Representative Mandy Lindsay to continue being investigated for allegedly misusing caucus funds
The Colorado House Ethics Committee found probable cause on Monday to continue investigating state Representative Mandy Lindsay. The bipartisan group says the Aurora lawmaker may have misused caucus funds when serving as co-chair of the House Democratic caucus. Allegations include writing herself a 25-hundred-dollar check, charging a hotel stay to a caucus debit card and pocketing thousands in reimbursements. But lawmakers stopped short of accusing Lindsay of criminal misconduct. The case now moves to an evidentiary hearing, where Lindsay will have a chance to defend herself. She says the payments were bookkeeping mistakes.
Two individuals charged with forging signatures on Colorado school-choice ballot measure petition
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced yesterday that two individuals were indicted by a statewide grand jury on four counts each for allegedly submitting petitions with forged signatures to get a school choice initiative on the 2024 general election ballot. According to the grand jury indictment returned on April 16, the charged individuals—Cherell Long of Nevada and Martin Arellano of Texas—were paid circulators employed by Victor’s Canvassing, LLC based in Colorado Springs. The firm was one of three businesses hired by an initiative campaign to circulate petitions to gather the necessary valid signatures to include a school choice state constitutional amendment on the November 2024 ballot. Both defendants appeared before a notary and swore to or affirmed under penalty of perjury that their submitted petitions were valid. A review by the Secretary of State’s office found that several signatures did not match signatures in voter files, and that there were signatures of deceased voters and voters whose registrations were canceled because they moved out of the state.
Proponents of the school choice initiative submitted more than 190,000 signatures to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. A vendor for the office conducted an initial review of the submitted petitions and found that 131,000 of the signatures appeared to be valid, which was more than the 124,238 needed to be placed on the ballot. The measure appeared on the November 2024 general election ballot as Amendment 80, and was defeated.
Ouray EMS receives funding for new technology
Ouray County Emergency Medical Services announced that it has received funding from the Colorado Emergency Medical and Trauma Services (EMTS) Provider Grant Program. According to a press release, this grant will significantly bolster emergency medical response capabilities across the county.
The funding will reportedly be used to replace aging defibrillators and acquire new chest compression systems. Ouray County EMS says that the new equipment will modernize frontline emergency responses and improve patient care during cardiac emergencies, critical medical incidents, and extended transport situations, which are common in rural mountain communities.
Group of midwives sue the state
Midwives play an important role in improving maternal and newborn health outcomes. But in Colorado, a class action lawsuit on behalf of midwives who work outside hospital settings alleges they often face bias and discrimination from the state.
For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, Aspen Public Radio’s Sarah Tory spoke to one midwife involved in the lawsuit who worked in the Roaring Fork Valley for 25 years.
Erin Easton on mindfulness and meditation
As the pace of today's busy world gets more frenetic, more people are turning to mindfulness to support their wellbeing. KVNF's Brody Wilson spoke with one mindfulness coach that KVNF listeners will be familiar with.
