Colorado Governor Bill Ritter today signed an important bill into law, reducing penalties for possession of drugs.

House Bill 1352 increases the amount of drugs a person can posses before facing jail time, instead diverting offenders to substance-abuse treatment centers paid for by the savings on avoiding incarceration.

Ritter also signed bills allowing judges greater discretion in granting probation, increasing possible good time and ability to be placed on parole.

House Bill 1360 lessens penalties for parolees who make technical violations. House Bill 1338, makes it easier for people previously convicted of two or more nonviolent felonies to obtain parole. And House Bill 1374 increases the amount of time off their sentences that well-behaved inmates can earn for each month served.

Here's a copy of the final bill. [More...]

At the Republican Colorado Assembly today, delegates picked a tea partier named Dan Maes over conservative former Congressman Scott McInniss, who has been running for the job for what seems like years.

Maes says he is the more conservative of the two. I didn't know you could be more conservative than McInniss. As McInniss told the crowd today:

“On Day One I will reverse the executive order that unionized all state agencies,” McInnis promised. “I will stand by the governor of Arizona. I will stand by Tom Tancredo to protect our borders.”

So what does Maes stand for that McInniss doesn't? [More...]

My neighborhood lost power at 11:30 pm last night. There was a big bang and then blackness. Apparently, a transformer blew. This morning, the lights are on but there's no electricity. No coffee, no tv, no computer power, no clocks. At least it's Friday and I didn't have anyplace special to be.

Supposedly full power will be restored in a few hours. It's kind of eerie. I'm turning the computer off now to save the battery.

Just a reminder to always keep fresh batteries around for your flashlight.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Tomorrow night, the Denver City Council will consider an immigration reform proclamation that includes:

NOW THEREFORE,BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER:

Section 1. That the Council of the City and County of Denver calls upon President Barack Obama, the United States Congress, and our Colorado congressional delegation, to take swift and responsible legislative action to produce fair, humane, effective, and comprehensive federal immigration reform - reform that enhances American stability, security, and prosperity by: providing for robust border control; enforceable immigration laws; family unification; a rate and system of controlled immigration that matches the needs of our economy; a path to earned legalization, citizenship, and social integration for our existing immigrant workforce and their families; equitable access to higher education for immigrant students already being educated in American public schools; enhanced enforcement of labor laws; and bilateral partnerships with other countries to promote economic development that will reduce the flow of immigrants in the first place.

If you'd like to call your city council representative and ask them to support it, here's the contact information.

Colorado Rep. Jared Polis has been appointed to the House Judiciary Committee. He says he is looking forward to working on immigration reform.

What does he think of Arizona's law? He's denounced it.

[I]t is Congress that needs to act to pass comprehensive immigration reform. The people of Arizona want a solution. They have sunken to desperate and unconstitutional means and have sent a signal to us, here in the Capitol, to take action to fix this important issue. It should take no courage for members of Congress to support immigration reform. (my emphasis.)

[More...]

Cheers to Boulder, Colorado. The city council has suspended official travel to Arizona in protest of its immigration law:

The city of Boulder will immediately suspend sending any employees to Arizona on business, and may take additional action against the state, in a show of opposition to its wide-reaching new immigration law.

City Manager Jane Brautigam on Wednesday morning sent a memo to all department directors ordering them to cancel any plans to travel to Arizona for conferences or other city business, even if the tickets have been paid for.

“This action is being taken to demonstrate our opposition to Arizona's new public policy, embodied in recent legislation, to require documentation for all persons who may be suspected of being in that state without official status or approval,” Brautigam wrote. “Such a policy is contrary to our organization's commitment to diversity and is a violation of our core values.”

And, that's not all: [More...]

The Denver Post has some great photos of yesterday's rally against Arizona's SB 1070.

The one that says "Stop Ignorance" got me thinking. How do we do that? Usually the answer is education. Can that work with the prejudice against immigrants? It may be too late for adults, but can we reduce their success rate in passing their bigoted views onto the next generation? Should schools include in their curriculum, starting in kindergarten, classes and presentations that extol the contributions immigrants have made to this country and promote diversity? Something has to counter-balance what kids are hearing at the dinner table from ignorant parents.

Willie Clark, convicted of the murder of Denver Bronco Darrent Williams, was sentenced today to life in prison plus 1,152 years.

Clark got an additional 1,152 years in prison for the 16 attempted murder charges and the sentencing enhancements for his habitual criminal history.

"Mr. Clark, I will simply say from where I sit, barring a retrial of this issue, you are spending your life in prison and you too can be a good person and make a change and make a difference with your life however it turns out," Judge Christina M. Habas said.

If there's a point to such a sentence, it escapes me. Colorado law mandates life without parole for first degree murder, that wasn't in doubt. Clark asked to be absent from his sentencing and the judge refused, saying he had to listen to the victims' witness impact statements. Why? According to the Judge: [More..]

This was the Wednesday night open thread post, which I had called Thursday by mistake. I was fixing it and by accident deleted it. Along with the five or so comments. Really sorry. At least I had the comments open on another screen so I will repost them all together in one comment below.

American Idol: I really liked Sons of Sylvia, especially the lead singer. Don't know who's going home yet.

If you missed Justified on FX Tuesday night, catch a replay, it was really good.

I'm just catching up on today's news. This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

MileHi Hawkeye points us to this:

Former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), who crusaded for tough anti-immigration measures while in Congress, told KDVR-TV that while he supported the new immigration law in Arizona he thought it went too far. Said Tancredo: "I do not want people here, there in Arizona, pulled over because you look like should be pulled over."

(Emphasis supplied.) As MileHi says, if Tancredo thinks you went too far in Latino loathing and immigrant bashing, then you probably crossed the line about 100 hundred miles back.

I get to put this in the "Colorado News" section. As I have stated repeatedly, though I live and die with the Gators, Tim Tebow does not have the skills to be a good NFL QB. The Broncos made a mistake here imo.

That said, picking Tebow is certainly better than picking the most overrated player in this draft - Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen. While it is conceivable that Tebow can be made into a good NFL QB, in my view, Clausen has no upside. He is as good as he will ever be, and that is not even conceivably good enough.

Sam Bradford, assuming the medical issues are settled, is not only a good pick because he was by far the best QB prospect, he was the best player in the draft (better than Suh, Berry and McCoy.) 3 Gators were picked in the 1st round, Tebow at 25, CB Joe Haden at 7 by the Browns and Maurkice Pouncey at 18 by the Steelers. Pouncey is a sure thing. Haden was picked too high, but I love him.

I'll make this an Open Thread.

Looks like it was quite the scene outside the state capitol in Denver yesterday, as marijuana advocates celebrated 4/20, known as Marijuana Freedom Day. Inside, legislators were toughening the rules for medical marijuana. It will allow local governments to ban dispensaries, notwithstanding our state constitution. Here's the bill, as introduced. More on the House passage here.