alec garnett
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Political gamesmanship keeps ‘red flag’ gun bill from demise
The Colorado House of Representatives on Friday evening passed, largely along party lines, the “Zackari Parrish III Violence Protection Act,” aka the red flag bill, which would allow law enforcement or family members to seek a court order that would allow law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from a person deemed a threat to themselves…
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Social-media threats over ‘red flag’ gun bill prompts lawmaker to notify law enforcement
State Rep. Cole Wist was in the Colorado House Judiciary Committee Thursday night when he left unexpectedly and was soon replaced on the panel by House Minority Leader Patrick Neville of Castle Rock. Wist, a Republican from Centennial, has weathered a barrage of negative posts and tweets all week for his sponsorship of a “red…
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Debate on red flag bill heats up late night in Colorado House
Colorado’s House gave preliminary approval Wednesday night to the most controversial gun legislation of the 2018 session: the so-called “red flag” bill, House Bill 1436. The bill would allow law enforcement and/or family members of an at-risk person to obtain a temporary “extreme risk protective order” that would then allow a law enforcement officer to…
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"Red flag" bill clears House committee on party-line vote
A bill that would let law enforcement or family members seek a court order to remove firearms from at-risk individuals, also known as a “red flag” law, won approval in its first House committee hearing Tuesday. House Bill 1436 would set up an ability for law enforcement or family members to obtain a temporary “Extreme…
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Republicans chastise leader Cole Wist for co-sponsoring gun bill
Some House Republicans chastised Colorado state Rep. Cole Wist in a caucus meeting late Monday night over his sponsorship of bipartisan legislation to keep guns away from people considered an extreme risk, Colorado Politics has learned. House members debated bills until about 11:30 p.m., then Republicans huddled. Second Amendment advocates were unhappy with Wist. A…
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"Red Flag" gun bill has bipartisan, law enforcement backing
A bill that supporters hope will prevent the kinds of situations that led to the New Year’s Eve ambush of a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy was introduced in the House Monday. The Deputy Zackari Parrish, III Violence Prevention Act, House Bill 1436, is backed by bipartisan House leadership, as well as gun control and law…
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Bill to prevent 529 savings from being used for K-12 wins first approval in House
Parents who want to tap into 529 savings accounts to cover K-12 private education – thanks to a change in a federal tax law that would allow it – might face tax headaches in Colorado. House lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been trying to work out how Colorado law handles a change…
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School Finance Act clears first Colo. House hurdle
The General Assembly could make major progress on buying down the state’s debt to K-12 public education under the School Finance Act, which cleared the House Education Committee Monday on an 11-2 vote. House Bill 1379 includes an extra $150 million, a request okayed by both the governor and the Joint Budget Committee, to pay…
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Reaction to expulsion of now-former Rep. Steve Lebsock includes tears, end of fears
Rep. Faith Winter of Westminster was the first of at least five women to come forward and accuse former Rep. Steve Lebsock of Thornton of sexual harassment. Friday, she participated with, and listened to, fellow House members as they debated for seven hours on whether to expel Lebsock. Friday marked the final chapter in a…
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House gives initial OK to money held up over Colorado prison counts
A working group of legislators met with prison officials about suspicious budget estimates Wednesday, and it was deemed adequate “good faith” in the Colorado House Thursday. A few weeks ago Republican and Democratic legislators hoed up a $1.4 million request for private prison beds in the current year’s budget. As a result, Gov. John Hickenlooper…