Let’s applaud Gov. Jared Polis for signing a much-needed reform of Colorado’s lax laws on auto theft. Assuming other key components of the justice system do their jobs, the legislation that won the governor’s endorsement on Friday should put a dent in our state’s dubious distinction as No. 1 in the nation for the theft of motor vehicles.

Senate Bill 23-097 will fix some of the damage done by lawmakers through soft-on-crime legislation enacted earlier. In 2014, the Legislature adopted a sliding scale that reduced penalties for stealing lower-valued vehicles. In 2021, lawmakers further watered down a range of criminal penalties – and made it a misdemeanor to steal any vehicle valued under $2,000. It all amounted to an invitation to steal cars with near-impunity.

The new law will eliminate the state criminal code’s sliding scale tying the value of a vehicle to the penalty. All vehicle thefts will be upgraded to a felony once again, as they should be. 

It’s a reform that crime-weary Colorado has been waiting for. And it probably was a safe bet all along Polis would sign onto the effort. He had called on the 2023 Legislature in his State of the State speech in January to “get tough on auto-theft sentencing.” The legislation also enjoyed broad backing, including from law enforcement and Colorado’s local governments.

And yet, oddly enough, SB23-097 – even with its bipartisan sponsorship – struggled at one point to make it through the legislative session. Although it cruised through the Senate with the upper chamber’s unanimous support, it stalled and idled for weeks in the House of Representatives without so much as a committee hearing. When the bill finally passed the House only two days before the end of the session – probably with a nudge from the governor – 16 members of the seemingly bulletproof 46-member Democratic majority voted against it.

All of the House’s minority Republicans supported the measure – a good thing because so many Democrats defected, it couldn’t have passed without at least some Republican votes.

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Why such a close call? A look at the roll call of the final House vote reveals the opponents of this sensible reform included the usual suspects from the ruling party’s political fringe. They are the ones who have been peddling the reckless “justice reform” dogma that has been invoked to slash criminal penalties, release high-risk criminal suspects and decriminalize dangerous drugs – all while Colorado’s crime rate has soared along with the rate of drug overdoses.

That there was so much opposition to SB23-097 within the ruling party’s own ranks is troubling. But the fact the bill ultimately passed points to new hope for fighting crime in Colorado. It illustrates how mainstream Democrats – whose party dominates both chambers of the legislature and all statewide elected offices – can partner with Republicans in tackling the criminal element, curbing the overdose epidemic, and supporting public safety.

Meanwhile, the legislature’s ruling Democrats should feel emboldened to rein in their radical wing on issues of criminal justice. A stand for law and order will have the governor’s support as well as the public’s. No community’s safety should be held hostage to a narrow ideology that leaves law-abiding Coloradans at risk.

As the latest Common Sense Institute study on Colorado crime reminded us when it was released on Friday, the state’s crime rate has been among the fastest rising nationwide in recent years. The good news is we can win the crime fight – if we unite.

Public safety isn’t about party politics. It’s about justice for victims and perpetrators – and peace of mind for everyone.

Colorado Springs Gazette Editorial Board