Black Forest Fire

Investigators have narrowed down where the Black Forest Fire broke out, but El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa (mah-KEE'-tah) says they might never know for sure how Colorado's most destructive fire started.  Maketa did not reveal the location during a briefing today on his office's "after-action" report.  He says smoking, a campfire and a train have all been ruled out as fire starters.  Once the U.S. Forest Service finalizes its report on the fire, Maketa says his office's findings will be turned over to prosecutors to determine if criminal charges are warranted.  The Black Forest Fire started a year ago this week. It destroyed nearly 500 houses and killed two people north of Colorado Springs.

Fracking Suit

Two Lafayette residents are suing Colorado officials for not enforcing a ban on hydraulic fracturing.  The Daily Camera reports that the residents say that a fracking ban passed in November is not being enforced.  Sixty percent of Lafayette voters supported a measure that prohibits any new oil and gas extraction in the city. The Colorado Oil & Gas Association has filed a lawsuit against Lafayette challenging the ban.  The suit, filed today, seeks immediate enforcement.

Pot Tax Suit

Some marijuana activists in Colorado are suing over the collection of pot taxes.  A lawsuit filed in Denver District Court claims that collecting pot taxes violates the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. That's the protection from self-incrimination.  The lawsuit says that when marijuana growers and sellers pay their taxes, they effectively incriminate themselves under federal law.  The attorney who filed the case says pot taxes are too high, and the tax rate means there's still a black market for marijuana.  The attorney general's office calls the suit "bizarre."