EDITORIAL: Marijuana taxes aren’t a panacea for schools
Taxes from recreational marijuana sales have contributed nothing – as in zero dollars – in direct support for Mesa County Valley District 51 schools.
Even if there were 10 pot shops operating in Grand Junction, that figure wouldn’t necessarily change because “pot money” for schools – minuscule as it is – gets doled out through grants administered by the state.
Yet, there’s a perception that marijuana taxes are going directly to schools. It’s easy to see how the misunderstanding occurs. De Beque, for example, has dispensaries. De Beque also has a new school addition. Must be that pot money.
Colorado Springs D-11 board member running for state House seat
Eric Young
eric.young@gazette.com
Updated 1 hour ago
A Colorado Springs District 11 board member has thrown their hat into the ring for a seat in the state House of Representatives. A candidate affidavit and committee registration form for Jill Haffley, vice president of D-11’s Board of Education,...
Heading into holidays, shoplifting on the rise in Colorado, study says
Mark Samuelson Special to The Denver Gazette
mark.samuelson@denvergazette.com
Updated 2 hours ago
Shoplifting and other forms of retail crime are seeing a sharp rise as Colorado heads into the holidays, according to a study released this week. After falling from a recent-record 24,975 thefts reported in 2015 to around 18,000 in 2021,...
Colorado fights federal campaign to stop SNAP from going to illegal aliens, certain noncitizens
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 hours ago
Colorado joined 21 other states in a lawsuit seeking to undo the Trump administration’s campaign to stop taxpayer-funded food aid from going to individuals illegally staying in the U.S., arguing the move also implicated a group of noncitizens who should...
Campaign finance complaints add up for Bennet campaign
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 5 hours ago
Three state campaign finance complaints have been filed against U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Denver, tied to his campaign for governor in 2026. A fourth is likely, sources have told Colorado Politics. The first two were filed on Sept. 24 and...
Colorado Supreme Court to examine whether corporations can be liable for ‘felonious killing’
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 6 hours ago
The Colorado Supreme Court recently announced that it will determine whether corporations can be liable for a “felonious killing,” meaning there is no limit to the damages they might pay for pain and suffering after causing a wrongful death. At...
Colorado Sen. Faith Winter, 45, killed in car accident
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 day ago
State Sen. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, was killed in a car accident Wednesday evening on Interstate 25. The accident took place near the intersection of I-25 and Dry Creek Avenue in Centennial, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. Officers were...
Auditors, Denver City Council mince words regarding spending policy
Deborah Grigsby
deborah.smith@denvergazette.com
Updated 2 days ago
Denver’s councilmembers continue to give city funds to local organizations using a process lacking clarity and accountability, weakened by inconsistent terminology and legal opinions around donations, sponsorships and grants, according to city auditors. City Council officials countered that no definitions...
Colorado’s Michael Bennet rode outrage over last government shutdown to presidential bid | TRAIL MIX
Ernest Luning
ernest.luning@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 days ago
Only weeks after the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history ended with congressional Democrats’ demands to restore health care funding previously cut by Republicans left dangling, the high-stakes standoff that dominated political news for 43 days has already receded...
Panel member ejected from one judge’s discipline case, as second judge challenges protocols in his proceeding
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 49 minutes ago
One member of a panel adjudicating the misconduct allegations against a county court judge has been replaced due to her alleged non-responsiveness, at the same time a different county court judge is objecting to the intended protocols in his own...
Colorado justices ponder scope of law curbing insurers’ ability to allege failure to cooperate
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 days ago
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court pondered a question last week that could have sweeping ramifications for those making insurance claims: When the legislature required insurance companies to take certain steps before accusing policyholders of failing to cooperate in an...