Glenwood Springs–A medical marijuana moratorium will be voted on
next week by the Garfield County Board of Commissioners. The board
is waiting to see how the state regulations mesh with federal laws
that prohibit marijuana. Several dispensaries in unicorporated areas
of the county may have to close their doors.
Parachute–The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will
hold a hearing next week in Parachute for Berry Petroleum, a company
accused of spilling over 100,000 gallons of fluid into Parachute Creek.
Glenwood Springs–The lawsuit filed by four former inmates against
the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office has been dismissed with prejudice.
The suit claimed that jail staff abused the inmates and denied them
their constitutional rights. Since the suit was filed five years ago,
the Sheriff’s Office has implemented changes to internal reporting
forms and improved access to mental health care.
Glenwood Springs–Third in the nation. The Glenwood Springs
High School mock trial team captured third out of 48 teams
at last weekend’s national competition in Phoenix. Glenwood
last won title in 1990.
DENVER (AP) – Colorado lawmakers are trying to salvage plans to
draw new congressional districts before time runs out Wednesday.
The Senate worked until early Tuesday morning to cobble together
a redistricting plan without success. Lawmakers from both parties
seem resigned to the likelihood that a judge will have to step in
and draw new congressional lines because Democrats and Republicans
cannot agree.
The Republican-controlled House was poised Wednesday to adopt
congressional lines favored by the GOP. But unless they can agree
with Democrats who control the Senate, the plan is doomed.
The state is required to redraw congressional lines every 10
years to account for population changes, but the redistricting
process can be bitterly partisan, and this year is no exception in
Colorado’s divided Legislature.
ALTERNATIVE BOND
House panel considers CO alternative bond program
DENVER (AP) – A Colorado House panel is scheduled to hear a
proposal to allow some criminal defendants to post bond to courts
administering pretrial-release programs.
The proposal has narrowly cleared the Senate amid objections
from bail bondsmen who say they bill will put them out of business.
The measure allows some defendants to avoid going through a
bondsman to post bail if they are eligible for pretrial supervision
programs. Some Colorado counties have adopted such programs as an
alternative to jail, in part because of worries about overcrowding.
The bill is expected to be heard by a House committee Tuesday.
