This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at kunc.com.
Democrats and Republicans in the Colorado House are blaming each other for stoking political tensions in the aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassination in Utah.
Former Republican Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, who abruptly resigned this week, sent a letter on behalf of her caucus to Democratic leaders last Friday, criticizing social media posts from some of the chamber's Democrats about Kirk and characterizing them as "inflammatory" and "demeaning."
The posts include comments about Kirk's character, criticism of his views and opinions about responses to his death. They also denounce his killing and political violence in general.
"Our duty is not only to advance the policy priorities of our constituents but also to model non-violent civil discourse. The conduct at issue falls short of these expectations and is, in my view, unbecoming of members of the House of Representatives," said Pugliese in the letter.
Pugliese also claimed the posts are out of line with Democrats' recent promises to maintain civility in the House. A Democratic-led resolution passed by the chamber during last month's special legislative session included both a condemnation of a former Republican lawmaker's misconduct and a commitment that House members treat each other respectfully. It was passed with wide bipartisan support.
"We want to make clear that we condemn all forms of political violence," Democratic House Speaker Julie McCluskie said in an emailed response to Pugliese's letter. "The resolution discusses how members of our chamber treat one another and calls for our disagreements with one another to remain rooted in policy. When our members have fallen short in this regard, we have addressed it with them and will continue to do so."
Pugliese called on leadership to direct members to remove the posts. As of Friday morning, they had not been deleted.
House Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter, serving as Acting Minority Leader, accused Democrats of holding their members to a different standard than Republicans.
"The response from Democrat Leadership when we demanded they uphold what was adopted in that resolution is absolutely unacceptable," Winter said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Democrats are also accusing Republicans of crossing the line with political rhetoric.
They point to one of Pugliese's social media posts in which she, along with many other accounts, calls on Gov. Jared Polis to fire a state employee for criticizing Kirk's views online.
"[The employee] has a right to her opinion, and we have elected officials targeting her, saying 'this person should be fired.' It does feel like the political temperature generally is a lot higher," said Democratic Rep. Yara Zokaie.
A number of people across the country have lost their jobs because of critical comments about Kirk. Most recently, late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel was indefinitely suspended, raising concerns about free speech and professional backlash.
Colorado legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle have expressed concern over the increase in inflammatory rhetoric and called on their colleagues to ease political tensions rather than exacerbate them.
"I am deeply concerned about the rise of hateful rhetoric, personal attacks, and the increasing temperature of our political debates," Speaker McCluskie said in a statement. "Now is the time to change course and for leadership in both parties to model the respectful dialogue and engagement this moment demands. All elected officials in Colorado, and everyone in a position to influence the public square, should do so as well."
In the Senate, Democratic Senate President James Coleman and Republican Minority Leader Cleave Simpson issued a joint statement.
"Violence as a means of settling disagreements is incompatible with freedom and is fundamentally un-American. We must condemn it in all its forms. As elected officials, we carry a solemn responsibility to lead not only with conviction, but also with restraint. None of us are perfect, but we strive every day to be better human beings. We must remember that our words and actions shape the tone of our civic life."
The debate over what is acceptable speech for inside and outside the House chamber has also long been a subject of contention between Democrats and Republicans. But the latest partisan attacks between members following Kirk's death also come amid an already-damaged relationship between the caucuses.
Last spring, Republican Rep. Ryan Armagost shared a surreptitious photo of Democratic Rep. Zokaie, who was subjected to harassment as a result.
Then, during last month's special legislative session, Democratic House Majority Leader Monica Duran and former Minority Leader Pugliese clashed dramatically on the House floor over the handling of Armagost's misconduct.
Pugliese cited the confrontation as one reason for her resignation.
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