Voice
Lone Tree 3/21/13
Lone Tree
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 10
March 21, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlonetreenews.com
Physician named to school board Castle Pines mom Mendoza chosen from six finalists By Jane reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com
School board secretary Nona Eichelberger, left, swears in new school board member Dr. Carrie Mendoza during the March 14 meeting. Photo by Jane Reuter
More gun bills reach governor
An emergency room physician and Castle Pines mother joined the Douglas County School Board March 14. Dr. Carrie Mendoza was sworn in at the end of the meeting, chosen from among six finalists to fill the seat vacated in January by Dan Gerken. Mendoza, 46, and her husband Myles have three children. Myles Mendoza is executive director of Summit 54, described as a nonpartisan group that invests in programs to improve K-12 education. The new board member, who said she was leaving immediately after the meeting for her hospital job, was interviewed earlier in the evening along with the other five finalists. “I would like to carry on the great work the board has done,” she said. “I think I’d be
the best qualified in bringing some diversity to the board with my background and experience as a physician.” Board president John Carson asked her how she responded to the recent Colorado Court of Appeals decision in favor of the school district’s voucher program. “It was a hopeful moment that things obviously were going to progress and not take another back step,” she said. Mendoza also said she believes she could help the board counter the criticism “that comes with such a bold move.” “How can we be more effective? How can we promote better what we’re doing, how it’s effective?” she said. Board member Justin Williams proposed naming Mendoza to the board. Williams said Mendoza stood out from the others, though all six finalists met his criteria, which included compatibility with the current board, vision and electability. The seat Mendoza is filling expires in November, so she must either step down or run for election. Three other seats also are up for election in the fall. Board continues on Page 11
In the swIng of sprIng
Universal background checks, magazine limits await signature By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com Two more gun bills await Gov. John Hickenlooper’s signature, following another week of polarized debate on firearm-related legislation in the General Assembly. A bill that would put in place universal background checks on gun sales and transfers has now cleared the General Assembly, after getting one last round of debate in both the House and Senate on March 15. House Bill 1229 had previously passed both chambers, but lawmakers had to take up the bill again to deal with some minor amendments. Earlier in the week, on March 13, the House Report also passed House Bill 1224, which limits high-capacity ammunition magazines to 15 rounds. That bill had already passed the House last month, but lawmakers in the lower chamber had to vote on the legislation again in order to deal with amendments from the Senate. As was the case with earlier votes on these bills, debate was lengthy and at times emotional. Democrats continued to make the argument that background checks and magazine limits must be put in place to prevent more criminals from terrorizing a state that is no stranger to mass shootings. And Republicans argued at length that the bills would do nothing to further community safety and would only make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights. The same Democratic lawmakers who voted against the bills did so again last week. Reps. Ed Vigil of Fort Garland, Steve
Capitol
Guns continues on Page 11
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.
From left, Skyler Holmes, 3, gets a push from his dad, Brian Holmes, who holds sister Sydney. Six-year-old Sophia Face reaches for the sky with help from her dad, Ken Face. The Lone Tree families enjoyed a near-spring day March 17 at Sweetwater Park. Photo by Jane Reuter
pot recommendations are a handful Task force creates much work for lawmakers By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com It’s 166 pages long and it contains 58 regulation recommendations — some will be more complex and controversial to deal with than others. So it’s no wonder that state lawmakers are going to have to work overtime to get through a report from the Amendment 64 Task Force in time to meet a deadline for putting in place rules dealing with November’s voter-approved marijuana legalization in Colorado. A newly created legislative committee began its work on implementing the task force regulations on March 15. The Joint Se-
lect Committee, which is made up of Democrats and Republicans from both houses of the General Assembly, heard testimony on how best to go about crafting pot rules that must be ready for enforcement on July 1. If lawmakers can’t create legislation this session that deals with a myriad of issues — such as putting in place protections for children, figuring out how to deal with tourists, and how the new marijuana industry is taxed — then the state’s Department of Revenue will put rules in place without input from lawmakers. “We’d prefer not to implement rules without the guidance of the General Assembly,” said Department of Revenue head Barbara Brohl, who also is the co-chair of the task force that was put in place by Gov. John Hickenlooper. Because of that, the committee’s House
chairman, Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver, said members should expect to meet several times through the remainder of the session in order to complete their work. “We are going to have, I’m sure, a lot of discussion and debate about what should and shouldn’t be included in this legislation ....” Pabon said. As if their job isn’t difficult enough, committee members also must take into consideration the federal government’s role in all of this. The state still doesn’t know whether the U.S. Department of Justice will intervene in Colorado’s new marijuana industry, by way of federal drug enforcement or even a lawsuit. “This is a concern for everyone in government and everyone in the state,” Brohl said.