

Colorado Gambles on Proposition DD, to Legalize Sports Betting
“Who are you betting on?” Representative Leslie Herod asked House Majority Leader Alec Garnett at a House Finance Committee hearing in April." Read full article #LeslieHerod #PropDD #LegalizedSportsBetting #Gambling #GovernorPolis #TABOR #Water


FOR COPO PRINT!!! Colorado opioid fight stretches from Denver to D.C.
"Senate Bill 227, a sweeping piece of legislation aimed at getting drug-overdose medication into schools, expanding the state’s drug take-back program and getting automated external defibrillator devices into more buildings. The bill was sponsored by Pettersen; Kennedy; Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver; and Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver." Read full article #LeslieHerod #GovernorPolis #opioidcrisis #addiction #Caring4Denver #criminaljusticereform

Gov. Polis signs ‘Ban the Box’ bill into law
"When I was 17 years old, I was convicted of robbery," Mohammed said. "The application is the first thing that an employer sees." "According to Rep. Leslie Herod (D-Denver), the bill will take effect in September 2019 for companies with 11 employees or more. Smaller businesses have until September 2021." "Rob McGowen, owner of Dai Kon sandwiches in Denver, says the new law will change the hiring culture in Colorado. McGowen supports the law." "I think it will be harder for pe

Governor Polis signs multiple criminal justice reform bills into law
"State Representative Leslie Herod (D-Denver) is one of the sponsors for HB-1266." “When you increase participation in democracy, you lower the recidivism rate,” she told the crowd at Second Chance Center." "Latif remembers his time on parole and being in the crowd at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. He couldn’t wait to vote." “It felt like there wasn’t a stranger in the place, it was that kind of hopefulness and people’s involvement and engagement in the pr


Governor signs bills at CU Boulder in support of college affordability
"Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed two bills on Monday in support of college affordability for families and students during a ceremony at CU Boulder." "Polis signed Senate Bill 19-002, which will regulate student education loan servicers, and House Bill 19-1280, which gives every Colorado child $100 to start a college savings account." "On hand during the campus bill signing ceremony were Colorado House Speaker KC Becker, Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg, Rep. Leslie Herod


SINE DIE HARD: The good and the bad during an ugly Legislative session
"From guns to needles to empty freight trains, Colorado’s 2019 legislative session has been, like so many others before it, a spellbinding morass. Here are a few of the most important, controversial and peculiar new laws to make it out of the Gold Dome this year, many with direct Aurora ties." "Colorado lawmakers delivered many of newly minted Gov. Jared Polis’ first-term priorities, but minority Republicans also claimed some victories by the last day of the session, especial

Gov. Polis signs bond reform bill
"DENVER - Low-level and non-violent criminals will be held in jail less often, after Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law Thursday." "The law creates new statewide standards that guide judges to hold suspected criminals only when there is a chance they will hurt someone, they are a flight risk, or they may obstruct justice." Read full article #LeslieHerod #criminaljusticereform #cashbond #pettyoffenses #prisonpopulation #cashbailbill #drugpossession #GovernorPolis

Bail, jail reforms promise relief for Colorado’s poorest
"The bill also would require the districts to develop new criteria to allow more defendants to be released immediately, with no monetary conditions. That bill will be heard by a Senate committee next week." "The ACLU and others say that one problem with the original bill was its reliance upon risk assessment tools, which have been found by the University of Northern Colorado to be biased. A landmark ProPublica investigation also found bias across the country. Such assessments

Colorado jails can’t hold people accused of low-level crimes in lieu of bail anymore. And that means
"Gov. Jared Polis’ signed a bill Thursday preventing people accused of many low-level offenses — such as petty, traffic or most municipal charges — from being jailed because they can’t pay their cash bail." "That also means people currently locked up in Colorado on those types of charges, who are unable to pay their bail, must be released. At least one county believes there are several people being held in their facility who might be eligible." “If you are thinking about putt

Colorado Senate OKs 'Ban the Box' bill, sending it to Gov. Polis' desk
"Gov. Jared Polis will get his chance to sign the “Ban the Box” bill after the Colorado Senate finally passed the measure April 12 on its third trip through the chamber in the past five years." Read full article #LeslieHerod #BantheBox #SecondChances #criminaljustice #GovernorPolis