Colorado
Praise and protests after Colorado’s senators split vote on successful DeVos confirmation
WASHINGTON – Colorado’s two senators split their votes, just as the rest of their Senate colleagues did, in Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ confirmation hearing.
Vice President Mike Pence cast the deciding vote to confirm the controversial DeVos after the Senate’s vote ended in a 50-50 split. Continue reading
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet joins 24-hour Senate session in attempt to fight DeVos confirmation
WASHINGTON – Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet took the Senate floor Monday night to urge his colleagues not to confirm Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos to her prospective post as part of a round-the-clock effort by Senate Democrats to block her confirmation.
The Senate’s rules are allowing Democrats to drag out debate on DeVos’ confirmation by staying in session 24 hours a day, which Democrats said Monday they planned to do before a likely vote Tuesday.
DeVos is perhaps the least-likely of cabinet appointees to get the thumbs up from the Senate despite a handful of appointees Democrats have said are unfit for their positions.
She is a wealthy Republican donor who has spent little time involved in public education and who has in the past praised creationist theory in school.
Two Republican senators have already said they would not vote in favor of DeVos, but another Republican vote is likely necessary in order for her confirmation to be blocked.
Vice President Mike Pence would cast a tie-breaking vote in the event senators vote to a 50-50 tie on DeVos.
Sen. Bennet, a Democrat, took the floor Monday around 8 p.m. Eastern Time to say he will vote no on DeVos’ nomination and urged his colleagues to do the same.
“Ms. DeVos has shown no evidence of her commitment to be the torchbearer for both excellence and equity,” Bennet said Monday. “Her ideology and dogmatic approach conveys a lack of understanding and appreciation of the challenges we face and the depths of solutions they demand.”
Before his career in the Colorado and U.S. legislatures, Bennet served as the superintendent for Denver Public Schools. During that time, he stopped budgetary cuts at the district in 2008 and oversaw additional investment in early childhood education and kindergarten.
As a U.S. senator, Bennet sponsored the bipartisan Childcare Development Block Grant bill that helped streamline funding to childhood education programs.
DeVos has publicly supported for-profit charter schools and the privatization of some public schools.
“In Denver, we made a deal: Create a public choice system that authorizes charters, creates innovated schools and strengthens traditional schools,” Bennet said on the Senate floor Monday. “We empowered schools through autonomy and worked to create a system of shared learning and innovation focused on all ships rising.”
During her committee confirmation in January, Bennet said he hadn’t “heard anything that gives [Bennet] confidence that [DeVos] can lead us in the right direction for our kids.” She was confirmed by the committee on a party-line vote.
He doubled down Monday night.
“Ms. DeVos’ testimony and public record failed to establish her commitment or confidence to protect any of these foundational principles,” Bennet said. “Her ‘let 1,000 flowers bloom’ approach asks American schoolchildren to take a huge step backwards to a world without high expectations.”
Bennet is referring to the choice structure DeVos has in the past sought to implement in schools, which would in theory work like capitalism to let bad schools fizzle out.
A spokesperson for Colorado’s other senator, Republican Cory Gardner, said late last week the senator would not issue a statement on his vote until after it occurred. He has not indicated how he will vote, but has so far voted to confirm all new appointees under the Senate’s purview.
Bennet was expected to speak on the floor again around 11 p.m. MT. The floor session is being streamed live on CSPAN. A full transcript of Bennet’s earlier remarks can be read on Medium.
The confirmation hearing for Sen. Jeff Sessions, who was tapped for the attorney general position, is expected to draw similar concern from Democrats later this week.
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Former Canon City coach, student teacher charged over sexual relationship with teen student
FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. – A former part-time athletics coach and student teacher in the Canon City School District faces charges over an alleged sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student.
Austin Randall Trahern, 24, faces one count of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.
The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says someone reported the alleged relationship between Trahern and the 15-year-old girl, and that Trahern turned himself in to deputies on Monday.
The sheriff’s office says he was still employed by the district while the relationship was taking place.
The Canon City Daily Record reports the incident happened last June but that charges weren’t filed until Feb. 3.
Citing the arrest affidavit, the Daily Record reports Trahern coached PE at Canon City Middle School and worked with the Canon City High School track and field team. The Daily Record reports that the incident wasn’t reported until nearly two months after it happened.
Trahern was released on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond Monday after his first court appearance.
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CU Boulder: Tumpkin abuse case victim ‘should have received immediate response from the university’
DENVER – The Chancellor of the University of Colorado responded Friday evening to a Sports Illustrated article which claimed the school may have known about allegations former assistant football coach Joe Tumpkin had abused his ex-girlfriend a month before any actions were taken.
In the statement, Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano apologizes to the victim in the case and to her son, writing, “She should have received an immediate response from the university pertaining to the actions we might take as well as expressing concern for her safety and any support she needed to deal with repercussions of the trauma she suffered.”
DiStefano said school staff provided Sports Illustrated with a full timeline of what happened, but alleges the sports magazine chose not to publish “key elements” of the events.
The reporter who wrote the story, Michael McKnight, claims to have talked to the woman, who is given the name “Jane” in the report to protect her identity.
It says head coach Mike MacIntyre and his wife both had received messages from the woman in early December. The report says she first reached out to MacIntyre’s wife, Trisha, and wrote that she had “an important issue regarding Joe that is sensitive and confidential” and that she needed to talk to Coach MacIntyre.
DiStefano refutes the claim, saying Tumpkin’s ex-girlfriend notified MacIntyre of the alleged assault in mid-December. After being notified, MacIntyre immediately told athletic director Rick George about the allegations.
The woman had also, according to the report, emailed Coach MacIntyre two days earlier, saying she had a “very confidential concern” about Tumpkin.
The report says that phone records back up claims that MacIntyre called the woman right after his wife had received her message, and told him that Tumpkin had “repeatedly and violently abused her” during the last two years of their three-year relationship.
The report says the call lasted for 34 minutes and said the most-recent abuse had happened in mid-November, when the Buffs played Washington State at home. The report says she ended her relationship with Tumpkin afterward.
The SI report says that MacIntyre told her she was “very courageous” to call and expressed concern over the alleged abuse.
The woman said MacIntyre told her he had talked to athletic director Rick George briefly about the allegations and that they would decide what to do. But she told SI she never heard from the athletic department again.
“At that time, we believed that it was premature to take personnel action because there was no restraining order, criminal charges, civil action or other documentation of the allegation,” DiStefano said in the statement.
He adds, “we regret that as soon as each of us knew of the allegations of domestic violence, written evidence or not, we did not report them to our office of Institutional Equity and Compliance.”
Tumpkin, usually a safeties coach on the team, coached the defense during the Buffs’ bowl game on Dec. 29 after the team’s defensive coordinator left.
On Jan. 6, the Boulder Daily Camera broke the story that the woman had been granted a restraining order against Tumpkin in December. Four days later, he was suspended indefinitely after police officially opened an investigation into the alleged abuse.
On Jan. 25, a Boulder County judge granted a permanent protection order against Tumpkin, prohibiting him from ever contacting his ex-girlfriend.
Tumpkin submitted his resignation, which was requested by the university, on Jan. 27. It became effective Jan. 31. He is set to receive just under $80,000 as a final payout, which includes a bonus for the team’s bowl game.
DiStefano also refutes the claim that Tumpkin received a promotion to interim defensive coordinator ahead of the Alamo Bowl.
“Tumpkin was not promoted nor did he receive any adjustment in salary or title.”
On the day his resignation became effective, Tumpkin was charged with five counts of felony second-degree assault and three counts of misdemeanor third-degree assault.
Denver7 has reached out to CU officials for comment, but those requests have yet to be returned. A spokesman told SI, however, that the university – including MacIntyre and George — was not aware of any allegations until the Daily Camera informed them of the restraining order.
Tumpkin posted $10,000 bond on Thursday in Bromfield County Court, according to records.
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Colorado Rep. Lamborn’s bill would strip federal funding from NPR, Corp. for Public Broadcasting
WASHINGTON – Colorado Congressman Doug Lamborn introduced two resolutions this week that would strip hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding from National Public Radio and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that he says could be better spent on the U.S. military.
The two resolutions brought forth in the House of Representatives, HR 726 and HR 727, are not the first pieces of legislation aimed at defunding public media outlets. Lamborn sponsored a bill in the 112th Congress, which ran from 2010-11, that also stripped funding. It passed the House, but failed in the Senate. Continue reading
Man accused in shooting death of RTD security officer charged with first-degree murder
DENVER – The suspect in the shooting death of a Denver transit security guard Tuesday night near Union Station was charged with first-degree murder Friday morning in Denver District Court.
Joshua Cummings, 37, his face still swollen from what Denver District Attorney Beth McCann called an infection, uttered only two words during the hearing when he told the judge, “Yes sir,” when asked if he understood his rights. Continue reading
Unsolved: 7 years after woman’s dismembered body found far from home, authorities hope for new leads
GARFIELD COUNTY, Colo. — It takes at least three hours for Sue Kleppen to make the drive from Aurora to a particular orchard nestled among towering mountains west of Glenwood Springs, Colo., but she keeps going back year after year.
The idyllic scenery of the western Rockies holds unsightly secrets for Kleppen; it’s where the dismembered remains of her 38-year-old daughter, Janine Johler, were found by a ranch hand cleaning up trash along the property on June 12, 2009. Continue reading
Colorado bill would exempt feminine hygiene products from state sales tax
DENVER – Colorado women would no longer have to pay extra state sales taxes on feminine hygiene products if a bill under consideration in the state Legislature passes.
Rep. Susan Lontine, D-Denver, and Sen. Beth Martinez Humenik, an Adams County Republican, are co-sponsoring House Bill 1127, which would exempt the state sales tax on tampons, menstrual pads and sanitary napkins, pantiliners, menstrual sponges and menstrual cups.
Canada repealed its so-called “tampon tax” in 2015, but around 40 U.S. states still tax the products.
Women around the world have fought the tax in recent years, saying it is a basic necessity and should not be subject to taxation.
The Colorado bill classifies feminine hygiene products as a drug, medical or therapeutic devices. The exemption would go into effect starting Jan. 1, 2018 if the bill becomes law.
The fiscal impact report on the bill from the Colorado Legislative Council says, if approved, the exemption would cost Colorado $1.2 million in state tax revenue to the General Fund in FY 2017-18 and $2.4 million in FY 2018-19, when it would be applied for the full fiscal year.
The report says an estimated 1.5 million women in the state are of typical menstruating age and estimates each woman spends $60 a year on feminine hygiene products, generating about $2 each year per person.
The bill would allow local municipalities and counties to adopt the exemption as well.
The fiscal impact report says those exemptions could cost the Regional Transportation District about $740,000 over the next two years, and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District about $74,000.
The bill is scheduled for its first hearing Feb. 13 in the House Finance Committee.
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Afghan translator now in Denver vetted for 2 years before special visa was approved
DENVER – President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily barring some immigrants and refugees from predominantly-Muslim nations has created confusion among those affected by the order and lawyers and government officials tasked with upholding it.
Lawyers and Trump administration officials worked through the weekend to figure out exactly to whom the ban applies. Continue reading
Colorado politicians, organizations react to Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to US Supreme Court
DENVER – Politicians and political organizations reacted swiftly Tuesday evening to President Donald Trump’s nomination of Colorado judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
If confirmed, Gorsuch would be the first Colorado Supreme Court justice since Byron White was picked by John F. Kennedy in 1962.
A roundup of reactions from Colorado’s members of Congress and other organizations:
Colorado’s House Republican delegation (Reps. Ken Buck, Scott Tipton, Mike Coffman, Doug Lamborn):
“The nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court is welcome news. Judge Gorsuch’s record in the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit shows that he will defend the original intent of our Founding Fathers and preserve the fundamental rights of Americans protected by the Constitution. It will be great to see a Coloradan serve on the country’s highest court, and considering he was confirmed for his current position by voice vote in the U.S. Senate in 2006, we encourage our Colorado colleagues in the U.S. Senate to support Judge Gorsuch’s swift confirmation.”
Rep. Ken Buck, R-CO:
“I commend the President’s nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the vacancy created by the untimely death of Justice Antonin Scalia. I’m confident Judge Gorsuch will succeed in the Supreme Court because he holds sound judicial interpretation in such high regard. As a Coloradan, I know Mr. Gorsuch will take his common sense values with him to the nation’s highest court.”
Sen. Cory Gardner, R-CO:
“Judge Gorsuch is one of our country’s brightest legal minds with significant experience as a federal judge and a private litigator. A former Supreme Court clerk for Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy, Judge Gorsuch has learned from some of the most exceptional, disciplined, and faithful interpreters of the law. He is an ardent defender of the Constitution and he has the appropriate temperament to serve on the nation’s highest court. Judge Gorsuch also adds to the court’s Western perspective, with his understanding of uniquely Western issues like water and public lands issues. I’m enthusiastic about the native Coloradan’s nomination and will work to ensure that his confirmation process is fair, thorough, and expedient.”
Rep. Diana DeGette, D-CO:
“President Trump has repeatedly promised that his nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court would be someone who supports overturning Roe v. Wade. We have no reason to believe he has changed his mind. That’s what makes this nomination especially troubling for women all across the country. Judge Gorsuch needs to clarify his position on women’s right to access and determine their own reproductive health care at a time when seven in 10 Americans support a woman’s constitutionally-protected right to choose. Women have a lot to lose if a nominee opposed to Roe makes it to the highest court in the land. That’s why members of the Senate Judiciary Committee should closely question this nominee in the weeks and months ahead. The American people deserve to know where he stands.”
Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-CO:
“While I have not had a chance to review Judge Neil Gorsuch’s record, I know Neil to be an honest and intelligent Coloradan. However, I will remain vigilant against any Supreme Court decision that turns back the clock on issues of liberty, equality and opportunity for all Americans.”
University of Colorado administrators, where Gorsuch has taught since 2008:
“We congratulate Judge Gorsuch on his nomination,” said Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano. “His time spent teaching, advising and mentoring our students has been invaluable to our campus. He has embodied our goals at CU Boulder for ensuring student success and developing tomorrow’s leaders.”
“As a distinguished jurist, Judge Gorsuch has given his time, energy and talents to Colorado Law over the last eight years, and our students and alumni are fortunate that he has taught in our classrooms,” said Dean S. James Anaya. “He is an extremely accomplished example of our visiting faculty, who bring diverse perspectives to our school and model rigorous legal thinking for our students.”
Colorado Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman:
“Judge Neil Gorsuch is an extremely qualified and well-respected U.S. Supreme Court nominee. He not only has a brilliant legal mind, but has both the experience and the temperament needed to serve on our nation’s highest court. Judge Gorsuch’s deep understanding and reverence of the law will serve him and the American people well.”
Colorado Republican Party:
“Tonight, President Trump fulfilled one of his biggest campaign promises to the American people by selecting federal appeals court Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, a mainstream conservative to serve on the United States Supreme Court,” said Colorado Republican Party State Chairman Steve House. “I am confident Neil Gorsuch will faithfully uphold the Constitution, protect our individual rights, and preserve the idea of limited government.”
ProgressNow Colorado:
“Neil Gorsuch is just the latest in a series of horrible choices by Donald Trump,” said ProgressNow Colorado executive director Ian Silverii. “Gorsuch’s fringe views on health care and contraception make him an enemy of Colorado women. On the Supreme Court, Gorsuch would be a vote to roll back women’s rights, environmental protections, and hard-won protections against discrimination in the workplace. Gorsuch has even been endorsed by the founder of the National Organization for Marriage, an anti-LGBT extremist group. Gorsuch may hail from Colorado, but his record stands in opposition to Colorado values.”
“The simple fact is that this Supreme Court appointment was stolen from President Obama last year in a shameful act of Republican treachery,” said Silverii. “No Democrat should in any way cooperate with or otherwise enable Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination, including Colorado Democrats. To do so would only hand Trump another undeserved victory.”
NARAL Pro-Choice America:
“With Judge Neil Gorsuch, the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to women and our lives. Gorsuch represents an existential threat to legal abortion in the United States and must never wear the robes of a Supreme Court justice.
“With a clear track record of supporting an agenda that undermines abortion access and endangers women, there is no doubt that Gorsuch is a direct threat to Roe v. Wade and the promise it holds for women’s equality. The fact that the court has repeatedly reaffirmed Roe over the past four decades would no longer matter, just as facts often don’t seem to matter to President Trump. Confirming Gorsuch to a lifetime on the Supreme Court would make good on Trump’s repeated promises to use his appointments to overturn Roe v. Wade and punish women.
“NARAL and our 1.2 million member-activists call on the Senate to reject Trump’s nominee using any and all available means, including the filibuster.”
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