Supermax lawsuit
Three years ago, 14 inmates represented by a Colorado firm sued the U.S. Bureau of Prisons alleging that inmates at the supermax in Florence “mutilated their bodies with razors, shards of glass, sharpened chicken bones, writing utensils, and whatever other objects they could obtain,” while the BOP turned a blind eye. Now, the lawsuit has been amended to state that the prison is also misdiagnosing inmates. Via The Denver Post.
Jeb! vs. Huerta
Prominent civil rights advocate Dolores Huerta from Pueblo is on an anti-Jeb Bush messaging spree, writing editorials and funding ads that accuse the presidential hopeful of using moderate rhetoric to mask his “extreme anti-Latino policies.” Via The Pueblo Chieftain.
Bank on this
U.S. Senators Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet teamed up with the Oregon delegation to introduce a marijuana banking bill on Thursday. If it becomes law, marijuana businesses could start putting their money in banks rather than duffel bags, holes in the ground, armored vans or whatever else they use now. Via The Daily Camera.
Overtime overhaul
The U.S. Department of Labor is poised to expand overtime eligibility for the first time in forty years. Some 80,000 Colorado workers stand to benefit. Via The Daily Camera.
Another mine
Another coal mine in Craig will have to go through a retroactive environmental review or get shut down. Like the nearby Colowyo Mine, the Trapper Mine was expanded without proper public input or impact assessment. Via The Grand Junction Sentinel.
Smaller cuts
Fort Carson in Colorado Springs has to cut 365 troops by 2017, the Army announced Thursday. That number is a far cry from the 16,300 estimate the Pentagon reported last year. Via The Gazette.
Diagram of Supermax prison cell via WikiMedia.
