Coloradans have been denied the chance to vote on a ballot measure this fall that sought to ensure violent criminals serve at least 85% of their sentence before seeking parole.
The ballot effort was killed on a technical matter by the Secretary of State’s Title Board, which included surprise guest voting member, Solicitor General Eric Olson from the Colorado Attorney’s General office.
Ballot proponents Michael Field, president of Advance Colorado Institute, called foul on the rehearing and revote on the ballot measure that had already been approved weeks ago, and questioned the participation of Olson, who has never voted on the board as the attorney’s general office representative.
Writing in Colorado Politics, Fields said:
Though it’s impossible to know if Attorney General Phil Weiser explicitly told Olson to show up and overturn a 3-0 vote from the very same board just two weeks ago, the overall message was clear: we don’t want anything on the ballot that would make it harder for Weiser to be re-elected. If voters are thinking about the lack of leadership we’ve seen on crime when they fill out their ballots, the AG and Solicitor General will likely be looking for private sector jobs come next year.
To hear a recording of the hearing, click here.
Many Coloradans would be surprised to lean that violent criminals in Colorado jails serve less than half of their sentences that are decided by judges and juries.
We also have one of the worst recidivism rates in the country, while soft-on-crime laws and Gov. Polis’s parole boards are making our communities less safe, Fields writes.
We saw just how disastrous these combinations play out when an Aurora man convicted of sexually abusing young girls was paroled after serving only ten years of his 23-year sentence, only to assault a seven-year-old girl once released.
Coloradans would probably like to vote on such a ballot measure.
Fields plans to appeal the board’s decision in court.