COLORADO (KOAA) — A bill that could have big impacts on who the next Pueblo County Coroner is cleared the Senate Friday.
It now heads to Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who at the publishing of this web story, has not indicated whether or not he will sign the bill into law.
The County Coroner Transparency Bill would require county coroners to disclose if they own, work for, manage, or have financial interest in a death care business.
- Watch News5's coverage of the bill below:
The bill was amended to change the county population threshold for certification requirements for coroners from at least 150,000 to at least 300,000 people. This means professional accreditations would no longer apply to anyone looking to fill the position in Pueblo County.
Lawmakers say this change was necessary due to a lack of qualified candidates in smaller counties.
Others, like former Representative Steph Vigil, disagree, saying the original figure was negotiated and agreed upon by other county coroners across Colorado.
"I think that would be a good argument if it were actually a smaller county, but Pueblo is not a smaller county," said Vigil. "This is their number. So,...it seems a little odd to me."
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Downtown-goers react to Tuesday's damaging hail storm in Colorado Springs
Twigs, small branches and leaves covered the ground across Downtown Colorado Springs following Tuesday's storm.
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