Melissa Kuipers Blake

Crafted and passed legislation on behalf of DealerTrack Processing Services to authorize the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles to implement an electronic lien and titling process as well as an electronic temporary tags and vehicle registration process. Organized a broad coalition of stakeholders including the Department of Motor Vehicles, County Clerks Association and new and used car dealers in order to pass and implement this expansive legislation.

Retained by Cars.com to work with the White House and Department of Homeland Security to deem “automotive sales and leasing” an essential business federally when retail operations were shutting down. Successfully made the case to regulators and the White House why auto sales were critical, specifically for first responders and health care workers. DHS released revised guidance and “automotive sales and leasing” was determined an essential business nationwide and 18,000-plus auto retailers continued transactions with thousands of jobs retained.

Successfully passed SB 21-76 on behalf of DealerTrack Registration and titling services to create and fund a system within the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles to provide for electronic vehicle registration services for car buyers. This program will make the car-buying process more efficient, reduce lines at the DMV, and provide law enforcement with data regarding vehicle ownerships in real time in order to reduce car theft, counterfeit temporary tags and other automotive crime.

Instrumental in gaining an exemption for the American Resort Development Association from HB 21-1229 regarding the regulation of timeshares. While they have HOAs, timeshares do not have the same operational and ownership structure as primary residence HOAs and it was our job to educate and lobby the Colorado House and Senate on this issue. Successfully secured the exemption and the bill was ultimately signed by Governor Polis.

Representing the city of Colorado Springs to reverse the Trump administration’s decision to relocate the Space Command to Huntsville, Alabama. Working with Colorado officials at local, state and federal levels to reverse the decision to benefit national security and our aerospace industry.

Regulatory and compliance counsel for a major Las Vegas hotel and casino to ensure the resort’s policies related to guest and employee consumption of medical and recreational cannabis are consistent with all applicable Nevada laws and regulations.

Regulatory counsel to the Florida Trucking Association related to medical cannabis and legalization’s impact on its drivers and member companies.

Selected by the Colorado Republican Committee Chairman to serve as General Counsel to the Denver 2016 Host Committee in Denver’s effort to secure the Republican National Convention in 2016.

Federal lobbying representation for the Cannabis Trade Federation (CTF), the largest cannabis trade association in the country. Representation includes strategic counsel to CTF’s efforts to pass the STATES Act and SAFE Banking Act to remedy the incongruity between state and federal law on cannabis, including protections for financial services institutions that provide banking services for legal cannabis-related businesses and providing federal protections to cannabis businesses that are in compliance with state law.

Counsel to Dixie Brands, Inc. related to its CBD, medical cannabis, and recreational cannabis product lines.

On behalf of the City of Colorado Springs, secured $9M for a new cybersecurity intelligence center in partnership with the University of Colorado and federal Department of Defense and amended legislation to reduce the regulatory burden on the City’s Fire Department and EMS responders.

Counsel to a large global alcohol company seeking regulatory and compliance guidance on cannabis laws in the United States and how cannabis laws interface with state and federal alcohol licensing.

On behalf of the American Resort Development Association and its 1,000 members ranging from privately held firms to publicly traded corporations, drafted, lobbied and passed legislation to expose and prevent fraudulent practices in the timeshare resale market. Worked with key industry stakeholders, legislators, the Governor's office, the Division of Real Estate, and the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's Office to pass these sweeping reforms for the fractional ownership industry.

Regulatory counsel to the City of Henderson, Nevada, as they transitioned their medical marijuana program to include recreational marijuana following the legalization by ballot initiative for adult use.

On behalf of the trade association, CINEMA, spearheaded and successfully passed first-of-its-kind in the nation legislation to promote movie and television production in Colorado that had been attempted by other lobbying entities for the prior seven years without success. Since that time, worked with the Governor and Office of Economic Development and International Trade to secure over $15M in funding for the movie and television rebate program. Recently secured $5.3M in state funding for the rebate program which resulted in Quentin Tarantino choosing Telluride, Colorado as the location for directing his 8th feature film, The Hateful Eight.

Regulatory and compliance counsel for large regional bank related to hemp-related business and service providers deposit accounts.