A bill that would have forced Coloradans to opt out of compulsory organ donation was unnecessary and a bad idea. We were glad to hear Friday that Sen. Lucia Guzman, its sponsor, has decided to withdraw the bill from consideration. The measure was especially perplexing because Colorado already has the highest rate of organ donor registry membership in the country. Sixty-six percent of Coloradans who get a driver’s license or state-issued ID card have agreed in advance to be a donor when the time comes.
Sue Dunn, president and chief executive officer of Donor Alliance, a non-profit that facilitates organ donation, told us her group opposed the bill. Dunn said there ought to be a broad community discussion among interested parties about an opt-out organ donation framework and that conversation hadn’t taken place. While we are sympathetic to the large number of people awaiting organ transplants — 1,968 Coloradans are among them — donation should not be the default position. Guzman, a Denver Democrat, has said she will not bring the measure back, and that may be the best news yet.
Still no answers on Denver jail death. We were pleased this week to hear new Denver Mayor Bill Vidal say he would push for a quick resolution of the investigation into the July jailhouse death of inmate Marvin Booker. “The longer we take, the answer won’t feel right because it took so long,” he said. Too many questions have gone unanswered for too long in the case.
The coroner’s office ruled that Booker’s death was a homicide, yet Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey refused to charge the deputies, who remain on paid leave. A surveillance tape that shows the altercation that led to Booker’s death has not been released because it is part of the investigation.Nothing short of a full public release of the surveillance video and other material has any chance of answering questions that Booker’s family and many in the public have about this tragic event.
Back on the beat . . . Even though officers deny it was ever deliberate, it looks like the Denver police work slowdown is over. Statistics analyzed by The Denver Post last fall showed that police were conducting far fewer investigations of suspicious activity. But the numbers of officer-initiated investigations rebounded in November and December — almost immediately after police officials began a campaign to address the productivity issue in each of the city’s six districts. The dropoff coincided with controversy surrounding the August resignation of safety manager Ron Perea, who stepped aside after he came under fire from civic leaders for what they viewed as light discipline of officers accused of excessive force. The work slowdown was inexcusable and potentially dangerous. We’re glad it’s over.
And a tip of our cap to . . . Steven Schriber, Louis Vasquez and two other Good Samaritans who tackled a mugger after he attacked a 32-year-old woman south of the state Capitol.
Short Takes is compiled by Denver Post editorial writers and expresses the view of the newspaper’s editorial board.
