Headlines — April 27, 2022

Headlines for April 27, 2022

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Hundreds Of Wild Horses Die In Captivity

Hundreds of wild mustangs in captivity at the Cañon City County Correctional Facility have died from an unknown illness.The facility has more than 2500 horses, many taken from wild habitat by the Bureau of Land Management roundups last summer. 

According to The Colorado Sun, the deaths have sparked outrage from animal advocates who say the holding pens for the mustangs are “cramped, crowded and stressful,” and “the perfect environment for infectious pathogens to propagate and spread.”

The BLM has rounded up thousands of horses over the past two years to preserve park land where, they say, the horses overgraze drought-stricken areas. 

Advocates say the round-ups are unnecessary. Across the country, the federal agency has more than 60 thousand horses in captivity. They plan on capturing 19,000 more next year. 

Colorado Senate Hears Bill To Tighten Fentanyl Penalties

Legislation that would create harsher criminal penalties for the possession of fentanyl reached the state Senate yesterday. Bill sponsors say penalties are part of a deterrent to tackle the opioid crisis. 

Bill sponsor Senator Brittany Pettersen told the Judiciary Committee in opening statements yesterday how possession would break down into different felony categories. 

Britney Pettersen, a Democrat from Jefferson County, says the media focus on the “re-felonization” of fentanyl has been frustrating.

Harm reduction activists say treating the public health crisis with criminal penalties is a step backward. They rallied on the steps of the state capitol yesterday at noon, just before the Senate took up the bill. Among the speakers was Juston Cooper, deputy Director of Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition. The bill, HB-1326, passed out of the House last week.

At $625 Million Flatiron Park Sale Is The Most Expensive Deal In Colorado History 

BioMed Realty, an investment firm that provides real estate for life science and tech companies, has purchased the Flatiron Park Business Campus in Boulder for $625 million. The sale of 1-million-square foot space includes 22 buildings and is the largest single-asset sale in Colorado history. 

Blackstone, the company who owns BioMed, is the world’s largest private equity fund, valued at more than $880 billion dollars in 2019. They’ve drawn criticism for aggressive investment in single-family homes leading to the nation’s current housing crisis. 

According to their website, BioMed provides “real estate solutions to life science and technology sectors.” 

BioMed officials said the company plans to put another $200 million into renovating Flatiron Park.

New Bill Would Give Access to Donor Identity For Donor-Conceived Coloradans 

Colorado Senate president Steve Fenberg Introduced a bill last week to increase regulation on the multibillion dollar fertility industry. If passed, it would be the  first of its kind nationwide. 

The bill, SB-224, starting with children conceived in 2024, would allow generations to know the identity of their sperm or egg donors once they turn 18. 

The bill comes after stories of fertility fraud and a 2020 case in Grand Junction that found a doctor used his own sperm to impregnate multiple women without their knowledge. Under the cloak of anonymity, Rep. Fenberg says donors can easily lie or admit details about their academic and genetic histories. 

There are 42 fertility clinics operating across Colorado. The bill will require these facilities to put a ten family limit on sperm donors and require donors to prove a thorough medical history.

Denver Has First Snowless April In 30 Years, Driest In 59 Years

This April has been the driest one in Colorado for the past 30 years.

According to The Denver Post, during most years, April brings 8.8 inches of snow and 1.68 inches of rain to the Denver Area. This month, Denver has received less than a tenth of an inch of snow.  

The lack of moisture combined with a dry winter brought Denver into “moderate drought with conditions likely to worsen,” as of April 19.

Antisemitism Across Colorado Increased 53% In 2021

The Anti-Defamation League released an audit Tuesday that found a 53% increase in antisemitism across Colorado. 

With 92 antisemitic occurrences involving, physical attacks, harassment and vandalism, Colorado has the 8th most antisemitic incidents nationwide, the most the state has seen in more than a decade. 

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