BOOKLET INFORMATION. ELECTION MODEL Voter Checklist

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2 BOOKLET INFORMATION This booklet is made available to each Denver voter and contains Initiated Measures and Municipal Ballot information for the May 7, 2019 General Municipal Election. Who is Eligible to Vote In order to vote in the City and County of Denver you must reside in Denver and be registered to vote. In order to register to vote, you must be: A United States citizen 16 years of age, but you must be at least 18 years of age on Election Day A Colorado resident at least 22 days immediately prior to Election Day Election Model Page 1 All active Denver voters will be automatically mailed a ballot to vote in the May 7th Municipal General Election. Ballot Trace Page 1 Want to track your mail ballot through the U.S. postal system? Sign up for Ballot TRACE. Voter Registration Form Page 2 To register to vote or to update your voter registration information, please go to DenverVotes.org, or fill out the Voter Registration Form found on page 2 of this booklet, or call 311 for more information. Voter Services and Ballot Drop-Off Information Page 3-5 Voter Service and Polling Center locations, hours of operation and 24-hour ballot drop-off box locations. Voter Information Guide Content Pages 6-12 Information includes summaries of Initiated Ordinances. Sample Ballot Page ELECTION MODEL Voter Checklist q Visit DenverVotes.org to verify your registration status and update your voter information. q Interested in where your ballot is in the process? Sign up for Ballot TRACE! q Receive your ballot starting the week of April 15th. If you do not receive a ballot, contact us by Elections@denvergov.org or by phone at 311 / VOTE (8683), or at the Denver Elections Division beginning April 22nd, or at a VSPC beginning April 29th. q Return your ballot: Drop it off at a 24-Hour Ballot Drop-Off Box location (see pg. 5) Deliver it to a Voter Service & Poling Center (see pg. 3) Mail it back (return postage $0.70) Track your ballot through the entire process using Text trace to Or visit DenverVotes.org to sign up to receive text or notifications about your mail ballot Text vspc for the nearest ballot drop-off

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4 * Voter Services And Ballot Drop-Off Information Voter Service & Polling Centers (VSPCs) (7): 1. Christ Community Church 8085 E Hampden Ave Gym 2. Denver Elections Division 200 W 14th Ave Atrium 3. Denver Police Department District S University Blvd Conference Room 4. Harvey Park Recreation Center 2120 S Tennyson Way Multipurpose Room 5. Hiawatha Davis Jr Recreation Center 3334 N Holly St Multipurpose Room 6. Highland Recreation Center 2880 N Osceola St Multipurpose Room 7. Montbello Recreation Center E 53rd Ave Multipurpose Room These VSPC sites have drive-through ballot drop-off available. * Drive-through ballot drop-off location on Bannock between Colfax and 14th Ave. Unavailable Thursday, May 2nd through Monday, May 6th. Voter Service & Polling Centers Hours of Operation Monday, April 29 Friday, May 3 Saturday, May 4 10 am 2 pm Monday, May 6 **Election Day, Tuesday, May 7 7 am 7 pm Denver Elections Division Expanded Hours of Operation Monday, April 22 Friday, April 26 8 am 5 pm Monday, April 29 Friday, May 3 8 am 6 pm Saturday, May 4 10 am 2 pm Monday, May 6 8 am 6 pm **Election Day, Tuesday, May 7 7 am 7 pm ** We expect high turnout at our VSPCs on Election Day. Plan to vote before May 7 to skip the wait. Municipal Run-Off Election Voter Service & Polling Centers (VSPCs) (TBD): 1. Denver Elections Division 200 W 14th Ave Atrium 2. Other Locations TBD Voter Service & Polling Centers Hours of Operation Tuesday, May 28 Friday, May 31 Saturday, June 1 10 am 2 pm Monday, June 3 Election Day, Tuesday, June 4 7 am 7 pm Denver Elections Division Expanded Hours of Operation Monday, May 20 Friday, May 24 8 am 5 pm Monday, May 27 (office closed for Memorial Day) Tuesday, May 28 Friday, May 31 8 am 6 pm Saturday, June 1 10 am 2 pm Monday, June 3 8 am 6 pm Election Day, Tuesday, June 4 7 am 7 pm 3

5 Voter Services And Ballot Drop-Off Information (cont.) Haul-N-Votes Mobile Voting Unit Locations (4): Voter Service & Polling Centers Hours of Operation Monday, April 29 Friday, May 3 Saturday, May 4 10 am 2 pm Monday, May 6 **Election Day, Tuesday, May 7 7 am 7 pm ** We expect high turnout at our VSPCs on Election Day. Plan to vote before May 7 to skip the wait. Christ Church United Methodist 690 N Colorado Blvd Barnum Recreation Center 360 N Hooker St La Familia Recreation Center 65 S Elati St Swansea Recreation Center 2650 E 49th Ave Monday, April 29 and Tuesday, April 30 Wednesday, May 1 and Thursday, May 2 Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4 Monday, May 6 and Tuesday, May 7 - Election Day Haul-N-Votes Mobile Voting Unit Locations for Municipal Election Run-Off (TBD) Municipal Run-Off Election Voter Service & Polling Centers Hours of Operation Tuesday, May 28 Friday, May 31 Saturday, June 1 10 am 2 pm Monday, June 3 Election Day, Tuesday, June 4 7 am 7 pm 4

6 Voter Services And Ballot Drop-Off Information (cont.) 24-Hour Ballot Drop-Off Box Locations (28): 1. Barnum Recreation Center 360 N Hooker St 2. Bear Valley Branch Library 5171 W Dartmouth Ave 3. Blair-Caldwell Library 2401 Welton St 4. Carla Madison Recreation Center 2401 E Colfax Ave 5. Central Park Recreation Center 9651 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd 6. Cook Park Recreation Center 7100 Cherry Creek South Dr 7. Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 N York St 8. Denver Elections Division 200 W 14th Ave 9. Denver Human Services 1200 N Federal Blvd 10. Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 N Colorado Blvd 11. Denver Police Department District W 46th Ave 12. Denver Police Department District S University Blvd 13. Eisenhower Recreation Center 4300 E Dartmouth Ave 14. Green Valley Ranch Recreation Center 4890 N Argonne Way 15. Harvey Park Recreation Center 2120 S Tennyson Way 16. Hiawatha Davis Jr Recreation Center 3334 N Holly St 17. Highland Recreation Center 2880 N Osceola St Municipal General Election 24-Hour Ballot Drop-Off Boxes Boxes Open: April 15 Boxes Close: May 7 at 7 pm Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week Municipal Run-Off Election 24-Hour Ballot Drop-Off Boxes Boxes Open: May 20 Boxes Close: June 4 at 7 pm Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week 18. Montbello Recreation Center E 53rd Ave 19. Montclair Recreation Center 729 N Ulster Way 20. Ross Cherry Creek Branch Library 305 N Milwaukee St 21. RTD - I-25 and Broadway Station 901 S Broadway 22. RTD - Light Rail at Union Station 1601 Chestnut Pl 23. RTD - Southmoor Station 3737 S Monaco Street Pkwy 24. Scheitler Recreation Center 5031 W 46th Ave 25. Southwest Recreation Center 9200 W Saratoga Pl 26. Stapleton MCA Administrative Offices 8351 Northfield Blvd 27. Washington Park Recreation Center 701 S Franklin St 28. Wellington Webb Municipal Building 201 W Colfax Ave Denver Elections Division Contact information: VOTE (8683) DenverVotes.org /DenverElections /DenverElections #DenverVotes mailballots@denvergov.org (for absentee ballot inquiries) voterregistration@denvergov.org (for voter registration inquiries) elections@denvergov.org (for general election information) 5

7 VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE This booklet contains fiscal impact estimates and, if available, comments for and against each initiated measure as required by the Denver Revised Municipal Code, Chapter 15, Article I, Section 11 (e)(1). A yes/for vote on any ballot measure is a vote in favor of changing current law or existing circumstances, and a no/against vote on any ballot measure is a vote against changing current law or existing circumstances. The Denver Right to Survive Initiated Ordinance 300 The ballot title below was drafted by the proponents of the initiative for ballot purposes only. The ballot title will not appear in the Denver Revised Municipal Code. The text of the measure that will appear in the Denver Revised Municipal Code below was drafted by the proponents of the initiative. The initiated measure is included on the ballot as a proposed change to current law because the proponents gathered the required amount of petition signatures. Ballot Title Shall the voters of the City and County of Denver adopt a measure that secures and enforces basic rights for all people within the jurisdiction of the City and County of Denver, including the right to rest and shelter oneself from the elements in a non-obstructive manner in outdoor public spaces, to eat, share accept or give free food in any public space where food is not prohibited, to occupy one s own legally parked motor vehicle, or occupy a legally parked motor vehicle belonging to another, with the owner s permission, and to have a right and expectation of privacy and safety of or in one s person and property? Text of Measure BE IT ENACTED AND ORDAINED BY PEOPLE OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER: Section 1. The Revised Municipal Code of Denver, Colorado, Title I, Chapter 28, is hereby amended to include a new Article IX: Chapter 28 - HUMAN RIGHTS[1] ARTICLE IX. - RIGHT TO SURVIVE IN PUBLIC SPACES Sec Protected Rights of People. (a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to secure and enforce basic rights for all people within the jurisdiction of the City and County of Denver, including the right to rest and shelter oneself from the elements in a non-obstructive manner in public spaces, to eat, share, accept or give food in any public space where food is not prohibited, to occupy one s own legally parked motor vehicle or occupy a legally parked motor vehicle belonging to another, with the owner s permission, and to have a right and expectation of privacy and safety of or in one s person and property. (b) Definitions. (1) Public space means any outdoor property that is owned or leased, in whole or in part, by the City and County of Denver and is accessible to the public, or any city property upon which there is an easement for public use. (2) Rest means the state of not moving, and holding certain postures including but not limited to sitting, standing, leaning, kneeling, squatting, sleeping or lying down. (3) Non-Obstructive Manner means a manner that does not render passageways impassable or hazardous. (4) Motor Vehicle includes vehicles defined in Colorado Revised Statutes Sections (58), Camper coach (13), trailer coach (106) (a), or noncommercial or recreational vehicle (61). (5) Ceiling preemption means any limitation on local law-making that limits the amount of protection local law may extend to municipal residents that exceeds state or federal protections. 6

8 VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE (6) Municipal Subordination means any exercise of Dillon s Rule, preemption, or other mechanism used to usurp the right of the people of Denver to use their City and County government for the protection of residents rights. (c) Rights. (1) The right to rest in a non-obstructive manner in public spaces. (2) The right to shelter oneself from the elements in a non-obstructive manner in outdoor public spaces. (3) The right to eat, share, accept, or give free food in any public space where food is not prohibited. (4) The right to occupy one s own legally parked motor vehicle or occupy a legally parked motor vehicle belonging to another, with the owner s permission. (5) The right and expectation of safety and privacy of or in one s person and belongings while occupying public spaces. (6) The right to have the City and County government of Denver enforce and defend this law on the basis that a constitutional right of initiative, which is an expression of local community self-government, exists. This law is an assertion of that right as it seeks to expand and secure the rights of the people of Denver. The exercise of the legal doctrines of Dillon s Rule, ceiling preemption or municipal subordination to state government would unconstitutionally and illegitimately violate the right of the residents of the City and County of Denver to local community self-government. (d) Prohibitions and Obligations. (1) It shall be unlawful for the City and County of Denver to enforce any ordinance, resolution, regulation, rule or policy that limits, prohibits or penalizes the rights secured by this ordinance. (2) It shall be unlawful for any public law enforcement officer, private security employee or agent, corporation, business or other entities to violate the rights recognized and secured by this law. (3) It shall be unlawful for an employee or agent of any government agency, corporation, business, or other entity to harass, terrorize, threaten, or intimidate any natural person exercising the rights secured by this ordinance. (e) Enforcement. (1) Any law enforcement officer or other agent of the City and County of Denver who detains, causes to move, or violates the protected rights in Section (c) of this ordinance has committed a civil rights violation(s) under color of law. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, requesting identification by any person unless supported by reasonable suspicion of a crime. (2) The City and County of Denver, or any resident of the City and County of Denver, may enforce the rights and prohibitions of this law through an action brought in any court possessing jurisdiction over activities occurring within the City and County. In such an action, the City and County of Denver or the resident shall be entitled to recover as a prevailing party all costs of litigation, including, without limitation, expert and attorney s fees. (3) All laws adopted by the legislature of Colorado shall be the law of the City and County of Denver only to the extent that they do not violate the rights or prohibitions of this law. Where state or federal law is more protective of human rights and civil rights than this local law, the state or federal law controls. (f) Severability. (1) The provisions of this law are severable. If any court decides that any section, clause, sentence, part, or provision of this law is illegal, invalid, or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect, impair, or invalidate any of the remaining sections, clauses, sentences parts, or provisions, of the law. This law would have been enacted without the invalid sections. (g) Repealer. (1) All inconsistent provisions of prior laws adopted by the City and County of Denver are hereby repealed, but only to the extent necessary to remedy the inconsistency. 7

9 VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE (h) Effective Date. (1) All provisions of this act shall take effect immediately. Fiscal Information on Initiated Ordinance 300 Methodology: Due to the scope of the Right to Survive initiative, the City and County of Denver cannot fully project or anticipate all potential direct costs associated with the initiative and therefore the cost to the city is undetermined. It is known that if passed, the initiative will have a direct impact on, city ordinances, city rules, and city laws. Below is a list of ordinances and rules that could be superseded if the Right to Survive initiative is passed. Unauthorized Camping Ban Sit/lie ordinance Trespassing on public property Curfew laws Park permits Refusing to show ID Health Regulations Assumptions The fiscal note assumes, the Right to Survive initiative as written could make management of public spaces for ticketed events difficult, and current ordinances and rules already in place could be superseded. Since it is unknown the magnitude in which individuals will rest in public spaces, the city is unable to precisely estimate the financial impact at this time. The below information lists areas and services of the City and County of Denver in which the initiative is anticipated to have a financial impact on city departments. Departmental Impacts Parks and Recreation Impacts Closing areas of parks for turf, trees, and landscaping to rest, restore, and regenerate could be prohibited. There could be additional costs for maintaining and repairing parks, trails, and open spaces impacted by uncontrolled use. The costs could impact both urban and mountain parks. Additional resources may be required to maintain park land and other park assets, resulting in the need to hire additional staff. Human Services Impacts The Right to Survive initiative will make it unlawful to harass anyone exercising the right to shelter themselves in public. The initiative does not provide a clear definition of harassment, which may lead to outreach case coordinators, co-responders, peer navigators, and other types of assistance to limit their interactions with those needing services. Human Services and other city agencies will continue to provide current levels of outreach for those needing services. As a result of the initiative, staffing levels may be adjusted to accommodate outreach demands, but changes in demand are unknown at this time. Police Department Impacts Due to the impacts of the initiative on current regulations (park curfew, unauthorized camping, and trespassing) and the intricacies associated with the new policy, patrol officers could require training on the boundaries within which they can operate. Public Health and Environment The ordinance may limit actions that can be taken to abate public and environmental health nuisances in encampments on public or private property. This could include efforts to address public health threats such as Hepatitis A, rodents, feces, urine, trash, and discarded needles. Therefore, increasing the risk of public health conditions could require the city to hire additional staff to address a potential public health emergency. Public Works Impacts The ordinance could make it difficult for city officials to remove individuals sheltering themselves within public infrastructure assets such as bridges and storm-water drains. As with Parks and General Services, there could be new cost implications for maintaining and protecting city assets that could be impacted by use other than as intended. Additional staffing may be required to ensure individuals resting in public space are not blocking the right-of-way. General Services Impacts City staff could be limited in their ability to close and protect outdoor public assets like the grounds of the City and County Building under the proposed ordinance. There could be likely cost implications for additional maintenance and repairs if assets are subject to uncontrollable use. 8

10 VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE Legal Conflict Impacts Existing laws related to use of public spaces have been adopted by the City Council and the State of Colorado to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the public. The Right to Survive Initiative creates new laws that may conflict with those existing laws. The conflict may give rise to legal costs which are difficult to predict at this time. Additionally, the Right to Survive initiative contains language indicating an intent to create individual rights for persons to sue the city for actions the city may take in enforcing the existing laws in conflict with the Right to Survive initiative. Legal costs for the city to defend individual lawsuits are also difficult to predict. Finally, as with any litigation, the outcome of future cases is difficult to predict, and the city may potentially be subject to liability and damages which are also difficult to quantify at this time. Summary of Written Comments FOR INITIATED ORDINANCE 300 The Denver Right to Survive Initiative is a critical, lifesaving step in addressing the crisis of homelessness in Denver. The Right to Survive Initiative simply protects basic human rights sleeping, sitting, using protection from the elements, having privacy in one s person and property, sleeping in one s legally parked vehicle and sharing food. Under this initiative, these survival acts are allowed ONLY in outdoor public space accessible to the public. Parks after curfew will not be accessible. Areas closed to the public or used by a private permitted event will not be accessible. Sidewalks cannot be made impassable or hazardous. No one is allowed on private property under this initiative. All existing laws that do not impede the survival rights named, such as littering, harassment, or violent acts, are not affected. The reality is there is not enough attainable housing for our poorest residents. And shelters are not an option for many homeless people due to lack of space, work schedules, disabilities, and countless other reasons. At the same time, the Denver Unauthorized Camping Ban, which passed City Council in 2012, makes it illegal to use blankets, or any form of protection from the elements other than one s clothing. Telling people who must sleep outside that they can t cover themselves to stay warm is cruel and inhumane, causing homeless people to suffer severe sleep deprivation and trauma. Laws against sleeping, sitting, using cover in public do not help homeless people get out of homelessness or connect to services quite the opposite. For example: Enforcement of these laws pushes people further away from services they depend upon. Outreach workers have a harder time finding their clients. Homeless people get caught up in the courts and jails with a criminal record, making it even harder to get housing or keep a job. Overall, laws like the camping ban make the homeless situation worse, not better. Roughly 60% of homeless people in Denver work, but do not make enough to pay for housing. Many working people cannot access shelters due to work hours conflicting with shelter hours. The City spends tens of millions of dollars to move homeless people along that could be spent on housing or support. In 2017 alone, 4,647 homeless individuals in Denver were contacted by police for violating the camping ban and told to move along. In reality this means homeless individuals just break the law somewhere else. Police know this, but tell people to just move somewhere out of sight. Courts have consistently ruled that camping bans, prohibitions on car sleeping, food sharing laws, and seizure of property are a violation of Constitutional rights. A recent case, Martin v. City of Boise, found the camping ban in Boise, Idaho, to be unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment. Your vote for Right to Survive will change cruel laws and protect the rights of homeless individuals, couples and families in our City. 9

11 VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE Summary of Written Comments AGAINST INITIATED ORDINANCE 300 If passed, Initiative 300 would allow people to occupy and camp in all outdoor public places, including parks, sidewalks, alleyways, bike paths, trails and open spaces, indefinitely. It would end park curfews and prohibit Denver from enforcing other important public safety laws. Most importantly, Initiative 300 fails to provide any support to people experiencing homelessness or address the underlying causes of homelessness. If approved, it may also: Impede services for people in need of help. 300 would make it illegal to harass anyone exercising his or her rights under this law without providing a definition of harassment. The threat of legal action against individuals or organizations could have a chilling effect on firefighters, first responders and other service providers from assisting people. Increase the risk of an outbreak of communicable diseases like typhus and hepatitis. Such diseases, which are rare in the modern U.S., have emerged in other communities where large groups of people are living together in unsanitary environments without basic modern infrastructure including running water and toilets. Harm water quality and our environment. Encampments produce human waste and trash that could contaminate our waterways, killing fish and wildlife and endangering anyone using our bike and trails network along the rivers. Significantly limit or prevent Denver Parks from holding permitted or ticketed events. If the Parks Department cannot move people who are camping from park facilities, such as the Boat House at City Park, to set up for events like concerts, charity runs or weddings, it will be nearly impossible to hold such events. Initiative 300 is: Unprecedented: Denver would be the first city in the country to experiment with a law that allows people to camp in city parks, along waterways, on sidewalks and in all public areas. And the law takes effect immediately upon passage. There is no road map for implementing such a policy and no time for Denver to sort it out. Ineffective: Initiative 300 is a poorly written, overly-broad measure that will have sweeping consequences and lead to expensive litigation without investing any new resources to serve people experiencing homelessness or address the root causes homelessness. Unworthy of Our City: It will lower the standard of living in our community and do nothing to improve the safety or welfare of people experiencing homelessness in Denver. We can do better. We love Denver and want our city to be a welcoming and supportive place for everyone, but that doesn t mean that we should turn Denver s parks, waterways, open spaces and sidewalks into homeless camps. Allowing people to camp in parks and sleep on sidewalks is unsafe, unhealthy and inhumane for people experiencing homelessness and the broader community. Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Decriminalization Initiative 301 The ballot title below was drafted by the proponents of the initiative for ballot purposes only. The ballot title will not appear in the Denver Revised Municipal Code. The text of the measure that will appear in the Denver Revised Municipal Code below was drafted by the proponents of the initiative. The initiated measure is included on the ballot as a proposed change to current law because the proponents gathered the required amount of petition signatures. Ballot Title Shall the voters of the City and County of Denver adopt an ordinance to the Denver Revised Municipal Code that would make the personal use and personal possession of psilocybin mushrooms by persons twenty-one (21) years of age and older the city s lowest law-enforcement priority, prohibit the city from spending resources to impose criminal penalties for the personal use 10

12 VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE and personal possession of psilocybin mushrooms by persons twenty-one (21) years of age and older, and establish the psilocybin mushroom policy review panel to assess and report on the effects of the ordinance? Text of Measure BE IT ENACTED BY THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER: Section 1: The Denver, Colorado Code of Ordinances, Title I, Chapter 28, is hereby amended to include a new Article IX: ARTICLE IX. PUBLIC SAFETY ENFORCEMENT PRIORITIES - GENERAL. Sec Purpose and intent. The purpose and intent of this article is to: 1) deprioritize, to the greatest extent possible, imposition of criminal penalties on persons twenty-one (21) years of age and older for the personal use and personal possession of psilocybin mushrooms; and 2) prohibit the City and County of Denver from spending resources on imposing criminal penalties on persons twenty-one (21) years of age and older for the personal use and personal possession of psilocybin mushrooms. Sec Defined terms. As used in this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this section except where the context clearly indicates and requires a different meaning: (1) Adult means an individual twenty-one (21) years of age or older. (2) Psilocybin mushrooms shall mean fungal matter containing psilocybin, psilocin, baeocystin, or norbaeocystin. (3) Personal possession shall mean the possession, storage or propagation of psilocybin mushrooms by an adult for personal use, where the psilocybin mushrooms are not used or displayed in public; the sale of psilocybin mushrooms for remuneration is not included in the definition of personal possession and is subject to prosecution under existing state laws. Sec Enforcement priority psilocybin mushrooms The enforcement of any laws imposing criminal penalties for the personal use and personal possession of psilocybin mushrooms as those terms are defined herein shall be the lowest law enforcement priority in the City and County of Denver. Sec Use of city funds and resources limited; exceptions. Except as specifically authorized in this article IX, no department, agency, board, commission, officer or employee of the city, including without limitation, county court administrative and clerical employees, probation, pre-trial services and community corrections personnel, shall use any city funds or resources to assist in the enforcement of laws imposing criminal penalties for the personal use and personal possession of psilocybin mushrooms by adults. Sec Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel On or before December 31, 2019, the Mayor of the City of Denver shall appoint an eleven (11) member Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel (the Panel ) to assess and report on the effects of this article IX. The Panel shall consist of two (2) members of the City Council, two (2) citizen members who are or who are substituted by the Petitioner s Committee who petitioned for adoption of this article IX, one (1) CAC-II Certified Addictions Counselor, one (1) harm reduction advocate, one (1) representative of the Denver Police Department, one (1) representative of the Denver Sheriff Department, one (1) criminal defense attorney, one (1) representative of the Office of the Denver District Attorney, and one (1) representative of the Denver City Attorney s Office. The Mayor shall appoint members to vacancies on the Panel as necessary. The Panel shall: 1. Elect a chairperson and meet at least quarterly or more frequently as necessary; 2. By the March 31 immediately following the adoption of the article, establish reporting criteria for the Denver Police Department, the Denver Sheriff Department, and Denver City Attorney s Office to report psilocybin mushroom arrests and prosecutions; and 3. Submit a comprehensive written report with recommendations to the City Council that will include, but not be limited to, information concerning the public safety, public administration, public health and fiscal impacts of this article IX. This report shall be completed and presented at the first available City Council Committee Meeting for calendar year

13 VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE Sec Self-executing, severability, and conflicting provisions. If any term, clause, provision, or part of this article IX or its application is held invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect other terms, clauses, provisions, parts or applications of this article IX that can be given effect without the invalid terms, clauses, provisions, parts or applications. All terms, clauses, provisions, parts and applications of this article are self-executing except as specified herein, are severable, and except where otherwise indicated in the text shall supersede conflicting provisions of the Revised Municipal Code and any regulations promulgated thereto. Fiscal Information on Initiated Ordinance 301 The arrest and case history of the last three years were used to estimate the financial impact of the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Decriminalization initiative. Over the past three years ( ), there have been approximately 158 arrests solely for the possession of psilocybin by the Denver Police Department. Financial Impact: Due to the negligible number of historical cases, the Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel, annual report(s), the cost of decriminalization psilocybin is projected to have no financial impact to the City and County of Denver. Summary of Written Comments FOR INITIATED ORDINANCE 301 We have a right to heal. Why are we putting individuals in prison and taking away their children for using something that is physically safe, non-addictive, and has such tremendous medical benefit? Johns Hopkins University has conducted successful psilocybin trials for more than 15 years and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awarded Breakthrough Therapy Status to psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression in Studies also demonstrate that psilocybin has the potential to limit opiate abuse, decrease criminal behavior, and reduce suicide. It is also the safest of all recreational drugs. One arrest for psiloybin is too many - with over 70 nonviolent arrests per year in the Denver Metro Area, and a $10,000 taxpayer burden per arrest, we can do better. Psilocybin is a tool to powerfully address the addiction and mental health crisis in our country Denver is no exception to the problem and we can come together to address the issue. As a society we must protect any person s right to use a naturally-occurring substance that has so much potential and is no risk to public health and safety. Decriminalizing psilocybin mushrooms in Denver is the right first step. Your YES on I-301 is a vote for a healthier Denver - let s say YES to psilocybin mushrooms for our families, our communities, and our right to heal without fear of criminal or civil penalties Summary of Written Comments AGAINST INITIATED ORDINANCE 301 No comments were filed by the deadline. This is the end of the Municipal Ballot Information Booklet Psilocybin mushrooms are safer than cannabis and alcohol. Not only are they non-addictive, but they also treat depression, addiction, and end-of-life anxiety. 12

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