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Supreme Court To Weigh Limits On Colorado Climate Lawsuit Against Energy Producers
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Supreme Court To Weigh Limits On Colorado Climate Lawsuit Against Energy Producers

By Melissa Quinn | CBS News Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up an effort by energy companies to end a lawsuit filed in state court that seeks billions of dollars in damages for the impacts their fossil-fuel products have had on the global climate. The decision from the Supreme Court could impact the ability of state and local governments to hold oil and gas companies accountable in state courts for the consequences of climate change. Dozens of cities and counties have filed similar cases around the country, but the justices had turned down similar disputes that have landed before them. The court will likely hear arguments in its next term, which begins in October. The legal battle was brought by the city of Boulder, Co...
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Simple Backyard Upgrade Leads To Costly Zoning Battle in Denver
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Simple Backyard Upgrade Leads To Costly Zoning Battle in Denver

By Chierstin Roth | CBS Colorado Denver homeowner EJ Braquet built a pergola over his back patio for his aging mother back in 2023. She can no longer make it to the nearby park, so he wanted to give her a shaded spot in the backyard to get outside. However, he could never have imagined what happened next.  "I basically said I don't want to cut any corners," said Braquet. "I want to build it right and build it nice." Little did he know that his backyard project would spark a multi-year battle with the city. "Didn't have anything to hide, didn't realize I needed a permit at the time, I thought this was very similar to what you could buy at Costco and assemble yourself," Braquet said. Braquet says he was contacted by city zoning after a neighbor reported th...
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Denver Judge Says Colorado Prison Work Policies Violate State Constitution
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Denver Judge Says Colorado Prison Work Policies Violate State Constitution

By Austen Erblat | CBS Colorado A Denver judge on Friday ruled that the Colorado Department of Corrections has been violating a 2018 amendment to the state constitution by requiring people in state prisons to work under the threat of solitary confinement and other punishments. The ruling comes as part of a class action lawsuit filed four years ago by Harold Mortis, who's serving a 40-year sentence at the Sterling Correctional Facility for a 2016 second-degree murder charge, to which he pleaded guilty. The suit was filed on behalf of thousands of people who are incarcerated in Colorado state prisons. Denver District Court Judge Sarah Wallace ruled that CDOC, its director Moses Stancil, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis are violating people's rights under Article II, Section...
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Colorado Energy Mandates Stir Growing Debate Over Housing Affordability
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Colorado Energy Mandates Stir Growing Debate Over Housing Affordability

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado Over the last 10 years, Colorado has become one of the most energy efficient states in the country, and one of the most unaffordable as the cost of housing has soared. Roger Lovell, Building Official at the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, says it's no coincidence. "The big driver from an affordability standpoint is the cost of compliance with the latest energy codes," Lovell said. Lovell says Colorado's energy mandates have gone too far. "Now when you're designing the home, you have to bring on an energy consultant," he said. There's no national energy code, so most states adopt standards developed by the International Code Council. It assigns a point value for energy efficiency to everything fr...
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Colorado Lawmakers Weigh Justice and Unintended Consequences in Child Sex Solicitation Bill
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Colorado Lawmakers Weigh Justice and Unintended Consequences in Child Sex Solicitation Bill

By: Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado Colorado is among the top ten states in the country for human trafficking and most of the victims here are children. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation says 64% of human trafficking survivors are under age 18 and, under current state law, some of their abusers receive probation. A bill by state Sen.s Byron Pelton and Dylan Roberts would change that. Roberts says the current law is failing children. "How do we hold buyers of children accountable for their crimes?" he said. Under the legislation, anyone convicted of crimes related to child solicitation would be sentenced to a minimum of four years in prison. State analysts say each year, an average of 25 of those offenders receive probation. READ THE F...
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Proposed DPS Policy Would Shield Undocumented Students From Certain Law Enforcement Actions
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Proposed DPS Policy Would Shield Undocumented Students From Certain Law Enforcement Actions

By Chierstin Roth | CBS Colorado Denver Public School Board President Xóchitl Gaytán has been working with immigration advocacy groups to create a set of policy changes that would add further protections for undocumented students. However, some community members believe the proposal goes too far. For Gaytán, protecting undocumented students is personal. "I am the only board member on the DPS board of education that has a lived experience as being someone who is undocumented for half of her life," said Gaytán. Therefore, for me, this issue is something that I have deep ties with." Which is why she's working with immigration groups to propose a new policy that would enhance protections such as establishing safe zones and would not allow any student to be questione...
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Former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen Enters City Council Race in Southwest Denver
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Former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen Enters City Council Race in Southwest Denver

By Brian Maass | CBS Colorado Former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen, who retired as chief in 2022, plans to announce next week that he is running for a seat on Denver City Council. Pazen confirmed his intentions Tuesday night, telling CBS Colorado, "I'm running for Denver City Council District 2 because southwest Denver deserves leadership that listens, shows up, and will work tirelessly for the people who live and work here." READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
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Colorado PUC Moves to Regulate Planned Power Shutoffs After Xcel Outages
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Colorado PUC Moves to Regulate Planned Power Shutoffs After Xcel Outages

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado After four Xcel power shutoffs in the past nine months, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission is taking action. The director of the PUC told state lawmakers the regulatory agency is creating rules to help mitigate the impact of "Public Safety Power Shutoffs," which are meant to reduce the risk of a wildfire in high wind events. The news came during a hearing by the Colorado House and Senate energy committees, where lawmakers grilled the president of Xcel, Robert Kenney. Republic state Sen. Byron Pelton, who represents Morgan County, told Kenney, when power is cut to feed lots in rural Colorado, cattle lose access to water. Democratic state Sen. Tammy Story, who represents Jefferson County, says the shutoffs have h...
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Rising Inmate Numbers Put Pressure On Colorado To Expand Prison System
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Rising Inmate Numbers Put Pressure On Colorado To Expand Prison System

By: Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' budget director, Mark Ferrandino, is sounding an alarm. He says the Colorado Department of Corrections is limiting new admissions as it reaches capacity, and the state needs to open a new facility to house a growing number of inmates. Ferrandino urged Colorado's Joint Budget Committee to approve funding for more beds in the short-term.  "We are going to get to a place, unless the forecasts significantly change, where we are going to need additional capacity," Ferrandino told the committee.  Ferrandino said the state has closed seven prisons over the last 15 years, as Colorado's prison population has dropped by nearly 6,000 inmates. But he says the population is now growing rapidly, and the state...
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ICE Investigating Use of Death Symbol Cards Left in Vehicles After Colorado Detentions
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ICE Investigating Use of Death Symbol Cards Left in Vehicles After Colorado Detentions

By Christa Swanson | CBS Colorado Immigration and Customs Enforcement has released a statement condemning the actions of those leaving ace of spades cards, or "death cards," in the vehicles of people detained in a county in Colorado's mountains. Immigration advocacy group Voces Unidas first reported the practice on Thursday, stating that the cards were left inside abandoned vehicles in Eagle County after the detainment of nine Latino community members this week. The cards feature an ace of spades with "ICE Denver Field Office" at the top of the card and the address and phone number of the ICE detention facility in Aurora on Oakland Street. They were later found by family members. Voces Unidas The practice of leaving an ace of spades as a calling card reportedly bega...
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