Colorado bill puts limits on new veterinary associate position
State lawmakers advanced a bill to create a veterinarian associate position despite questions about whether it contradicts what voters approved in the 2024 election.
Why it matters: Colorado is the first state to authorize a midlevel veterinarian position and how it is defined is a multimillion-dollar fight.
State of play: The legislation seeks to put guardrails on what voters approved in Proposition 129 last November by limiting the scope of practice.
A veterinarian could supervise up to three associates and must sign an agreement with each for accountability.
A state board will determine whether the veterinarian must be on the premises or in the room at the time of care by the associate.
An associate must inform patients they are not a veterinarian.
What they're saying: The bill's sponsor is state Rep. Karen McCormick (D-Longmont), a veterinarian and vocal critic of the ballot measure.
She described the legislation as "clear guidelines" that "in no way overturn the will of the voters."
Yes, but: Critics — including Gov. Jared Polis' administration — blasted the bill, saying it overrides voters who approved a more open-ended role in the ballot measure and overrides current rule-making happening at the state level.
"This is not what the voters intended, and revising their decision after the vote is both irresponsible and unnecessary," said Apryl Steele, CEO of Humane Colorado, formerly known as the Dumb Friends League, which spent more than $1 million in support of the ballot measure.
What's next: The legislation moves to a vote of the full House.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
GOP leadership unleashes fury on Dem governor ahead of blockbuster congressional hearing
FIRST ON FOX: House Republican leadership slammed Democratic Gov. Tim Walz ahead of a blockbuster congressional hearing addressing sanctuary city policy this week. GOP Whip and Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer wished Walz "good luck" before the former vice presidential candidate is set to testify alongside Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday. "From hurling outrageous insults against ICE agents to offering a multitude of taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal aliens in Minnesota, Tim Walz's immigration agenda can be summed up easily: pro-illegal alien, anti-Minnesotan," GOP Whip Emmer told Fox News Digital. "If Tim Walz thinks he will be able to defend his abysmal record before Congress, then he's even more of a buffoon than I thought. I only have one thing to say to Timmy as he heads to Washington this week: GOOD LUCK." Handful Of House Democrats Join Republicans In Sanctuary City Crackdown Emmer paired his comments to Fox News Digital with a new video slamming Walz's various immigration policies titled "Protecting Illegals, Not Minnesotans: That's the Walz Way." Read On The Fox News App The three "sanctuary governors" will face a barrage of questions from members of the committee this week, as anti-ICE riots raged in Los Angeles over the weekend and the Trump administration continues to ramp up deportations across the country. Though the term "sanctuary city" is not legally defined, illegal immigrants will flock to the mainly Democrat-led regions to reduce the likelihood of deportation. Sanctuary cities often refuse Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requests for information, like arrests or releases, and typically deny ICE detainer requests to hold jailed illegal migrants beyond their release date. California Republicans Slam Newsom, Bass For Letting La Burn With Riots Amid Trump Immigration Blitz House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, said in a media advisory for the upcoming hearing that "The governors of these states must explain why they are prioritizing the protection of criminal illegal aliens over the safety of U.S. citizens." "Sanctuary policies only provide sanctuaries for criminal illegal aliens." Comer explained. "Former President Biden created the worst border crisis in U.S. history and allowed criminal illegal aliens to flood our communities." "The Trump Administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal illegal aliens from our nation but reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement." 'Sick Puppy' Tim Walz Should Never Have Been On Dems' 2024 Ticket, Trump Says The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 12 at 10 a.m. ET. Fox News Digital reached out to Walz but did not receive a article source: GOP leadership unleashes fury on Dem governor ahead of blockbuster congressional hearing
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Republican rep indicates he will be 'a no' on Trump-backed rescissions measure if AIDS relief cut
As the Trump administration and congressional Republicans eye passage of a rescission proposal, Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican who doesn't shy away from bucking President Donald Trump, has indicated that he won't support it if it guts an AIDS relief program. The president's proposed clawbacks include millions of dollars pertaining to global health programs. "I told them I'm a no," the congressman said of the measure, according to the New York Times. "I just want to make sure we're funding the medicine. We want to prevent AIDS, it's a noble program, it's George Bush's legacy. I put the marker out there; we'll see." In a post on X last week, Bacon described "The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)" as "a noble program that America can be proud of funding." But in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday, Bacon said, "If PEPFAR is gutted, I am a no. But I'm told that only parts of the program will be cut. I'll need more details," The rescission package "proposes to rescind $400 million from the PEPFAR program, which is appropriated $4.4 billion annually to provide bilateral assistance to countries, many of which do not support American interests, such as South Africa," a White House official told Fox News on Monday. Read On The Fox News App House Republicans Push For Spending Cancellations As Elon Musk And Conservatives Demand Deeper Budget Cuts "The $400 million rescission eliminates wasteful programming that does not serve the American taxpayer," the official said, while maintaining that the "package does NOT rescind any life-saving assistance and in fact, continues to make available billions of resources to implement life-saving medicine, medical services, as well costs necessary to deliver these services to maintain all current individuals on treatment." Bacon was the only House Republican to vote against a measure to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. "I thought it was dumb. That's what people told me — they said, 'It's so dumb; just vote for it.' That argument didn't work on me," he said, according to the Times. Gop Lawmaker Blasts 'Dumb' Trump Comment On Zelenskyy Despite 'Perfect' Criticism Of Putin House leaders have pressed Bacon to keep more of his views to himself, telling him to, as the congressman put it, "quit kicking President Trump in the nuts," the outlet reported. But the lawmaker indicated that he would only press back when he believes it is needed. "You can't be anti-everything," Bacon noted, according to the outlet. "I like what the president has done on the border, so I have no problem with that." "I'd like to fight for the soul of our party," he said, according to the Times. "I don't want to be the guy who follows the flute player off the cliff. I think that's what's going on right now." Pro-ukraine Gop Rep. Bacon Declares 'Real Republicans Know That Putin's Russia Hates The West And Freedom' Bacon has served in the House of Representatives since article source: Republican rep indicates he will be 'a no' on Trump-backed rescissions measure if AIDS relief cut
The Hill
19 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump vs. California is the fight the White House wants
President Trump is getting the fight with California that he wants, as Democrats in the state criticize his decision to send the National Guard to Los Angeles without local approval to deal with protests surrounding raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The unfolding events hit at the heart of key issues that Trump basks in: Immigration and fighting liberal California Democrats. You can also add in law-and-order, as Trump and his team accuses California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other local officials of being too soft on demonstrators destroying property and setting cars on fire. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on Sunday reposted several images meant to convey the chaos in L.A., including one showing huge plumes of smoke billowing from a burning vehicle as demonstrators watched, one with a Mexican flag. The caption to the tweet read 'Let's check in on how LAPD's management of the 'protests' is going,' and criticized Newsom's slamming of Trump's decision to send the guard. A second Miller retweet was from his White House colleague Taylor Budowich, who sent out a similar video of a masked protestor on a car surrounded by other burning cars and demonstrators in the streets. 'Democrat management,' the tweet said. Newsom has said California will sue the Trump administration over its deployment of the National Guard, while the White House maintains that Trump intervened at the right time to restore law and order and that the violent attacks had already escalated before he stepped in. 'Donald Trump has created the conditions you see on your TV tonight. He's exacerbated the conditions. He's, you know, lit the proverbial match. He's putting fuel on this fire, ever since he announced he was taking over the National Guard — an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act,' Newsom said on MSNBC. Just a few days ago, Trump was battling negative coverage of his public feud with erstwhile ally Elon Musk. The violence in L.A. allowed him to rapidly shift gears, and put much of the focus on immigration even as his team pushed Congress to pass his signature legislation – which had triggered the battle with Musk. 'The riots in Los Angeles prove that we desperately need more immigration enforcement personnel and resources. America must reverse the invasion unleashed by Joe Biden of millions of unvetted illegal aliens into our country,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X, calling for Senate passage of the House-passed 'one, big beautiful bill' with its funding measures for border security. The story even served to bring Musk back into the fold, with the tech mogul sending a number of supportive messages of the president that criticized Newsom and demonstrators. Trump ran on a platform of mass deportations. Since then, ICE raids, arrests of migrants at immigration courts and lawsuits over deportations have been a major part of his first few months in office. His administration has blamed Democrats, especially former Biden, for allowing what they call an 'invasion' of migrants coming in at the U.S.-southern border and White House briefings have often begun with spotlighting a deported migrant who committed a crime in the U.S. The images of masked demonstrators with Mexican flags falls right into this argument. That the protests are in California is also good for Trump. Trump has flirted with the idea of fining or nixing federal funding for the state, lashing out earlier this month after a transgender athlete was allowed to compete and win a high school track and field championship. He also blamed Newsom, who is widely considered to be eying a presidential bid, for the wildfires that raged in the Los Angeles area in January and made his first trip as president to California to meet with him and survey damage. Newsom then visited Trump at the White House in February about aid for wildfire victims. The White House is now blaming Newsom for the protests in Los Angeles, bashing him for suing the administration instead of focusing on solutions. 'Gavin Newsom's feckless leadership is directly responsible for the lawless riots and violent attacks on law enforcement in Los Angeles. Instead of filing baseless lawsuits meant to score political points with his left-wing base, Newsom should focus on protecting Americans by restoring law and order to his state,' White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said. Trump on Sunday didn't rule out using the Insurrection Act, which allows the president to deploy the military and federalize the National Guard in the event of an insurrection. He had considered invoking the law in his first term, during the 2020 protests over police brutality, but at the time officials like former Defense Secretary Mark Esper pushed back. 'We're going to have troops everywhere. We're not going to let this happen to our country. We're not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden and his auto pen,' Trump said on Sunday. The president also said that if California officials stand in the way of federal officials deporting migrants, they will face federal charges. 'We're just going to see what happens. If we think there's a serious insurrection …we're going to have law and order,' he said. California Democrats are responding to Trump by calling on residents to not turn to violent while protesting, arguing that the president's move to bring in the national guard was meant to provoke the chaos. 'Angelenos — don't engage in violence and chaos. Don't give the administration what they want,' Mayor Karen Bass said on X. Similarly, Newsom warned other states about Trump federalizing the National Guard and accused him of escalating the situation. 'This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted,' Newsom said on X. 'He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard. The order he signed doesn't just apply to CA. It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing. We're suing him.'
