Politics
Quinnipiac Poll shows Trump, Clinton tied in Colorado in head-to-head matchup
DENVER – The presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is perhaps tightening in Colorado, according to new polls released Thursday.
The Quinnipiac Poll shows the candidates tied at 47 percent apiece in a head-to-head matchup. The poll has a four-point margin of error.
But a poll done by Rocky Mountain PBS and Colorado Mesa University says otherwise. It comes with a six-point margin of error, but shows Clinton has a nine-point lead over Trump.
That poll also shows about 10 percent of Colorado voters are still undecided on who they are voting for.
Mike Pence, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump all campaigned in Colorado Thursday.
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Ivanka discuss gender pay gap, Pence talks institutional racism in trip to Colorado
DENVER – The Donald Trump campaign again descended on Colorado Thursday to stump for the Republican nominee.
Trump’s daughter, attended a breakfast at the Colorado Women’s Alliance in Denver before heading to a tour of Liberty Common High School in Fort Collins.
Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, spoke at a town hall meeting at the Hillside Community Center in Colorado Springs around 2 p.m.
And his son, Donald Trump Jr., held a rally at the Mesa County Fairgrounds Thursday evening in Grand Junction. Continue reading
Colorado woman files federal suit claiming state law inhibits right to deny business to gay couples
DENVER – A Christian woman claims Colorado law violates her ability to deny business to supporters of same-sex marriage and has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the laws on the basis they violate the U.S. Constitution.
Lorie Smith, who owns 303 Creative LLC, a graphic and web design company based in the Denver area, filed the suit Tuesday in Colorado’s U.S. District Court.
Read the lawsuit in full by clicking here.
She claims that Colorado law that says refusing people services on the basis of sexual orientation, among other reasons, is unconstitutional and violates her First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
Smith would like to use her business “to celebrate and promote God’s design for marriage as an institution between one man and one woman,” according to the suit, and claims her inability to say so on her website because of the state laws violates her rights.
However, her website already says so in as many words, despite the lawsuit saying she “is refraining” from expressing her views.
“My primary objective is to design and create expressive content,” her website reads. “Because of my faith, however, I am selective about the messages that I create or promote – while I will serve anyone I am always careful to avoid communicating ideas or messages, or promoting events, products, services, or organizations, that are inconsistent with my religious beliefs.”
The suit continually cites Bible passages and says Smith “believes that God is calling her to promote and celebrate His design for marriage…between one man and one woman only.”
Violations of the Colorado statute could lead to fines of up to $500 per case, though there has been no indication from the Colorado Civil Rights Division or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which are both defendants in the suit, that she has ever been hit or threatened with one.
The suit, which was brought by attorneys for the Arizona-based group Alliance Defending Freedom, as well as Denver lawyer Michael L. Francisco, even cites the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, Obergefell v. Hodges, arguing the decision reinforces the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection of “choices that define their personal identity and beliefs.”
It also cites prior cases in Colorado involving different bakeries that either denied a gay couple service or denied an antagonist of same-sex marriage service, saying the Civil Rights Division and Commission muddied the Colorado statutes they enforce.
Smith’s attorneys said she would not be speaking to the media on the matter.
But Freedom for All Coloradans said the lawsuit was another attempt to undermine the Supreme Court’s decision.
“Allowing business owners to refuse service to customers whom they dislike, or disapprove, will open a can of worms and make it more difficult to enforce Colorado’s laws that ensure businesses are open to everyone.”
The case has yet to be scheduled on the court’s docket.
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City council approves Denver’s first affordable housing fund
DENVER – The city’s first dedicated fund for affordable housing will get $150 million over the next 10 years after the city council voted to approve money for the fund Monday.
The council voted 9-4 to establish the fund, which the city says would create up to 6,000 new low and middle-income housing units.
Proponents of the fund say more affordable housing is necessary in Denver, where housing prices have steadily ballooned in recent years. Council members described the current situation as a crisis.
The fund would be created by a half-mill property tax and fee on new developments and would start collecting money Jan. 1. The council approved the funding, which had been sought by Mayor Michael Hancock.
The fee on new development will range from $0.40 to $1.70 depending on the type of project and would be collected by the fund once building permits are approved.
There were four amendments added to the bill including a measures that would create a comprehensive plan that will be presented to council. An alternative bill ultimately did not pass.
Still, some people in the city’s poorest neighborhoods don’t believe the money will help them.
“Families don’t have anywhere to go and so people are searching all over the city without success,” said Project Voyce spokesperson Candi CDeBaca. “It’s not enough. We need 80,000 units right now. That’s what the demand is.”
But the council approved the plan, calling it a “step in the right direction.” The plan will be reevaluated through its lifetime and will be analyzed again after the first 10-year period.
Mayor Hancock issued a statement Monday night following the vote:
“Tonight, our city took a significant step forward in keeping Denver accessible to our workers and families. I want to thank City Council for their support in creating Denver’s first, dedicated fund for affordable housing, which embeds the value of a city for everyone into our foundation.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the work we’ve accomplished with Council members Kniech and Brooks and all of our partners to keep our city uniquely Denver. From here our work continues undaunted to spur the creation of diverse housing options throughout the city. Together, we will remain relentless in our pursuit to ensure that our people are able to build equity and wealth through homeownership.”
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Vice President Biden speaks at 19th annual Korbel Dinner at DU
DENVER – Vice President Joe Biden spoke for close to an hour in Denver Thursday night at the annual Korbel Dinner at the University of Denver.
His speech focused primarily on US relations in the world, but he also spent time afterward with DU students who were holding a watch party across the hall.
Arriving to a standing ovation form the students, the vice president joked he wasn’t their teacher so they didn’t have to cheer for him.
Biden was the keynote speaker at the event, which served as a fundraiser for the School of International Studies. Among the international topics he visited, he said the next president needs to better relations with the Pacific and called this November an inflection point in world history.
The vice president also seemed to overtly give some opinions about this year’s presidential race.
“All politics is person. It matters,” he said. “You have to figure out what the other person’s interest is. You’ve got to figure out what their latitude is. You’ve got to figure out what their intentions are.”
After the dinner and his speech, several students took their opportunity to ask Biden some questions of their own.
One hit on the Middle East and another query was on the “Brexit,” but Biden joked with another student who asked about his thoughts on not running for president.
“I learned one way to become the most popular politician in America – you know what that is: Announce you’re not running for president,” he quipped.
Biden will stay in Denver overnight before heading to Houston to reveal new plans in advancing his Cancer Moonshot plan to speed up 10 years of cancer research into five years.
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Gov. Hickenlooper is ‘sympathetic’ to proposed minimum wage hike; study says it will benefit Colo.
DENVER – Colorado’s governor says he remains “sympathetic” to a ballot measure that would increase the state’s minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020 on the same day a report from a consortium of state colleges and universities noted the measure would benefit most of the state’s minimum wage workers.
The report from the University of Denver and Colorado Women’s College, in collaboration with The Women’s Foundation of Colorado, says the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) would increase by $400 million and 20 percent of Coloradans would see household income increases. Continue reading
Colorado shows off nation’s first certified hemp seeds
FRUITA, Colo. – The Colorado Department of Agriculture showed off the nation’s first certified domestic hemp seeds Wednesday morning – another milestone in Colorado’s cannabis business.
Officials launched the development program in March, which officials say aims to bring industrial hemp back into agriculture. The seeds, grown and produced in Colorado, will receive CDA and Colorado Seed Growers Association approval and are available to be purchased by farmers.
CDA has worked with CSGA and Colorado State University over the past several months to breed plants that produce seeds under the 0.3 percent THC content threshold to qualify as hemp and not psychoactive marijuana.
Varying seed types were grown and tested in trials in different parts of the state in order to find ideal conditions for hemp so as to not put farmers at risk of having their plants destroyed should they buy the approved seeds.
Congress approved hemp production in 2014, but a state certification like Colorado’s is necessary to raise the crop.
Colorado farmers will be able to start buying and growing the seeds next year.
PNM working to lure Facebook data center to New Mexico
Facebook appears to be interested in building a new data center in New Mexico, according to filings made with the state Public Regulation Commission Friday by the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM).
PNM filed a motion with the PRC Friday asking it to consider fast-tracking an application it filed that would provide Facebook special service rates and allow PNM to build new renewable energy infrastructure specifically for Facebook.
The filing says Facebook approached PNM earlier this year to see what could be done that would entice the company to build a new data center in New Mexico.
In June, a power company in Utah filed a similar application with Utah’s public service commission that is expected to be approved or denied by August 31.
PNM’s filing requests the PRC rule on the fast-tracked application by the same date in order to stay in contention with Utah for the new data center.
“Lengthier regulatory proceedings in New Mexico will jeopardize New Mexico’s chances of [Facebook] selecting New Mexico as the site for its new data center,” the filing says.
But PRC will have to forgo several of its typical procedures in order to approve the application by August 31. PNM’s motion asks the PRC to approve the contract without a public hearing; to vary from its 60-day requirement if no protest to the contract is filed; to shorten the time by which the initial purchase agreement will be approved and to extend a purchase agreement into a long-term agreement after six months.
PNM is looking to initially provide the new renewable energy resources – likely through new solar infrastructure – for 100 percent of Facebook’s possible energy needs, which the utility company would recover from the company.
The agreement also seeks to provide an opportunity to increase infrastructure and power needs should the proposed data center grow over time.
PNM says the initial power procurement would be 30 MW of solar energy, which could increase to 60 MW and possibly 100 MW in the future according to other documents attached in the filing.
“PNM’s filing is a necessary step to ensure that we could meet the very specific needs of the potential new customer. We regularly participate in state and local economic development efforts to attract new businesses and jobs to New Mexico,” said PNM spokeswoman Ryan Baca. “This is a responsible and creative strategy to support the effort to bring new business and jobs to New Mexico.”
Late last month, the Los Lunas Village Council authorized the first $5 billion of what is likely to be six equally-sized industrial revenue bonds for an internet data company called Greater Kudu, LLC, which is a subsidiary of a larger, yet-undisclosed internet company.
The proposed center in Los Lunas would be built at the 850-acre Huning Ranch business park near I-25 and Highway 6.
It’s unclear if Greater Kudu, LLC is linked to Facebook. Facebook has not yet committed to where it will build its new data center, but a spokesperson said the company is always evaluating potential new sites. More details of the filings can be found here.
Former NM senator will face trial in fraud case
Former New Mexico state senator Phil Griego will face a trial on most of the corruption charges he originally faced regarding his possible profit from a land deal in Santa Fe.
Second Judicial District Court Judge Brett Loveless ruled Friday afternoon that there is probable cause to pursue charges on nine of 10 criminal counts: two counts of violating the ethical principles of public service, one count of bribery, two counts of fraud, one count of perjury, tampering with public records, violating the Financial Disclosure Act and having an unlawful interest in a public contract.
Prosecutors and Griego’s defense attorney discussed the evidence behind the fraud and bribery charges earlier Friday, on the fourth day of the preliminary hearing.
The past two days of the hearing have been held in Santa Fe so state officials, attorneys and lawmakers could testify.
Griego is accused of making around $50,000 off the sale of a state-owned building in Santa Fe without disclosing his involvement to the state legislature.
His attorney has argued that several lawmakers knew of his role as a broker in the deal.
“I am grateful to Judge Loveless for hearing this matter and I am pleased with his ruling that will allow us to pursue justice on behalf of taxpayers,” said New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas. “My administration is committed to aggressively combating public corruption in New Mexico and holding the powerful accountable.”
Griego has pleaded not guilty to the charges. It is unclear at this time exactly when the trial will be held.
Supreme Court denies request to delay recount in NM primary race
The New Mexico Supreme Court on Thursday denied a request for a delay in a recount of a southwest New Mexico primary race for a Republican seat in House District 32.
Scott Chandler, the polarizing owner of the Tierra Blanca Ranch, trailed opponent Vicki Chavez by 16 votes after the June 7 primary votes were counted.
Since the race finished with a margin of less than 1 percent, a recount is automatically triggered under state law. The House District 32 race is one of two races statewide that will be recounted.
Chandler had petitioned the Supreme Court to delay the recount, saying there were questions as to the procedures involved in a recount.
But the Supreme Court’s denial of the petition means the recount will go ahead Friday as planned.
Missy Sousa, Gov. Susana Martinez’s former campaign manager, runs Advance New Mexico Now, which, along with other political action committees, sent out a barrage of mailers in the days before the election to remind voters of Chandler’s saga at Tierra Blanca.
Chandler set off the state’s largest-ever Amber Alert in 2013 when he took several teens from the ranch when New Mexico State Police officers showed up to rescue the teens, who were allegedly tortured, beaten and starved. He has never been charged with a crime in that incident, but faces multiple lawsuits.