State Sen. Jessie Danielson Hits the Ground Running in 2022

First two bills aim to improve state’s response to murdered & missing Indigenous folks as well as invest in Colorado’s wildlife corridors

DENVER, CO — Colorado State Sen. Jessie Danielson (D-Wheat Ridge) returned to the state Senate this week from maternity leave and immediately introduced two substantial bills to help move Colorado forward.

“First, I would like to thank the dedicated staff of two hospitals. Rose Medical Center did a fabulous job helping bring our son Callum into the world, and Children’s Hospital Colorado helped save his life during a ten-day illness. My husband and I are so grateful that our son has received the care he has, and that he is safe and well at home,” said Sen. Danielson. “Now, I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get back to work on legislation that will help save lives and move Colorado forward.”

Danielson’s first two bills, introduced yesterday, would create a state-level response to the crisis of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) and provide substantial funding for life-saving wildlife corridors on Colorado highways.

SB22-150: Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives would create an Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) to improve coordination, response, communication, and awareness of MMIR cases.

“Indigenous women and children are at particularly high risk for violent crime. We must stop looking the other way and address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives with a comprehensive and strong response. This bill will do just that,” said Danielson.

More than 4 out of 5 Indigenous people in the United States experience violent crime during their lifetime, a rate disproportionately higher than any other segment of the population. This bill aims to improve responses to MMIR cases, provide better support for Indigenous communities, and better serve families of MMIR.

The legislation would establish an MMIR alert system and improve data tracking regarding MMIR cases while ensuring interagency coordination, allowing for a more effective and robust response. lt would also require MMIR training for first responders and implement a public awareness campaign to raise awareness around MMIR issues.

SB22-151: Safe Crossings For Colorado Wildlife And Motorists, co-sponsored by Senator Tammy Story (D-Conifer), would create a “Colorado Wildlife Safe Passages Mitigation Fund.” This Fund would allocate $25 million for wildlife crossing projects on stretches of roads and highways with high rates of wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) or where the ability of wildlife to move across the landscape has been hampered by high traffic volumes.

“Wildlife corridors are common sense ways to protect motorists, keep wildlife safe, and ensure habitats stay intact,” said Danielson. “This bill will help ecosystems thrive and help make sure our wild places continue to power Colorado’s economy for future generations.”

Wildlife-vehicle collisions are a significant issue in Colorado, costing motorists millions of dollars and endangering the lives of both people and wildlife. Colorado law enforcement reports an annual average of nearly 4,000 WVCs, though officials estimate a more accurate figure is 14,100 WVCs per year when unrecorded collisions are considered. WVCs can have tragic consequences, including hundreds of human injuries and some fatalities, thousands of animal deaths, and an annual cost of approximately $80 million in property damage, emergency response, medical treatments, and other costs.