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KUNC is a member of Capitol Coverage, a collaborative public policy reporting project, providing news and analysis to communities across Colorado for more than a decade. Fifteen public radio stations participate in Capitol Coverage from throughout Colorado.

Police Reform, Teen Sexting On The Docket At The Colorado Capitol

Colorado Senate GOP
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Several police reform measures are making their way through the statehouse, and lawmakers are also looking at how best to address the problem of teenagers sexting. We asked two reporters working under the gold dome to review the week that was.

Capitol Conversation Highlights

On Teenage Sexting

Kristen Wyatt, The Associated Press: "There's wide agreement that nobody wants to see 16-year-olds showing dirty pictures sentenced to 12 years in prison for that, because it's very common behavior."

Peter Marcus, The Durango Herald: "What people are trying to way is just how big of a prolific problem is this really in the first place. Is this just something that we really need to crack down or is it just kids being kids? We live in a different era now with social media."

Read More: Teen Sexting Prompts Efforts To Update Child-Porn Laws

On Police Reform Legislation

Marcus: "The conversation last year was really overshadowed by national events, white police officers shooting unarmed black men. The grassroots base was activated, the citizens were activated. They came out and told heart wrenching stories… this year the conversation was much more limited to the stakeholders themselves."

Wyatt: "It's really unclear where these are going to go. In the Senate, president [Bill] Cadman (R-Colorado Springs), started the first day, his whole remarks were basically a love letter to law enforcement, had a bunch of cops in the chamber. I think he was really telegraphing he did not want to see any legislation that could be interpreted as anti-law enforcement."

Bente Birkeland has been reporting on state legislative issues for KUNC and Rocky Mountain Community Radio since 2006. Originally, from Minnesota, Bente likes to hike and ski in her spare time. She keeps track of state politics throughout the year but is especially busy during the annual legislative session from January through early May.
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