Intra-party Discord Consumes Colorado Democrats As One Lawsuit Settles

Democrats suing Democrats may become the norm in the Colorado legislature as tensions continue to boil over between the moderates and extreme members of the party who are demanding more power.

Rep. Elisabeth Epps, who openly criticized House Speaker Julie McCluskie and House Majority Leader Monica Duran throughout the last legislative session, has threatened both legal leadership challenges. The progressive Denver Democrat has followed through on one, and most insiders expect that she and members of the Black Women’s Caucus will follow through on the other later this month.

Several members have complained that Democratic leadership didn’t do enough to address Republican comments that they believe crossed the line, including efforts to add anti-trans amendments to a resolution about the Equal Rights Amendment and verbal attacks after Democrats limited debate on a set of gun bills.

Epps and other Black women in the caucus, including Herod and Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, said the vitriol recently increased after the House passed a bipartisan resolution declaring May 12th as Police Week.

Six House Democrats, including Epps, Herod, and Bacon, appeared to walk off the floor in a coordinated protest against police, something they each have denied, to avoid voting on the resolution.

Acknowledging the growing dissent within her caucus, Speaker McCluskie addressed the House on May 6th. However, Republicans interpreted her statement as yet another attempt to exert dominance from the left, while the Democrat supermajority remained unsatisfied, believing the Speaker's actions fell short.

During the final day of the session, Representative Epps openly criticized Speaker McCluskie's leadership within the House Democratic caucus. She accused the Speaker of being too accommodating towards Republicans and permitting last-minute bills to be railroaded through by Democrats. This internal discord within the party ultimately resulted in a lawsuit brought forth by Representatives Elisabeth Epps and Bob Marshall, alleging "pervasive" violations of the state's open meetings laws by members of the Colorado House.

That leads us back to the lawsuit by State Reps. Elisabeth Epps of Denver and Bob Marshall of Highlands Ranch and the apparent settlement in the unusual lawsuit filed this summer alleging “pervasive” violations of the state’s open meetings laws by members of the Colorado House.

 State Reps. Elisabeth Epps of Denver and Bob Marshall of Highlands Ranch

The terms of the settlement, subject to judicial approval, include an agreement not to discuss public business or take formal action during meetings where a quorum is expected without first providing public notice and promptly releasing meeting minutes. Additionally, discussions regarding public business via electronic means must be accompanied by publicly available minutes upon request, conforming to the Colorado Open Records Act.

Disturbingly, the taxpayers will bear the burden of the $13,000 legal fees owed to the lawyer representing Epps and Marshall.