City officials may file an ethics complaint against state Sen. Faith Winter for apparently showing up drunk to an April 3 community meeting to discuss a state plan to place registered sex offenders in a group home in a Northglenn neighborhood.
The city council plans to vote at their May 1 meeting on filing the ethics complaint. If it passes, the city would send it to state Senate President Steve Fenberg.
Winter showed up late to the April 3 meeting where over 400 residents voiced their displeasure with the state’s plan to place a Mental Health Transition Living Facility in Northglenn.
The facility would have included convicted sex offenders. Residents complained the sex offenders would be living too close to schools and the state has since backed off the proposal and indicated sex offenders would no longer be housed at the Mental Health Transition Facilities.
Winter was invited to the April 3 meeting at the Northglenn Recreation Center because she represents most of the city of Northglenn in the legislature. Winter also co-sponsored the legislation that created the transition facilities – HB22-1303.
Winter arrived late to the meeting “and various individuals indicated Senator Winter appeared to have glassy eyes, slurred speech, and some individuals smelled alcohol on her breath, and as a result she also appeared at various times disinterested, annoyed, and combative,” according to the resolution the city council will consider Wednesday.
After the meeting several individuals suggested Winter find a ride home instead of driving, according to a city staff report to the city council.
The next day Winter said she was undergoing treatment for alcoholism and apologized for her conduct.
“I deeply regret my behavior last night,” Winter said in a written statement. “I made a mistake and I’m truly sorry for any inconvenience or discomfort I caused. I take full responsibility for my actions, and I am committed to making this right. I especially apologize to the city of Northglenn and the citizens that came out – I deeply care about your thoughts and community. I am now under the care of medical professionals and receiving treatment for my substance abuse disorder.”
Northglenn’s proposed resolution states that the city council is sensitive to the disease of alcoholism but the disease is not an excuse for Winter’s conduct for showing up at a community meeting in an apparently inebriated state.
Her conduct “undermined the integrity of her office as a senator representing the constituents of the city, and demonstrated an inability to perform her legislative duties in a manner that promotes public confidence,” the resolution states.