Colorado

Other sources:

• Colorado Public Radio
• The Denver Post
• Associated Press

For those who don't know what she did, the must-watch video

If you've ever wondered about what it's like to live in the mountains, you might find this article interesting.

In Colorado, every state law treats the death of a person due to another’s actions as a felony—except one: hitting a person with a vehicle. This inconsistency is a red flag and requires a closer look. To be clear, district attorneys have the option to charge drivers with a felony, but unless the circumstances are egregious, such as the driver was drunk or had intent to harm, most opt for a lesser charge: Careless Driving Resulting in Death, a class one misdemeanor.

In far too many cases, judges sentence people guilty of this crime to probation and a $1,000 fine—the former being below the minimum sentencing guideline of ten days in jail, and the latter being the maximum fine allowed. When a driver kills someone with their vehicle and is charged with a misdemeanor traffic violation, it is hard to accept that this is what accountability looks like. I know most families who have lost loved ones will unequivocally say that drivers receive a slap on the wrist.

I have been practicing law for over thirty-five years, the majority of which has included representing bicyclists who have been hit by drivers who disregarded the safety of others. The Colorado legislature is considering a bill that will increase penalties for drivers who hit and kill vulnerable road users, such as bicyclists and pedestrians, from a class one misdemeanor to a class six felony. This is not an easy topic, and I struggle with aspects of the proposed legislation. But let me explain why this law is necessary.

https://archive.ph/S9mPj

A growing trend to dictate what journalists write, from the White House to the Washington Post and University of Colorado, poses an existential threat to our democracy

Spot on, imo

As a parent of a toddler in this program (one who is getting 4 provider visits per week, was going to be cut to 4 per month) I'm glad to have gotten an email late Friday saying that there will be no changes to services at this time. Still, this week has been a clusterfuck for us and especially our providers!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/26188982

Polis was a shred of humanity amidst the shitshow today.

Colorado gun stores say they may be forced to shutter should Democrats in the legislature this year pass a ban on the manufacture, sale and purchase of semiautomatic firearms with detachable ammunition magazines.

Senate Bill 3 would make a large portion of the merchandise at Colorado gun stores illegal to sell overnight, hitting their bottom lines but also presenting safety and liability issues.

How many of these things did you already know about?

Out West, the cowboy life was—and still is—a year-round affair. A ranch never sleeps, not even in winter. Cattle need to be herded, fences checked, and horses fed, even when the snow swirls around your boots and the temperatures are so cold they frost your eyelashes. There’s a special magic about that time of year—something enchanting about the stark contrast between the white snow and the dark slash of a steam-powered train, between the pale blue sky and the dark shapes of cows huddled contentedly amid the drifting snow. If you want a real taste of the Old West, there’s no better time to make your pilgrimage than winter.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/20948276

Archived at https://ghostarchive.org/archive/ln4rX

Prop 129 seems to have some good intent as far as increasing access to veterinary care and potentially lowering costs, but it seems like:

1. The people who would be most informed are pretty consistently against it
2. It seems a bit concerning to me after I did some research

For #1, even one of the advocacy groups presents statistics showing that fewer than half of vet techs in their survey agree: . And basically every professional association is strongly against it, for example:

• Colorado Veterinary Medicine Association
• American Veterinary Medical Association

For #2, among other concerns I see, one of the two colleges with programs is LMU, whose program is 100% online yet VPAs will be allowed to perform surgery. I don’t feel like someone should perform surgery on my pets without having some in person experience.

While I have no doubt that plenty of the advocacy for this prop is well-intentioned, I don’t think it’s likely to have the effects it sounds like it should.

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.

Coal may be on its way out in Colorado’s power picture, but it’s definitely still here. About a third of Colorado’s electricity is still generated by 10 coal-fired power units around the state. That should drop to zero by the end of 2031 when Xcel’s Comanche 3 plant closes, but it’s still seven years away

You probably know the ingredients but how about these sources?

Guy sent me a mailer advertising Trump's "full support" and he won't shut the hell up on my John Oliver reruns. I wasn't going to vote for him anyway, he's a Republican, but I'm now personally invested in his loss.