Elected officials who show up drunk at official meetings that address controversial issues must face the consequences of their actions.

That’s what the Northglenn City Council decided unanimously Wednesday in their vote to file an ethics complaint against Democrat state Sen. Faith Winter.

Mayor Meredith Leighty said showing up to official functions intoxicated had become a pattern with Winter, and its past time for the state Senate to step up and deal with Winter’s irresponsible behavior.

The Northglenn Sentinel reports:

Council members said there was no other way to punish Winter for her conduct, since she is term-limited and can’t be voted out of office. Anyone else who showed up drunk to their job would face dire consequences, council members said.

True that.

Winter hoped to fend off the ethics complaint that now goes to Senate leadership for action, by sending a letter of apology.

Her apology came just hours before the vote, and nearly a month after the meeting that sparked community outrage over the proposed location of a halfway house hosting sexual offenders near a Northglenn school.

Winter missed six days of session and claims she underwent medical treatment at home for her substance abuse issue.

In her self-serving letter, Winter insisted she be given a pass for her actions because she is empathetic to people with issues like hers.

Here’s the letter.

Wait, that’s not it.

“I, like you, know that the way to uphold that oath is to lift up those in our community who are going through hard times, not tear them down,” Winter said.

No wonder kids today are so emboldened to behave irresponsibly or even break the law. Democrats never hold their own accountable.

Perhaps the Democrat controlled state Senate could truly get radical and hold their members to a higher set of standards, starting with Winter.