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Colorado lawmakers speak out about bill aimed at saving lives, opens discussion around mental health

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Colorado lawmakers speak out about bill aimed at saving lives, opens discussion around mental health


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) -11News is speaking with the legislators behind a new law that’s aimed at regulating the sale of a dangerous chemical that some people use to complete suicide. The bill was signed into law by Colorado Governor Jared Polis on Wednesday.

“The world is full of these kinds of things that are happening and we are not aware of them until it affects us as a individual,” said Representative Marc Catlin of District 58.

Representative Marc Catlin and Representative Judy Amabile worked together across party lines to bring attention to an extremely lethal chemical that can be bought online with little to no restrictions.

“It was brought to me by a constituent who lost his son. His son bought this product online, it was promoted through a suicide enabling website,” said Representative Judy Amabile of District 49.

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The chemical, which we are purposely not naming, is typically used for preserving food like meats. According to the law’s text, from 2018 to 2023, more than 25 Coloradans died from ingesting it.

“It was disturbing to find. It just seemed like today is the day to do it and we did,” Representative Catlin.

The law puts restrictions on who can buy it. It also ensures it is properly labeled.

“It can only be sold to somebody, or an entity, who has a legitimate business purpose for it,” said Amabile.

“If it saves, just one person, it has been worth the effort,” said Catlin.

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Both lawmakers tell 11News it’s just one small part of the broader conversation surrounding mental health.

“Families really just have to be looking out for one another. We have to try to get at the root causes of why people are turning to suicide and work on those things in a broader and deeper way,” said Amabile.

If found guilty of violating the law, a civil penalty of $10,000 will be issued and the amount can go up to no more than a $1,000,000 for every violation afterwards.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or in need of support, help is available right now. You can call 988 for free confidential support at any time.

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Toyota Game Recap: 12/22/2024 | Colorado Avalanche

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Toyota Game Recap: 12/22/2024 | Colorado Avalanche


ColoradoAvalanche.com is the official Web site of the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado Avalanche and ColoradoAvalanche.com are trademarks of Colorado Avalanche, LLC. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2024 Colorado Avalanche Hockey Team, Inc. and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved. NHL Stadium Series name and logo are trademarks of the National Hockey League.



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Colorado authorities shut down low-income housing developer

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Colorado authorities shut down low-income housing developer


The Colorado Division of Securities is pursuing legal action against a man whom it claims deceived investors and used the ownership of federally supported low-income housing projects to line his own pockets. 

Securities Commissioner Tung Chan announced its civil court filings against Michael Dale Graham, 68, on Nov. 12. 

Chan’s office filed civil fraud charges against Graham, and also asked for a temporary restraining order and freezing of Graham’s assets and his companies’. A Denver district court judge immediately granted both. Since then, two court dates to review the those orders have canceled; a third is scheduled for mid-January.

Graham operates Sebastian Partners LLC, Sebastiane Partners LLC, and Gravitas Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund I LLC (“GQOZF”), all of which were controlled by Graham during his “elaborate real estate investment scheme,” as described by the securities office in a case document.

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The filing states Graham collected more than $1.1 million from eight investors to purchase three adjacent homes in Aurora. The Denver-based Gravitas fund and its investors purportedly qualified for the federal Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) program with the homes. Qualified Opportunity Zones were created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2017. The zones encouraged growth in low-income communities by offering tax benefits to investors, namely reductions in capital gains taxes on developed properties.

A file photo of a suburban housing development in the Denver metro area. 

Paul Souders/WorldFoto & Getty Images


Graham formed Gravitas in early 2019 and purchased the three homes located in the 21000 block of E. 60th Avenue two years later. He quickly sold one of them with notifying investors, according to the case document. While managing the other two, Graham and Gravitas transferred the fund’s assets and never operated within QOZ guidelines to the benefit of its investors or the community, according to the state. 

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Gravitas also transferred the titles for the two properties to Graham privately. As their owner, Graham obtained undocumented loans from friends totaling almost $600,000. The two loans used the two properties as security. 

Gravitas investors were never informed of the two loans, according to the case document. Also, Gravitas never sent its investors year-end tax reports, the securities office alleges. 

Graham used the proceeds of the loans for personal use. No specific details were provided about those uses.

“Effectively, Graham used Gravitas as his personal piggy bank,” as stated in the case document, “claiming both funds and properties as his own. Graham never told investors about the risks associated with transferring title to himself. On September 1, 2023, he sent a letter to investors, stating that the properties ‘we own’ are doing well and generating growth due to record-breaking home appreciation. But Gravitas no longer owned the properties.

“Gravitas no longer had assets at all.” 

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Furthermore, the securities office said Graham failed to notify investors of recent court orders against him in Colorado and California. In total, Graham was ordered to pay more than $1 million in damages related to previous real estate projects.

Graham’s most recent residence is in Reno, Nev., according to an online search of public records. He evidently has previously lived in Santa Monica, Calif., and Greenwood Village.

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Colorado weather: Temperatures staying in the 60s Sunday

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Colorado weather: Temperatures staying in the 60s Sunday


Colorado weather: Temperatures staying in the 60s Sunday – CBS Colorado

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Watch meteorologist Callie Zanandrie’s forecast.

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