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The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

Category: Politics & Elections

  • Clean Campaign Act of 2019 (HB19-1318) and Campaign Finance Enforcement (SB19-232) Introduced

    Clean Campaign Act of 2019 (HB19-1318) and Campaign Finance Enforcement (SB19-232) Introduced

    April 8, 2019 – Legislation was introduced in the Colorado Legislature that will shine light on secret political spending in Colorado elections and help Colorado hold those that break campaign finance laws accountable. Secretary of State Griswold ran for office to reform money in politics, and since being sworn in as Secretary of State, has traveled around Colorado to speak with everyday Coloradans about the importance of transparency in political spending. Since January, Secretary Griswold has hosted town halls on campaign finance reform in Aurora, Grand Junction, Pueblo, Boulder, Superior, and Louisville. 

    Secretary Jena Griswold is working with bill sponsors Representative Mike Weissman, Senator Mike Foote, and Senator Jeff Bridges on this legislation. Reforming money in politics will help detect and deter corruption, stop foreign financial influence, and increase transparency. 

    During the 2018 election cycle in Colorado, more than $82 million was donated to Independent Expenditure Committees (IECs), Colorado’s version of SuperPACs. These committees can raise and spend unlimited sums of money for, or against, political candidates.

    Of that $82 million spent in Colorado:

    • Over 75% came in donations of $100,000 or more
    • Over 80% came from sources that are hard to trace, or corporations

    Current Colorado law on IECs does not require disclosure of the original source of high-dollar contributions, and instead encourages political committees to move hard-to-trace money between various shell companies to hide the original source of a contribution, even if it comes from a foreign national or foreign corporation.

    “Too often, Coloradans feel that their politicians are beholden to big money special interests, and that the rich and powerful are allowed to side-step the rules,” said Secretary Griswold. “Right now in Colorado, a $50 contribution to a candidate is more transparent than a $50,000 contribution to Colorado’s version of a SuperPAC. It’s time to put democracy back in the hands of everyday Coloradans. I’m thrilled to have worked closely with Representative Weissman, Senator Foote, and Senator Bridges to craft this legislation, and look forward to it becoming law.”

    The Clean Campaign Act of 2019 prevents all foreign nationals, foreign corporations, and foreign countries from spending money on any type of political communication, or contributing to, or controlling, any type of campaign finance committee in this state. Additionally, it will ensure that corporations that spend money in support of, or against, ballot initiatives disclose that they paid for the communication.

    “Coloradans have the right to be able to follow the dollars in our elections,” stated Representative Weissman. 

    “We should shine a light on the source of dark money because Coloradans deserve to know who is funding campaigns,” said Senator Foote.

    “Our campaign finance system is broken at a fundamental level, and sunlight is the best disinfectant,” said Senator Bridges.

    This bill will make Colorado a national leader in campaign finance transparency.

    When passed, the Clean Campaign Act of 2019 will require “Paid for by” disclaimers on communications to voters from any committee, including online communications. This commonsense requirement makes sure that any time a Coloradan sees a political ad from any candidate or political committee on any platform, they will know who paid for it.

    This legislation also tightens Colorado’s laws on coordination between IECs and candidates, and stops politicians who have not yet announced for office—and therefore are not beholden to contribution limits—from gaming the system by raising millions into IECs that plan to support their future campaigns.

    Finally, this legislation re-authorizes Small-Scale Issue Committees, which requires those raising or spending between $200 to $5,000 on ballot measures to register, and track their contributions and expenditures, but does not require them to report until they meet the $5,000 threshold. These committees, originally created by a bipartisan group of lawmakers in 2016 in response to several court cases, must be re-authorized this year. This bill removes the sunset provision and makes them permanent.

    The second bill, Campaign Finance Enforcement, codifies existing rules put in place in 2018 in response to a Federal District Court ruling. Codifying these rules puts enforcement mechanisms into law and modernizes Colorado’s enforcement process to be more fair, speedy, and constitutional.

    In 2018 in Holland v. Williams, the court ruled Colorado’s enforcement system unconstitutional. In response, Secretary of State Wayne Williams and his staff adopted rules giving the Secretary of State’s office the responsibility of investigating and enforcing campaign and political finance complaints. This system still allows any member of the public to file a complaint when there is the appearance of or actual wrongdoing.

    “When it comes to money in politics, Coloradans’ voices are being drowned out by special interests. Our goal is to create a better set of rules, and to enforce them,” said Griswold.

    Here is a fact sheet on these two bills.

    This new legislation, in conjunction with SB19-068 Expanding Disclosure of Electioneering Communications and HB19-1248, the Lobbyist Transparency Act, will bring more transparency to, and accountability of, money in politics in Colorado.

     

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  • Governor Polis Declares April “Dig Safely Month” in Colorado

    DENVER) –Gov. Polis has issued a proclamation declaring the month of April as Dig Safely Month in Colorado.

    Beneath our feet lies an underground maze of different municipal and utility networks, including traffic signal and telephone systems, fiber optic cables, electric power lines, water, natural gas, oil pipelines and more. Hitting any of these buried lines during excavation work can result in service disruptions and subsequent repair costs and fines. More importantly, however, striking a utility line can be dangerous, resulting in injury or death.

    Whether the project is done by contractors or landscapers or is a simple homeowner project, such as planting a tree or installing a mailbox, excavation work has potential hazards.

    Preventing those hazards is the work of a non-profit organization called Colorado 811. Digging projects, no matter how small, should only begin after contacting 811. In fact, those doing excavation work are more than three times as likely to hit a buried utility line because they did not contact 811 before starting their project.

    Contacting  Colorado 811 results in the appropriate utility companies being notified and professional utility locators being sent to the site to mark the locations of underground lines with flags and/or paint.  It’s a simple first step that can result in avoiding a problem – or even a catastrophe.

    The April 2017 home explosion in Firestone, caused by a leaking uncapped gas flow line, underscored the need for enforcement oversight of excavation activities. Colorado’s revised One Call Law and Senate Bill 18-167 were enacted in 2018 to address the public safety issues surrounding underground facilities and excavation.

    This year marks the beginning of a unique collaboration between Colorado 811 and the Department of Labor and Employment in assisting the new Underground Damage Prevention Safety Commission that was created through the legislation. The Safety Commission is a governor-appointed, 15-member group that reviews complaints of alleged violations of the One Call Law and develops best practices and training to enhance public safety. 

    Homeowners and businesses who have questions about the new Colorado 811 legislation can visit colorado811.org, and anyone doing digging is urged to contact 811 at least three days prior to excavating.

    The Underground Damage Prevention Safety Commission and the Division of Oil and Public Safety are both working closely with Colorado 811 to help keep Colorado families, properties and communities safe.

    Link:

    Proclamation Declaring April as “Dig Safely Month”

     

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  • House Finance Committee Approves Bird-Titone Bill to Boost Affordable Housing

    (Mar. 21) – The House Finance committee approved Rep. Shannon Bird and Rep. Brianna Titone’s bill today to boost the supply of affordable housing in the state by expanding the Affordable Housing Tax Credit, which helps leverage private funding for affordable housing projects across the state.

    “We’ve seen that this is a proven and effective method to helping people access affordable housing and grow the middle class,” said Rep. Bird, D-Westminster. “There is so much extra demand for these grants across the state, so we definitely see a need to expand this tax credit to accommodate the high demand.”

    The Affordable Housing Tax Credit supports key affordable housing needs such as workforce housing, homeless housing, and senior housing across Colorado and is one of the state’s most effective tools for increasing affordable housing available across the state. Colorado’s Affordable Housing Tax Credit raises private sector equity needed to support the development and preservation of affordable rental housing. It currently is authorized to allocate only $5 million; HB 19-1228 would increase the available tax credits to $10 million in 2020-24..

    “We need to help ease the housing crunch. This bill will help seniors and hardworking people across our state,” said Rep. Titone, D-Arvada. “Access to affordable housing can help grow the middle class and our economy which will give back to Colorado in a lot of different ways.”

    Between 2015-2018, the program supported 4,796 affordable rental units. The development of these homes is estimated to have generated over $1.9 billion in economic impact in Colorado.

    HB19-1228 passed by a bipartisan vote of 7-3 and now heads to the Appropriations Committee.

    The Finance committee also approved Rep. Bird’s bill that specifies bonding requirements that apply to certain public/private partnership contracts for construction on publicly owned property. SB19-138 unanimously passed out of committee and now heads to the House floor.

     http://www.cohousedems.com/2019/03/house-finance-committee-approves-bird-titone-bill-to-boost-affordable-housing/

     

     

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  • Colorado ‘red flag’ gun bill passes first hearing

    Colorado ‘red flag’ gun bill passes first hearing

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    By JAMES ANDERSON
    Associated Press

    DENVER (AP) _ Colorado Democrats launched another campaign Thursday to pass a “red flag” gun law _ an effort backed by many top law enforcement officials to allow weapons to be seized from people who are determined by a court to pose significant risk.

    Florida passed its own “red flag” law after the February 2017 Parkland school massacre, and 12 other states have done so. Colorado Republicans defeated a similar bill last year, insisting it infringed on citizens’ Second Amendment rights. But Democrats won both statehouse chambers in November, and Democratic Gov. Jared Polis called for a “red flag” law while campaigning last year.

    The House Judiciary Committee voted 7-4 along party lines late Thursday to send this year’s bill to the chamber’s appropriations committee. The vote came after more than eight hours of testimony for and against the bill.

    The legislation would allow family or law enforcement to seek a court order to have guns seized if they believe the owner is a threat. If approved, a subsequent court hearing would be held to determine whether to extend the seizure, up to 364 days.

    The bill also would leave it up to the person whose guns were seized to prove at any point that he or she no longer poses a risk. That person would be entitled to legal counsel.

    “This is the first step to move forward on a solution that is geared at trying to help people in crisis and confront the epidemic of gun violence that’s had a significant impact on the state of Colorado,” said House Majority Leader Alec Garnett, a co-sponsor along with first-term Rep. Tom Sullivan.

    Sullivan’s son, Alex, was killed while celebrating his 27th birthday in the 2012 Aurora movie theater shooting.

    “Watching your child’s body drop into the ground is as bad as it gets,” Sullivan told a news conference last week. “And I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that none of you have to do that.”

    A number of law enforcement officials supported the effort, including Tony Spurlock, sheriff of suburban Douglas County, who lost a deputy in a New Year’s Eve 2017 shooting by a suspect who was exhibiting increasingly erratic behavior. The bill is named after the deputy, Zachari Parrish.

    Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle also supported the bill. His son was wounded in the shooting that killed Parrish.

    “This is an issue that comes up constantly. We know who these folks are,” Pelle testified. “We absolutely know when and how the time is right to use the courts to help us relieve the situation and make our communities _ and our officers _ safer.”

    John Walsh, a former U.S. attorney for Colorado, insisted the legislation protects the rights of gun owners to due process and that courts in other states have upheld similar laws.

    House Minority Leader Patrick Neville, a survivor of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, says the bill would discourage citizens from seeking help because of the “stigma” associated with mental illness.

    “No one should feel they have to choose between their guns and getting the help they need,” Neville said in a statement.

    “I’m saddened that our beautiful state is moving away from due process,” said John Anderson, a retired commander of the Castle Rock Police Department and 20-year veteran of SWAT teams. The bill, he said, presumes that “the accused is guilty until proven innocent” and will create dangerous situations when officers try to confiscate firearms.

    “You have now singled out one class of citizens in Colorado, and that is gun owners. And you will be challenged in court,” said Dudley Brown, executive director of the advocacy group Rocky Mountain Gun Owners.

    The bill is backed by numerous gun control groups, including one founded by former Arizona U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was severely wounded in a 2011 shooting, and survivors of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.

    Gun rights are a perennial issue at Colorado’s Capitol. Lawmakers approved a ban on high-capacity magazines and added background checks for firearm transfers in 2013 following the Aurora and Sandy Hook shootings. Gun rights groups pushed successful recalls against two Democratic state senators who voted for the bills.

  • Colorado Legislature OK’s changes to presidential electors

    Colorado Legislature OK’s changes to presidential electors

    By JAMES ANDERSON

    Associated Press

    DENVER (AP) _ The Democrat-controlled Legislature approved a bill Thursday calling for Colorado to join other states in casting presidential electoral votes for the winner of the national popular vote. Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, has said he will sign the measure. Currently, the state’s electoral votes are cast for whoever wins in Colorado. Under the bill , Colorado would join 11 other states and the District of Columbia in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would take effect after states with a collective 270 electoral votes _ the number needed to win the presidency _ agree to join.

    The campaign was launched after Democrat Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the 2000 election to Republican George W. Bush when electoral votes were tallied. Colorado Democrats introduced the bill after Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, who won 3 million more votes nationally than Trump. The state House voted 34-29 Thursday to approve the bill that previously cleared the Senate. Opponents say the initiative subverts an electoral college that was designed to ensure, in part, that smaller states aren’t trampled when it comes to choosing a president. They also insisted the matter should be go to voters. Two Colorado Republicans, Monument Mayor Don Wilson and Mesa County Commissioner Rose Pugliese, said Thursday they’re seeking a 2020 state ballot measure on the issue. “Our founders feared the tyranny of the majority. In our electoral college our smaller states still have a say,” GOP Rep. Lori Saine warned before Thursday’s vote. “This is an exercise of the tyranny of the majority.”

    “I hear time and again that my vote doesn’t count,” Democratic Rep. Emily Sirota, a bill co-sponsor, said of her constituents. “That’s the intention of this bill _ to help people believe their vote matters.”

    Currently, voters choose presidential electors from the political parties. The Electoral College has 538 electors, corresponding to the number of seats held by states in the U.S. Senate and House, plus three votes for the District of Columbia. Electors from states that have joined the compact would pool their votes for the national popular vote winner _ whether or not that candidate won in those states. Compact members, including California (55 electoral votes) and New York (29), currently have 172 electors. Colorado, with nine, would give it 181. Republican state lawmakers argued the compact would induce candidates to bypass smaller, rural, often Republican-leaning states during their campaigns. They say Colorado, which voted overwhelmingly Democratic in the 2018 midterm elections, would be added to that “flyover” territory. Advocates said it would force the candidates to fight for votes in more states, including solidly red states like Texas and solidly blue states like California. Ray Haynes, a former California Republican state lawmaker and ex-national chair of the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council, which represents state lawmakers, lobbied on behalf of the Colorado bill, noting it had bipartisan support well before the Trump election. But he said he got a relatively cold response from Colorado Republicans. “Conservative legislators around the country understand the basic concept of the bill, and as legislators they think that every vote in every state in every election matters,” Haynes said. “The visceral response is, `Oh my god, this would have given us Clinton as president.’ And that’s not true,” he said. Other compact members are Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. New Mexico lawmakers are considering similar legislation.

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  • Statement regarding multistate lawsuit challenging President Trump’s emergency declaration

    Statement regarding multistate lawsuit challenging President Trump’s emergency declaration

    Feb. 18, 2019 (DENVER, Colo.) —Attorney General Phil Weiser and Governor Jared Polis together issued the following statement regarding Colorado joining the multistate lawsuit challenging President Trump’s emergency declaration:

    “Colorado will join at least 12 other states in a multistate lawsuit challenging President Trump’s unconstitutional emergency declaration to build a border wall. After reviewing the specifics of this action over the weekend, we concluded that Colorado could lose tens of millions in military construction dollars that would be diverted to build the wall. Our military bases play a critical role in our nation’s readiness and are economic drivers in several communities.

    “In this action, we are fighting for Colorado’s interests and defending the rule of law.”

  • National Popular Vote Bill Clears Colorado Senate

    Measure pushes one step closer to a popular vote for president – proposal now moves to Colorado House of Representatives

    (DENVER, CO) – The National Popular Vote bill, which would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, cleared the Colorado Senate on Tuesday. The measure now moves to the Colorado House of Representatives. When passed by both the House and Senate, the bill would go to Governor Jared Polis for final signature into law.

     “We are grateful to our sponsors in the Colorado legislatures, and to citizens across the state who are making it clear that they prefer a national popular vote for president,” said John Koza, Chairman of National Popular Vote. “Regardless of party, the people of Colorado prefer a system where every voter, in every state, is politically relevant in every presidential election. National Popular Vote delivers on that promise.”

     The National Popular Vote interstate compact will go into effect when enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes necessary to elect a president – 270 out of 538.  In December, when electors meet to cast their ballots for president and vice-president following a presidential election, the electoral votes of all the compacting states would be awarded in a package to the candidate who receives the most popular votes across all 50 states and DC.

     “We are determined to achieve 270 or more electoral votes,” continued Koza. “We will be dogged in our approach to attract Republicans, Democrats, and Independents who believe there is a better way to elect the President of the United States.”

    Since the National Popular Vote movement began in 2006, eleven states and the District of Columbia – altogether totaling 172 electoral votes – have passed the National Popular Vote bill. That is just 98 electoral votes short of 270. Colorado’s nine electoral votes would bring that total down to just 89 necessary for the National Popular Vote interstate compact to take effect.

     In 2006, the Colorado Senate became the first state legislative body in the nation to pass the National Popular Vote bill. The Colorado House went on to pass the bill in 2009. The National Popular Vote bill has since passed at least one house in 11 states possessing a total of 89 electoral votes. Altogether, 3,125 state legislators across all 50 states have endorsed the National Popular Vote bill. The New Mexico House of Representatives is set to take up the National Popular Vote bill later this week. And several more state legislatures are expected to consider the measure as they convene in 2019.

     

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  • Adams County Elections Plans Open House

    Adams County Elections Plans Open House

    Brighton — The public can join Adams County Clerk and Recorder Stan Martin and members of the Elections Team for a tour of our mail-ballot processing facility on Thursday, Nov. 1, at 5 p.m.

    “For anyone who’s ever been curious about the Election and mail-ballot processes, this is an excellent opportunity to get a firsthand look at our team in action,” Martin says. “Team members will be available to show each step a ballot goes through after citizens mail it back, drop it off at a 24-Hour Drop Box, or vote at a Voter Service and Polling Center and to answer questions.”

    This event is open to the public. Those interested can RSVP here. For those who are unable to attend, check out our video, “The Life of an Adams County Ballot.”

    In addition to the video, we also have a page dedicated to describing the mail-ballot process and our Security Overview that details how we keep Adams County Elections safe and secure.

    For more information regarding the 2018 General Election, visit AdamsVotes.com.

  • Come see how your voted ballots are processed

    Come see how your voted ballots are processed

    You voted. Now what happens to your ballot? 

    Join Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder Matt Crane and members of the Elections Division for a tour of our mail ballot processing facility! You will see our secure voting system in action, and observe election workers as they receive, sort, open and scan ballots for the 2018 General Election. 

    Bring your neighbors, civic group, scouts and friends! Kids are welcome to attend with a supervising adult.

    WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018, 6-7 p.m.

    WHERE: Arapahoe County Elections Facility, 5251 S. Federal Blvd., Littleton, CO 80123

    Please register to attend at www.arapahoevotes.com/Tours. Call 303-734-5465 with any questions.

    Can’t attend? See a lifecycle of your mail ballot.

  • Sec’y of State: After today, don’t mail in your ballots

    Sec’y of State: After today, don’t mail in your ballots

    DENVER, Oct. 29, 2018 — After today, Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams is urging voters after today to drop off their ballots at a voting center or 24-hour drop box.

    That’s because postmarks don’t count — ballots must be in the hands of an election official by 7 p.m. Election Day, Nov. 6.

    “I have worked very hard to provide funding for our county clerks to set up 24-hour drop boxes so voters can drop off their ballots any time of the day or night,” Secretary Williams said. “In Colorado, we want to make it as easy as possible for people to vote.”

    Voters who use a voting center operated by their county clerk or a 24-hour drop box do not need to use stamps.

    The Voter Service and Polling Centers in each county will be open through Election Day, except for Sunday, Nov. 4. All voters who vote in person must provide identification. To find a voting center or drop box near you, use this voting information tool.

    Today is also the last day for voters to request a ballot and have it mailed to them. Starting Tuesday, those voters must go to a voter center and vote in person.