Remember what the “P” stands for in EPA?

As wildfire season winds down, some forget what Coloradans went through this summer: forest and road closures, chalky skies, and the destruction of homes and people’s lives. But the people of Huerfano and Costilla counties haven’t forgotten. The business owners who were depending on summer tourism to get them through the winter haven’t forgotten. And the men and women putting their lives on the line to fight the Bull Draw Fire this very day certainly haven’t forgotten. This summer’s wildfires were some of the biggest in Colorado’s history.

So why are we allowing Trump’s EPA to keep slashing methane regulations? The New Source Performance Standards exist to keep needless carbon emissions out of our air. We’ve already seen what the consequences are when we fail to protect our climate. Coloradans need to stand up and tell the EPA that we want commonsense regulation. It’s a matter of life and death.

Parolees participate in society and are particularly impacted by public housing and fair employment statutes but cannot elect their representatives. This is inherently unfair and undemocratic. Additionally, because the majority of persons now incarcerated are AfricanAmerican and Latino, the electoral representation of these minority groups is diminished when parolees are kept from the polls.

Two states maintain voting rights for prisoners, while some states restore rights upon release from prison. Colorado marginalizes parolees well after their physical incarceration despite evidence that restoring civil rights decreases recidivism. We can do better. We urge our government officials to consider these issues and support parolee voter reenfranchisement legislation.