[June 19, 2013] The cities and towns that house Colorado’s 22 prisons may feel a bit like they’re on trial themselves right now. The number of Coloradans behinds bars has been declining for years, so the state’s preparing to close at least one more prison. A report coming out tomorrow will recommend which one should be next. And wherever that ax falls, the surrounding community is likely to be hard hit.
[June 18, 2013] Are you familiar with the internet acronym ICYMI? It stands for In Case You Missed It. Even the most avid followers of state politics may well have missed some big political stories last week, as fire stories overwhelmed the headlines.
To catch us up, host Ryan Warner talks with CPR’s Megan Verlee about some recent big stories, including a new poll showing Governor Hickenlooper and Senator Mark Udall may face tough re-election fights next year and a ruling by the Independent Ethics Commission that Secretary of State Scott Gessler violated public trust with his use of discretionary funds.
Colorado’s health insurance exchange board is trying to set up a statewide network of “assisters” to help people pick the best health plan that will satisfy the federal Affordable Care Act’s 2014 requirement to have health insurance. But it may not have enough money to achieve that. Read CPR’s story at Kaiser Health News.
[May 31, 2013] Organizers of a recall effort against Democratic state Senate President John Morse say they’ve gathered enough valid signatures to move forward, although they’re declining to give a number until the forms are officially turned in on Monday.
“Quite confident,” said Rob Harris with the El Paso Freedom Defense Committee, when asked Friday about whether his group has the needed 7,178 signatures to proceed with a special election.
For many of us, it feels like the bruising election of 2012 just wrapped up, but for the state’s political hopefuls, 2014 is just around the corner. And it could be a big year, with Congressional districts, a US Senate seat and all the statewide offices up for grabs, not to mention control of the state legislature.
[May 30, 2013] State officials announced Thursday that they will hold meetings in prison communities around Colorado next month, to discuss the likely closure of one or more correctional facilities.
These sessions come in advance of the release of a study which is likely to recommend which prison should be the next to close.
The prison utilization study was authorized by the General Assembly last yearlooks at how to more efficiently house Colorado’s declining prison population in fewer facilities, and to study the economic footprint those prisons have in their surrounding communities. It’s recommendations are likely to carry a lot of weight with state officials deciding which prison to close next, although they aren’t bound to its findings.
Because closing a prison can have a major impact on the local community, especially in rural areas, state budget director Henry Sobinet says it’s important to meet with local leaders about what may be coming.
We expect to hear from all the regions, pros and cons, depending on what the plan will be,” Sobanet said Thursday, “We wanted to give them a preview of the process going forward and for them to look us in the eye and talk to us about what’s important for them.”
Colorado lawmakers set aside three million dollars this year to help rural prison communities try to diversify their economies ahead of coming closures.
Upcoming prison study meetings:
[May 29, 2013] Two big legal decisions dominate Colorado Matters’ regular conversation with Governor John Hickenlooper this month. The first is a ruling from the Colorado State Supreme Court. In Lobato v. Colorado, plaintiffs argued that the state so severely under-funds its schools that it’s violating the state constitution. Justices did not agree. While the governor supports that ruling, he also says the case itself points out how badly the schools do need new funding.
The second decision we’ll talk about is Hickenlooper’s own, to indefinitely delay the execution of convicted murderer Nathan Dunlap. The governor says he was trying to balance his own objection to carrying out a death sentence with respect for Colorado’s laws, and that he knew his choice would make many people angry.
Also in this month’s conversation: what’s next now that the governor has signed new marijuana regulations and whether he’s considering a veto for a rural renewable energy bill.
And we finish up on a fluffier note, literally; asking Hickenlooper to take a peek at our gallery of listeners’ shelter cats and dogs and makes his vote for the faces of the new state pet. (Disclaimer: This is just for fun and the governor’s selection has no bearing on the state’s actual process of picking an official image to go with the state pet. But our selections are pretty darned cute…And we added a photo of the governor with his own shelter dog, Skye.)
Click here to listen to the governor’s interview with Colorado Matters.
[May 28, 2013] Colorado lawmakers will not have to come up with billions more dollars for the state’s public education system after all. On Tuesday, the Colorado Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling in the landmark “Lobato Case” and declared that the state’s school funding model is, in fact, constitutional.
The case began eight years ago, when San Luis Valley ranchers Anthony and Denise Lobato sued the state on behalf of their daughters. The eldest, Taylor, had attended a high school fair in Boulder and realized she wasn’t getting the same education as kids elsewhere. Her schools had no high level courses. Buildings leaked. Technology was outdated.
Lobato is now a student at the University of Denver. She put on a brave face when she talked to reporters after the decision came down, even though she’d been weeping just before she stepped up to the podium.
“It makes me sad, it makes me upset, I’m mad,” Lobato said. “This is important, and the door was slammed in the face of all of the children of Colorado.”
[May 24, 2013] Earlier this week, the man who oversees parole for the state was put on paid leave. It’s yet another wrinkle stemming from the murder of the late prison chief Tom Clements, who was shot at his home in March. Authorities believe the killer was parolee Evan Ebel.
The case has highlighted problems with the state’s parole system. It’s also pointed to possible errors when criminals are sentenced. The man charged with dealing with all of this is Roger Werholtz. He came out of retirement as head of the Kansas Department of Corrections to replace Clements.
[May 24, 2013] We asked, you (and your lovely companions) answered! In honor of shelter cats and dogs becoming the official state pet, CPR listeners submitted pictures of their pets. Click the above link to visit our Facebook gallery of Colorado dogs and cats, all rescued from shelters. But a warning: the cute-ness levels are pretty overwhelming…
[Top Photo: Boxer-lab mix Graham Cracker, submitted by Facebook fan Leigh Ann Baca, uploaded via Flickr]
[Bottom Photo: Shelter cat Honey, submitted by Facebook fan Elliot Hood, uploaded via Flickr]
