Today is April 24, 2024, and here’s what you need to know:

Colorado Republicans say House Democratic leaders gave them list of words they can't say in immigration debates

Colorado Republicans are accusing Democratic leaders of censorship, saying the latter have provided them with a list of words they are prohibited from using during floor debates.

More specifically, Republicans claimed they were told not to say specific words, including “illegal alien,” during debates on immigration.

House Democratic leaders could not be immediately reached for comment.  

It’s the latest battle to erupt at the state Capitol over speech — or, more specifically, over words that the majority party deems offensive. In the past few months, Democrats and Republicans also clashed over using a transgender person’s birth name, which activists refer to as “deadnaming.”

And just a few weeks ago, a group filed a federal lawsuit against Democratic lawmakers, alleging they suppressed — during public hearings — the free speech of those opposed to a measure that would provide a specific avenue for transgender individuals convicted of felonies to legally change their name. 

Colorado lawmakers to introduce long-awaited property tax relief bill

The long-awaited major property tax bill will likely be introduced sometime early next week, giving it about a week to work through the General Assembly before its May 8 adjournment.

This bill, however, will have had an advantage that previous bills, most notably the 2023 legislation, didn’t have: a public airing of its concepts.

That’s because the bill will be largely based on the recommendations of the property tax commission, which has been meeting since last December.

Lawmakers have been scrambling to deal with skyrocketing property taxes since 2020 when voters approved repealing the Gallagher Amendment, which set specific assessment rates for residential and non-residential properties. The ballot measure was referred to voters by the General Assembly, with the expectation that lawmakers would come up with a replacement.

'Where your humanity comes into play': Federal judges educate lawyers about dealing with self-represented plaintiffs

In a given year, one-third of the 3,300 civil cases filed in Colorado’s federal trial court have a plaintiff who is representing themselves in civil rights lawsuits, business disputes or allegations of constitutional violations behind bars.

“You underestimate those folks at your peril because they do know what they’re doing. And we quickly understand they know what they’re doing. And the worst thing you can do is not treat them with respect,” said U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney on Tuesday.

Sweeney participated in a webinar sponsored by the Colorado Defense Lawyers Association, whose members may appear on behalf of clients sued by self-represented, or “pro se” plaintiffs. Although pro se litigants are subject to the same requirements as represented parties, the U.S. Supreme Court has advised that their complaints are held to “less stringent standards” than those authored by trained attorneys.

Colorado wolf dies in Larimer County, as more call on wildlife officials to adopt lethal management

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has confirmed that one of the 10 gray wolves reintroduced in Colorado was found dead last week in Larimer County, likely of natural causes, although that needs to be confirmed.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service became aware of a deceased gray wolf in Larimer County on April 18, according to Joe Szuszwalak, a public affairs specialist with the agency’s Mountain-Prairie office.

“As a federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act, the Service is investigating and has sent the carcass for a necropsy to determine the cause of death. Initial evidence suggests that this wolf likely died of natural causes, but a final determination will not be made until the necropsy is completed,” he said.

“This wolf was one of the ten recently released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in December 2023, and the Service is working cooperatively with CPW in our investigation. No additional details are available at this time.”

Some of the wolves released in Colorado in December came from packs from Oregon with a history of killing livestock, including kills as recent as a year ago.

Police, fire departments hardest hit by mayor’s proposed budget cuts, report says

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s proposed budget cuts — if approved by city council — would largely hit Public Safety, a new report warned.

Released Friday by the Common Sense Institute, the report analyzed which departments would bear the brunt of Johnston’s cuts, necessitated by the city’s spending on the illegal immigration crisis.

The average department cut was 4%, city data showed.

But public safety — which includes fire, police and the sheriff’s office — accounted for nearly half of Johnston’s proposed cuts, amounting to $16.9 million.

“I think the main takeaway for Denver residents is that this is starting to pinch where it matter,” said DJ Summers, director of policy and research for the Common Sense Institute. “This is no longer a pencil pushing exercise.”