The Pueblo Chieftain editorial: Southwest chief support
The commission set up three years ago to keep Southwest Chief passenger rail service in Southern Colorado will continue under a new name and expanded objective with a bill headed to the governor’s desk.
We encourage Gov. John Hickenlooper to sign Senate Bill 153 into law. The bill promotes not only continuing the line through Lamar, La Junta, Trinidad and portions of Kansas and New Mexico, but adds a study of bringing back Front Range passenger trains potentially linking Pueblo, Denver and other destinations on the Interstate 25 corridor.
The Southwest Chief and Front Range Passenger Rail Commission assumes the duties of the first Southwest Chief commission, created by the Legislature in 2014 and scheduled to expire on July 1. This newly branded and expanded effort has been sponsored this year by Sens. Leroy Garcia, D-Pueblo, and Larry Crowder, R-Alamosa, and Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo.
Mysterious letter causes uproar, investigation in Mesa County GOP | A LOOK BACK
Rachael Wright, Special to Colorado Politics
rachael.wright@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 days ago
Twenty Years Ago This Week: An unregistered activist group calling themselves ‘The Colorado Republican Caucus’ mailed letters to at least 160 Republicans in Mesa County calling various Grand Junction Republicans “turncoats” and “traitors.” “The danger was that the letters were...
Colorado Politics Calendar Apr. 20-26
Rachael Wright, Special to Colorado Politics
rachael.wright@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 days ago
CoPo’s weekly political calendar helps you find political and public policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances,...
A happier budget week | Capitol M | Week of April 18, 2026
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 days ago
It’s budget time at the state Capitol, and generally, it’s a humorless situation. It certainly was that way in the House last week, with a 15-hour reading of the long bill at 661 pages that resulted in lawmakers having to...
Colorado lawmakers advance bill to tackle Colorado’s prison capacity issues
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 day ago
As lawmakers move the 2026–27 state budget toward completion, they are intensifying efforts to address overcrowding and capacity challenges within the Department of Corrections and related agencies—issues that have contributed to increased spending in the budget. The state Senate on...
Colorado justices, lawyers speak with rural students through outreach program
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 hours ago
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court appeared before students from eight rural schools on Thursday to hear a pair of cases, field questions, and mark the first time the state’s newest justice participated in the long-running program. “I had such...
Democrats want Colorado colleges to provide medication abortion
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 22 hours ago
A bill proposing to require Colorado colleges and universities to provide abortion medication services cleared a legislative committee on Thursday. Advocates said the measure — which exempts religious-based institutions but applies to public, private, and community colleges — will improve...
Trump ‘in discussions’ with IRS to cut deal in tax record lawsuit
Brady Knox, Washington Examiner
brady.knox.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 23 hours ago
President Donald Trump is in talks with the Internal Revenue Service to strike a deal over the release of his tax records. The news was revealed in a legal filing, where his legal team said they were in “discussions” with...
Governor’s wildlife commission picks face pushback ahead of Colorado Senate hearing
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 24 hours ago
Colorado’s largest coalition of hunters, anglers, and wildlife conservation groups is urging state lawmakers to reject two of Gov. Jared Polis’ latest nominees to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, setting up a contentious confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture...
Colorado justices skeptical of snowboarder’s bid to revive injury lawsuit after signing new waiver
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 4 hours ago
The Colorado Supreme Court seemed to agree on Thursday that a plaintiff is not entitled to continue his snowboarding injury lawsuit because he purchased another pass in the middle of litigation that released all past legal claims. “It says you’re...
Colorado Supreme Court appears OK with revised ‘reasonable doubt’ instruction
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 hour ago
The Colorado Supreme Court appeared largely comfortable on Thursday with the recently revised definition of “reasonable doubt” that is now part of the template jury instructions for criminal cases. To date, multiple Court of Appeals decisions have endorsed the constitutionality...