Senate attempts compromise on civil rights division, commission; House sponsors say ‘no’
The Senate amendment also removed the option for parties to head to district court to resolve complaints, which raised concerns from Democrats that complainants often lack the means to mount a legal fight. And it wasn’t clear that the attorney general’s office, which represents the commission, would agree to represent complainants in district court.
But a compromise isn’t a compromise unless everyone signs off, and the bill’s House Democratic sponsors almost immediately said “no.”
Democratic Rep. Leslie Herod of Denver, one of two House sponsors, told Colorado Politics that she hadn’t seen the amendment until Friday and was never asked about a possible compromise. In a statement, Herod and Speaker of the House Crisanta Duran said that changes added in the Senate go too far.
“We cannot support the current changes and hope that we can find common ground and pass a bill reauthorizing the Civil Rights Division and Commission before the end of the session,” they said. “Coloradans are watching.”
