Denver Post: Uber’s criminal background checks aren’t cutting it
Oh, Uber. What have you done?
Turns out the free-spirited disruptive business model fueling Uber’s success in Colorado and elsewhere comes with a major flaw. Last month state regulators slapped a nearly $9 million fine on the ride-share company after finding that its system for checking drivers for criminal backgrounds leaves a lot to be desired.
Officials with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission found that 63 Uber drivers had issues with their driver’s licenses, and 57 of them had violations that represent a threat to public safety. The PUC asked Uber and ride-share competitor Lyft in August to submit records of all drivers accused, arrested or convicted of crimes that would disqualify them from ride-sharing service, according to The Denver Post’s Tamara Chuang.
Regulators did so after Vail police let them know that an Uber driver in March yanked a passenger from the car and kicked him in the face. There have been other instances of trouble. In July an Uber driver in Denver pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace after rolling his car on the leg of parking attendant at Denver International Airport.
Read more at denverpost.com
Denver to mull $6.9M East Colfax BRT extension, police union deal
Deborah Grigsby
deborah.smith@denvergazette.com
Updated 23 hours ago
Denver’s councilmembers will consider several items during Monday’s regular meeting, but the most notable is a resolution to overhaul contract review rules, requiring draft agreements to be shared with the Council before being heard at committee meetings. Council Resolution 26-0329...
Colorado justices confirm lawyers may ‘borrow’ allegations from elsewhere
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 12 hours ago
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday that plaintiffs’ lawyers can use allegations made elsewhere to bolster their own clients’ claims, so long as the attorney first performs some degree of investigation into the “borrowed” assertions. Under Colorado’s rules for...
Colorado legislators propose $46.8 billion budget, driven by Medicaid costs
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 14 hours ago
The six-member panel of legislators in charge of crafting the state budget has now turned over its plan to the Colorado legislature, proposing to spend $1.5 billion more for the Medicaid program. The increase is driven by Medicaid costs, which...
Governor signs bill expanding who can petition for weapons restrictions
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 15 hours ago
Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed a bill into law expanding who can ask a judge to temporarily restrict a person’s access to firearms. Established in 2019, 0Colorado’s extreme risk protection law (ERPO) initially allowed a family member or law...
Colorado justices restore RTD subcontractor’s award, reject ‘drastic’ view of public works law
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 17 hours ago
The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday restored a $5.7 million award to a company that helped build a commuter rail line and, in doing so, rejected a view of state law that would nullify a subcontractor’s entitlement to any compensation...
As Colorado passes 6 million residents, housing initiatives take center stage
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 16 hours ago
New Census data confirming Colorado’s population has topped six million is fueling renewed debate over Gov. Jared Polis’ housing agenda, as he tied the population increases to home construction. The governor said the counties experiencing the largest increases in new...
Congress urged to open antitrust investigation into Apple and OpenAI over ‘left-leaning bias’
Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner
kaelan.deese.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 18 hours ago
A conservative legal group founded by senior White House adviser Stephen Miller is urging Congress to investigate a partnership between Apple and OpenAI, arguing the companies have effectively locked millions of people into a single, politically biased artificial intelligence system....
Trump threatens jail time over downed US fighter jet ‘leak’
Christian Datoc and Mabinty Quarshie, Washington Examiner
christian.datoc.and.mabinty.quarshie.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 18 hours ago
President Donald Trump threatened jail time Monday for the journalist who first reported that an airman was still missing after a fighter jet went down in Iran last week. The high-risk and eventually successful attempt to rescue the weapons officer...
Bill to accelerate police access to online data clears Colorado committee
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 14 hours ago
A proposal to speed up law enforcement’s access to social media data is advancing in the Colorado Legislature, drawing testimony from the residents of Evergreen, where a school shooting took place, and questions from opponents worried about privacy and constitutional...
El Paso County defendant’s speedy trial rights violated, Colorado justices find in overturning convictions
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 12 hours ago
The Colorado Supreme Court concluded on Monday that an El Paso County prosecutor made an unjustified decision to file a mid-case appeal, pushing the trial beyond the legal deadline and requiring that the defendant’s convictions be overturned. In Colorado, the...