Woman who filed 64 disability lawsuits leaves Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council
DENVER — A gubernatorial appointee who filed dozens of federal disability lawsuits against Colorado businesses has resigned from the state board she chaired and dropped many of the cases.
Mellisa Umphenour told he Denver Post she left the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council on March 20 because she didn’t have the time to handle various commitments. Her resignation email to council Director Marcia Tewell cited “personal family concerns.”
Umphenour noted that her resignation was not related to her decision to file 64 lawsuits over a two-month period against businesses she claimed did not comply with laws to accommodate people who are disabled.
Federal records show Umphenour has since dismissed nearly all of the cases. Eight were settled for undisclosed terms and three are ongoing.
Colorado lawmakers push reforms for handling defendants deemed incompetent
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 13 hours ago
Colorado lawmakers from both parties are backing a bill that would reshape how the state handles defendants found incompetent to stand trial and unlikely to regain competency, aiming to fill long-standing gaps in treatment and placement. Sponsors of Senate Bill...
Colorado title board rejects government transparency measure, backers plan appeal
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 13 hours ago
A broad coalition’s push for stronger government transparency hit a major setback last week when Colorado’s title board rejected a proposed ballot measure that would allow more public access to most legislative deliberations. The three‑member title board on April 15...
Colorado body reviews redistricting proposals as battle heats up nationwide
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 12 hours ago
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Colorado title board rejects government transparency measure, backers plan appeal
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 14 hours ago
A broad coalition’s push for stronger government transparency hit a major setback last week when Colorado’s title board rejected a proposed ballot measure that would allow more public access to most legislative deliberations. The three‑member title board on April 15...
What we know about nearly a dozen scientists who went missing, died, or were murdered
Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner
emily.hallas.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 12 hours ago
The Trump administration is probing concerns surrounding nearly a dozen scientists said to be connected to highly secretive space research whose deaths and disappearances are under increasing scrutiny. President Donald Trump called the situation “pretty serious stuff” last Thursday, revealing...
Businesses can claim refunds starting Monday for Trump tariffs declared unconstitutional
Mae Anderson
mae.anderson@associatedpress.com
Updated 21 hours ago
NEW YORK (AP) — A refund system for businesses that paid tariffs which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled President Donald Trump imposed without the constitutional authority to do so is scheduled to launch Monday. Importers and their brokers will be...
U.S. Supreme Court will hear challenge from Colorado Catholic preschools on state funding exclusion
Lindsay Whitehurst
lindsay.whitehurst@associatedpress.com
Updated 15 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will hear from Catholic preschools that say Colorado violated their religious rights by excluding them from a state-funded “universal” pre-kindergarten program over their admission policies. The court agreed on Monday to take up the...
Trump rejects energy secretary’s claim about gas prices staying high: ‘Totally wrong’
Molly Parks, Washington Examiner
molly.parks.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 17 hours ago
President Donald Trump rejected Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s statement that gas prices may not fall below $3 before 2027, remaining confident that prices will drop once hostilities cease between the United States and Iran. Trump told the Hill that gas...
Colorado company ready to build the lunar base, provide ‘lunar mobility’
alex-edwards
alex.edwards@gazette.com
Updated 17 hours ago
Original concepts for a moon base ranged from believable to outlandish. Following the success of Artemis II, which launched four astronauts around the moon over the course of 10 days, NASA is looking ahead as it attempts to take another...
DougCo commissioners challenging open meetings violation
Nicholas Fogleman
nicholas.fogleman@denvergazette.com
Updated 16 hours ago
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners is challenging a recent court decision that found the board violated Colorado Open Meetings Law. County commissioners filed a petition Thursday seeking a rehearing from the Colorado Court of Appeals. On April 2, the...
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