alec garnett
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Parks sworn in to represent House District 51
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State Rep. Amy Parks, R-Loveland, was sworn in Monday to represent the House seat left vacant by the late Rep. Hugh McKean. Parks, who was sworn in by House Speaker Alec Garnett, will serve the last 43 days of McKean’s term. McKean had died suddenly on Oct. 30. A Larimer County HD51 vacancy committee picked…
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Labor-led coalition doubles down on poll that sparked outrage in Democratic legislative primary
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A coalition of labor unions said this week that a poll it fielded in a Democratic legislative primary in Denver wasn’t meant to inflame racial bias after another group of union leaders cried foul, accusing the poll’s sponsors of using the survey to launch “overtly racist and outrageously false attacks” on one of the candidates…
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Garnett’s gambit: House speaker fights for legacy-defining fentanyl bill in final year as legislator
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When House Speaker Alec Garnett sat down with Colorado Politics in January to reflect on his last year in office, he said he always prefers taking on “one tough one than a bunch of consensus-driven ideas.” “I always tell Emily that I’m going to focus on one big thing,” said Garnett, one of the youngest to…
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Colorado House approves bill that tightens penalties for low-level possession, distribution of fentanyl
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The Colorado House of Representatives gave preliminary approval to a bill Friday evening to address the state’s growing fentanyl crisis following another hours-long debate that focused on whether possessing the substance in any amount or form should be a felony. For now, the balance of Colorado’s House members said no. After five hours of debate,…
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House Appropriations Committee approves fentanyl bill
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Friday’s House Appropriations Committee hearing on House Bill 1326 resulted in several substantial changes to the measure, but not the big one that could surface later today – making all possession of fentanyl a felony. That would be a concession to Gov. Jared Polis, who’s advocated for felony charges on any level of possession, but it’s a…
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House debate on fentanyl bill is expected on Friday
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The legislature’s sweeping attempt to confront Colorado’s worsening fentanyl crisis is slated for an early morning hearing in the House Appropriations Committee on Friday. The full House could then tackle the measure for a floor debate later in the day. The bill increases criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of fentanyl, as well as sets…
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House judiciary panel tackles sweeping legislative response to fentanyl crisis
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Editor’s note: The House Judiciary Committee this afternoon heard testimony on a sweeping legislation aimed at confronting Colorado’s fentanyl crisis. This story has been updated multiple times. Here’s the latest. Herod can’t attend fentanyl hearing as Joint Budget Committee meets at the same time Rep. Leslie Herod, who was temporarily appointed to the House…
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House Democrats say nuance on simple possession of fentanyl is lost in deadly overdose rhetoric
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With a hearing on how to deal with the state’s fentanyl crisis just a few hours away, Democrats attempted Tuesday to counter some of the rhetoric around the issue of simple possession. Democrats also appear to be open to the discussion of lowering the fentanyl felony from 4 grams to 1 gram, but that comes…
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Advocates for stricter penalties for fentanyl press their case
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A coalition of business leaders and law enforcement officials made the case Monday for making simple possession of fentanyl a felony, one day ahead of a House panel hearing a sweeping bill that seeks to confront Colorado’s opioid crisis. JJ Ament, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, thanked Speaker of the…
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Mayors of Colorado’s largest cities press for harsher penalties for fentanyl possession
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In a departure from the Democratic position at the state Capitol, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock pressed for harsher penalties for fentanyl possession, mirroring the position of the city’s police chief and other law enforcement officials. Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers also echoed Hancock’s plea, joining other state leaders and law enforcement officials in saying that…
