Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

MEDIA RELEASE

May 29, 2026

Contact: Jenny Davies, 720-296-9545, jenny@progressive-promotions.com

Governor Polis Sides with Billionaires Over Workers

Confirms he will veto Worker Protection Act

DENVER – Today, Governor Jared Polis confirmed he will veto the Worker Protection Act (HB26-1005), siding with billionaire CEOs and corporate lobbyists over Colorado’s working families. The bill would have removed an unnecessary and harmful second election requirement that prevents workers from forming strong unions and negotiating for better pay, benefits, and safety on the job. Every Democratic legislator voted in favor of the bill, and most have signed a letter demanding the two Democratic gubernatorial candidates commit to signing it should they win.

The veto news comes as Gov. Polis faces growing criticism from Democrats across Colorado following his clemency decision for Tina Peters and recent censure by members of his own party, further fueling concerns that he is increasingly out of touch with working Coloradans.

“Coloradans are ready to elect leaders who stand with working people instead of billionaire CEOs. That’s the leadership we’re prepared to work with to pass the Worker Protection Act,” said Stephanie Felix-Sowy, president of SEIU Local 105. “This bill is the most significant pro-worker labor reform Colorado has seen in generations, and vetoing it after overwhelming support from workers and Democratic legislators is an assault on democracy itself. Once again, Gov. Polis is siding with billionaire CEOs and corporate lobbyists over workers, families, and the democratic will of the people. We look forward to working with a future governor who values democracy and workers’ rights.”

Fifty-seven members of the Colorado Democratic legislative caucus have signed a letter to ask both Democratic gubernatorial candidates – Sen. Michael Bennet and A.G. Phil Weiser – to take a stand in support of workers over wildly profitable multinational corporations by publicly committing to sign the Worker Protection Act, should it come across the Governor’s desk in 2027 or beyond.

“The coming veto is a slap in the face to every worker organizing for a better life,” said Michelle Mendenhall, a Casa Bonita entertainment crew lead. “Again, we were stymied by a politician protecting a system rigged to keep workers quiet, hold wages low, and make it really hard to form a union. I’m looking for a new governor who will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with workers rather than billionaire CEOs.”

Billionaire CEOs use their money and influence to protect the status quo, keeping the rigged system delivering profits to themselves and shareholders instead of the people who do most of the work. These limits on workers’ rights to unionize mean that working families are struggling to pay for housing, healthcare and other basic expenses.

“While we knew this veto was likely, we held out hope that Gov. Polis would change his mind in the midst of an affordability crisis for working families struggling with the costs of housing, healthcare and groceries,” said Karli McClure, a crisis clinician at Clinica Family Health in Boulder. “We’re looking forward to the end of politics dominated by wealthy special interests and the beginning of a renewed commitment to working people. When workers can stand together, wages go up, workplaces get safer, and families have a real chance to live and thrive in Colorado.”

Last year, the Colorado Fiscal Institute published a report citing Economic Policy Institute data showing union workers earn 10% more than non-union ones with similar jobs and qualifications. Projections updated in 2026 show that if the bill passes, Colorado workers will earn $2,350 more per year, putting more than $6 billion annually in the pockets of CO working families. As compared with non-unionized peers, unionized workers are significantly more likely to receive employer-provided health insurance and retirement benefits, have a 13% better shot of their family owning a home, and have four times the household wealth ($201,250 vs $52,221).

Colorado Worker Rights United is a coalition of labor unions and community groups building worker power through organizing and solidarity in Colorado. CWRU is dedicated to modernizing Colorado’s labor laws to make it easier to organize and empower Colorado workers, 70,000 of whom are currently organizing to form a union at a time when an all-time high of seven out of 10 Americans support labor unions.

###

The post Governor Polis Sides With Billionaires Over Workers appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Editor’s Note: Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Boulder County’s community mental health center partners with Clinica Family Health for an innovative, integrated approach to whole-person healthcare

Members of the Mental Health Partners and Clinica Family Health team stand together at the clinic’s opening ceremony in Nederland.

The exterior of the new Nederland clinic, located at 80 Big Springs Drive in downtown Nederland.

LAFAYETTE, Colo., November 9, 2022 – Mental Health Partners (MHP), the community mental health provider serving Boulder and Broomfield counties, has partnered with Clinica Family Health to open a new clinic in downtown Nederland. Based on an integrated behavioral healthcare model, the new facility located at 80 Big Springs Drive, Suite 201, is shared by MHP and Clinica, providing comprehensive health and wellness services to individuals in and around Nederland and nearby mountain communities.

MHP’s outpatient mental health clinic provides a wide range of behavioral health services – including brief episodic therapy, supportive counseling, case management, and peer support. MHP currently staffs a Behavioral Health Professional, a Client Service Advisor, and a Peer Support Specialist at the Nederland clinic.

“Conversations regarding how to integrate behavioral and physical health are occurring statewide,” said Jennifer Leosz, co-CEO of Mental Health Partners. “At MHP, we are doing it. Alongside Clinica, we are not only talking about whole-person or integrated care, we are already actualizing it in new and exciting ways. This shared space in Nederland, and the time and resources both of our organizations put into this partnership, is unique here in Colorado and we are witnessing the significant impact it is making for our clients in real time.”

The innovative model and partnership between MHP and Clinica combine the benefits of whole-person care with the convenience of a single co-located clinic.

“The objective around integrated care is about focusing on an individual’s physical, emotional, and behavioral health needs at the same time,” said Katie Maffitt, MHP’s Longmont and Mountain Regional Director. “Our health needs are interrelated and rarely does someone come in seeking support in just one area. Attention, delivery, and collaborative treatment of a person’s wide range of needs helps facilitate the best outcome for treatment and recovery.”

Despite the scenic views and picturesque landscapes, rural mountain towns across the U.S. are experiencing a mental health crisis, particularly in Rocky Mountain states. Of the top 10 states with the highest suicide rate, eight are located in the Mountain West – including Colorado. Because of this regional trend, the Rockies Mountains have earned an unfortunate nickname among experts as “The Suicide Belt.”

While many factors may be contributing to this mental health crisis in mountain communities, reduced access to care and resources almost certainly plays a role. For this reason, Mental Health Partners made it a top goal to expand services beyond the Boulder metro area and meet people where they are — in their own communities.

To fulfill this mission, it was important to the organization to have community members who best understand these realities on staff.

“My favorite part of my job is being able to work in the community I care most about and being part of a new project that Nederland has been trying to achieve for some time,” said Ari Goodman, Client Services Advisor and local resident. “It’s exciting to bring this integrated, whole-person healthcare model to the community I love, serve, and call home.”

While MHP’s Nederland clinic prioritizes serving Boulder County residents, including the unincorporated Boulder County towns of Allenspark, Coal Creek Canyon, Eldora, and Eldorado Springs, individuals with Medicaid from nearby counties such as Gilpin and Larimer can also be served here if they prefer.

To access services, residents are invited to stop by the new clinic in downtown Nederland – now accepting walk-ins on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursday from 8am to 5pm. Individuals can also call MHP’s main phone number at (303) 443-8500 to be directed to convenient care.

About Mental Health Partners

Mental Health Partners is a federally designated comprehensive community mental health center serving clients across Boulder and Broomfield counties as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since opening in Boulder in 1962, MHP has expanded to multiple communities (including Lafayette, Longmont, Broomfield and, most recently, Nederland) to meet the region’s growing mental health needs and better accomplish its mission — Healing is our purpose. Help is our promise. Health is our passion.

The post Mental Health Partners’ New Nederland Clinic Provides Wide Range of Behavioral Health Services to Mountain Communities appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.