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Elephants partly inspired these new Colorado laws
When an elephant goes into labor in the wild, its herd quickly surrounds her in a tight circle, standing ready to fight any threats that come her way. The births, as with humans, can extend for many hours or even days. “It’s this incredible vision of defense and protection,” said Indra Lusero, founder and director […]
He says he was assaulted in a parking lot. Then Lakewood police violently arrested him.
A Lakewood man was violently arrested in February after he was involved in an altercation with a tow truck driver. Ameer Allen is now facing four misdemeanor charges, including assault, resisting arrest, obstructing a peace officer, and harassment with a maximum jail sentence of four years and up to $7,750 in fines, not including court […]
As abortion access shrinks nationwide, Colorado remains a sanctuary state for reproductive health care
When Lorenne Gavish found out she was pregnant in 2019 while living in New Mexico, she felt as if she was drowning in her abusive relationship. For Gavish, who now lives in Colorado, her first decision as a mother was to wait to become one. “Having been able to have that abortion and extract myself […]
Have thoughts about Denver’s approach to homelessness? Come to this meeting.
Denver city housing officials are hosting community meeting on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the outdoor Greek Theatre in Civic Center Park to discuss the city’s approach to tackling its growing homelessness crisis. The goal of the meeting is to solicit feedback from residents about current city programs for people experiencing homelessness; […]
Colorado Judicial Branch seeks applications for Eviction Legal Defense Fund grants
The Colorado Judicial Branch is seeking applications for its Eviction Legal Defense Fund grant program. To be eligible for the program, an organization must be a nonprofit currently providing legal services for low-income tenants in Colorado and receiving more than 20% of its funding from sources other than the Eviction Legal Defense Fund, according to […]
Federal eviction moratorium extension will protect Colorado renters until end of July
Rochelle Walensky, director of the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, signed an extension to the federal eviction moratorium on Thursday to keep more tenants who have fallen behind on rent during the pandemic in their homes. The ban, established by the CDC last year, was scheduled to expire on June 30 but now […]
Denver program that replaces police with mental health pros seeks advisory board members — and more funding
Denver’s Support Team Assisted Response Program — which redirects some crisis 911 calls to mental health professionals instead of law enforcement — is looking for volunteers to serve on their advisory committee to help track and evaluate the program’s outcomes. The STAR Program deploys emergency response teams that include emergency medical technicians and behavioral health […]
Colorado’s prescription drug monitoring program lacks oversight and enforcement, auditors find
Colorado state auditors released a report on Monday identifying significant deficiencies and oversight issues within the state’s decade-old Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. The program and corresponding database for medical providers was established in 2008 by state lawmakers to electronically track and monitor prescriptions to help prevent abuse, allow medical providers to review patients’ prescription histories, […]
Boulder voters will see a question in November about whether to increase the city’s occupancy limit
A citizen-led initiative in Boulder that seeks to increase the number of people allowed to live under one roof has received the necessary signatures to appear on the November 2021 ballot. Bedrooms Are For People, a grassroots campaign led by Boulder residents, solicited the more than 3,500 digital signatures needed to legally qualify for citizen vote. […]
Colorado’s SNAP Employment and Training program gets a boost under new law
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed into law on Thursday a bill to boost the state’s employment and training program for residents who receive benefits from the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP), which provides a monthly stipend to help low-income households purchase food. “The COVID-19 pandemic has cost countless Coloradans their jobs, many of whom have […]
Sneak peek: Recommended solutions to Colorado’s affordable housing crisis
A coalition of housing experts across Colorado has been meeting remotely for the last eight months to brainstorm long-term strategies for alleviating the state’s affordable housing crisis. The Strategic Housing Working Group, convened by the state’s Department of Local Affairs, reviewed and workshopped preliminary recommendations during a public meeting on Thursday. Once the remaining kinks […]
This group has some ideas for how to speed up Colorado’s appeals process for child welfare cases
Colorado state lawmakers passed legislation in 2016 that aimed to improve and speed up the appeals process for child welfare cases. But five years later, their goal of resolving cases within six months remains a pipe dream. Though state and federal changes improved the quality and thoroughness of the appeals system, they also inadvertently extended […]