Botched firing of Colorado Senate secretary has been resolved
The snafu over the Colorado secretary of the Senate seems to be over.
As 9News reported last week, two people appeared to be doing the same job at the Colorado state Capitol as a result of a botched firing by Senate Democrats.
Incoming Senate President Leroy Garcia, D-Pueblo, decided to get rid of Secretary of the Senate Effie Ameen last month and replace her with Cindi Markwell.
While it appeared Ameen was fired and Markwell was hired, the attorneys for the legislature determined Democrats alone don’t have the power to fire the secretary of the Senate or name a new one. That position is elected by members of the full Senate, which doesn’t convene again until Jan. 4.
But Friday, current Senate President Kevin Grantham, R-Canon City announced that Ameen has resigned and “we welcome Cindi Markwell as the incoming and returning Secretary of the Senate.”
> CLICK HERE for the full story from 9News.
Overdose deaths from opioids dip in America — but not in Colorado, study says
Jacob Mauk
jacob.mauk@denvergazette.com
Updated 41 minutes ago
Overdose deaths from opioids rose in Colorado, diverging from the national trend, which has been decreasing, according to a new study from a think tank. In its new report, the Common Sense Institute said synthetic opioid overdose deaths in Colorado...
Colorado justices, 4-3, order new murder trial due to wrongfully excluded evidence
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 hours ago
The Colorado Supreme Court agreed on Monday that a trial judge incorrectly faulted a defendant for refusing to cooperate in a mental health examination, even though the state’s hospital was the entity that botched its responsibility to evaluate her during...
Colorado voters will decide whether transgender students can join girls’ sports
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 hours ago
A ballot initiative that would require student athletes to only join sports teams that correspond to their biological sex has qualified for the November ballot, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. The measure includes a declaration that “males...
Error-prone Douglas County judge triggers another reversal of criminal convictions
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 hours ago
Colorado’s second-highest court overturned a defendant’s Douglas County convictions on Thursday due to the error of a judge whose actions have triggered a disproportionate number of reversals to convictions and sentences in recent years. Since 2021, the Court of Appeals...
Susie Wiles diagnosed with ‘early stage’ breast cancer: Trump
David Zimmermann Washington Examiner
davidzimmermannwashingtonexaminer@wpstage.coloradopolitics.com
Updated 4 hours ago
President Donald Trump announced White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with “early stage” breast cancer and that she decided to take on the illness immediately. Wiles will not step down from her administrative role at this...
Supreme Court to hear arguments over push to end legal protections for migrants from Haiti, Syria
Lindsay Whitehurst
lindsay.whitehurst@associatedpress.com
Updated 5 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will hear arguments over the Trump administration’s push to end legal protections for people fleeing war and natural disaster from countries around the world, including Haiti and Syria. The justices refused to immediately lift...
Hacked crosswalks in Denver sound anti-Trump messages
Deborah Grigsby
deborah.smith@denvergazette.com
Updated 3 hours ago
Denver pedestrians got a surprise this weekend when the audio messages from push-button speakers on some crosswalks were mysteriously replaced with anti-President Donald Trump messages. “The walk signal is on, Trump … (reference to the Iran school that was bombed),”...
Federal judge formalizes injunction blocking USDA’s ‘pilot project’ for Colorado food assistance
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 hours ago
A federal judge formalized his order on Monday to prevent the U.S. Department of Agriculture from requiring Colorado to participate in a food assistance “pilot project,” finding that it violates the law, the U.S. Constitution, and “the bounds of reasoned...
Colorado justices speak about inner workings of court, analysis of appellate opinions | COURT CRAWL
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 7 hours ago
Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. Members of the state Supreme Court provided an inside look at the workings of their institution, and a Colorado Politics analysis found that some appellate...
Appeals court finds no requirement for different judge to handle attorney-client conflict hearings
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 8 hours ago
Colorado’s second-highest court rejected a defendant’s argument on Thursday that a judge improperly heard about a potential conflict between himself and his lawyer right before sentencing, and the man’s reaction could have “tainted” the sentencing decision. In September 2023, Anthony...