Leigh Paterson
Senior Editor & ReporterAs KUNC's Senior Editor and Reporter, my job is to find out what鈥檚 important to northern Colorado residents and why. I seek to create a deeper sense of urgency and understanding around these issues through in-depth, character driven daily reporting and series work.
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In Colorado, law enforcement routinely take people to the hospital for court-ordered mental health evaluations. But now, in Boulder County, sheriff鈥檚 deputies have stopped putting their hands on people to force them to go. -
Both Amendment J (same-sex marriage) and Amendment 79 (abortion) had wide support, while the closely watched race in Congressional District 8 was still close. -
In the final story in our series, 鈥淭he Colorado Dream: Ending the Hate State,鈥� we ask Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a police chief and a long-time legislative aide: Where does Colorado stand today with the "Hate State" label? -
A former legislative aid describes how gender identities have become politicized in Colorado, years after undergoing his own gender transition. -
Once known as the Hate State, Colorado has become more accepting of LGBTQ+ people. Now, heated exchanges over gender identity are playing out in school districts across the state. Some are adopting gender inclusive guidelines, outlining how to support transgender and non-binary students. How and when to involve parents is up for debate. -
Larimer County鈥檚 largest safety-net behavioral health provider laid off 10 percent of its staff last week. Executives say this was necessary because of financial issues, including a new Medicaid reimbursement structure. -
Backers of a proposed ballot initiative are up against the clock to gather over 100,000 signatures before next week鈥檚 deadline. The measure they hope to get on the ballot this November would require schools to inform parents about gender identity issues. -
Social studies standards in Colorado schools are changing to incorporate more diverse stories, including those of LGBTQ people. Now, communities across the state, including Summit County, are preparing for these updates to take effect. -
Since the pandemic, chronic absenteeism in the nation's K-12 schools has skyrocketed. These teens are working to get their attendance back on track. -
In 2023, about one in four students was chronically absent. Schools are going above and beyond to turn those numbers around. That often means having difficult conversations with students and families.
