October 2, 2014 VOLU M E 1 0 | I SS UE 1 8
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Task force says ‘no’ to pot in Jeffco
RALSTON RUNNERS
Commissioners plan to meet again to discuss findings By Amy Woodward
awoodward@colorado communitymedia.com
Running free, 200 students, staff and community members begin a 5k race in support of Ralston Valley High School’s former volleyball coach, Lisa Nelson. Photo by Crystal Anderson
Students oppose review of history course Protests occur at most Jeffco high schools By Crystal Anderson
canderson@colorado communitymedia.com With several days worth of chants and placard waving, Jeffco high school students expressed opposition to oversight of the district’s AP U.S. History course. Students across Jeffco walked out of class to protest a resolution to review the Advanced Placement U.S. History (APUSH) curriculum for five days in a row. Students from 14 of the district’s 17 high schools took to sidewalks along major intersections waving posters in support of the AP U.S. History curriculum and characterized attempts to review it as censorship. The resolution, penned by Board Member Julie Williams, stated the curriculum should present positive aspects of the nation’s history, and not “encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law.” The language of the resolution, along with contention surrounding recent compensation and performance decisions, prompted the Sept. 19 absence of more than 50 Jeffco teachers and closure of Conifer and Standley Lake high schools and ensuing protests. “I must not have explained myself clearly. I thought everyone, or at least everyone involved in education understood the huge debate and controversy surrounding the new APUSH,” Williams wrote in a Sept. 23 news release. “To be accused of censorship? Seriously? That is just ridiculous. I am advocating for just the opposite.” In a televised interview she gave with Fox 31 News, Williams says she is proposing
Following the closure of Golden High School for the day, senior Rachel Hilbrecht and some members of Golden’s debate team stood in the roundabout showing support for the AP U.S. History curriculum. Photo by Crystal Anderson the review of items within the curriculum, and not suggesting the “altering, censoring or omitting of anything.” CCM attempted to contact Williams five times over the week of Sept. 22, with no response. In her initial proposal Williams stated several major historical figures were omitted from the newly released APUSH curriculum framework, including Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. She also said Martin Luther King Jr. was missing from the new curriculum. The APUSH framework is intended as a general outline that does not contain names of all historical figures mentioned in the textbook and materials. However, the framework reveals Jefferson and Adams are specifically mentioned, and items such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Declaration of Inde-
pendence are to be given significant class time, according to the course timeline. The College Board, an organization in charge of the review of AP courses nationwide, issued a statement Friday, Sept. 26, in support of the student protests, stating if any context is censored or removed from the curriculum, it would no longer be viable as a college-level course. “If a school or district censors essential concepts from an Advanced Placement course, that course can no longer bear the “AP” designation.” the statement read. Over the course of the week, the student protests were covered by national and international news sources, such as CNN, the AP and the Guardian. Williams’ proposed curriculum review committee is scheduled for discussion at the Oct. 2 board meeting. Stu-
dents have said they will attend and possibly protest the meeting. In an interview with Board President Ken Witt, he said he was disappointed in the student protests, saying the protests had “certainly some teacher involvement” and education should come first. “I’m confident they’re passionate and convicted, but they are badly misinformed,” he said. “Many of them are simply believing there is a resolution out there censoring history — there’s no such thing.” He said he is not an expert on the course, but believes a review is necessary and hopes the proposed committee would give a “good crosssection of voices and a quality review of curriculum.” For now, the formation of a review committee is pending.
The Jeffco Marijuana Task Force presented its final report to the Board of County Commissioners and recommended prohibiting retail pot stores in unincorporated Jeffco despite a few dissenting opinions from members on the task force. Following discussions during staff briefings last week, the commissioners postponed their decision and will reconvene in the following weeks. Although opponents argue permitting marijuana establishments may allow for easier access among youth, Commissioner Casey Tighe said he is unsure if that argument is valid. “How could unincorporated Jeffco effectually change access when other cities are allowing it?” Tighe said. The commission asked several indepth questions regarding sales tax related to marijuana that would include a county pot specific sales tax of 3 percent in addition to the sales tax in place for the county-wide Open Space sales tax at 0.5 percent and the 0.5 percent sales tax for the Southeast Jefferson County Local Improvement District for road improvements. Because of TABOR, state and local governments cannot raise taxes without voter approval. Taxing pot sales would mean that voters would have to decide whether the county should impose the tax. Pueblo and Adams County have already exercised statues to tax pot sales but “it is not clear that the counties had the express authority to impose the tax,” said Ellen Wakeman, county attorney for Jeffco. “Pueblo is proposing legislation that would specify counties’ authority to impose a tax on recreational marijuana, with a vote.” Regardless of preliminary calculations, which indicate $4.2 million in tax revenue for the county, conflicting data presented in the report from supporters and opponents muddied the topic about marijuana’s impact on public safety and teen use. Each report showing the pros and cons of allowing retail pot shops pulled surveys Task continues on Page 6
POT CONSUMPTION An estimated 1.9 ounces of marijuana is consumed per user each year and 12.9 percent of those who use pot are adults, according to the Colorado Legislative Council Marijuana Revenues Interim Committee. The Colorado Department of Revenue Market Size and Demand for Marijuana in Colorado reports one ounce costs $200. Based on this information, Jefferson County staff calculated a total of 48,690 adult consumers in Jeffco with a total of 92,511 ounces of pot purchased annually generating $18,502,000 in gross annual retail sales revenue. That number is based on the adult population of Jeffco in areas where retail sales are not allowed and/or no conveniently available, populations in Edgewater, Lakeside, Mountain View and Wheat Ridge excluded. — Source Jefferson County