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In the NoCo

Colorado lawmakers confront funeral home improprieties as families grieve from the fallout

State lawmaker Dylan Roberts speaks into a microphone at a wooden podium with people in a semi-circle behind him.
Scott Franz
/
KUNC
State lawmaker Dylan Roberts speaks about health care policy at the State Capitol in January 2020. Roberts sponsored a bill last year to give state regulators the power to inspect funeral homes without the permission of the business owner.

Funeral homes in Colorado have been operating like they exist in a Wild West time capsule. The lack of regulations has been center stage after authorities recently discovered almost 200 bodies that had been improperly stored at a funeral home in southern Colorado. That shocking discovery wasn't the only example of funeral home improprieties. Now lawmakers are looking at ways to regulate the industry – and hopefully bring some closure to distraught families.

KUNC investigative reporter Scott Franz has been examining the issue for months. He sat down with In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole to explain what he has learned.

Scott mentioned a database in this episode where you can research whether a funeral home has been investigated or disciplined by the state. Here’s his reporting on that.

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.
Scott Franz is an Investigative Reporter with KUNC.