The state of Colorado has settled a lawsuit against two Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners who violated the state’s open meetings law by drafting an opinion piece in support of a state ballot measure. The lawsuit was brought by the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation and Safari Club International after the commissioners wrote an opinion piece in the Durango Herald supporting a ballot measure that would ban “trophy hunting” of mountain lions, bobcats, and lynx. The ballot measure was rejected by voters in November.
The current commissioners, Jack Murphy and Jessica Beaulieu, were accused of being “anti-hunting” by the alliance. Beaulieu admitted to never visiting any state parks and not owning a state park pass. The former commissioner involved in the opinion piece, James Pribyl, has a history of violating the state’s open meetings law.
The settlement requires the commissioners to receive training on open meetings law and current Colorado hunting regulations, as well as pay a portion of the attorney’s fees. The alliance criticized the opinion piece for containing factual errors and false statements about state hunting regulations.
The Department of Natural Resources has not yet responded to a request for comment on the settlement. The lawsuit highlights the importance of commissioners following the state’s open meetings laws and accurately representing state hunting regulations in public statements.
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Photo credit denvergazette.com
