Death Penalty Executive Order

The big headline this morning is the Governor's issuance of an Executive Order granting temporary reprieve to convicted murderer Nathan Dunlap, who is on death row.  The Executive Order can be viewed here, and you can find Hickenlooper's official press release with the explanation of his decision here.  Further information on capital punishment in Colorado is available at this website from the Colorado Dept. of Corrections.

Public School Finance Act

Yesterday Governor Hickenlooper signed SB13-213, the Public School Finance Act.  This new law revamps the original 1994 Public School Finance Act.  It is important that Colorado citizens to know about the Act because it will be on the ballot in November.  The bill refers a measure to the voters that proposes raising tax revenue to help fund public schools.  (Under TABOR, all tax increases are required to go before the voters.)  The new Act updates the 1994 Act with provisions regarding financing for 21st century skills programs, online learning, concurrent enrollment, English Language Learners, At-Risk students, and other current education issues.  Click here for detailed funding schedules and projections for the Public School Finance Act for the past ten years, available from our library.

Beware of Telephone Scam

The Colorado Department of Revenue has posted an alert about a telephone scam in which callers claim to be from the department, telling potential victims that there is a warrant for their arrest for not paying taxes.  The scammers then elicit personal financial information from the victim in order, the victims believe, to avoid arrest.  If you receive one of these calls, it is NOT from the Colorado Department of Revenue and you should not give out any personal or financial information.  To report one of these calls, contact the department's Criminal Investigation/Tax Enforcement Section.

For information on other scams in Colorado, visit the Colorado Attorney General's Consumer Resource Guide and their Common Scams webpage.  Scams can also be reported to the AG's office.  Seniors are especially vulnerable to scams, so if you are a senior or caregiver you may want to check out the video Senior Security:  Avoiding Scams and Frauds in Colorado, available from our library. 

International Museum Day

This Saturday, May 18, is International Museum Day.  Established in 1977 by the International Council of Museums, the day is set aside to encourage the public to visit and support their local museums.  No matter what you're interested in, there's probably a museum somewhere that would interest you.  On Saturday, many museums around the world will have special events, free admissions, and other celebrations. 

Colorado is packed with great museums, not only the large instutitions here in Denver but also small and rural museums across the state.  So wherever your travels around Colorado take you, or if you're just looking for something to do in your own neighborhood, there are several resources that can help you find a museum of interest to you.  The Colorado Wyoming Association of Museums has a Museum Guide on their website, with a database searchable by location and type.  There are 54 types of museums listed, from Aviation to Zoology, so there is surely something there for everyone!  Another helpful resource is the Colorado Tourism Office's Museums webpage, a pictorial guide with tourism information on all kinds of museums across the state.  If you're interested in Colorado history, visit History Colorado's Museums page.  History Colorado offers not only the large state museum in Denver, but eight other regional museums in all parts of the state, from Leadville to Pueblo to Trinidad, and more.  Finally, check out the book Colorado Museums and Historic Sites from our library. 

Colorado SBDC and Transportation Projects

Yesterday's blog post introduced the Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network as a resource for small businesses.  In addition to their business services, the Colorado SBDC has also partnered with the Colorado Dept. of Transportation (CDOT) to help small businesses in the transportation industry.  SBDC and CDOT have partnered up to launch a new website, www.connect2dot.org, which "provides small businesses with all of the news, information, and resources needed to compete in the Colorado transportation industry. On this site you will find valuable information about how to do business with CDOT and other state and local transportation agencies.  For more information, including a list of resources found on the site, see their April 29 press release.