Politics
Hickenlooper signs Colorado bill allowing ‘ballot selfies’
DENVER – You’ll be able to take a selfie with your ballot in Colorado next election after Gov. John Hickenlooper signed the so-called “ballot selfie bill” into law Thursday.
House Bill 1014 eliminates the penalty in Colorado for taking a “ballot selfie” – an issue that was heavily litigated ahead of last November’s election.
A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction that kept the state attorney general and district attorneys from prosecuting people who took or posted a picture of their completed ballot.
The Colorado rule was first written in the 1890s and has been reinterpreted over the past century.
The new bill, signed by the governor, changes one of those modifications, created by the Uniform Election Code of 1965 and Election Code of 1992, by eliminating language that prohibits voters from showing their completed ballot to anyone.
But it still allows county clerks and polling center workers to restrict photography at polling centers. Inducing any voter to show someone how they voted will still be against the law.
The bill underwent significant changes as it made its way through the Legislature.
The House added a provision that creates a new misdemeanor offense that will penalize people for trading votes or offering such.
But the Senate stripped that provision, which led to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office to pull its support for the bill.
“We didn’t think it had enough controls in it,” Deputy Secretary of State Suzanne Staiert told Denver7 Friday. “We will seek legislation to specifically prohibit vote trading in the future.”
Authorities: 16 indicted in connection to illegal marijuana distribution raids in Colorado
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. – Sixteen people were indicted on felonies, including drug and organized crime charges, in relation to Thursday’s large-scale marijuana raid that targeted an illegal grow and out-of-state distribution ring operating in Colorado.
The raids happened Thursday in Denver, Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and El Paso counties.
Of the 16 people indicted, 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler said at a joint news conference with DEA and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office authorities Friday afternoon that 15 of them were already in custody.
Read the indictments by clicking here.
Brauchler said the suspects’ ages range from 28 to 63 years old.
He said the investigation started last August in Elbert County, where 2,500 pounds of marijuana were found, but that it “turned into a much longer and broader investigation.”
He said that the group was growing close to 300 pounds of marijuana each month, which was all distributed to states across the country, including Arkansas, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and possibly Florida and New Mexico, according to Brauchler.
Around 2,000 plants were taken from just one Denver warehouse Thursday during the raid.
Brauchler added that not only was the ring allegedly growing and distributing marijuana flower, but was also making and distributing hash oil. He said many of the transactions took place in broad daylight, including at an Aurora school’s parking lot and at a Castle Rock Starbucks.
The Drug Enforcement Agency’s Barbara Roach said the marijuana was specifically being grown to be sold and distributed out of state, and said she believes that people are coming to Colorado specifically for that reason.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Steve Johnson said that Colorado was fostering the “criminal enterprises,” and that illegal home grows are being found “on a daily basis.”
Nineteen locations were raided Thursday, during which authorities said they also seized 39 weapons.
Though there has been much apprehension over what new Attorney General Jeff Sessions will do when it comes to overseeing federal law enforcement regarding state laws on legal marijuana, the DEA says Thursday’s raids were not part of a new directive.
The Colorado Legislature is currently hashing out at least two bills aimed at cracking down on illegal marijuana grows. One of the bills would limit medical patients to grow only 16 plants – down from the current number of 99 – in an effort to further hamper illegal grows.
Local jurisdictions are allowed under state law to establish grow limits for recreational users, but the state law has capped the limit at six.
But large-scale growers have to have special licenses and oversight and are required to sell their product inside the state.
The 16 people indicted in relation to the raids are as follows:
- Rudy Saenz, 62
- Michael Stonehouse, 53
- Ted Stonehouse, 51
- Tilden Lazaro, 26
- Raciel Martinez, 52
- John Cathey, 63
- Vincent Castillo, 33
- William “Todd” Garner, 58
- Jerram Cathey, 27
- John Mason Cathey, 27
- Myisha Evans, 38
- Vernon Watts, 46
- Jason Jones, 46
- Amy Jones, 28
- John Ramsay, 45
- Jibaro Smith, 45
The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office says Jibaro Smith is the one outstanding suspect.
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Projection: 600K Coloradans will lose Medicaid, state will lose $14B by 2030 under AHCA
DENVER – Colorado would lose $340 million in federal funding in 2020 when Medicaid provisions under Obamacare run out under the GOP-sponsored American Health Care Act, and the state stands to lose $14 billion in federal funds by 2030, according to analysis on the proposal released Thursday by the Colorado Health Institute.
The report says the state will have to choose between cutting up to 600,000 Coloradans from Medicaid by 2030 or making cuts to the state budget the nonpartisan CHI says would be “historic.” Continue reading
EPA pays out $54K more to Colorado for Gold King Mine reimbursement costs
DENVER – Colorado and some local jurisdictions in the southwestern part of the state are getting fractions of what was initially sought in reimbursement money from the Environmental Protection Agency for the August 2015 Gold King Mine spill, but received another $54,000 Thursday.
The EPA said in January that it would not fully repay the 73 claims from both governments and private entities worth $1.2 billion for the spill, which was caused by EPA contractors and hampered communities in southwest Colorado, northwest New Mexico and southeast Utah for months. Continue reading
Coffman-Carroll competition for 6th Colo. House seat was among few close races nationwide
DENVER – Not only did Colorado have the fourth-highest voter turnout of any state in last year’s election, but one of our House races was among just a handful with a margin of victory within 10 percentage points in an election that was largely a landslide for congressional seats nationwide.
The U.S. Elections Project and Nonprofit VOTE released a report titled “America Goes to the Polls 2016” that details voter turnout and voting data from the 2016 election on Thursday. Continue reading
Colorado undocumented immigrant student supports bill expanding license, ID program in state
DENVER – Colorado’s undocumented community and immigrants’ rights groups say the program allowing undocumented people to get IDs and driver’s licenses is immensely helpful, and say they are supporting a new bill that would expand the program.
House Bill 1206 is set for its first committee hearing Wednesday in the House Local Government Committee. Continue reading
AG Sessions: Idea medical pot can remedy opioid addiction is ‘stupid’ and ‘hyped’
DENVER – U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday said the idea that medical marijuana could be used as a remedy to heroin and opioid addiction is “stupid” in his latest statements questioning the legitimacy of medical and recreational marijuana programs in states like Colorado.
Speaking to law enforcement agencies in Virginia, Sessions said he and his office “may rethink” some of the policies regarding federal enforcement of marijuana laws in states that have legalized recreational and medical marijuana, according to The Washington Post.
“Medical marijuana has been hyped, maybe too much,” Sessions said.
The Post reports that Sessions also said after his speech that he was “dubious” of medical marijuana and research that points to it being an alternative painkiller and treatment option for opioid addicts.
“I’ve heard people say we could solve our heroin problem with marijuana. How stupid is that? Give me a break,” he said during his speech, which again lumped together drug use and an uptick last year in violent crime.
Eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana sales, but medical marijuana is legal in 28 states and D.C.
In recent weeks, Sessions has said he’s “not a fan” of marijuana use but has said that states “can pass the laws they choose,” though he maintained that federal law trumps state law when it comes to marijuana enforcement.
Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman responded to Sessions’ prior comments by inviting him to Colorado to see its program firsthand.
“I’d like to be able to share what we have learned and where we have put in place a good framework for marijuana regulations,” she said. “Now for the federal government to say we’re doing things wrong, or we’re going to come in and take this regulation away from you without having first looked to see what we’re doing is precipitous.”
During Wednesday’s speech, Sessions also said that the country has “too much tolerance for drug use,” and went back to citing Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign as a means for combating drug use, according to The Post.
Colorado’s medical and recreational businesses sold more than $1 billion worth of pot last year. Industry leaders have said the dismantling of the state’s industry could cause a recession.
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Sen. Michael Bennet to host five town halls across Colorado this week, his first in two years
DENVER – Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet is hosting five town hall meetings this week across the state.
As many of Colorado’s members of Congress hold both in-person and telephone town hall meetings with constituents, these five will be among the first hosted by Bennet in two years.
His fellow senator from Colorado, Cory Gardner, was lambasted for not appearing at in-person town halls organized by others in recent months, but Bennet has largely avoided criticism from Democrats for not hosting his own. Gardner has been hosting tele-town halls in recent weeks.
Rep. Jared Polis hosted two in-person town hall meetings in northern Colorado over the weekend. Rep. Mike Coffman is also hosting a telephone town hall Wednesday evening.
Bennet is set to appear at town halls in Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Alamosa on Thursday before hosting two more, in Durango and Grand Junction, on Friday. The details for each can be found below:
- Colorado Springs – Thursday, March 16 – 11:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. – Tesla Education Center, 2560 International Circle
- Pueblo – Thursday, March 16 – 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. – Pueblo Union Depot, 132 West B Street
- Alamosa – Thursday, March 16 – 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Rio Grande Water Conservation District, 8805 Independence Way
- Durango – Friday, March 17 – 8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. – Double Tree Hotel, 501 Camino Del Rio
- Grand Junction — Friday, March 17 — 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. — Colorado Mesa University, South Ballroom, 1455 N 12th Street
His office is encouraging people to come early to ensure they get a seat.
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Denver pot shops could stay open until midnight under council committee proposal
DENVER – Denverites wouldn’t have to drive to Glendale or Edgewater for their late-night marijuana runs if a proposed bill under discussion Monday in the city council’s special-issue marijuana committee becomes law.
The committee met Monday afternoon to hear the bill that would allow Denver’s recreational and medical marijuana shops to stay open until midnight. But it decided to postpone action on the bill to take more time to discuss it.
Should it pass, it would give people an extra five hours each day to shop for pot, and extra time to profit off sales for city pot businesses. Denver’s shops are currently open until 7 p.m., as are Colorado Springs’ medical shops.
Glendale and Edgewater already allow their shops to stay open until midnight, while shops in Aurora, Boulder and Commerce City can stay open until 10 p.m.
When the state legalized recreational marijuana in 2014, it said shops could be open from 8 a.m. until midnight each day, but it also allowed municipalities to determine the hours the shops would stay open.
And in 2015, the state allowed medical shops to stay open for the same hours as recreational shops.
Discussions to keep Denver’s shops open longer have been ongoing for years, but took a step forward in January, when the proposal first was discussed.
Kristi Kelly, the head of the Marijuana Industry Group, is slated to present at Monday’s hearing, as are other marijuana industry leaders and the city attorney’s office.
Proponents of extending shop hours have argued doing so would make the city more competitive with its neighbors, despite the city having raked in about half of last year’s sales statewide.
A Denver Post questionnaire done ahead of the last city council election found many of the current councilors said they would at least consider extending marijuana shop hours.
The bill’s next hearing date has yet to be set.
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24 million Americans would lose insurance under GOP proposal to replace Obamacare by 2026, CBO says
DENVER – Twenty-four million people who would be insured under Obamacare would not have insurance under the new health care bill supported by President Trump and House Republicans by 2026, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released Monday.
The CBO report, also compiled with the Joint Committee on Taxation, has been highly-anticipated since House Republicans first introduced the American Health Care Act just more than a week ago, as it anticipates the expected impacts on the federal budget and American people. The JCT released some initial estimates last week. Continue reading