{"id":2001,"date":"2026-06-07T16:03:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T16:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2001"},"modified":"2026-06-07T16:03:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T16:03:35","slug":"rep-carter-gov-polis-stumbles-with-veto-of-bill-to-help-firefighters-with-work-related-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2001","title":{"rendered":"REP. CARTER: Gov. Polis stumbles with veto of bill to help firefighters with work-related cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

On June 3, Gov. Jared Polis vetoed Senate Bill 26-184 \u2014 legislation our caucus designated the \u201cRuben Sims Jr. Act,\u201d named for Aurora Fire and Rescue\u2019s first Black firefighter. He gave decades of service to this community and died of occupational cancer.<\/p>\n

I am disappointed, and Coloradans deserve to know why.<\/p>\n

The governor\u2019s concerns about the Colorado Firefighter Trust are worth discussing. But his conclusion \u2014 veto rather than fix \u2014 ignores what the bill actually did. Itf expanded cancers recognized as occupational diseases and raised the evidentiary bar employers must clear to deny a claim. That second piece matters enormously to a firefighter\u2019s family sitting across a table from an employer\u2019s attorney while their loved one is fighting for their life.<\/p>\n

The Trust the governor praises is voluntary. Not all fire districts participate. The governor himself calls it \u201cnot perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

We tried to fix it. The veto does not.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a bill to help firefighters with cancer. Let that sink in. Cancer is now the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths for firefighters. Firefighters spend years breathing in toxic smoke, diesel exhaust, PFAS forever chemicals, asbestos, and other cancer-causing chemicals.\u201d the measure\u2019s prime sponsor, Rep. Javier Mabrey, said about the bill and veto. \u201cNow firefighters will be battling cancer at the same time they\u2019re battling a bureaucratic process and insurance companies to get the workers\u2019 comp benefits they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruben Sims Jr. ran toward danger so the rest of us could run away. He did not get to choose which chemicals he breathed or negotiate which cancers would be covered. We named this bill after him because that debt is not yet paid.<\/p>\n

We will be back next session. And until we get this right, one question stands: If we are going to call firefighters heroes, why aren\u2019t we treating them like it when they come home?<\/p>\n

Democratic State Rep Michael Carter represents House District 36 in Aurora. He is vice chairperson of the House Judiciary Committee<\/em>\n<\/p>\n

Read more Female Navy officers say they fear a career cap after Hegseth cuts women from promotions list<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read more Alcohol suspected in fatal Aurora crash that killed 1 early Sunday, police say<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read more PERRY: The Elijah McClain homicide trial process didn\u2019t get in the way of the facts, nor the convictions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On June 3, Gov. Jared Polis vetoed Senate Bill 26-184 \u2014 legislation our caucus designated the \u201cRuben Sims Jr. Act,\u201d named for Aurora Fire and Rescue\u2019s first Black firefighter. He gave decades of service to this community and died of occupational cancer. I am disappointed, and Coloradans deserve to know why. The governor\u2019s concerns about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2000,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[3177,3178,3179,116,3180,397,3181,3182],"class_list":["post-2001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","tag-aurora-fire-and-rescue","tag-colorado-firefighter-trust","tag-democratic-state-rep-michael-carter","tag-gov-jared-polis","tag-occupational-cancer","tag-rep-javier-mabrey","tag-ruben-sims-jr","tag-senate-bill-26-184"],"yoast_head":"\nREP. CARTER: Gov. 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