Congress OKs safety upgrades after Colorado helicopter crash
FRISCO – Congress has passed a measure requiring safer fuel systems in new helicopters, a response to a crash in Colorado.
The Summit Daily News reports the Senate gave final approval to the provision Wednesday. President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law.
Colorado Democratic congressmen Ed Perlmutter and Jared Polis added the safety requirement to a bill authorizing federal aviation programs. The provision also requires the government to encourage helicopter owners to make safety upgrades on existing aircraft.
A medical helicopter crashed and erupted into flames shortly after takeoff in Frisco in 2015, killing pilot Patrick Mahany and badly injuring flight nurse David Repsher.
Mahany’s wife, Karen Mahany, lobbied for changes in helicopter safety rules.
The aircraft manufacturer and the flight operator agreed to a $100 million settlement with Repsher.
Appeals court reverses conviction after judge blocked questioning about witness’s criminal charges
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 minute ago
An Arapahoe County judge violated a defendant’s constitutional right to confront the witnesses against him by blocking the defense from asking a witness about her own pending criminal charges in the same jurisdiction, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled last week. Prosecutors...
Boebert challenger Eileen Laubacher, Republican Gabe Evans lead Colorado’s quarterly House fundraising
Ernest Luning
ernest.luning@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 9 minutes ago
The Democrat challenging U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s most solidly Republican congressional district again posted the state’s biggest fundraising numbers for the most recent quarter, while Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, who is defending the state’s lone toss-up seat,...
Federal shift on medical cannabis draws praise and concern in Colorado
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 29 minutes ago
Colorado’s response to the federal reclassification of medical cannabis ranged from industry leaders celebrating long‑awaited progress to youth‑advocacy groups warning that the change heightens the need for stronger protections for kids. The U.S. Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration...
10th Circuit orders second look at challenge to Colorado ‘ghost gun’ law
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 hours ago
The Denver-based federal appeals court issued a mixed decision on Thursday, finding that a group of plaintiffs could not challenge certain aspects of Colorado’s “ghost gun” prohibition, could challenge others, and ordered further analysis of the law’s constitutionality. To address the...
Divided appeals court reverses assault conviction over insufficient guidance about paramedics’ authority
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 4 hours ago
Colorado’s second-highest court reversed a defendant’s conviction last week for assaulting a paramedic, concluding that a Denver judge needed to give jurors additional information about the duties that paramedics are legally authorized to carry out. Two paramedics were attempting to...
Bill prohibiting Colorado legislators from holding multiple elected offices heads to governor’s desk
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 hours ago
A bill that would prohibit members of the General Assembly from holding multiple offices narrowly passed through the House on Wednesday, clearing its path to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 059, sponsored by Democratic Sens. Matt Ball, D-Denver, and Lisa...
Colorado data‑privacy bill fails after sponsors shift it to a ballot measure
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 5 hours ago
A Colorado bill aimed at restricting law enforcement and private companies from purchasing personal data without a warrant failed to advance Wednesday after a 6–5 vote in the House Judiciary Committee. The proposal, originally titled the “Fourth Amendment Is Not...
Lawmakers introduce bipartisan ‘Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act’ to put the poultry on food stamps
Molly Parks, Washington Examiner
molly.parks.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 3 hours ago
In today’s hyper-partisan Congress, there is at least one thing that can quickly bring Democrats and Republicans to the same table: rotisserie chicken. A bipartisan group of senators introduced the “Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act” this week, a bill that would...
Todd Blanche orders federal reclassification of medical marijuana as less dangerous
Molly Parks, Washington Examiner
molly.parks.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 3 hours ago
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order on Thursday officially reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana from a Schedule I to a less-regulated Schedule III drug, following President Donald Trump’s order to do so in December. The rescheduling move will relax...
Colorado congressional elections see over $9M in ad reserves from House Democrats’ super PAC
Ernest Luning
ernest.luning@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 8 hours ago
The leading House Democratic super PAC is booking more than $9 million in fall TV and digital advertising across three Colorado media markets as part of an aggressive move to win control of the chamber in this year’s midterm elections....
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