My first bill was signed into law last week, which was a bipartisan measure to give volunteer fire departments the option to form as nonprofit organizations. This is aimed at aiding the more rural areas of the state without the tax base to support a fire district.
Through this bill, such areas now can apply for state assistance in acquiring firefighting equipment. No area of Colorado is immune from wildfire dangers and, facing what may be another tough, dry year, we should be as proactive and prepared as possible in protecting our citizens and communities.
Another bill of mine, Senate Bill 205, recently was introduced and proposes state support for recruiting and maintaining wildland firefighting and wildfire mitigation veteran corps, employing young veterans transitioning back to civilian life. I invited a bipartisan team to sponsor the bill with me, including two young veterans now serving in the Legislature.
I’ve also been putting a lot of time and effort into the issues surrounding police reform. Denver-area legislators particularly are interested in passing legislation this session prompted by current events such as the confrontations in Ferguson, Missouri, and elsewhere.
Being in these conversations is important to me for a number of reasons. First, as the Senate Judiciary Committee chairwoman, it’s likely such bills will be assigned to my committee. Engagement in the issues before we hear those bills will help me be better educated on the impacts and intent of the proposed legislation.
Second, while my home is in remote, rural Colorado, for almost a decade now, I’ve lived in downtown Denver during each legislative session. I have a pretty good grasp of the challenges that exist in such different circumstances, but it helps to hear firsthand from law enforcement officers and their communities in the urban areas, especially in Denver.
Third, I want to understand what the urban legislators and their constituents view as the problems in state law to be, so that any solutions attempted to be passed at the Legislature address those problems and don’t have unintended consequences in the more rural areas of the state.
To be clear, I start from a place of trust in our law enforcement. They’re dedicated public servants who place themselves in harm’s way, daily, for complete strangers. Rather than disparaging law enforcement in general, we can acknowledge that “bad apples” exist in every profession, and we should focus our attention on those individuals.
Working with the law enforcement organizations including district attorneys, sheriffs and the police chiefs’ associations, and along with the new senator who was the Weld County sheriff, I’ll be introducing a bill creating greater transparency for law-enforcement agencies in the hiring process, so they’re aware of applicants with a history of lying or use of excessive force before making a hiring decision.
We’re also introducing a bill providing for greater transparency into decisions made not to prosecute officers involved in shootings. A third bill proposes gathering data of officer-involved shootings.
We’ve met regularly with Denver legislators, who are House Democrats, seeking common ground where we can. This may include bills regarding increased use of officer body cameras and expanded police training. These are thorny topics, but I’m committed to working with others to find reasonable approaches to challenges we face in our communities across the state, rural and urban.
Ellen Roberts represents Senate District 6 in Colorado’s General Assembly. The district encompasses Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, San Juan and San Miguel counties. Call Roberts at (303) 866-4884 or email her at ellen.roberts.senate@state.co.us.
