Republican Attorney General-elect Kris Kobach has hired a new top lieutenant away from a nonprofit Colorado group that says it brings litigation fighting “government attempts to control the lives” of “ordinary citizens.”
Kobach has picked Dan Burrows – legal director from Advance Colorado -as his new chief deputy. Advance Colorado says it promotes limited government, free enterprise and low taxes.
“Dan Burrows’ impressive legal and leadership experience make him a perfect fit for this important role in my administration,” Kobach said in a statement.
“Kansans can expect exceptional performance in the attorney general’s office with Burrows at the helm,” Kobach said.
Burrows was involved in a number of cases at Advance Colorado, including one lawsuit challenging Colorado’s campaign contribution limits as too low and another challenging Boulder’s multiyear ban on oil and gas development.
A federal judge ultimately upheld Colorado’s limits on campaign contributions and the city of Boulder settled the litigation over the oil and gas ban for $35,000.
He also represented a construction company that challenged Colorado’s family and medical leave program because it violated the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights in the state constitution.
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state, which provided up to 12 weeks of paid time off to Colorado workers who are either sick or caring for their newborns or seriously ill family members.
The law was challenged because it was funded from a 0.45% premium paid by the employer and 0.45% paid by the employee.
“The Act did not represent a change to income tax law, and, in any event, the premiums collected do not represent an impermissible added tax or surcharge,” the court ruled.
At Advance Colorado, Burrows managed the organization’s litigation “to protect the God-given rights of his fellow Coloradans, with a focus on free speech and free association, taxpayer rights, open and accountable government, and educational opportunity.”
Under Burrow’s direction, “we bring lawsuits that push back against overreaching government attempts to control the lives and livelihoods of ordinary citizens.”
He’s been a major in the Army Reserves where he’s worked as an environmental law attorney for the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency and as an assistant command judge advocate for the 209th Regional Support Group.
He also worked as a special assistant U.S. attorney in the economic crimes section in the District of Colorado.
He also was acounsel for the
Also, Burrows clerked for Judge Margaret Ryan on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
He also served as the Central and West Plains loordinator for the Colorado Republican Party in 2008.
Burrows received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and his law degree from the University of Iowa.
A native Kansan, Burrows grew up in Belle Plaine and is a third-generation graduate of Belle Plaine High School.
