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08_06_24_am_headlinesm Greta Kerkhoff
Anti-Trans initiatives fail
Two anti-trans initiatives that backers hoped to put before Colorado voters this fall have failed to qualify for the November ballot.
Organizers for Initiatives 142 and 160 fell well short of gathering the required 124,000 voter signatures they needed by yesterday. That’s according to 9News’s Kyle Clark, via X.
Initiative 142 would have required Colorado schools to notify parents or legal guardians if their child is experiencing so-called “gender incongruence.” Initiative 160 would have restricted participation in girls school sports programs based on biological sex at birth.
The two initiatives were led by a group calling themselves Protect Kids Colorado.
New voter registration surges in Colorado
New voters are leading a surge in voter registration in Colorado. The Secretary of State’s office says more first-time voters registered last month, than at any time since November 2022.
A total of 26,621 people across Colorado’s 64 counties registered as new voters in July.
According to Colorado Newsline, it’s an unusually high total for the month of July, when new voter registrations in Colorado typically slow down following the June primaries.
This data follows president Joe Biden’s decision to exit the 2024 presidential race.
Vote.org, a nonpartisan voter registration website, reports signing up more than 100,000 new voters in the five days following Biden’s exit. 84% of them were under age 35.
Colorado voters can register to vote and find information on the Secretary of State’s Go Vote Colorado website.
Fire updates
Fire officials say they are optimistic about the progress being made in battling wildfires burning in Colorado.
Crews are continuing to contain the wildfires in Jefferson, Larimer, and Montrose Counties.
As of late yesterday the Quarry fire in Jefferson County was forty-five percent contained. The Alexander Mountain fire west of Loveland was seventy-four percent contained, while the Stone Canyon fire was one hundred percent contained as of Sunday evening.
“Containment” is a measure of how much of a fire’s perimeter is protected by fire lines dug by bulldozers or by hand, and whether “hot spots” remain in a given area, according to the Denver Post.
Evacuation orders remain in place in some areas, and Highway 34 in Larimer County remains closed.
Meanwhile a fire burning on some 3,700 acres northeast of Nucla in Montrose County was only seven percent contained as of yesterday.
Boulder King Soopers shooting hearing
The man accused of murdering ten people in a Boulder King Soopers supermarket three years ago has another court appearance scheduled for today.
Defense attorneys for Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa will request a different judge in court today.
They’re arguing that because Chief District Judge Ingrid Bakke has voiced support for the shooting victims, Alissa cannot receive a fair trial. As a result, they want Judge Bakke to recuse herself from the case.
This past Friday, the defense also filed a motion asking that the court suppress any statement or evidence from a “illegal interrogation” of Alissa while he was under arrest.
The suspect has already pleaded not guilty, by reason of insanity, to ten counts of first degree murder, and numerous other felonies, stemming from the March 2021 shooting in the King Soopers store at 3600 Table Mesa Drive.
Jury selection in the murder trial is due to begin on August 26th. The trial is expected to last for about a month.
In the meantime, the Boulder Strong Resource Center, at 2935 Baseline Road, remains open to anyone who needs support in coping with the emotional aftermath of the shootings.
RTD Zero Fare for youth extended past one-year pilot
RTD’s Zero Fare for Youth program will continue for young riders across the Denver-Metro area.
RTD’s Board of Directors voted unanimously last week to continue beyond the one-year pilot, maintaining Zero Fare for Youth service without interruption.
Zero Fare for Youth allows riders who are 19 and under to use all RTD services for free. The Colorado legislature passed a bill in May 2024 to appropriate up to $5 million to RTD to continue the program.
General Manager and CEO Debra Johnson said in a press release that the public response has been overwhelmingly positive. The program enables young people to get to school, their jobs, and extra-curricular activities without worrying about how they’ll pay their fares.
To use the Zero Fare for Youth service, riders 19 and under must present a valid student or government-issued ID.
The pilot program began in September of 2023.
BVSD help center
The Boulder Valley School District is hosting an enrollment help center for parents who need help before the start of the new school year.
The Help Center will happen over five days, beginning this Thursday. Parents can get help with enrollment applications, setting up Parent Portal accounts, and filling out forms for free and reduced school lunches.
Team members can also help families experiencing housing instability.
The Help Center will be at the Boulder Valley Education Center at 6500 Arapahoe Road, from 9am until 4pm.
BVSD said in a press release that no appointments are necessary, and that bilingual support will be available.
