Colorado House Democrats

Rep. Gwyn Green’s Statement on the Children Protection Bill, House Bill 1011, regarding the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against children

House Bill 1011, sponsored by State Representative Gwyn Green (D-Golden), died in a house committee this morning.

“This bill came about as a result of a meeting I had with a former director of Rape Awareness and Assault Prevention (RAAP) who told me in 2005 that 98% of sexual assaults against children were from those the child knew and trusted.  He told me that my work to protect children from “stranger danger” was good, but what was really needed was to find a way to protect those who hurt by trusted adults.

I realized that lifting the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against children in both criminal and civil matters would accomplish what was needed. 

I believe that HB 1011 protects children and provides justice and healing for survivors.
       
The only way to protect children is to unmask sexual predators, and the only way to do so is to bring them to court.  As testimony from survivors unanimously stated, children are often so traumatized by sexual assaults upon them when their assailant is known and trusted, and they are often either dependent upon or afraid of the pedophile,  that they cannot even begin to deal with this until they are well into adulthood. 

Public Safety Top Priority For Rep. Rice

Front-line workers to be prepared in face of natural disasters, terrorist attacks, avian flu

Denver- State Representative Joe Rice (D-Littleton) steered a bill through the House today with a supportive initial voice vote. The bill ensures that front-line workers are adequately prepared to keep Coloradans safe in the face of events such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and avian flu.   

House Bill 1252, “Tuition Assistance for the Colorado National Guard Act” is sponsored by Rep. Rice.  The bill would allow members of the National Guard to receive tuition assistance to pursue advanced Homeland Security education.

“It is a top priority to provide training and expertise that will benefit all Coloradoans in the event of a disaster.”

Currently, state funds are available for National Guard members to attend public universities for advanced education. There is only one higher education institution that offers a Homeland Security program that qualifies, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Buffie McFadyen on Florence Supermax

"[Supermax] is a horrible place, and on top of being horrible, when [an inmate's] constitutional rights are not being met, it builds," she added. "When the inmate stops interacting, they start to disassociate . . . they're lashing out and that's my fear. We don't have enough people to keep the people working there safe." --Representative Buffie McFadyen

Read the Pueblo Chieftain article that contains this quote.

Rep. McFadyen Sounds “A Louder Alarm” on Supermax

Colorado lawmaker brought national attention to the “dangerously understaffed” prison

(DENVER)  CBS’s “60 Minutes” took viewers inside the maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado known as Supermax.  State Representative Buffie McFadyen (D-Pueblo West) and leaders of the correctional officers union gave an update on the staffing levels and the potential for danger in the facility. 

“It’s bad and it’s getting worse,” Rep. McFadyen said.  “We’ve been fighting for nearly two years, and still, the most secure penitentiary in the U.S. is understaffed.  We must sound a louder alarm.”

“Supermax does not have enough correctional officers to keep people inside and outside the facility safe.  If an inmate doesn’t get meals, if he doesn’t get toilet paper, if he doesn’t get the necessities of life, he might think he has nothing to lose by killing his Correctional Officer,” Rep. McFadyen said. 

Facts:

• In just the past 10 weeks, over 1,100 posts (8-hour, one person shifts) have been without staff.
• In the past ten weeks, staffing levels have been 14 to 20 percent below the minimum recommended by the Bureau of Prisons.
• In the last two weeks, the Terrorist Unit at Supermax has gone completely without staff for 24 hours straight.
• When Supermax opened in 1994, there were 240 correctional officers.  There are now as few as 170.

Click here to watch the 60 Minutes segment, "Supermax: A Clean Version of Hell."

--posted by Staff

Rep. Kefalas (HD-52) Accountability Report #11: 10/15/07

ALL THINGS INSPIRATIONAL
As many of you know, I have been very engaged with the uranium mining project that is being proposed for Weld County near Nunn, Colorado.  On Sunday, Representative Randy Fischer (HD-53), Senator Steve Johnson (SD-15), Senator Brandon Shaffer (SD-17) and I, along with about 60 citizens, including 4-H children and two horses, braved the rain and cool weather to hold a press conference on the west steps of the State Capitol, “Lawmakers Announce Plan to Protect People and Property in the Path of Planned Uranium Mining.” We announced legislation that would establish high public safety standards regarding uranium mining in Colorado.  It was an inspiring and successful event that demonstrated the power of participatory democracy - when people stand up for what they believe.  Stay tuned!

JOHN’S LEGISLATIVE-COMMUNITY UPDATE
WORKING TOGETHER, WE ARE DOING BETTER
Here is a line-up of upcoming community events that you may wish to attend.

[ed note: meetings (1&2) that have already happened at posting time were moved to the end of this post. Subscribe to the Representative's newsletter for up-to-the minute information.]

3) COMMUNITY CONVERSATION IN THE MARKET PLACE - Rep. Kefalas Shops for Ideas
I am experimenting with a new way to meet the people following the lead of Rep. Randy Fischer.  I will set up shop and be available to the people on Saturday, October 20, 9 – 11:00 AM, King Soopers, 2602 S Timberline Rd, near the corner of Timberline & Drake, Fort Collins. Stop by.  After all, democracy is made better when you participate.

4) TOWN HALL MEETING with HOUSE SPEAKER ANDREW ROMANOFF & REP. FISCHER
On Saturday, November 3, 9:30 AM – 11:30, we will gather at the Fort Collins Public Library, 301 Peterson St, FC to hear from Speaker Romanoff, Rep. Fischer and me about our legislative priorities and what to expect in the 2008 Legislation Session that begins January 9.  Bring your questions and ideas!

5) TOWN HALL MEETING: HELPING HOMEOWNERS WITH FORECLOSURE
Monday, November 5, 6:30 – 8:30 PM, Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields (next to FRCC)
Senator Steve Johnson, Reps. John Kefalas and Randy Fischer will host staff members of the Colorado Division of Housing who will present information on state and local resources to help homeowners dealing with foreclosure and mortgage issues (more details to follow).

6) COMMUNITY FORUM: REFORMING COLORADO’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Wednesday, November 14, 6:30 – 8:30 PM, Fort Collins Public Library, 301 Peterson Street
Rep. Kefalas will host Department of Corrections Executive Director, Aristedes Zavaras and other state and local presenters. The panelists will address Colorado’s criminal justice system and reform efforts in the areas of recidivism and sentencing (more details to follow).

On the legislative front:

COLORADO’S EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (EITC): Drafting legislation to restore the EITC using revenue sources that are fiscally responsible.  Restoring the EITC will benefit up to 250,000 low-wage, tax-paying working families in Colorado, including 12,000 families in Larimer County.  The EITC rewards work and helps lift children out of poverty.

Lawmakers Announce Plan to Protect People and Property in the Path of Planned Uranium Mining

DENVER- At the Capitol Sunday, Larimer County lawmakers announced a plan to protect Coloradans from potentially dangerous uranium mining.

Joined by land-owners, environmentalists, doctors, and families, State Representatives Randy Fischer and John Kefalas (both D-Larimer) unveiled a legislative plan to protect water quality and involve the public.

This proposal comes as a response to landowners and others close to the proposed mine who have been fighting the uranium industry for months out of concern for their health, drinking water, and property rights.

Powertech Uranium Corp wants to open the first in-situ uranium mine in the history of Colorado.

Robin and Jay Davis of Nunn, Colorado, are property owners near "ground zero" of the proposed uranium mining activity.  Robin Davis stated, "We are scared that the mine will make our kids sick and contaminate our drinking water.”  Pointing to the horses beside her, she explained, “Sick horses aren’t working horses.  Without our livestock, we lose our livelihood.” 

Daryl Burkhart, nearby landowner said, "In-situ uranium mining is a different method than traditional mining:  chemicals are injected into our water to take out uranium. These toxic chemicals, and the uranium, could contaminate my family, my land, my drinking water, and my animals." Holding a bright-yellow "uranium cake" Mr. Burkhart said, "Uranium 'yellow cake' may look harmless -- but no child should get near this. Keep your contaminated cake away from our kids, Powertech!" 

Dr. Cory Carroll, President of the Larimer County Medical Society said that his organization is concerned about the dangers that uranium poses to water supplies.  "Doctors oppose the practice of in-situ and open pit mining of uranium," Dr. Carroll said, "because of the adverse health impact of radioactively contaminated water on our agriculture, livestock and civilian population."   

Representative John Kefalas (HD 52) assured the landowners, environmentalists and children in the audience, "That’s what our plan is about: protecting people and property and precious resources.  Today, here and now, we commit ourselves to protecting the land and the people of Northern Colorado."

Representative Randy Fischer (HD-53) said, "When I looked at the uranium mining laws, I saw how out-dated they were.  New mining technology demands cutting-edge protections. We are long overdue for an update.  If the Uranium Industry wants to mine on our land in 2007, they must do so safely, protecting our children, our property, our livestock.  No free pass for the Uranium Industry!”

The Kefalas/Fischer legislation will:

Protect Drinking Water: ground water aquifers must not be left contaminated.

Lift the Veil of Secrecy: Citizens must know what Uranium Industry is doing in their backyards.

Protect Landowners’ Rights: property owners should not be forced to surrender their land to the mining companies.

For more information: www.nunnglow.com.

Read 9News coverage.

Read what Kevin Duggan of The Coloradoan has to say.

--posted by Staff

Randy Fischer and John Kefalas act on constituent concerns

As Fort Collins legislators, we have received a huge volume of correspondence from residents requesting our assistance to address their concerns over possible uranium mining in northern Weld and Larimer counties, less than 15 miles from Fort Collins.

We first learned of the proposed Centennial Uranium Project from Nunn and Wellington landowners last April. Since that time, we have worked diligently to answer the many significant questions expressed by folks from Northern Colorado. We want to reassure the community that we are taking action on behalf of the people so that the public health, environmental and economic risks posed by Powertech Uranium Corp.'s proposed uranium project are being fully scrutinized.

We are engaging state and federal regulatory agencies, Gov. Ritter's policy people and our colleagues in the state Legislature. As we see this issue, it comes down to protecting the rights of landowners and our precious water resources.

In April, we attended a Wellington town-hall meeting organized by landowners living at or near ground zero of the proposed uranium mining. We saw the pain and worry in the eyes of landowners who had received Powertech letters informing them of the company's intent to mine on their properties. Under the so-called split-estate doctrine, state law gives the mining company the power to enter private property for the purposes of accessing the subsurface minerals owned by the company. From the people, we learned about the many significant issues raised by Powertech's proposed uranium project, including the following:

• Violation of landowners' property rights;
• Potential contamination of the local groundwater aquifer that residents depend on for their drinking water and agricultural water supplies;
• Diminished property values;
• Loss of the surface use of landowners' properties;
• Fugitive dust emissions and air pollution;
• Legally protected secrecy of company exploration activities;
• Exploitation of the state's mineral wealth by foreign companies with little, if any, compensation to Colorado residents.

The issues the landowners raised were profound. Their concerns were heartfelt and deep, and they wanted someone to listen and take action. That is why we are actively involved in representing the public interest by taking the following actions:

Dialoguing with officials at the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; touring the affected landowners' properties and attending community meetings; meeting with Powertech Uranium Corp. officials; conducting a thorough review of Colorado mining laws and regulations; holding a series of informational sessions with representatives from Gov. Ritter's office; contacting the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

It is important to note that Powertech has yet to submit an application for mining in the Nunn/Wellington area. In addition, the state of Colorado is a so-called "agreement state." This means that the U.S. NRC and the state have entered into an agreement that gives Colorado the sole jurisdiction over radioactive materials, including uranium mining. Therefore, there is no public comment being taken at this time by either Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board or the NRC on this or any other uranium mining projects in Colorado, contrary to a recent article by Congresswoman Musgrave.

Please know that, as your state representatives, we are working hard to address issues raised by the prospect of uranium mining in Northern Colorado communities. As your lawmakers, we are currently engaged in administrative and potential legislative measures that will protect property rights, groundwater quality, and public health from risks posed by proposed uranium projects. We invite your comments as we move forward on this important issue.

--posted on behalf of Representatives Randy Fischer and John Kefalas

Coloradans must dare to dream of educational excellence

Speaker Andrew Romanoff and Rep. Michael Merrifield have been visiting schools all over the state--crumbling ceilings and holey floors are just some of the potholes they've discovered on the road to educational excellence. As Nancy Mitchell reports in the Rocky Mountain News:

In the San Luis Valley, the high school's only math teacher is too busy with other subjects to teach calculus; in Ordway, the gym weights are prison castoffs; in tiny Joes, a teacher applies for Gerber Foods grants to buy textbooks.

[...]in Colorado, school districts must rely on local property tax increases, and many rural areas do not have the tax base to pay for a new school.
[...]
"Coloradans haven't been dared to dream" about what their schools could be, [Speaker Romanoff] said. "There's a real appetite for this conversation."

Here's to dreaming big.

--posted by Staff

Rep. Buffie McFadyen on Supermax staffing

"It's my understanding that whole housing units have gone unstaffed for eight hours or longer, including the terrorist unit," McFadyen said. "I'm calling on President Bush and the Congress to personally take note of what's happening at Supermax."

Read the post that includes this quote.

--posted by Staff

Buffie McFadyen calls on Feds to fully staff Supermax

When you're housing some of the nation's most dangerous prisoners, you want to make sure they're adequately supervised. In today's Pueblo Chieftain:

Pueblo Democratic Rep. Buffie McFadyen and union officials Tuesday called on the federal government to fully staff the Supermax prison in Florence, saying employee levels are dangerously low.
[...]
Units that house some of the nation's most notorious terrorists go unsupervised for up to 24 hours in some cases, said McFadyen and Mike Schnobrich, president of the prison council with the American Federation of Government Employees.

"It's my understanding that whole housing units have gone unstaffed for eight hours or longer, including the terrorist unit," McFadyen said. "I'm calling on President Bush and the Congress to personally take note what's happening at Supermax."

Here's hoping the Feds respond to the call.

--posted by Staff

[10/9/07 edited to add: Check out this Colorado Confidential post for a detailed look at the staffing situation.]