NEWS ROUNDUP

BY BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF

GOV. POLIS REQUESTS TO RENAME MOUNT EVANS

Mount Evans will soon be known as Mount Blue Sky.

“It is clear that Coloradans want a name that unites us rather than divides us and that we can all be proud of,” Gov. Polis wrote in a Feb. 28 press release announcing his letter to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names in which he recommended renaming the peak. Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet showed support for the letter on March 3.

The mountain was originally named after Territorial Governor John Evans, who is widely criticized for his anti-Native American proclamations and actions, including his role in the Sand Creek Massacre.

Previously, the Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board unanimously voted to rename the famous 14er to Mount Blue Sky, which was suggested by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. Blue Sky is a name for the Arapaho people, and the name of the Cheyennes’ renewal ceremony.

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names will hold a final vote on the renaming of Mount Evans on March 9.

ERIE MONITORS OIL AND GAS DEVELOPER’S REMEDIATION

Denver-based oil company K.P. Kauffman (KPK) is under official scruti- ny for failing to follow a state-ordered cleanup and other violations.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) on Feb. 15 ordered KPK to pay a $1.9 million fine, suspended its ability to sell, and required the company to clean its production sites.

According to the Town of Erie, seven of KPK’s production sites are within the town’s jurisdiction.

The COGCC denied the company’s Feb. 27 request for more time to plan remediation while continuing to sell.

At the virtual COGCC meeting, Commissioner John Messner said, “KPK has a path to compliance and KPK alone is responsible for that compliance and they need to implement the steps necessary to come into compliance.”

If the company is not in full compliance with rules and regulations in six months of the order being issued, its license to operate will be revoked.

Get Ahead Colorado Helps Connect People With Free Tax Support

The Get Ahead Colorado campaign will send text messages sharing free tax support and information about two federal tax credits to individuals who are likely eligible.

Parents and caregivers who earn up to $65,000 and have dependent children under 16 years old will get messages pertaining to the Child Tax Credit. Texts will also be sent to Coloradans likely eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which includes people who earn up to $65,000.

These federal tax credits are designed to reduce the amount of taxes owed or increase the amount of cash back from tax refunds. You may still be eligible for the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit even if you do not need to pay taxes.

Immigration Activists Rally At Capitol

Demonstrators will head to the state capital to show support for H.R. 8433, an amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act that would offer permanent residence to immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for at least seven years.

The Colorado Immigration Rights Coalition (CIRC), which is organizing the rally and march from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, is calling on state representatives and senators to sponsor and support the amendment.

Katherine Garcia, communication manager with CIRC, says H.R. 8433 could offer immigrant families peace of mind and “allow our immigrant neighbors to legally reside in a place many have called home for decades.”

This amendment would update the registry date in section 249 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The last time the Immigration Act was updated was 1986.

H.R. 8433 would allow more than 8 million undocumented immigrants to become eligible for a pathway to citizenship, according to CIRC.