Colorado Week in Review for November 6, 2022

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The importance of Colorado’s Secretary of State race

Coloradans have been consistently clear. We are tired of election deniers and conspiracy theorists.

Pam Anderson, the Republican candidate for Secretary of State, kicked off her campaign claiming she was not “that kind of Republican.” But as this year has progressed, Anderson has shown her true colors–defending election deniers like Lt. Governor Danny Moore, and refusing to call out conspiracy theorists she appears on stage with on the campaign trail.

Whether out of political convenience or cowardice, Pam Anderson has aligned herself with insurrectionists and election deniers. Anderson has refused to condemn or return the donations from campaign donors who believe the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump. To placate extremists during her primary campaign, Anderson vaguely promised to conduct superfluous “audits” and other measures sought by election conspiracy theorists. As Jefferson County clerk, when presented with the option of securing JeffCo’s elections by modernizing voting equipment, Anderson instead chose to redecorate her offices. In addition, Anderson’s office mistakenly sent notices to thousands of voters falsely claiming their ballots had not been counted.

The good news is that we have a great Secretary of State already, Jena Griswold, who is unafraid to stand up to election deniers, and has spent the last four years ensuring safe and fair elections in Colorado. Griswold stood up to Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 elections at great personal risk.

As Joe Biden, said the other day, this is about our very democracy and its survival. Unfortunately, Pam Anderson has proven herself unwilling to make the honorable choice and reject the election deniers and insurrectionists.

There are just a few days left in this year’s elections, and the Colorado Secretary of State’s race is one of the most important on the ballot. If you haven’t already returned your ballot, take a moment right now to consult the Colorado Progressive Voters Guide and get it done today. Then check with JustVoteColorado.org to find your ballot drop box.

Thanks for helping progressives hold the line in Colorado all the way down your ballot.

Sincerely,

Sara Loflin, Executive Director

TAKE ACTION NOW: Stop Barb Kirkmeyer’s Outright Lies

On Monday, ProgressNow Colorado called for a new ad released by Republican congressional candidate Barb Kirkmeyer to be removed from circulation for falsely claiming that her opponent and the Democratic majority in the Colorado legislature “legalized fentanyl.” [1]

There is absolutely no justification for Kirkmeyer’s claim that “Democrats legalized fentanyl.”

That simply never happened.

It’s not just misleading, or a difference of opinion, it’s a knowing and deliberate flat-out lie.

In a devastating Truth Test last night, 9NEWS’ Kyle Clark explained exactly how this ad is false, and how Kirkmeyer’s knowledge of the truth as a Colorado lawmaker elevates this incident from a merely false statement to a flat-out lie.

Local news outlets Colorado Newsline and the Colorado Times-Recorder have also picked up the story:

Next steps: With Kirkmeyer refusing to respond to press inquiries about this blatantly false ad even as it continues to run in heavy circulation, it’s up to us to take action. Take a moment right now to call all four of Denver’s major television stations and urge them to pull Kirkmeyer’s lies off the air immediately.

KDVR FOX 31/Channel 2: 303-595-3131
CBS4 Denver: 303-861-4444
9NEWS Denver: 303-871-9999
Denver7: 303-832-7777

When you call, remember to be respectful and as brief as possible with the employee you speak with. Responsible media outlets should immediately remove this ad from broadcast, and Barb Kirkmeyer owes the residents of the Eighth Congressional District an apology for brazenly lying about this gravely important subject. Kirkmeyer is the offender, not our local news stations, and this is a chance for these trusted media outlets to do the right thing and refuse to broadcast indefensibly false information.

We’d love to hear how your outreach goes! Please feel free to drop us a line and relay your experience–especially if you’re told the ad will stop running.

Thanks once again for defending the truth in these last few days before the crucial 2022 midterm elections. With your help, we can push back against the far right’s lies and misinformation successfully. Like Kirkmeyer herself, who supported Weld County seceding from the rest of Colorado in 2013, outrageously dishonest politics have no place in our state.

Sincerely,

Sara Loflin, Executive Director

Colorado Women Gather To Say No To John Kellner


From top left to lower right: ProgressNow Colorado executive director Sara Loflin, Dani Newsum of Cobalt, Claudia Perez of Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado, Bianka Emerson of Colorado Black Women for Political Action, Jessica Goad of Conservation Colorado, Amy Raaz of the Latina Initiative outside the Colorado Supreme Court on Thursday, October 27, 2022.

DENVER: On a snowy morning in downtown Denver last week, Colorado women in leadership roles in progressive advocacy, reproductive rights, immigrant rights, and climate activism joined together at the Colorado State Supreme Court to hold DA John Kellner accountable for his record and agenda inimical to the interests of Colorado women.

Watch video of Thursday’s press conference here.

“We are here to say no to John Kellner because of his appalling record when it comes to Colorado women,” said ProgressNow Colorado Executive Director Sara Loflin. “In Colorado, women value freedom, safety, and opportunities for a good life without the threat of leaders who cannot and will not protect them. John Kellner is unethical, unprepared, and does not value the freedom of women, our families and our future, making him unfit to serve as Colorado’s attorney general. Together with women from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, I stand here in solidarity with those who feel that if John Kellner were elected Attorney General, our freedoms would fundamentally be compromised.”

“The ability to control our reproductive lives is a fundamental human right,” said Dani Newsum, Director of Strategic Partnerships for the abortion rights and access organization Cobalt. “Our Attorney General’s race is the single most important race in determining whether or not the Reproductive Health Equity Act continues to be enforced in Colorado. When asked, ‘Do you support abortion rights?’ a simple yes or no question, John Kellner said ‘It’s too nuanced of a topic to give a yes or no answer.’ That answer is asinine and it is dangerous. We need to be very clear about what’s at stake. Abortion is health care. And abortion bans are harming health care access and outcomes for those who need it most.”

“Make no mistake, abortion access is on the line in every state across the country including Colorado,” said Claudia Perez of Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado. “With Roe decimated, the states are far too high to allow someone like John Kellner in a position of power to determine whether or not women in Colorado can access reproductive health care. Kellner has shown his true colors and intentions time and again by standing with candidates who openly oppose Colorado’s laws to protect abortion. The Colorado GOP has made it abundantly clear that banning abortion is a key feature of their platform. If they have their way, Coloradans would face the same obstacles to abortion care as people in Texas and Oklahoma.”

“Kellner claims to be the law and order candidate but the facts don’t line up with his record,” said Bianka Emerson of Colorado Black Women for Political Action. “Kellner did not support any efforts to secure more funds for peace officers, puts the blame on Mexican drug cartels, while also wanting to criminalize victims of fentanyl poisoning. Kellner says he would not have brought a lawsuit against the federal government when it illegally withheld $2.7 million in public safety funds, and remained silent on a legislative initiative to secure fentanyl anti-trafficking funds. That does not help our communities. Colorado women don’t believe for one minute that John Kellner would support our civil rights. As far as protecting Colorado’s civil rights are concerned, Kellner does not have relevant civil rights experience. Who is to believe that he would have brought any lawsuits to defend the civic rights of Coloradans?”

“John Kellner is the wrong choice for our environment, the wrong choice for families, and the wrong choice for us as women,” said Jessica Goad of Conservation Colorado. “John Kellner is shockingly silent on environmental issues, a mistake for anyone running for office here in Colorado especially to defend the rights for our air, land, and water. Kellner said that he would not have challenged the Trump administration’s vicious attacks on our air, land, and water. He’s not the right candidate for our families, for my child, and for all of our kids here today and our families here in Colorado.”

“John Kellner’s friends at the Republican Attorney General’s Association have engaged in vicious anti-immigrant campaigns in states around the country,” said Amy Raaz of the Latina Initiative. “During his campaign for Attorney General, John Kellner has joined the false chorus of Republican politicians demonizing immigrants for the very real opioid crisis affecting our communities, when research has shown that American citizens are responsible for most seizures of fentanyl on our Southern border. Kellner’s support for wide prosecutorial latitude to send children to prison for decades and even life flies in the face of criminal justice reforms we’ve fought for in Colorado.”

“Colorado Women value our safety and ability to live a good life,” said PNC’s Loflin, “yet women are often the targets and victims of gun violence that is preventable with common sense gun safety regulations. Kellner has failed to support common-sense gun safety laws like background checks, the limit on magazines in Colorado by 15 rounds, and has opposed the Red Flag law that keeps guns away from people who are proven to be dangerous. He was glib and disrespectful when he criticized the red flag law’s use by family members and suggested it would be used by those ‘who had a one-night stand.’ Although we have experienced mass shootings frequently in this state, he still opposes the assault weapons ban. Colorado women don’t want or need Kellner.”

Colorado Week in Review for October 30, 2022

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O’Dea, Anderson and Ganahl: reject the Big Lie once and for all

Republicans like Pam Anderson, Heidi Ganahl, and Joe O’Dea are still trying to fool Coloradans. While Heidi Ganahl says “Joe Biden is the President,” the Denver Post revealed this weekend that Ganahl ended an interview when asked about the 2020 Election and the Big Lie. [1] When faced with similar questions, Anderson (seeking the Secretary of State), said she didn’t want to “ostracize” potential supporters. [2]

Republicans who want to give a satisfactory answer to the overwhelming majority of Americans without upsetting the election deniers they need for votes in the upcoming election are very careful in the words they use to describe Joe Biden’s victory. Heidi Ganahl says “Joe Biden is the President,” but that terse answer sidesteps whether or not Ganahl thinks Biden is the legitimately elected President. Ganahl should have no problem saying that Joe Biden is the legitimately elected President of the United States, but those are words she has never once spoken: and the difference is crucial.

These candidates are even now attempting to play both sides of the issue for political gain, and it is time for Pam Anderson, Joe O’Dea, and Heidi Ganahl to state plainly that Joe Biden was legitimately elected president and disavow the dangerous right-wing and Republican conspiracy theorists–including Ganahl’s running mate Danny Moore.

Join us today. Sign our petition calling on O’Dea, Anderson and Ganahl to publicly disavow the 2020 election conspiracy theories once and for all and affirm that Joe Biden is the legitimately elected President of the United States.

Thanks for taking action. There’s nothing more important than trust in our election system.

Sincerely,

Sara Loflin, Executive Director

Colorado Week in Review for October 23, 2022

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Coloradans agree: Joe O’Dea must let the victims speak

Just over a week ago, ProgressNow Colorado launched our campaign calling on Joe O’Dea to release everyone who received settlement money attached to a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) from O’Dea’s company Concrete Express during the company’s long history of worker safety, fair pay, and discrimination cases so those victims can tell their stories.

The response to our petition campaign has been overwhelming. The story of O’Dea’s repeated worker safety violations and other violations of worker’s rights has resulted in an outpouring of similar discontent with “bad bosses” throughout the economy. Working people across Colorado are tired of out-of-touch rich bosses who don’t respect the workers who created their wealth.

Kay in Eagle writes, “This man is an example of the worst in business owners. He should not be permitted to frighten his employees.”

Karyn in Pine: “If you are so wonderful, why are you stopping victims from speaking out about their work experiences with you?”

Larry in Cotopaxi responds, “Seriously? Good to know this about you and your attempts to silence people who know about the conditions at your company. Let them speak so we can know who you really are, or is that what you are afraid of?”

Susan in Boulder asks, “I wonder what O’Dea is afraid of? The truth, perhaps? To erase any doubt he should allow his employees/former employees to speak. If he doesn’t release people from nondisclosure agreements then many will wonder why he’s so secretive and fearful. Could it be that he puts profits over people?”

If you haven’t already, add your voice to our petition demanding Joe O’Dea release victims of CEI workplace injury and discrimination to tell their stories. We’ll share your names and comments with the press and O’Dea’s campaign as we continue to press for accountability in these final weeks of the 2022 elections.

Thanks so much for your help to hold Joe O’Dea accountable this summer and fall. The polls say you’re making the difference we need.

Sincerely,

Sara Loflin, Executive Director

PS. For the latest polling of Colorado’s statewide top races, read today’s issue of the Mountaineer–a joint in-depth polling project brought to you by Global Strategy Group and ProgressNow Colorado.

PPS. Got your ballot? Consult with the PNC Colorado Progressive Voters Guide before you vote.

Colorado Week in Review for October 16, 2022

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Tell Joe O’Dea: let the victims speak

Last week, ProgressNow Colorado held a press conference in front of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment in downtown Denver with a long list of cases from injured parties—more than 20 different parties—that have filed lawsuits against O’Dea’s company Concrete Express.

We’re calling on Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Joe O’Dea to release any victims and injured parties involved in litigation against O’Dea who are either under Non-Disclosure Agreements or are too scared to share their stories.

Sign our petition demanding that Joe O’Dea immediately release everyone who may be prohibited from talking publicly due to their NDAs and settlement agreements.

Joe O’Dea’s concrete company has been fined by the Department of Labor for repeated health and safety violations, including creating an unsafe working environment that led to a roof collapse injuring 13 of his employees. A former human resources employee at Concrete Express alleged that management at the company concluded that ‘old guys were a liability’ and that the company ‘need(ed) to get rid of these old sick people’ to bring down insurance costs. [1]

Joe O’Dea’s entire case for running for office is based on his concrete pouring business, where it’s clear now that O’Dea put profits over the health and safety of his employees. It gets worse: while mistreating his own employees, O’Dea received almost $3 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program funds to meet his payroll obligations during the pandemic. O’Dea never missed the chance to enrich himself, but injured and aging workers at Concrete Express got a raw deal.

Sign our petition demanding Joe O’Dea let CEI’s injured parties tell their stories.

When the stakes are this high the public has the right to full disclosure, and O’Dea should not be allowed to silence his critics.

Thank you for your help holding Joe O’Dea accountable.

Sara Loflin, Executive Director

Colorado Week in Review for October 9, 2022

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Colorado Week in Review for October 2, 2022

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Colorado Week in Review for September 25, 2022

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Colorado Week in Review for September 18, 2022

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Colorado Week in Review for September 4, 2022

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Colorado Week in Review for August 28, 2022

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Colorado Week in Review for August 21, 2022

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NO WAY O’DEA: Time to get on the bus

For months we’ve been warning you about the danger of Joe O’Dea–a sleazy businessman with a record of hurting workers and putting his own greed above Coloradoans. It’s time to call him out for trying to have it both ways on the most important issues confronting Colorado and the nation.

Join us Monday, August 22 at 6pm as we hit the road with our NO WAY O’DEA Bus Tour.

WHAT: Kickoff of the NO WAY O’DEA Bus Tour
WHEN: Monday, August 22, 2022
WHERE: Brooklyn’s Denver, 2644 W. Colfax Ave., Denver

Click here to RSVP.

Joe O’Dea admits Joe Biden won the 2020 election, but he says he would support all of Trump’s Supreme Court Justices picks as a U.S. Senator, and would support Trump for President in 2024. O’Dea is supported by Trump appointees like former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. O’Dea says he is “personally pro life” and would support a range of new nationwide restrictions on abortion rights.

Joe O’Dea keeps trying to confuse voters over his stand on abortion rights, and he recently admitted voting for Proposition 115, the ban on abortions later in pregnancy. Colorado voters opposed Proposition 115 by a huge 20-point margin in 2020.

Joe O’Dea’s concrete company, Concrete Express, has been fined by the Department of Labor for repeated health and safety violations, including creating an unsafe working environment that led to a roof collapse injuring 13 of his employees. A former human resources employee at Concrete Express alleged management at the company concluded that “old guys were a liability” and that the company “need(ed) to get rid of these old sick people”to bring down insurance costs.

And that’s just the beginning. Between now and October, the NO WAY O’DEA Bus will tour Colorado to educate voters on O’Dea’s real agenda. With unhinged Republican candidates falling apart in other states, Republicans are counting on Joe O’Dea to hand Mitch McConnell back the majority. On Tuesday, August 23, we will be hitting the road to Grand County, with more tour stops to be announced in the coming days. We’re excited to connect with Coloradans in every corner of the state.

Want to ride on the NO WAY O’Dea Bus? Seat sponsorships are available! Sign up and we’ll make arrangements for you to join us on an upcoming leg of the tour.

We’ll see you soon!

Sincerely,

Sara Loflin, Executive Director

“Sleazy” Joe O’Dea: when bad business hurts good people

Unsafe working environments. Age discrimination. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines levied by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

For too many of Joe O’Dea’s employees, working on “Joe’s Crew” was the worst mistake they ever made. That is Joe O’Dea’s record for taking care of employees at Concrete Express, the business that made O’Dea a multi-millionaire.

Have you been the victim of unsafe working conditions and discrimination on the job, either working for Joe O’Dea or another employer? We want to hear your story.

Joe O’Dea’s concrete company has been fined by the Department of Labor for repeated health and safety violations, including creating an unsafe working environment that led to a roof collapse injuring 13 of his employees. A former human resources employee at Concrete Express alleged that management at the company concluded that ‘old guys were a liability’ and that the company ‘need(ed) to get rid of these old sick people’ to bring down insurance costs. [1]

Joe O’Dea’s entire case for running for office is based on his concrete pouring business, where it’s clear now that O’Dea put profits over the health and safety of his employees. It gets worse: while mistreating his own employees, O’Dea received almost $3 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program funds to meet his payroll obligations during the pandemic. O’Dea never missed the chance to enrich himself, but injured and aging workers at Concrete Express got a raw deal.

As a U.S. Senator, Joe O’Dea would continue to put crony special interests and his own wealth ahead of the needs of the people of Colorado. Colorado doesn’t need any more bad bosses, and with your help, we’ll make sure O’Dea is held accountable between now and November.

Do you have a story to tell about working for Joe O’Dea or another boss who puts profits over their employees? Click here to tell us your story, and we’ll be in touch if there’s a way it might help. Thanks again for everything you do to hold the rich and powerful accountable. No one is above the law.

Sincerely,

Sara Loflin, Executive Director

Colorado Week in Review for August 14, 2022

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Colorado Week in Review for August 7, 2022

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Colorado Week in Review for July 31, 2022

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Colorado Week in Review for July 24, 2022

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Colorado Week in Review for July 17, 2022

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Colorado Week in Review for July 10, 2022

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