District 40 Representative John Buckner who championed many progressive causes and voiced strong words of support for those of the low-income community, victims of racial profiling and police brutality, and of the homeless community died unexpectedly Thursday morning. He had earlier in the legislative session taken time off because of a respiratory illness but had been expected to recover.
During the last legislative session, he spoke in support of the numerous police reform bills that were introduced including body worn cameras, racial profiling prohibition, the public’s right to record law enforcement interactions, homeowner’s and homeless rights. He made a personal comment before a reading of HB 1288, the racial profiling prohibition bill about his and his family’s own experiences with racial profiling in the city of Denver as he described the numerous times that he had been pulled over by police.
He spent 40 years as an educator of middle and high school students in the Cherry Creek School District before entering the legislature in 2012. He was chair of the Education Committee.
In an email blast that is circulating today, an announcement reads, “One of our angels has been called home to glory.”
