For those looking for signs Colorado still makes sense, the past week in our legislature was a gut punch. It was emblematic of the ongoing deterioration of support for victims, public safety and the rule of law in exchange for a criminal-friendly approach that minimizes consequences, and in some cases – simply vanishes crime and accountability by fiat. The root cause is the dominance of all state policy by the offender-coddling legislators sent to the Gold Dome by Denverites. Denver’s decisions plague everywhere outside of Denver.

Last Thursday, Denver Democrats used trickeration in the Senate Judiciary Committee to raise the dead back to life. Intensely controversial HB 1249 would grant immunity to 12-year-olds who rape children, attempt to murder classmates, and repeatedly commit other violent crimes, as well as diminish consequences for the criminal conduct of 13-to-17-year-olds. It is a bill opposed by data, precedent, common sense and every stakeholder in the juvenile justice system… except the criminals. Every day of this session, the Judiciary Committee is comprised of two Denver-area progressives – including Chair Sen. Julie Gonzales (who appears to exclusively champion lawbreakers), and three members outside of Denver. There are two Republicans from El Paso and Douglas counties, and Democrat Dylan Roberts from Eagle, who happens to be a part-time deputy district attorney in his community. This dangerous bill was about to die 3-2.

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Enter more Denver progressives, including the Senate leadership, to employ an underhanded tactic to rig the vote. Just before Judiciary was about to meet, Democrat leadership removed Roberts as a participating and voting committee member, and replaced him with Sen. James Coleman – another Denver progressive and co-sponsor of the The Violent Kids are Alright bill. Just like that, this misguided bill was saved. On a rigged 3-2 vote, three senators representing Denver passed a bill over the votes of those outside of Denver.

And all of Colorado will deal with its aftermath.

Also last week, House Bill 1135, which seeks to elevate the misdemeanor crime of masturbating in front of a child at a park to a felony, was debated on the House floor. “Debated?,” you ask. Yes, because 27 Democrats, more than half their delegation – including those from Denver – voted against it. Denver Rep. Leslie Herod (with whom I have always had a respectful and positive relationship) publicly worried the bill could apply to LGBTQ Coloradans and drag queens. The answer is – not unless they expose their genitals to children for sexual gratification. In response to the well-made argument from bill proponents that treating the disgusting in-person conduct as a felony would merely put it on par with a sicko who masturbates in front of our children online (already a felony), radical Denver Rep. Elisabeth Epps bemoaned increased accountability. Instead, Epps argued, the right thing to do was to make both acts misdemeanors. Who are those from Denver prioritizing – our children, or the perverts who get off showing them their genitals?

On Tuesday of this week, the House recognized Police Memorial Day, a day to honor those public safety professionals whose lives were taken in defense of the community. A supportive resolution was offered – as it has been for years. Given Colorado’s historic crime rate and challenges in recruiting and retaining law enforcement officers who protect us from criminals and crime, it seemed like a no-brainer for unanimous, bipartisan support. However, in the bizarro world of a Capitol controlled by the Party of the Criminal Offender, six no-decency or compassion votes were substituted for the no-brainer ones.

Denver Reps. Bacon, Herod, Epps and three others waited until the honor began and then made a public show of leaving the House floor. They were “excused” from voting by other Democrats. Not only did they dishonor the Colorado House through their cop-hating and victim-dismissing antics, they lacked the guts to vote their conscience – if, in fact, they have one.

Such behavior is disgraceful, but not surprising for these members of the Democratic Party who control our state government. But where are the supposed voices of reason in the Democrat party? Where are Gov. Jared Polis or Denverite Attorney General Phil Weiser (who often – and mistakenly – claims that he is the top law enforcement official in Colorado) to decry this intentional affront to the entire law enforcement profession? Crickets, so far.

Finally, but only for this column, Denver Democrat Sen. Julie Gonzales pushed through the General Assembly a bill to further coddle juvenile criminals by preventing law enforcement from telling them their accomplices snitched them out, or that they left their DNA at the crime scene, if… gasp… that was not true. Horror. And the common sense bill to make the theft of a poor Coloradan’s car the same felony as the theft of near-billionaire Jared Polis’s was thwarted by the Dem legislators from Denver, the car theft capital of the No. 1 car theft state in America.

When Denver sneezes, Colorado catches a cold. But when Denver Democrat legislators impose their reckless brand of “justice” on all of us, Colorado begins to die. This legislative session cannot end soon enough.

George Brauchler is the former district attorney for the 18th Judicial District. He also is an?Owens Early Criminal Justice Fellow at the Common Sense Institute and?president of the Advance Colorado Academy, which identifies, trains and connects conservative leaders in Colorado. He hosts The George Brauchler Show on 710KNUS Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on Twitter: @GeorgeBrauchler.