Governor Jared Polis vetoes rideshare safety bill
Editor's note: The following story contains a recounting of an alleged sexual assault.
DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- Governor Jared Polis has vetoed House Bill 1291, which would have required background checks every six months for rideshare drivers for companies like Lyft and Uber. The bill also required in-vehicle cameras that drivers or passengers could request to turn on, and would have barred drivers who had been convicted of certain sexual or violent offenses.
In a letter, Gov. Polis said described the bill's parameters as "unworkable," citing what he said was unclear language on audio-video recording rules, and unreasonable timelines to get the systems into cars.
Rules for the video-audio recording procedures, as well as deadlines for implementation, would have had to be established by November 1, 2025.
"Drivers and riders are entitled to privacy, and while I appreciate the movement on this issue, the net effect of the remaining language in the bill still strongly suggests making recording mandatory, which will put this law in direct conflict with other state privacy laws and make compliance a challenge," wrote Gov. Polis.
Uber previously said that if passed, the bill could force them to leave Colorado. The company paid particular notice to the audio-video recording rules, which they believe could have been costly or opened them up to legal litigation.
"Gov. Polis made the tough but correct call in vetoing this legislation. While its goals were noble, the practical challenges and negative impacts it would create for drivers and riders far outweighed its perceived benefits. We remain committed to safety in rideshare and will continue supporting thoughtful solutions," read a statement from a Lyft spokesperson.
The bill was sponsored by State Representative Jenny Willford, who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a Lyft driver last February.
Rep. Willford said she took a Lyft home after meeting with friends. She said the driver asked her personal questions, which then escalated to inappropriate comments about what he'd like to do to her.
"He clearly had a plan for how he wanted his night to turn out, and I was trapped in his car," said Rep. Willford in a Facebook post.
Rep. Willford says as they approached her house, she took off her heels and got ready to make a break for it. However, she said just as they stopped outside her house, he blocked her from exiting, and the alleged sexual assault occurred.
The lawmaker says that despite making a report to Lyft, she was not given confirmation as to whether the driver's account was terminated.
A Lyft spokesperson provided the following comment: "The behavior described in this incident has no place in our society. We take reports of sexual assault very seriously, and when incidents such as these are reported to us, our trained team takes immediate action to investigate and works with local law enforcement so that appropriate actions can be taken. In addition, our Terms of Service strictly prohibit the impersonation of another person or entity, and such behavior can and does lead to a permanent ban from the platform.”
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