Category: Events

Protesters in Colorado express solidarity with the undocumented after dramatic raids throughout Denver

Thousands took to the streets of Denver, Colorado last week following a series of dramatic raids by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) throughout the city as protesters expressed solidarity with the undocumented and rage at Donald Trump’s war on immigrants.

A local artist at the protest, who had been handing out literature to immigrants on their legal rights, said they were there to fight for their neighbors and to stand together and say no to the threats from the Trump administration.

An estimated 2000 people gathered at the Colorado State Capitol after federal immigration raids began early last week. Similar gatherings happened nationwide, organized online by the “50 protests, 50 states, one day” or 50501 movement, which coordinated protests in all 50 state capitols.

The protests have denounced deportations, attacks on LGBTQ+ rights and other planned initiatives by the Trump administration. It comes as political organizing in Denver swells, with the People’s March on Jan. 18, just days before Trump’s inauguration — inspired by the 2017 Women’s March, which brought 100,000 people into the city.

The US president seems to have taken a special interest in the historically immigrant-friendly state of Colorado, calling his deportation plan for alleged gang members Operation Aurora, named for the Denver suburb claimed by him and echoed by conservative media to have been “taken over” by the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA).

One of the executive orders signed on Trump’s first day in office was to cut funding and send a stop-work order to the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (Rmian), a Colorado non-profit offering free legal services to the undocumented. Due to the large volume of those in need, Colorado has one of the lowest rates of legal representation for undocumented immigrants.

With about 167,000 undocumented immigrants in Colorado fearing for their safety, many local residents have rallied to show their support however they can. Despite the setbacks they have encountered, the Rmian was recently able to offer a crash course in immigration law to 100 Colorado attorneys who, despite not working in that field, have volunteered their legal services.

Whenever Ice raids are spotted, volunteers from groups like the Immigrant Legal Resource Center often are on hand to offer literature on the legal rights of those under siege. At the recent rally outside the state capitol building in Denver, activists with megaphones led a call-and-response chant of legal advice, prompting the crowd with “When Ice shows up?” followed by a collective roar: “Don’t open the door!”

Many of the activists speaking at Saturday’s rally expressed contempt for the New York-based property management company CBZ Management, which oversee several properties in Aurora and Denver that have been fined or shut down for squalid and neglectful living conditions. In August 2024, Zev Baumgarten of CBZ Management, accused of being “an out of state slumlord” by the Aurora mayor, claimed one of their Aurora apartment buildings had been overtaken by TdA gang members, which was why they were unable to provide needed repairs and services.

This unfolded just in time for Trump to parrot the claims during his presidential debate against Kamala Harris weeks later, eventually making Aurora an unlikely campaign stop for the Republican candidate, since Colorado has been a reliably blue state since 2008.

For decades Colorado has cultivated a reputation for welcoming immigrants who have come across the US-Mexico border, especially when they are under siege from many across the rest of the nation.

In the 1990s, when Democrats were being pulled to the right on issues like immigration, Denver’s mayor, Wellington Webb, pushed against that tide, criticizing federal persecution of immigrants in a 1998 executive order and declaring the state capital would “welcome all to share in Denver’s warm hospitality”.

He insisted: “We must respect this diversity and ensure the rights of all our residents are protected,” and Denver “would not tolerate discrimination in any form”.

However, a movement of hard-right, anti-immigrant activists in the Republican party found representation at this time in Colorado, such as in the form of Congressman Tom Tancredo, who built his political career attacking Denver libraries for stocking Spanish language books, calling for the deportation of a Denver high school student, stripping “sanctuary cities” of their federal funding, and calling on America to reject the “cult of multiculturalism”.

Tancredo’s decade as a congressman from 1999-2009, along with his failed bids for the presidency and governorship, helped build the narrative architecture of what would become the Make America Great Again conservative movement’s anti-immigrant rage.

Despite the protests in Denver, portions of the state still hold enough conservative voters to keep Trump loyalists like Representative Lauren Boebert in office.

Boebert recently joined forces with two other Colorado representatives to pressure the state’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, to repeal a series of laws protecting immigrants’ rights in Colorado. Often referred to as a “Democratic libertarian”, Polis himself had earlier endorsed the core of Trump’s deportation plan.

“Hey Polis, where are you? We have courage, how about you?” the crowd at Saturday’s rally chanted, as it moved away from the capitol building and through downtown Denver.

The march eventually made its way peacefully back to the capitol, where more literature was handed out and future gatherings were announced.

 

In 2024, Governor Jared Polis signed a whopping 519 bills into law. They range in topic from property taxes to gun storage to child care safety, and many took effect on January 1, 2025. Most of them were passed by state legislators in 2024, though some were passed years ago and are just now becoming operational, while others came directly from Colorado voters in November.

Tolulope Omotunde of Afrik Digest Magazine has compiled a list of some of the laws that will impact Colorado residents the most this year, whether to help you avoid being pulled over or to understand upcoming changes at your local grocery store.

 

Here are ten new state laws that Coloradans should know about in 2025:

 

1. Driving Cell Phone Ban

If you are fond of holding a cell phone while driving to use the GPS, play music or take a call, that act needs to stop. That behaviour is already illegal. A new law prohibits holding, touching or otherwise handling mobile electronic devices while driving, including while stopped at traffic signals. Distracted driving has long been a problem in Colorado. In fact, 718 Coloradans died in crashes due to distracted driving from 2012 to 2022, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Texting and driving was already illegal (and drivers under 18 weren’t allowed to use a smartphone for any purpose), but adult drivers could still legally hold a phone to their ear.

The new law still allows for the use of hands-free devices, however, such as Bluetooth headsets, dashboard mounts and car speakerphone systems. First-time offenders pay a $75 fine and receive two license suspension points. If you’re caught two or three times during the same calendar year, that fee rises to $150 and $250, respectively. You can have your violation waived if you present proof that you’ve purchased a hands-free accessory—but that’ll only work once.

 

 

2. Hens Are Going Cage Free (HB20-1343)

A bill passed in 2020 was finally implemented at the beginning of2025. It requires that all eggs and egg products sold in Colorado come from cage-free hens. Egg producers will be prohibited from selling in the state if they keep their hens confined with less than 1.5 square feet of floor space per hen (or one square foot if the hens have unfettered access to vertical space). Until now, egg-laying hens at industrial sites could be confined in spaces that did not provide sufficient space for the birds to behave naturally. Caged hens are at higher risk of injury and disease, and Colorado lawmakers have been working with egg producers to improve conditions. Unless you’re operating a farm with more than 3,000 hens, you don’t have to change anything—but you can be confident that any eggs you buy in 2025 were humanely raised.

Egg producers who violate the law will be fined up to $500 and could have their license to sell eggs suspended or revoked.

 

 

3. Guns in Cars

Coloradans will soon be prohibited from storing guns in cars without taking safety precautions. The law which came into effect on January 1, 2025, reveals it will be a civil infraction to leave a handgun in an unattended vehicle unless the handgun is in a locked, hard-sided container placed out of plain view, and the vehicle itself is locked. The same restrictions apply to non-handgun firearms, though those firearms can be kept in soft-sided containers if a locking device is installed on the firearm. The Denver Police Department reported that 1,221 guns were stolen in 2023—846 from vehicles. Democratic lawmakers hope that requiring gun owners to securely store their weapons in vehicles will help reduce the amount of firearm theft in the state. According to the wordings of the bill, the unlawful storage of a firearm in a vehicle is considered a civil infraction and may result in a fine up to $100.

 

4. Say Goodbye to Forever Chemicals (HB22-1345)

Starting on January 1 2025, PFAS chemicals, also known as “forever chemicals,” will be banned from products sold in Colorado in the cosmetics, indoor textile furnishings and indoor upholstered furniture categories. The state law, passed in 2022, already prohibited the chemicals in carpets, rugs, fabric treatments, food packaging, juvenile products and oil and gas products in 2024. Further prohibitions are set for 2027. The state has been working for years to phase out items that contain intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) that take more than a millennium to break down. Not only are these chemicals bad for nature, but they’re bad for humans, too. Studies have shown that exposure to PFAS can lead to decreased fertility, a weaker immune system, and increased risk of certain cancers. Violation of this law is considered a civil penalty and carries a fine up to $5,000 for a first offense and up to $10,000 for each subsequent infraction.

 

 

5. Minimum Wage Increases

Colorado’s minimum wage is slated to increase from $14.42 to $14.81 on January 1 2025. For tipped employees, it will go from $11.40 to $11.79. Denver’s minimum wage will rise as well, from $18.29 to $18.81 for standard employees and from $15.27 to $15.79 for tipped employees. The Colorado Constitution mandates that the state minimum wage adjust annually based on the consumer price index, a database of price changes in common goods and services. This yearly recalibration is designed to keep workers’ wages in line with inflation.

 

 

6. Child Passenger Safety (HB24-1055)

Several state seat belt laws for children came into effect on January 1, including increasing the ages that teens must wear seat belts in the back seat from under sixteen to under eighteen. Babies must use rear-facing car seats from under one to under two, and children must use booster seats from under eight to under nine. This new law was passed by state legislators in May 2024. Its implementation comes mere weeks after a national analysis by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety found that Colorado’s child passenger safety laws were “dangerously” inadequate. Colorado’s child restraint law is considered a primary enforcement action for police officers, which means drivers can be pulled over if it appears a child is not sitting in a legal car seat. The offense results in a Class B traffic violation and a $65 fine, which can be waived if the driver can prove they’ve purchased the correct car seat by the time they appear in court.

 

 

7. Undocumented Immigrants Can More Easily Obtain Driver’s Licenses (SB24-182)

While undocumented immigrants in Colorado can already apply for driver’s licenses, there are barriers to doing so. Currently, immigrants must present either a Colorado income tax return or a federal social security number, plus proof of Colorado residency for the last two years. Moreover, with an increasing number of migrants in the state, the need to expedite the process is urgent. The new legislation waives the two-year waiting period and allows immigrants to produce alternative documentation—including a passport or consular identification card—rather than a tax return or social security number. Applicants will still be required to pass the standard written exam, driving test, and vision screening in order to be eligible. Furthermore, their driver’s license cannot be used to vote or obtain public benefits. This law comes into effect on March 31, 2025.

 

 

8. Sperm Donor ID Disclosure

Anonymous sperm donation will end in Colorado in 2025. Colorado became the first state in the country to pass a law banning the practice in 2022, with the prohibition taking effect on January 1 2025. Under the new law, sperm and egg donors must agree to have their identity released to children conceived from their donations when the child turns eighteen. The bill already made other changes, including increasing the minimum age of donors to 21 and limiting donors to contributing to no more than 25 families.

Supporters said the legislation is intended to give donor-conceived people access to critical information about their medical and genetic backgrounds — as well as to address fraud in the industry, such as when multiple Colorado fertility doctors were revealed to have used their own sperm to impregnate numerous unknowing patients under the guise of using anonymous donors.

 

9. Concealed Carry Requirements Are Getting Stricter (HB24-1174)

To obtain a concealed carry firearm permit in Colorado currently, applicants need to have completed a training class that demonstrates their competency with a handgun within the last 10 years. However, in the state’s eyes, not all of those classes equipped gun owners adequately.

Starting on 1 July 2025, applicants must complete a training course taught by a certified instructor that satisfies the state’s minimum standard. The new standards mandate the course cover a variety of specific topics, including federal and state laws about the purchase, state law regarding the use of deadly force in self-defense, and conflict resolution. Students must pass both a written exam and a live-fire exercise.

 

10. Delivery Pay Transparency

A new law passed in May 2024 will require delivery companies, such as DoorDash and UberEats, to disclose to drivers and customers how much of the payment goes to the drivers versus the company. Starting on January 1 2025, the law also mandates that companies reveal to drivers the distance of a delivery task before they accept the order and requires that all tips from customers be paid to the drivers. Delivery drivers have been advocating for these changes for years.

 

 

A judge granted an emergency order requested by the City of Aurora to close the Edge of Lowry apartments, the complex thrust into the national spotlight amid Venezuelan gang activity concerns.

The apartment complex will close months after it was scrutinized by President-elect Donald Trump and received national attention over claims of it being “taken over” by a Venezuelan gang, city officials announced.

Just recently, the city filed a petition for injunctive relief and emergency closure of the Aurora apartment complex, due to ongoing crime and safety concerns. A judge granted that emergency order, saying that the “properties present an imminent threat to public safety and welfare if allowed to remain open.”

Aurora officials plan to close the apartment complex by mid-February, City Attorney Pete Schulte said after a court hearing for the criminal negligence case against property owners Five Dallas Partners. City leaders do not know how many people are living in the complex and said dealings with similar properties indicate there could be a range of two to 12 people per unit.

Attorneys for the owners have previously claimed they could not keep a management team at the complex because of criminal activity and, in court filings, alleged the problems were caused “by willful, reckless or negligent acts taken by the city and its agencies.”

The case is set to return to court for a scheduling hearing in March.

 

Event Date: December 14th, 2024 Event Venue: Celebrity Confetti Events Place Event Objective: To promote unity and solidarity among members of Umoja of Africa

On December 14th, 2024, the Celebrity Confetti Events Place, Denver was abuzz with energy and excitement as the Umoja of Africa organization hosted its highly anticipated year-end celebration. The event brought together all its members in a grand display of unity, solidarity, and support, perfectly encapsulating the organization’s core mission of promoting African unity and fostering a strong, interconnected network of members who can rely on one another in times of both joy and sorrow.

 

Purpose and Vision

The primary goal of the event was to encourage deeper connections among members while reinforcing the organization’s vision of African unity. Umoja of Africa seeks to provide emotional and practical support to its members, whether in moments of grief or during joyous celebrations. The organization’s commitments include:

Assisting members during the loss of a loved one by offering solidarity and contributions.

Supporting joyous occasions like weddings, ensuring members receive collective backing to make their celebrations successful.

This event provided an opportunity for members to not only strengthen their relationships but also celebrate the shared values that define Umoja of Africa.

 

Opening Ceremony

The event commenced with an opening prayer led by Pastor Enock, a respected leader within the organization. This spiritual start set a tone of gratitude and reflection for the day. Following the prayer, the Ex-President, Omary, delivered an inspiring speech. He recounted the history of the organization, highlighting its humble beginnings and the collective effort that brought it to where it stands today. During his address, Omary shared news of a leadership transition within the group. The former Secretary, who had served diligently, stepped down, and the new Secretary, Pascal Matabishi, was officially introduced. Omary’s heartfelt words underscored the importance of strong leadership in driving the organization’s mission forward.

 

Recognition of Members

Janta Manta, the current President of Umoja of Africa, took the stage to read the member list and present Certificates of Appreciation. These certificates were awarded to members who had significantly contributed to the organization, either through physical participation or financial support. This gesture acknowledged the invaluable role each member plays in fostering unity and mutual assistance within the group. The recognition segment reinforced the collective spirit of the organization, emphasizing that every contribution, whether in challenging times or celebratory moments, helps strengthen the community.

 

Celebration and Entertainment

After the formalities, members gathered to share a meal, a symbolic act of unity and togetherness. The event’s atmosphere was further enlivened with music and dance performances. Members enjoyed watching vibrant dances that reflected the cultural diversity of the organization, creating an environment of joy and celebration.

 

Business Showcase

A key highlight of the event was the advertising segment, moderated by Imani Joe and later facilitated by Rodrigue Makengo. This platform provided business owners within the organization an opportunity to showcase their ventures. It was a testament to Umoja of Africa’s commitment to supporting its members not just socially, but economically as well.

 

Closing and Final Moments

The event concluded with a closing prayer led by the newly appointed Secretary, Pascal Matabishi. This prayer encapsulated the day’s spirit of gratitude, hope, and commitment to the organization’s mission. The members then gathered for a group photograph, capturing the unity and solidarity that Umoja of Africa represents.

The December 14th event was a resounding success, showcasing the strength and camaraderie of the UMOJA OF AFRICA community. From the heartfelt recognitions to the lively celebrations and the shared meals, every aspect of the event underscored the importance of unity, support, and shared purpose. It is through such gatherings that the organization continues to solidify its role as a beacon of African unity and mutual support.

 

Denver, CO — Denver Auditor Timothy M. O’Brien, CPA, has revisited the Denver Police Department’s (DPD) recruitment and retention practices, following up on an initial audit conducted in 2023. The recent evaluation reveals a mixture of progress and shortfalls, with the department fully implementing some recommendations while others remain unaddressed.

 

Original Audit Findings

The initial audit aimed to assess the DPD’s effectiveness in using data to evaluate its resources and ensure efficient operations. It identified critical gaps in strategic policies, recruitment practices, and retention strategies. The original audit included 16 recommendations, all of which the Denver Police Department agreed to implement.

 

Key Findings from the Original Audit

 

1. Lack of Comprehensive Strategic Policies and Guidance which presented as the absence of a formal strategic plan, no community policing plan, incomplete recruiting program and outdated staffing model.

 

1. Inadequate Strategies to Address Low Retention which meant a lack of diversity among officers and an increased stress and low morale due to staffing shortages.

 

1. Need for Improved Physical and Mental Health Services due to insufficient access to in-house physical therapy and mental health services.

 

1. Inconsistent application of time codes for officers working over 64 hours a week.

 

Follow-Up Audit: Progress and Shortfalls

In the follow-up audit, Auditor O’Brien found that the DPD had made notable strides but still fell short in several areas. Of the 16 recommendations, five were fully implemented, four were partially implemented, and seven were not implemented.

 

Fully Implemented Recommendations

Diversity Goals:

The DPD developed a standalone “Racial Equity Action Plan.” A committee meets bi-weekly to strategize on achieving diversity goals. In 2024, 16.11% of applicants identified as Black or African American, exceeding Denver’s 2023 population of 8.9%. According to Auditor O’Brien, “Progress has been made to keep officers in Denver. It’s good to see the department move toward better diversity practices, but there’s more work to be done.”

Community Policing Survey:

The DPD conducted a survey in late 2023 with 6,341 responses, leading to the creation of a program where local businesses can request officer visits to discuss crime prevention and safety.  On this, Auditor O’Brien noted, “Receiving public comments and then responding with a new program where officers meet face-to-face with the people they serve is significant for building trust.”

 

Partially Implemented Recommendations

Recruitment Program:

The DPD developed three broad recruiting goals but lacked specific measurements and timelines for achieving them. Department leaders intend to rewrite the recruitment program plan to include these details.

Exit Surveys and Retention:

While the response rate to the citywide exit survey increased from 6.25% to 61%, the department has no policies for reviewing and analyzing these surveys to identify trends that could improve retention.

Community Policing Engagement Plan:

The DPD created a “Community Policing Engagement Plan,” but it did not meet most of the elements from the original audit recommendation for a comprehensive strategic plan, nor was it effectively communicated to all relevant stakeholders.

 

Not Implemented Recommendations

As at the time of follow-up audit, the department has not yet developed and implemented the recommendation to identify the primary causes of low retention.

According to Auditor O’Brien, “By not following best practices for retention, Denver limits itself in keeping quality officers. An understaffed department impacts officer morale, 911 call response times, and community perception.” Without overall strategic guidance and better recruitment and retention efforts, the Denver Police Department will remain understaffed, putting both officers’ safety and community members’ safety at risk. Additionally, without a comprehensive strategy for community policing, the department’s efforts will remain siloed, making it harder for officers to rebuild trust and relationships with the people they serve.

Building strong relationships with neighborhood businesses and community organizations is crucial for healing relationships between Denver Police officers and the community. Implementing the auditor’s recommendations fully would enhance the department’s operations, support its officers better, and ultimately provide more effective service to Denver’s residents.

 

Denver, CO — In a rare show of unity, the mayors of Colorado’s three largest cities—Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, and Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman—have jointly penned a letter to Governor Jared Polis and members of the Colorado General Assembly. The letter outlines several key priorities as the 2025 legislative session gets underway and represents the collective voice of the cities of Aurora, Denver, and Colorado Springs.

 

Addressing Juvenile Justice

One of the primary concerns highlighted in the letter is the issue of juvenile justice. The mayors expressed alarm over the increasing frequency and severity of crimes committed by juvenile offenders. They pointed out that the lack of funding and a cap on the number of juvenile detention beds have exacerbated the problem. The reduction in bed space has led to violent youth offenders being re-released based on the severity of their offenses, often related to gun violence, aggravated assault, gang violence, and other violent crimes.

The mayors support Governor Polis’s budget proposal to increase funding for juvenile detention bed space. They believe that by expanding bed spaces, youth offenders can be removed from harmful situations and connected to social services and programs that can help decrease the rate of re-offending.

 

Tackling Construction Defect Litigation

The letter also addresses the statewide issue of housing attainability, particularly in large cities. The mayors criticized politically motivated construction defect legislation, which they argue has hindered the building industry’s ability to construct condominiums—a prime entry point for homeownership. They called for reasonable legislation that would provide builders with the right to cure, thereby protecting both buyers and sellers and returning this vital housing option to residents.

 

Ensuring Safe Cities

Governor Polis’s dedication to positioning Colorado as one of the ten safest states was commended by the mayors. They acknowledged the progress made over the past two years in reducing property and violent crime rates. However, they emphasized the need for continued collaboration between state and local governments to sustain and build upon this progress. The mayors stressed that cities must retain the flexibility to implement solutions responsive to community concerns and assign appropriate sentences when crimes are committed.

 

A Unified Call for Action

The letter, presented on behalf of the more than 1.5 million residents of Aurora, Denver, and Colorado Springs, underscores the importance of addressing these key priorities to protect and improve the quality of life for Coloradans. The mayors’ unified call for action highlights the need for cooperation and collaboration between state and local governments to tackle the pressing issues of public safety, housing, and economic vitality.

As the 2025 legislative session begins, the mayors’ letter serves as a powerful reminder of the collective responsibility to ensure the well-being and prosperity of all Coloradans.

Denver, CO — In a recent audit conducted by Denver Auditor Timothy M. O’Brien, CPA, the Department of Public Safety, which encompasses Denver 911, Denver Fire, and the emergency medical services from Denver Health, has come under scrutiny for failing to meet key response time goals and lacking comprehensive policies and procedures.

 

Denver Auditor’s Findings and Recommendations

Response Time Goals Not Met

The audit revealed that between May 2023 and March 2024, Denver 911, Denver Fire, and Denver Health consistently failed to meet the response time goals. Specifically, the agencies did not achieve the target call answering time of 15 seconds 90% of the time, alarm-processing time of one minute and 30 seconds 90% of the time, and assign-to-arrive time of five minutes for Denver Fire and nine minutes for Denver Health. The Auditor recommends that the agencies assess staffing levels and response time goals to improve the quality of emergency medical services.

 

Inadequate Understanding of Total Response Time

The city lacks a comprehensive understanding of the total time it takes to respond to a medical emergency. The current response time goals do not reflect the actual experience of callers and patients and do not align with national standards. The Auditor recommends measuring and tracking the complete total response time from the moment a call is placed to when help arrives at the patient’s side.

 

Ineffective Emergency Medical Response System Advisory Committee

The Emergency Medical Response System Advisory Committee was found to be ineffective due to a lack of structured meeting practices. The absence of formalized policies and procedures hinders necessary collaboration and communication. The Auditor recommends developing and implementing formal policies and procedures for conducting committee meetings.

 

Incomplete Policies and Procedures for Response Time Reporting

Policies and procedures for analyzing and reporting emergency medical response time data are incomplete. This lack of detail makes it difficult for someone unfamiliar with the processes to replicate them. The Auditor recommends developing and implementing comprehensive policies and procedures for data analysis and reporting.

Department of Public Safety’s Responses

The Department of Public Safety agreed with several of the Auditor’s recommendations, including regularly assessing Denver 911 staffing levels and using the results to request more staff (Implementation Date: June 1, 2024). It also agreed to ensure emergency medical response time goals are realistic by conducting an assessment of relevant factors (Implementation Date: June 30, 2026). The department would also begin to develop and implement written policies and procedures for conducting committee meetings (Implementation Date: Dec. 31, 2025).

However, the department disagreed with the recommendation to measure and track the complete total response time from the time a call is placed to when help arrives at a patient’s side. It also disagreed with the recommendation to leverage total response time data for increased alignment with emergency medical response time standards.

 

Why This Audit Matters

The audit’s findings highlight critical areas in Denver’s emergency medical response system that require immediate attention. The failure to meet response time goals and the lack of comprehensive policies not only affect the efficiency of emergency services but also pose potential risks to patient safety. Implementing the Auditor’s recommendations could lead to significant improvements in service delivery and ensure that Denver residents receive timely and effective emergency medical care.

As the city moves forward, it will be crucial for the Department of Public Safety to address these issues and work towards a more efficient and reliable emergency response system.

For Afrik Digest, this is your Denver City Reporter, shedding light on the vital issues affecting our community’s safety and wellbeing.

 

Just a couple of weeks ago, the people of Colorado elected state senators to represent them in the Capitol for the next four years. But in two districts, the winning candidates have already handed in their resignations.

Democratic senators Chris Hansen and Janet Buckner both submitted letters of resignation weeks after they were re-elected to their seats in November. A third senator, Republican Kevin Van Winkle, announced his resignation shortly after he was elected a county commissioner, two years into his first four-year Senate term. Replacements for all three senators will be chosen via vacancy committees — groups led by the outgoing senators’ political parties, consisting of local precinct organizers, party officers and other registered members. The committees, which typically comprise a few dozen people, are a far cry from the tens of thousands of Coloradans who just voted Hansen and Buckner back into office.

Already, a lot of citizens are calling for a change to the state’s vacancy system.

The call for change is being led by the chairman of the Colorado Democratic Party Shad Murib who issued a statement calling for reform of the vacancy process after two Democratic state senators issued their resignations.

The Colorado Democratic Party has said the District 31 vacancy committee will convene in early January. The District 29 vacancy committee will announce its meeting date “as soon as possible,” according to the party.

According to Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Shad Murib, the vacancy process should be done away with as quickly as possible and was also quoted as saying the growing number of politicians serving in office under such a process “should concern every Coloradan.”

“Regardless of the high standards we place on ourselves to run as great a vacancy committee process as law allows, the fact remains that vacancy committees are small and don’t provide for the same type of public input and scrutiny as a traditional election,” Murib said.

Murib concluded his statement by saying the Colorado Democratic Party “is committed to running a neutral process for these vacancy committees, and will strive to ensure that every candidate is treated fairly and has to vigorously compete to serve.”

The Colorado Democratic Party isn’t alone. The state Republican Party is also discussing reform options, and the Libertarian Party is speaking harshly against the current system, saying the vacancy committee process “undermines the very essence of democratic representation” in a social media post responding to the resignations.

Critics say the vacancy system allows state legislators to strategically step down after elections instead of beforehand to ensure their party maintains control of their district or to have a stronger say in who replaces them — but Buckner, Hansen and Van Winkle claim that’s not the case for them.

 Why They Resigned

State Sen. Janet Buckner who is in her late 70s and is chair of the Senate Education Committee submitted a letter of resignation to legislative leadership and said in a written statement that she will resign Jan. 9, one day after Colorado’s 2025 lawmaking term begins,  “to prioritize my family and health.

“Serving the people of Aurora in the Colorado General Assembly in both the House and Senate for the past nine years has been an honor of a lifetime,” she wrote in her formal resignation letter. “I am proud of the work we’ve accomplished to better the lives of all Coloradans and I look forward to contributing to my community in new capacities.”

“The past year has been very challenging,” Buckner says. “People sometimes forget that lawmakers are human, too, facing life’s unpredictabilities just like anyone else.”

Buckner’s niece and her godson recently passed away, she says. On top of mourning those deaths, Buckner experienced a health scare in the fall that turned out to be a false alarm. Upon leaving office in January, Buckner says, she wants to spend time with her family and mentor members of her community on how to run for public office.

Buckner represents Senate District 29 in Arapahoe County. She ran unopposed in the general and primary elections this year. Her district is solidly blue, leaning 29.4 percent in favor of Democrats, according to the state redistricting commission, so it wasn’t a seat the party was in danger of losing this election.

Buckner herself first entered the legislature via a vacancy committee, taking over her husband, John Buckner’s, House seat after he passed away in 2015. She says she trusts the vacancy process to find the right replacement for her, adding that she hasn’t endorsed anyone to fill the vacancy and doesn’t plan to.

State Sen. Chris Hansen has also tendered his resignation as he becomes CEO of the La Plata Energy Association. He won reelection in Senate District 31 by about 60,000 votes, easily beating his Libertarian challenger. Hansen was also previously appointed via a vacancy committee, replacing Senator Lois Court in 2020 after she resigned due to illness. He’s now leaving after being hired as CEO of La Plata Electric Association Inc.

Hansen will head the La Plata Electric Association, a nonprofit electrical cooperative that serves Durango, Pagosa Springs and other communities in southwest Colorado. He said he started going through the hiring process this fall.

“Ballots are finalized on September 5th,  and so all of this for me happened after ballots were finalized,” said Hansen. “It felt like the right thing to do was to finish off the election, and then as soon as I made my decision about the job, make sure that folks knew about that and that we could set up a very orderly transition.”

Hansen was reelected to a second four-year term with 84 percent of the vote. His Denver district includes Capitol Hill, Wash Park and neighborhoods to the east. He’s served a total of eight years in the legislature, first in the House.

Colorado is one of only five states that use party-led vacancy committees to fill open legislative seats when a lawmaker resigns, is removed or dies before a term is finished. Most states use special elections to choose a replacement for legislators who leave office early; others allow the governor or Board of County Commissioners to appoint a replacement.

During the 2024 legislative session, nearly three in ten Colorado legislators had at one point been placed in the Statehouse via a vacancy committee. Next session, that number will be at least nineteen out of 100, with more possible depending on whether House representatives are chosen to fill the Senate openings, according to Colorado Politics.

Advocates of Colorado’s vacancy committee system champion it for being faster and cheaper than special elections, which can take months to accomplish and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The faster the vacancy process, the quicker the district’s citizens get representation in the State Capitol, they say. And while small, the vacancy committees put the decision in more hands than when the governor or county commissioners decide on their own.

Critics complain that the vacancy committees give only a few dozen party insiders the power to select a representative for up to 169,000 Coloradans. They view it as an easy way for more ideologically extreme candidates to get into office, since the appointees with their built-in incumbency advantage almost always win the following election. It also completely excludes unaffiliated voters, who make up more than 48 percent of Colorado’s active voters, from the process.

Debate over the vacancy system has been going on for years, and lawmakers had the chance to weigh in last session. Democratic Representative Bob Marshall introduced a bill that sought to prohibit vacancy-appointed legislators from running for the same office in the next immediate election, essentially making them interim legislators.

The bill passed one committee vote 7-4, but it died on the calendar without a full House vote. Marshall says he plans to bring the bill back next session.

During the committee debate early this year, opponents of Marshall’s proposal argued that it would dis-incentivize candidates from running for vacancies and make the openings feasible only for the wealthy or retired who can take on a position short-term without any hope of achieving future employment.

Other critics suggested that the legislature should focus on addressing reasons why legislators are resigning in the first place, such as low pay and a so-called toxic working environment.

“Let’s not ignore why there’s such a large number of vacancies,” Hansen says. “We should take a hard look at why it is largely unsustainable for people to serve in the General Assembly, especially if they have families. I think that’s part of the reform conversation we also need to take into account.”

Marshall’s proposed bill would send a ballot measure to voters, asking their permission to change the vacancy system via a constitutional amendment. It will need approval from two-thirds of state legislators to pass, meaning both Democrats and Republicans would need to get on board, since neither party will hold a supermajority in either the House or the Senate next session.

But if any issue can bring the two parties together, it might be this one.

A judge is freeing from prison a Colorado paramedic convicted in the death of Elijah McClain, a Black man whose name became part of the rallying cries for social justice that swept the U.S. in 2020.

A Colorado paramedic convicted in the death of Elijah McClain, a Black man whose name became part of the rallying cries for social justice that swept the U.S. in 2020, is being released from prison after a judge reduced his sentence to four years of probation Friday.

Judge Mark Warner said during his ruling that Peter Cichuniec had to make quick decision the night of the arrest as the highest-ranking paramedic at the scene, the Denver Post reported. He also noted a background of no previous criminal history and good character for Cichuniec, who had an 18-year-career as a firefighter and paramedic before he was convicted.

Warner held that the case had “unusual and extenuating circumstances,” in reference to a part of Colorado’s mandatory sentencing law, which allows a court to modify a sentence after a defendant has served least 119 days in prison if the judge finds such circumstances.

McClain was walking down the street in a Denver suburb in 2019 when police responding to a suspicious person report forcibly restrained him and put him in a neck hold. His final words — “I can’t breathe” — foreshadowed those of George Floyd a year later in Minneapolis.

Cichuniec and a fellow paramedic were convicted in December of criminally negligent homicide for injecting McClain with ketamine, a powerful sedative blamed for killing the 23-year-old massage therapist. Cichuniec also was convicted on a more serious charge of second-degree assault for giving a drug without consent or a legitimate medical purpose. The other paramedic avoided prison time, sentenced instead to 14 months in jail with work release and probation.

McClain’s death and others have raised questions about the use of ketamine to subdue struggling suspects, and the prosecution sent shock waves through the ranks of paramedics across the U.S.

The case has already achieved a “deterrence effect” to discourage similar crimes, Warner said in the hearing in Denver.

The ruling by Warner, the same judge who handed down the prison sentence in March, will release Cichuniec from a prison on the northeastern Colorado plains, though exactly when was not immediately clear.

Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser said in a statement that he was disappointed in the reduced sentence but respected the court’s decision.

Candice Bailey, a police reform advocate in the Denver suburb of Aurora who helped raise awareness about McClain’s death and pushed for charges to be brought, called Cichuniec’s sentence reduction “disturbing.”

 

“When you’re talking about a life being taken and that this individual was found guilty of that, and then we see something like a sentence being vacated and a person being put on probation — put on probation — it is absolutely mind boggling to me,” she said.

 

The president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, which had warned that Cichuniec’s conviction would set a chilling precedent for paramedics and firefighters, said it was relieved by the ruling.

“Pete Cichuniec did not belong behind bars,” Edward Kelly said in a statement. “We will always prioritize and advocate for the public’s safety and our members’ ability to do their jobs without fear of ill-conceived criminal prosecutions.”

McClain’s mother, Sheneen McClain, declined via email to comment Friday. In March she celebrated the original sentence handed down by the judge as she left the courtroom that day, raising her fist in the air.

For the fifth year, the Colfax Canvas Mural Fest looks to bring art and beauty to the Aurora Cultural Arts District on East Colfax Avenue with a collection of vivid murals on local businesses.

The festival began with five, large-scale murals being spray painted on businesses throughout the East Colfax sector, with 11 artists — 10 local and one from Atlanta — leading the way.

The two-week effort then culminates in the festival on Saturday, bringing together the community for a free block party at Fletcher Plaza from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The festival will include guided walking tours, a car show, a food court containing local chefs and breweries and other family activities.

Both the murals and festival are based around one sole focus: bringing together an often overseen community through art and kinship.

“It was created as a way to really bring the community together and to make sure we were showcasing this incredibly vibrant neighborhood,” Aaron Vega, executive producer for Colfax Canvas Mural Festival, said of the fest’s genesis in 2020.

Vega — who also works as the facilities coordinator for The People’s Building art and culture center in the Aurora Cultural Arts District — has been working and living in the neighborhood for nearly seven years.

He noted that he often heard the neighborhood was blighted, which, to him, was entirely untrue.

The neighborhood is rich with mom-and-pop businesses, often owned by immigrants or refugees, representing the over 160 languages spoken in Aurora public schools presently.

And the murals, now reaching over 30 in the area since the festival’s inception, showcase that diverse community, representing the cultures and stories untold in the region.

Each year’s artists are selected by a DEIA committee made up of local business owners, residents, sponsors and artists, often weighing Aurora locals heavily in their decision. There were over 130 applications for this year.

All artists are compensated equally, regardless of mural experience.

Once chosen, the artists are paired up with other artists and the building owners for planning.

“We’re making sure that the artists are working together on their designs, along with the building owners,” Vega said. “They end up coming up with a design that really melds the business, the neighborhood, the artist’s vision together. That’s a gorgeous thing because it represents the neighborhood. That’s what this neighborhood is like.”

The Vintage Theater, for example, will be receiving its first Colfax Canvas mural this year — despite being heavily involved in the festival since its start.

In a collaborative twist, the theater, which provides art to the community through plays and other performances, is now part of another artistic endeavor.

Five more murals will be completed before the festival begins at the following businesses:

•     Mango House
•     Scorpion Tax
•     DIA Market
•     Vintage Theater
•     Second Dawn Brewing