State briefs
Rep. Lauren Boebert’s son arrested on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges
Tyler Jay Boebert, 18, the son of United States Rep. Lauren Boebert, was arrested by Rifle police around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in connection to a string of vehicle trespass and property thefts in Rifle.
Tyler Boebert is formally charged with four felony counts of criminal possession of identification documents pertaining to multiple victims, as well as one felony count that accuses him of conspiracy to commit a felony. In addition to these felony charges, Tyler Boebert is also facing over 15 other charges that range from misdemeanors to petty offenses.
The arrest adds to a number of legal troubles that the Boebert family has faced this new year, including two incidents on Jan. 6 and Jan. 9 involving Rep. Lauren Boebert and her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert.
The Jan. 9 incident led Silt Police to the Boebert residence regarding an altercation between Jayson Boebert and Tyler Boebert. The altercation involved heavy alcohol use by Jayson Boebert and possession of a firearm. Jayson Boebert was arrested and charged with prohibited use of a weapon, harassment, and assault in the third degree. He was also arrested for a warrant stemming from the Jan. 6 incident on charges that include disorderly conduct, third-degree trespass and obstruction of a peace officer.
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In Feburary, Rep. Lauren Boebert was granted a temporary restraining order against Jayson Boebert.
— Glenwood Post Independent
Republican candidate’s withdrawal narrows field to take on U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo
Weld County Commissioner Scott James has suspended his campaign in the Republican primary for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, narrowing the field to take on U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo.
In a statement posted Tuesday night to X, formerly known as Twitter, James wrote that, after having conversations with supporters in recent days, he “decided I could best be of service and have the highest degree of impact by staying at home in Johnstown, continuing to serve and lift my voice for the people I love in the county and state that I love.”
James was one of several Republicans jockeying to run against Caraveo, a Democrat elected to represent the newly formed district in 2022. The contest is considered one of the tightest in the country heading into November, and it could help determine which party controls the House. Cook Political Report considers it a toss-up.
James’ departure leaves state Rep. Gabe Evans, a freshman lawmaker from Fort Lupton, and Joe Andujo, a health insurance consultant, as the strongest Republicans still in the contest.
Evans, who has raised the most of the Republican field, had more than $186,000 on hand as of the end of 2023, according to federal election filings. Andujo had more than $203,000 on hand, but the bulk of his fundraising has come from $216,000 in candidate loans.
James, who had raised just over $150,000, suspended his campaign with less than $24,000 left.
— The Denver Post
Colorado’s air-monitoring settlement with Suncor is flawed and prioritizes energy company’s interests, environmentalists say
Six environmental groups on Tuesday filed a legal brief saying they do not support a recent settlement between Colorado and Suncor Energy over an air-quality monitoring program at the company’s Commerce City oil refinery.
The six groups said the agreement is flawed and they were not given enough time to review and respond before the settlement was filed earlier this month.
The agreement will cause more delays in getting the fenceline air-monitoring program started and it will not cover the entire boundary of Suncor’s property, according to the groups’ response to a settlement motion filed in Adams County District Court. The groups also questioned whether the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will be able to enforce the agreement, particularly a new requirement for Suncor to monitor for six pollutants rather than three.
“The settlement agreement adopts a fenceline monitoring plan that is imperfect, prioritizing Suncor’s interests over the communities’ concerns,” said Robert Rigonan, an associate attorney with Earthjustice’s Rocky Mountain Office, who represented the six groups in court. “While it is a modest stride toward the accountability promised to these communities by the Colorado legislature, more must be done to ensure the plan makes a meaningful impact on the ground.”
The lawsuit settlement was announced on Feb. 5 as a part of an agreement that also brought a $10.5 million penalty for Suncor for spewing excessive amounts of toxic chemicals into the air.
— The Denver Post
