Colorado bill born from Evergreen shooting faces final Senate vote amid governor's veto threat

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:00]The Evergreen school shooting led to a bill to force social media companies to report when they take action over threatening posts. The bill's up for a final vote at the state capital tonight.

[00:00:10]If it passes, Democratic Governor Jared Polis is expected to veto it.

[00:00:14]Mark Salinger explains why.

[00:00:18]Months after the Evergreen High School shooting, a bill that aims to stop similar tragedies faces its final vote in the state Senate.

[00:00:25]>> And I'm incredibly enthusiastic about its prospects. Democratic State Rep.

[00:00:29]Jaime Story represents Evergreen. The bill she introduced following the shooting would not only require social media companies to comply with law enforcement warrants faster, but also force them to report to police when they take adverse actions against a user over threatening posts.

[00:00:44]>> The duty to report element is just as important as having the search warrant response time reduced to 24 hours.

[00:00:51]>> Back in March, Democratic Governor Jared Polis celebrated the signing of a similar bill requiring quicker response times to warrants.

[00:00:58]>> It's everything from helping to track down stolen stolen bikes and cars to helping protect the lives of Coloradans from dangerous drugs.

[00:01:08]>> But House Bill 1255 goes farther with the duty to report element, and the outcome could be different.

[00:01:14]>> very serious concerns about some of the constitutionality of House Bill 1255.

[00:01:22]>> Republican State Senator Lisa Fri Sell sponsored the bill signed into law in March. She's concerned Representative Story's bill goes too far.

[00:01:29]>> Is it constitutional even? And that is the question that the governor is posing, and I myself and my colleagues in the Senate are posing.

[00:01:38]>> Democratic Governor Jared Polis for months has signaled opposition to the bill being voted on today. In March, he told us House Bill 1255 would unrealistically demand social media companies act as a proxy for government surveillance, and it could violate the first and fourth amendments. If the bill passes the Senate, it heads to the governor's desk.

[00:01:57]>> If the governor chooses to veto this, that is his decision, but the community is screaming loudly that they want this policy.

[00:02:05]>> Story says it's about safety. This is not government overextension because it's the social media platforms that are making decisions and identifying posts through their own process that have violated their own rules and policies.

[00:02:22]The governor's office told me this evening that he is concerned that this bill will infringe on free speech. The governor's office has expressed that these concerns have gone to sponsors, but the bill was not approved. He will review the final version of this bill, and if it reaches his desk, he'll review it and see what he does. We're expecting that final vote today, though it hasn't happened just yet. The final day of the legislative session, Kyle, is tomorrow.

[00:02:46]Not surprising the governor would veto a bill to protect the tech industry, but I mean, standing against the kids in the community there in Evergreen. The The way that this bill was originally announced was a press conference at Evergreen High School with Representative Story, with Congresswoman Brittany Peterson, as well as the Jeffco Sheriff's Office, and students who survived that Evergreen High School shooting. Those are the people that had supported this bill. Mark Sallinger, thank you.