A progressive group on Monday called on Colorado TV stations to refuse to broadcast a “blatantly” false campaign ad from state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, the Republican nominee in the 8th Congressional District.
In the ad, Kirkmeyer falsely claims — twice — that Colorado Democrats, including her opponent, state Rep. Yadira Caraveo, “voted to legalize fentanyl possession.”
“You heard me — they legalized fentanyl. It’s time to get tough on criminals and save our kids,” Kirkmeyer’s ad concludes.
Kirkmeyer’s campaign did not respond to questions about the ad or the basis for her false claim. Colorado conservatives have criticized a 2019 law, passed by bipartisan majorities of both chambers in the General Assembly, which reduced penalties for the possession of small amounts of schedule I or II drugs, including fentanyl, reclassifying such offenses from felony to misdemeanor status.
Earlier this year, Colorado lawmakers reversed some of those changes by lowering the felony possession threshold for synthetic opioids like fentanyl from 4 grams to more than 1 gram. At no point has the possession of fentanyl, a powerful opioid commonly used in medical settings, been “legal” without a prescription in Colorado.
ProgressNow Colorado, a liberal advocacy group, called on Colorado TV stations to pull Kirkmeyer’s ad from the airwaves.
“There is absolutely no justification for Kirkmeyer’s claim,” Sara Loflin, the group’s executive director, said in a statement. “It’s not just...
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