The Law and Government of Denver, Colorado make up the political and legal infrastructure of the City and County of Denver, Colorado.
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Denver entered the political arena fairly quickly after its founding in 1858 and incorporation in 1861. The city was named the state capital of Colorado upon its entering the Union in 1876, as state leaders saw Denver, which was the territorial capital of the 15 year lived Colorado Territory, as an economically booming city that would no doubt come to be one of America's pillars. Their prediction turned out to be correct. The city boomed in the "old west" fashion, and became the economic capitol of the west through much of the 19th century.
In hosting the 1908 Democratic National Convention, Denver gained a spotlight in what was at the time an east coast dominated sport, national politics. Industrialists now moving west with innovation and big business were witness to Denver's political value, and more importantly, venue. Conquering the west is considered to be no easy challenge politically, and still an important asset. In the later part of the 20th century, winning the west was seen as crucial to a win abroad, making Denver the "center stage" in the political arena.
Denver is a consolidated city-county with a non-partisan elected mayor (though they may belong to a particular political party), a 13-member city council and an auditor. The Denver City Council is elected from 11 districts with two at-large council-members and is responsible for passing and changing all laws, resolutions, and ordinances, usually after a public hearing. They can also call for misconduct investigations of Denver's departmental officials.
Denver has a strong mayor/weak city council government. The mayor can approve or veto any ordinances or resolutions approved by the council, make sure all contracts with the city are kept and performed, sign all bonds and contracts, is responsible for the city budget, and can appoint people to various city departments, organizations, and commissions. However, the council can override the mayor's veto with a nine out of 13 member vote, and the city budget must be approved and can be changed by a simple majority vote of the council. The auditor checks all expenditures and may refuse to allow specific ones, usually based on financial reasons.[1]
All elected officials have four year terms, with a maximum of two terms. While Denver elections are non-partisan, Democrats have long held a virtual monopoly on Denver politics with all elected officials having Democratic Party affiliation. In federal elections, Denverites also tend to vote for Democratic candidates. The office of Denver's Mayor has been occupied by a Democrat since the municipal general election of 1963, including the current mayor John Hickenlooper. Denver is represented at the federal level by congresswoman Diana DeGette, a Democrat representing Colorado's 1st congressional district, which includes all of Denver and parts of Arapahoe County.
In recent years, Denver has famously taken a stance on helping Denverites who are or become homeless. The city has gained a great reputation from the works of Mayor John Hickenlooper, and Mayor Wellington Webb particularly. Denver's population of homeless residents is considerably lower than many other major cities, but many residents of the city streets have suffered during Denver's winters. Although mild and dry much of the time, Denver's winters can have brief periods of cold temperatures and varying amounts of snow. As a result, the city has set a national precedent on homeless services, with the creations of a ten-year plan to end homelessness (a plan now becoming popular in other cities as well), a task force and commission to end homelessness, and an expansion on human and civil services through the Denver area.
In 2005, Denver became the first major city in the U.S. to legalize the possession by adults (at least the age of twenty-one) of less than an ounce of marijuana. The city voted 53.49%–46.51% in favor of the marijuana legalization measure. This initiative does not usurp state law, which currently treats marijuana possession in much the same way as a speeding ticket, with fines of up to $100 and no jail time.[2]
In 2007, Denver once again voted in favor of marijuana policy reform, overwhelmingly approving a measure that designates private adult marijuana possession the city's "lowest law enforcement priority." Voters approved the measure 57–43, creating a new city ordinance and a city panel to ensure the ordinance is being implemented "to the greatest extent possible." Mayor John Hickenlooper is charged with creating the 11-member "Marijuana Policy Review Panel," and it will begin meeting quarterly in 2008.
Denver hosted the 2008 Democratic National Convention, which coincided with the centennial of the city's first hosting of the landmark 1908 convention. The 2008 Libertarian National Convention was also hosted in Denver, which is also the site of the original Libertarian Party Convention, which was held in 1972.[3] It also hosted the G7 (now G8) summit between June 20 and June 22 in 1997.
The Colorado Department of Corrections operates the Denver Reception & Diagnostic Center and the Denver Women's Correctional Facility in Denver.[4][5]