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VOLUME 33 | ISSUE 29
WEEK OF JULY 20, 2023
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‘Groupthink’ hard for GOP legislator Health officials State Rep. Gabe Evans recounts first term for Brighton breakfast group
warn of West Nile virus
BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
BY TEDDY JACOBSEN TJACOBSEN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
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If there’s one thing restaurant workers and owners don’t need, it’s more government regulation, according to Republican Colorado State Representative Gabe Evans. “If anybody’s worked in the restaurant industry, with many people working shift work, requiring the business to post the schedule two weeks in advance for those industries (is unfair),” Evans told a group of Brighton residents July 12. Evans was the featured guest at Mornings with Mayor Greg Mills July 12 at the Brighton Chamber of Commerce Train Depot. Mornings with the Mayor is a quarterly event that provides an opportunity for the community to spend some time with local government officials and to find out what’s going on with the city, get updates and ask questions. In a special opportunity, Mayor Mills shared the stage with the freshman legislator. “Today the chamber invited a special guest Gabe Evans (R), Colorado State Representative House District 48 who does a great job with the business community. The Colorado Chamber of Commerce has recognized him with an award,” said Yvette Martinez, City of Brighton Chamber community concierge. Evans covers House District 48, which includes parts of Weld and Adams counties, including Brighton, Lochbuie, Fort Lupton, Todd Creek, and Platteville.
Weeks of heavy rainfall followed by a string of hot days, has health officials in Adams County warning residents to be aware of mosquitoes. The weather has created perfect conditions for mosquitoes, some with the ability to transmit the potentially deadly West Nile virus. The Adams County Health Department runs a mosquito trapping proGabe Evans (R), Colorado State Representative House District 48 with Brighton Mayor gram in various parts of the county. From there, they identify mosquiGreg Mills and the community at the City of Brighton Chamber of Commerce. PHOTO BY BELEN WARD toes that could carry the virus and run tests on them. of relocation assistance equivalent to Ferah Jaura, manager of the proEvans won his first term in Nov. the monthly rate if they chose not to gram, said that monitoring mos2022. He is a retired Army and Narenew a tenants’ lease. quitoes in this way is the county’s tional Guard veteran flying the UH60 “As a landlord, I will have to increase primary tool for warning the public Black Hawk helicopter. He also served my rates if I have to pay my tenants about health risks. with the Arvada police department. whenever I don’t renew a lease, paySo far, Jaura said the county has Groupthink ing the equivalent of a quarter of the not tracked any mosquitoes carrying Evans opened the meeting by years of my income back to them so the virus. recounting the legislative process and that they could relocate,” Evans said. However, the virus has been found discussing house bills he worked on. “We were able to defeat that piece of in mosquitoes in Arapahoe, Boulder, He said he worked with the Colorado legislation.” Delta, Larimer and Weld counties, Restaurant Association to kill House according to recent tests in each Bill 1118 because it required restauProperty taxes a concern county. rant workers to schedule two weeks’ Art Biersvach with V10 Consulting, West Nile is the most common vacation in advance with no changes. told Evans he worries about rising mosquito-borne disease in the conIt just put too many requirements on property taxes, saying he’s considering tinental United States, according to restaurant workers and management. leaving the state. the Centers for Disease Control and “My group advocated against this “As citizens, we should get to debate Prevention. Most of those who are particular piece of legislation by the or vote on this issue,” Biersvach said. infected don’t feel sick, but about Colorado Restaurant Association,” Evans said changes are beyond him, one in five people develop a fever Evans said. “It would be a lot of restau- while he’s a member of the minority and other symptoms. About one in rants out of business to hire staff.” party. 150 people become seriously ill and He also fought against a bill that “We have a saying the minority gets may die, according to the CDC. would have required landlords to pay the tenant two to three months SEE GOP, P4 SEE WEST NILE, P4
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