republicans," he said. A prominent pro-Republican and conservativepolitical blog, Colorado Peak Politics, said, "Marble is the latest legislator to join what might be kindly dubbed the "legislative moron caucus" after an ignorant and offensive soliloquy about race and diet." In an interview with the Fort Collins Coloradoan, Marble remained "unapologetic".
