Prom night is as American as apple pie. But, as it tuns out, only if you can pass the smell test. And we're not talking about vodka here.
COLORADO'S FRONTPAGE
Face the State
Content Index: Civil Rights
Follow this topic by RSS6/26: Thought Police at CU-Colorado Springs
A CU student is vindicated, but not before having his name drug through the mud by school administrators.
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Colorado Tourism Office pumps up its numbers; new minority 'recovery' director
FTS staff writer Rachel Boxer talks about two recent stories posted to FTS this week: The Colorado Tourism Office is taking criticism for pumping up its performance statistics after two Colorado economists torpedo their methodology. And the Governor's office has hired a new director to steer Stimulus Act dollars to minority firms, renewing the debate over race preferences.
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Tancredo sets sights on drug legalization
A Face the State Staff Report
June 16, 2009Former Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo's 2008 presidential bid was an admitted opportunity to speak against current immigration policy. And while immigration reform remains in Tancredo's sights, his new policy stomping ground may come as a surprise: marijuana legalization.
Kopel responds to dismissal of CU gun ban challenge
A Face the State Staff Report
May 7, 2009A lawsuit brought against the University of Colorado by a group of students challenging CU's concealed carry gun ban has been dismissed. In analyzing the decision, which was made based on a technicality, a leading national gun expert says CU leaders must still address larger inconsistencies and inequities resulting from the policy.
Brighton prom goes to pot for one couple
May 7, 2009DNA collection bill advances
A Face the State Staff Report
May 3, 2009During legislative testimony, law enforcement officials went head-to-head with criminal defense attorneys over whether Colorado should allow for the collection of DNA upon an arrest for a suspected felony crime.
DNA collection bill divides Republicans
A Face the State Staff Report
April 28, 2009
A bill to collect DNA from individuals arrested for felonies has Republicans split over whether it reflects a commonsense approach to law enforcement or a dangerous expansion of government power.
Senate Bill 241, if passed, would enter the collected DNA samples into a state database maintained by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Former Sen. Jones continues fight for equal treatment
A Face the State Staff Report
April 21, 2009
Despite a few recent disappointments, former state Sen. Ed Jones of El Paso County has not given up on his lifelong fight for civil rights.
Audio: Did Rep. Judd really suggest lowering penalties for human trafficking?
The state legislature considers so many bills every day that it is easy for many of them to fly under the radar, especially if a proposal is not overtly controversial.
Case in point: Rep. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, recently sponsored House Bill 1123, which specifically increased the penalties for the human trafficking of a minor to be equal to the penalties of trafficking adults. Who can be against that?
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'Colorado's Kelo' comes to a close
A Face the State Staff Report
March 13, 2009
Nearly two years after receiving notice from the Regional Transportation District that their property would be seized for light rail expansion, Kim Snyder and Galen Foster of Pro-Tint Windows in Lakewood are moving on.
CU concealed carry lawsuit holds up possible changes to CSU gun policy
A Face the State Staff Report
March 3, 2009
A lawsuit challenging the University of Colorado's gun ban is slowly making its way through the courts. The outcome of the case may not only determine the fate of CU's policy, but Colorado State University's as well. CSU has put its plans to develop a campus-specific handgun policy on hold until the lawsuit against CU is resolved, continuing for the time being to allow concealed weapons on campus in accordance with state law.
No to House Bill 1186: Ballot chasers threaten election security
FTS Opinion
February 23, 2009
By Denver Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz
If election ballots were $100 bills, voters would be a lot more careful with them. They’d keep them secure and make certain they ended up in the hands of the proper elections officials. They wouldn’t blithely hand them over to third-party collectors who appeared on the doorstep drenched in smiles.
2/19: Let's not criminalize political speech
Should it be illegal to slander a political opponent on the campaign trail?
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Black anthem singer back in Denver to explain actions
A Face the State Staff Report
February 13, 2009
The woman who shocked Denver and the nation last summer by injecting lyrics fom the “Black National Anthem” into her rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner," was in Denver Thursday night to once again sing, but also to share the story of what lead to her headline grabbing performance.
No love for the white guys
FTS Opinion
February 11, 2009
By Jessica Peck Corry
February may be the month of love, but for white men, they certainly aren't getting any. At least not from the Obama White House, congressional Democrats, or the economy.
Domestic abuse bill brings men's rights to light
A Face the State Staff Report
February 5, 2009A bill proposing to increase fees in order to support domestic violence service agencies was heard Wednesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee. If passed, the bill would designate a percentage of funds specifically for organizations that provide domestic abuse services for military members and veterans.
CU professor's e-mails chronicle her time on the campaign trail
February 2, 2009Documents obtained under the Colorado Open Records Act show CU law professor Melissa Hart made a habit of using her position at the university to further her work in defeating Amendment 46, a 2008 ballot initiative seeking to end race and gender preferences in Colorado government. The documents are the basis for two FTS reports (found here and here).
CU prof used state resources to fight Amendment 46
A Face the State Staff Report
February 2, 2009
According to e-mails obtained by Face the State via an open-records request, tenured CU law professor and co-chair of the "No on 46" campaign Melissa Hart frequently used her CU e-mail account and campus resources to advocate against November's Amendment 46. More than 35 emails sent between August and December 2008 show Hart was using her CU e-mail address to organize campaign events, correspond with campaign attorneys, and advocate against the proposed amendment that sought to eliminate race and gender preferences in the state's affirmative action programs.
Third time's the charm to 'Make My Day'?
A Face the State Staff Report
January 28, 2009For the third year in a row, Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, and Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, are sponsoring a bill that would give employees and business owners the right to defend themselves, their property, and their fellow employees from intruders without fear of prosecution.
Segment 2 - Petition-rights activist Paul Jacob
Petition-rights activist Paul Jacob had been indicted by the Oklahoma Attorney General for the high crime of helping to organize a citizen initiative to limit taxation. A federal appeals court recently ruled against the state, but the case is a sad reminder of government's resistance to grassroots involvement in the political process.
Play audio - 11:00 minutes
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1/21: Does race matter in political appointments?
A Hispanic special-interest group says there aren’t enough minorities in public office. But why should race matter at all in elections?
Play audio - 1:35 minutes
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Lakewood Eminent Domain Meeting Gets Heated
A Face the State Staff Report
January 19, 2009Nearly 80 property owners and property rights activists gathered Saturday at the Lakewood Public Library to voice their frustrations to board members and an attorney representing the Regional Transportation District. The source of dispute: the agency's intent to condemn more than 150 properties as part of its westward light rail expansion.
Segments 3 and 4 - Minorities in CO politics
Should race have played a role in Gov. Bill Ritter's recent appointments for Secretary of State and U.S. Senate? Denver attorney Amber Tafoya and the Latino Forum think so.
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Gardner, Brophy to take on eminent domain in 2009
A Face the State Staff Report
January 6, 2009As the 2009 state legislative session gets underway, two lawmakers have plans to protect property owners from property rights abuses.
12/19: Restoring CU students' right to self-defense
Why should CU students be forced to give up constitutional rights when they step foot on campus?
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Meet the plaintiffs suing CU
A Face the State Staff Report
December 17, 2008The faces of a lawsuit challenging the University of Colorado's gun ban are not what one might expect. While anti-gun activists may paint them as "just a bunch of drunks who are going to shoot each other," the three plaintiffs taking on their university paint a very different picture.
Segment 2 - Tom Lucero signs up to challenge Markey, students challenge CU gun ban
FTS staff writer Rachel Boxer explores the political maneuvering surrounding Republicans' 2010 challenge to U.S. Rep.-elect Betsy Markey. CU Regent Tom Lucero has already thrown his hat into the ring, but others are sure to follow suit.
Also, the University of Colorado system faces a lawsuit from students challenging a campus ban on concealed weapons.
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Student group sues CU over gun ban
A Face the State Staff Report
December 12, 2008A gun rights student coalition is suing the University of Colorado over an on-campus firearms ban. Perry Pendley, lead council for the plaintiffs and chief legal officer of Mountain States Legal Foundation, maintains that CU's ban on licensed concealed carrying of authorized weapons denies the right to self defense guaranteed by the Colorado Concealed Carry Act and the Colorado Constitution.
Analyzing Tom Tancredo on Tom Tancredo
FTS Opinion
December 11, 2008By Thomas McDowell
Face the State published a very interesting column by Tom Tancredo explaining, without saying so, why he thinks his anti-immigration rhetoric didn’t hurt the Republican Party.
12/11: Internet cops out to get you
Think your words online can’t come back to bite you? Think again.
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7/3: Boulder food nannies
How about a cupcake for dessert? Not in Boulder!