Pueblo officials urge state lawmakers to amend municipal court bills, warn of lost local authority

City staff and local law-enforcement leaders on Monday briefed the Pueblo City Council on a package of bills at the Colorado General Assembly that they said would change how municipal courts and certain violent offenses are prosecuted.

The city’s legislative representative reported that House Bill 1147, titled “Fairness and Transparency in Municipal Court,” passed a Senate committee and was scheduled for second reading in the full House. “This bill takes power away from you,” the presenter told the council, saying HB1147 would cap sentencing authority, limit mandatory minimums and expand public-defender requirements for municipal courts.

That presentation noted Pueblo’s delegation — including Mayor Heather Graham, the city attorney and the chief of police — testified in person during committee hearings. The presenter said state officials and local partners “are starting to look beyond just reading something in the Denver Post” and that testimony from Pueblo officials had helped pick up additional lawmakers’ support for the city’s position.

City staff asked the council to write a letter and, if possible, hand-deliver it to the governor’s office asking Governor Polis to take a stronger position opposing or amending HB1147. The presenter said the governor’s Department of Local Affairs legislative liaison testified against the bill but not in the “strong” manner city officials wanted.

The legislative update also covered two other bills the presenter said the city is tracking. House Bill 1276, sponsored by the Municipal League, would allow courts to require bail for repeat failures-to-appear in petty-offense cases (for example, after two failures for certain petty offenses or three failures for other petty or traffic offenses). The presenter said the bill modifies current law that generally requires release on personal recognizance for low-level offenses.

A third bill the presenter highlighted was House Bill 1206, which would change Colorado law’s treatment of “extreme indifference” offenses. The presenter said the bill would reclassify attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault under certain circumstances to lower felony classes (for example, class 3 when an act results in serious bodily injury), which the city’s representative warned could reduce prosecutors’ local charging discretion.

No formal council vote was recorded on any of the items at Monday’s work session. Council members asked for more detail about the bills and their implications; staff said they would provide briefing materials and a fact sheet for councilors and that they expected additional updates at the next regular meeting.

Why it matters: City staff argued the proposals would limit local discretion in criminal charging and sentencing and could require changes to municipal operations. Councilors were asked to consider direct engagement with the governor’s office as the bills moved through the legislature.

What’s next: Staff said HB1147 was scheduled for second reading in the House the following day and asked councilors to consider sending letters and coordinating with mayoral staff to press the governor’s office for a stronger stance. Staff promised follow-up materials and a fuller briefing at the next meeting.