With the 2021 session again underway, what will lawmakers be looking at, especially given the limitations on the budget imposed by the pandemic and ensuing recession? Colorado Politics’ statehouse team examined five issues likely to dominate the discussions for the remainder of the session.
Justice reform:
• First-degree felony murder
The charge of first-degree felony murder allows a defendant to be charged with that crime if a victim is killed in the commission of crimes. including arson, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, sexual assault and escape. The sentence: life in prison without parole.
Sen. Pete Lee, D-Colorado Springs, hopes to change that. Among the criminal justice bills he’s sponsoring in the 2021 session is one to change the sentencing around felony murder, a repeat of a 2020 bill that was dismissed due to the pandemic. Under his proposal, instead of felony murder, the charge would be second-degree murder with a sentence of eight to 24 years, although he also proposes a sentence enhancement under certain circumstances. He said as many as 500 people are incarcerated under the felony murder law, even though they did not actually commit a murder.