
State Representative Leslie Herod Has a Story to Share
"The 2019 session, which began this past month, will be a pivotal period for Herod. She’s coming off a big win: The Caring 4 Denver campaign not only passed in the November election, but it did so with 70 percent of the vote. “I was shocked by the margin,” Herod says. “It just reinforced that Denverites do care about each other.” This session, Herod will be busy as the vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee and chair of the House Finance Committee. She’ll also lead the C

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: Lawmakers seek to limit employer queries about criminal records
"State Reps. Jovan Melton, D-Aurora, and Leslie Herod, D-Denver, introduced a bill earlier this month that would prevent most employers from asking about an applicant’s criminal history during the beginning stages of the hiring process." “What we are aiming to do is give people an opportunity to at least get their foot in the door when they’re applying for a position,” Melton said." "The proposed measure, HB-1025, would bar employers from stipulating in advertisements or on e

Compliance News Flash
"The Colorado State Legislature convened last week and Representatives Jovan Melton and Leslie Herod introduced H.B.19-1025, the Colorado Change to Compete Act, which would enact ban the box requirements for private employers in Colorado. If passed and signed into law, employers would be prohibited from inquiring into a job applicant’s criminal history on an initial application. Employers would also be prohibited from advertising or stating on the application that a person wi

Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity Colorado sets 2019 legislative agenda
"Democratic Rep. Leslie Herod of Denver told Colorado Politics Friday that AFP's criminal justice ideas "fits in well" with Democrats' legislative agenda." "Criminal justice reform is not and should not be a partisan issue," Hood said. "Our society benefits not one bit if we focus only on incarceration. I welcome AFP to the table to find real solutions to this complex issue." "But at least one Democratic operative views the new approach with skepticism." Read full article #Le

‘Ban the Box’ bill targets discrimination against people with criminal records
"In 2016 and 2017, Colorado’s Legislature took up the question of whether to prohibit employers from asking job applicants up-front about their criminal records. Both times, committees in the Republican-controlled Senate rejected the idea." "But it’s a new day at the Capitol, with Democrats having seized control of the Senate in November while maintaining a majority in the House. And on the opening day of this year’s legislative session, Democratic Reps. Leslie Herod and Jova

Most Diverse State Legislature In History Begins 2019 Session
"While sex and race may not dominate the agenda, they will play a key role in several bills says Rep. Leslie Herod, “I think we’re going to be tackling issues that we haven’t talked about before. We’re going to be leaning pretty heavily on criminal justice reform.” "She says the large number of women will also change the dynamic, “As women I think we’re naturally a little bit more collaborative and plan to collaborate with all women including Republicans to get the job done f

LIVE COVERAGE: Opening day at the Colorado Capitol
"Former state Rep. Wilma Webb, D-Denver, attended opening day as a guest of Democratic state Rep. Leslie Herod, who represents the same House District 8 in East Denver that Webb represented from 1980 to 1993. She stepped down after her husband, Wellington Webb, was elected mayor of Denver." Read full article #LeslieHerod #legislativesession #criminaljusticereform #openingday

Here are several impactful issues that Colorado lawmakers will tackle early in the new legislative s
"Second chances seems to be a theme for this upcoming session, which is why Democratic Representative Leslie Herod is introducing a bill to change job applications." "We know if you have a prior conviction in Colorado," Herod said. "When you apply for a job, you have to check a box saying you have a prior conviction. This stops people from speaking one-on-one and saying 'this happened in my past, but I'm ready to move forward and explain themselves.' We want to ban the box in

What you can do to fight back this week (October 15)
Ending NeoSlavery: A Screening of “13th” Join Indivisible Denver, Messaging Democracy, Abolish Slavery Colorado, Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, Representative Leslie Herod, Denver Justice Project, Colorado Freedom Fund, and others for a very special event: We’ll screen Ava Duvernay’s explosive Netflix documentary “13th,” which explores the link between slavery and modern-day criminal justice practices. Afterward, we’ll discuss how this ties into Colorado’s Amendm

LESLIE HEROD: LOOKING FORWARD
"Herod is always looking for new ways to help others find guidance and support as they attempt to make a difference in their communities. Herod is the first openly queer, black person to serve in the Colorado General Assembly, receiving the highest number of votes of any state house candidate running a contested race in 2016. She is now the incumbent for District 8 seeking re-election. OUT FRONT sat down with her to discuss what re-election might look like, and how she feels