Jerry Sonnenberg

Early life and career

Born and raised in Sterling, Colorado, Sonnenberg graduated from Sterling High School, then attended Northeastern Junior College and graduated from the Colorado Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program at Colorado State University. Sonnenberg is married; he and his wife Vonnie Constance have four children: Ashley, Afton, Joshua, and Ryan.

A farmer and rancher since 1979, Sonnenberg has managed and operated his 3,600-acre (15 km²) family farm and held a variety of jobs, including news photographer, funeral home assistant and truck driver in a family owned-and-operated trucking business. He previously served as the president of the Logan County Farm Bureau and was chairman of Logan County Right to Farm Committee. In addition, he sat on the Colorado Water Congress Policy Committee, the Logan County Planning Commission and was on the boards of the Colorado Farm Bureau and the Republican River Conservation District.

Sonnenberg also worked in education, substitute teaching in Sterling Public Schools, in addition to teaching in the Farm Business Management Department at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado. He served as chairman for the Colorado Preschool Pilot Program and was on the Sterling Schools Building Accountability Committee. His leadership expanded into sports, where he was on the board of the Sterling Baseball Organization, and coached and umpired Colorado high school baseball, among other sports. Sonnenberg also worked as the director of music ministry at Sterling's First Christian Church and was choir director at Sterling's Berean Church.

Legislative career

A former precinct chairman for the Logan County Republican Party, Sonnenberg ran unopposed and won the Colorado legislature in 2006. or the general election.

2006 election

Out of 24 first-term house members elected in 2006 — the largest freshman class since Colorado statehood — Sonnenberg was the only one elected without any electoral opposition.

2007 legislative session

During the 2007 legislative session, Sonnenberg sat on the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee and the House Transportation and Energy Committee. During his first term, Sonnenberg was also appointed to the state's Correctional Industries Advisory Committee.

Sonnenberg's top-priority legislation during the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly was a bill restricting the ability of Colorado governments to obtain water rights through eminent domain. The bill was denounced as unconstitutional by the Colorado League of Municipalities, and only narrowly passed the state house. Senate sponsor Brandon Shaffer modified the Senate version of the bill, which passed by a wide margin, to call only for a study on the issue; Sonnenberg publicly called Shaffer a "turncoat" for amending the Senate bill and then refusing to call for a conference committee to reconcile the two versions of the legislation. Sonnenberg intends to introduce the legislation again during the 2008 session. Sonnenberg also sponsored legislation to allow state inspectors to inspect livestock records in order to prevent the spread of mad cow disease, and to increase funding for rural district attorneys.

After the 2007 legislative session, Sonnenberg was recognized by the Colorado Union of Taxpayers as one of its "Outstanding Legislators of 2007" for his support of lower taxes and private property rights Sonnenberg also sits on two interim committees — on transportation and on allocation of severance tax and federal mineral lease revenues.

2008 legislative session

In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Sonnenberg sits on the House Agriculture, Livestock, & Natural Resources Committee and the House Transportation and Energy Committee.

For the 2008 session, Sonnenberg sponsored legislation to limit the power of the Colorado Department of Wildlife to purchase land, by requiring that any purchase be matched by a sale of other assets of equal value. The bill was opposed by the Department of Wildlife, and failed to pass a House committee. Sonnenberg did credit the measure, however, with leading to the DOW's formation of a landowners’ advisory group and a meeting with the DOW and landowners in northeastern Colorado.

Sonnenberg also introduced legislation to allow special districts in Colorado to retain tax revenue that otherwise would have been diverted because of tax increment financing; the bill also died in committee. Other bills, to create a sales tax holiday for school supplies and to enhance funding for special districts that provide emergency services, also died in committee.

Sonnenberg also introduced a bill, authored by students from Sterling High School, to except school fundraisers from sales tax. The bill was killed in committee, but later revived by House Democrats after pressure from Sonnenberg. A similar but narrower measure was introduced by Rep. Joe Rice, and the two legislators agreed to work to reconcile the two bills. Ultimately, Sonnenberg's measure was passed by the legislature, with Sterling High School students testifying in support of it, and was signed into by Gov. Ritter.

During debate on the state budget, Sonnenberg offered an unsuccessful amendment, mirroring one of his defeated 2007 bills, to increase funding for rural district attorneys offices; he also unsuccessfully attempted to eliminate 21 jobs within the Oil and Gas Commission created to monitor compliance with new environmental rules, arguing that the positions should have been attached to the original 2007 legislation that enacted the new rules.

During the session, Sonnenberg sponsored 11 bills, of which seven passed. Following the session, he expressed concern over the legislature's failure to provide addition transportation funding and announced his intention to introduce legislation providing additional funding for road repair and water storage in the 2009 legislative session.

2008 campaign

In February 2008, Sonnenberg announced his bid for re-election to a second two-year term in the state house. He faced only unaffiliated write-in candidate Dan Conn in the general election. Sonnenberg emphasized water, infrastructure, and rural development issues during his campaign. Sonnenberg's re-election bid was endorsed by the Denver Post, the Sterling Journal-Advocate, and the Windsor Beacon.

Facing only a write-in opponent, Sonnenberg received 98.6% of the votes cast to win a second term.

2009 legislative session

For the 2009 legislative session, Sonnenberg was named to seats on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee. Sonnenberg plans on sponsoring legislation regarding urban renewal authorities, and legislation mandating reparations from the Colorado Division of Wildlife for game damage to agricultural land, a proposal which was weakened in House committee. Sonnenberg also proposed legislation to allocate a portion of sales tax revenue directly to transportation; his legislation was a major portion of Republicans' alternative proposals to a registration fee increase proposed by Democrats.

Sonnenberg sponsored legislation to allow betting on "historic" horse races at three locations statewide; his bill was killed in favor of an alternative proposal to expand simulcast betting. Sonnenberg also introduced a bill to allow heavier trucks on Colorado roadways, arguing it would increase transportation efficiency for farmers. Sonnenberg was also a vocal opponent of new rules on oil and gas drilling passed by the legislature.

Following the legislative session, the Colorado Union of Taxpayers named Sonnenberg a "Taxpayer Guardian;" his 90 percent rating on their legislative scorecard identified him as one of the most fiscally conservative legislators in the state.

2012 campaign

In the 2012 General Election, Representative Sonnenberg was again unchallenged in his bid for a fourth term in the Colorado House. Unsurprisingly, Sonnenberg was declared the winner with 100% of votes cast in his favor.

2014 campaign

In 2014, Rep. Sonnenberg chose to run for State Senate District 1.