The Denver Daily News
A citizens group fighting photo red lights in Aurora has expressed interest in a proposed California law that would hold government accountable before installing the speed traps. Citizens for Responsible Aurora Government has taken note of the popular California bill, which would require municipalities in California to prove a safety need for the cameras before proceeding with installing them. Concerns have been raised that such photo red light cameras are installed not to protect the public, but instead to raise revenue.
Lawmakers yesterday backed legislation that would ask voters to make it more difficult to amend the Colorado Constitution. Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 was backed by the Senate State Affairs Committee by a vote of 3-2.
An El Paso County District Court ruling this week could set a precedent for municipalities to run ballot initiatives that would prohibit future and existing medical marijuana businesses, advocates fear. El Paso County District Court Judge Timothy Simmons ruled on Wednesday that the controversial ballot initiative can remain on the ballot, despite a lawsuit by 16 medical marijuana businesses seeking to have the initiative removed from the ballot. Advocates argued that the initiative violates the state constitution after voters legalized medical marijuana in 2000.
Education spending advocates yesterday announced that they will push for a 2011 ballot initiative that would create a steady funding source for P-20 education. The group attempted to persuade lawmakers this year to refer the question to voters, but the measure failed. Great Futures Colorado says a new report by the Colorado School Finance Project indicates that schools throughout the state are resorting to cost-cutting measures that will have a “significant and lasting impact on students and families.”
You might not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you could let that dog off-leash and give it a try in a Denver park under a citizen initiative that’s up for review tomorrow. An initiative being proposed by Ronald “Byron” Williams would allow dogs to be off-leash in certain parts of almost all Denver parks from 5-9 a.m.
Gov. Bill Ritter said last Thursday that he is working with groups outside the Capitol to craft a 2011 ballot initiative that would eliminate aspects of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Speaking to members of the Colorado Alliance for Retired Americans ”” an arm of the AFL-CIO union ”” Ritter explained how Colorado’s constitution makes it difficult for lawmakers to prevent severe budget cuts to departments such as human services and public safety.
The Denver Sheriff’s Department union is spearheading a ballot initiative that would expand sheriffs’ arrest powers, a move that has upset several city leaders and the Denver Police Department’s union. The Fraternal Order of Police ”” the union for the Denver Sheriff’s Department (DSD) ”” must collect more than 40,000 signatures in 90 days to place the initiative on the Nov. 2009 ballot. If passed, the change to the city charter would allow Denver sheriffs to respond to a crime occurring outside of a DSD-staffed facility.