Oil, gas drilling picks up in western Colorado in 2017
GRAND JUNCTION – Figures show oil and gas drilling activity in western Colorado is at its highest pace in several years, with no signs of slowing down in 2018.
The Daily Sentinel reports Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission data through Dec. 8 shows drilling had begun on 113 wells so far this year in Mesa County, the most since 225 well starts there in 2008, the peak year of drilling activity in western Colorado’s Piceance (PEE’-ants) Basin.
Garfield County has had 277 well starts this year through Dec. 8, up from 161 for all of last year.
Garfield and Mesa rank second and third statewide in drilling activity, far behind the 1,203 well starts so far this year in Weld County. Colorado has seen 1,741 well starts through Dec. 8 of this year.
Colorado Democrats want large corporations to pay fee if employees are on Medicaid
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 3 minutes ago
Democrats are seeking to require Colorado’s largest corporations to pay thousands of dollars for each employee that relies on the Medicaid program for health insurance. They don’t have to pay the fee if they can demonstrate offering an “affordable health...
Colorado justices agree to review insurance question that has divided federal judges
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 48 minutes ago
The Colorado Supreme Court granted a federal judge’s request on Friday to address an issue that has produced conflicting answers in policyholders’ lawsuits against insurance companies over unpaid benefits. “Parties (and judges) regularly spend undue time and money fighting in...
Farmworker overtime bill advances after lengthy debate in Colorado Senate
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 18 hours ago
The Colorado Senate on Tuesday narrowly advanced a bill to raise the overtime threshold for agricultural workers, defeating more than a dozen amendments from its leading opponent aimed at rewriting the measure. As introduced, Senate Bill 121 would raise the threshold for...
Colorado Agriculture Day: A feast for the ears, eyes and stomachs
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 16 hours ago
Gov. Jared Polis, legislators and friends of agriculture gathered at the state Capitol on Tuesday to celebrate Colorado Agriculture Day. The annual recognition of the contributions of Colorado farmers, ranchers and agribusiness drew hundreds to the Capitol’s west foyer, where...
Pueblo man held in Afghanistan for more than a year released, Taliban says
The Associated Press
the-associated-press@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 16 hours ago
KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities on Tuesday released American academic Dennis Coyle after holding him for over a year, with the foreign ministry saying the release came on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday that marks the end of the...
Mortgage rates rise in defiance of Trump’s $200 billion push, hurting GOP on affordability
Zach Halaschak, Washington Examiner
zach.halaschak.washington.examiner@gazetteedit.wpenginepowered.com
Updated 19 hours ago
After months of a gradual decline, mortgage rates are trending back up because of the war with Iran, defying President Donald Trump’s efforts to lower them and undercutting Republicans on the key issue of affordability. As of Monday, the average rate on a 30-year...
Federal judge dismisses background screeners’ challenge to Colorado law
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 21 hours ago
A federal judge dismissed a challenge on Friday to a portion of Colorado law that prohibits certain information from being included in consumer reports, in what seemed to be a conflict with federal law. Congress originally enacted the Fair Credit...
Wildlife agency asks for $450,000 to bring more wolves to Colorado
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 14 hours ago
The panel of legislators charged with crafting the budget on Monday rejected a proposal that proponents said would increase transparency around how much Colorado Parks and Wildlife spends to bring additional wolves into the state. At the same time, the...
Hickenlooper primary challenger Julie Gonzales endorsed by national progressive group Indivisible
Ernest Luning
ernest.luning@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 14 hours ago
State Sen. Julie Gonzales’ bid to challenge U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper in Colorado’s Democratic primary got a boost Tuesday from Indivisible when the national arm of the progressive grassroots group endorsed the Denver lawmaker. The national group’s endorsement comes less...
10th Circuit rejects ‘penalty’ for children of naturalized citizens seeking visas
Michael Karlik
michael.karlik@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 15 hours ago
The Denver-based federal appeals court joined three of its peers earlier this month and determined the child of a newly naturalized U.S. citizen is not moved to a longer visa line as a result of his parent gaining citizenship, and...
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Colorado leaders took a hard look at the teacher shortage in 2017
The problem of teacher shortages has plagued some Colorado school districts for years, but it reached a tipping point of sorts in 2017. With a growing trove of anecdotes about teachers who can’t afford housing, who work second jobs to make ends meet or who leave the profession early, state education officials hit the road […]
With lone candidate dropping out, Colorado Green Party lacks a gubernatorial candidate
Veronique Bellamy of Longmont – the lone Green Party gubernatorial candidate – says she has withdrawn from the race for governor. “I announced earlier this year that, on the advice of officials within my political party, that I would drop out of the race in order to allow the state party to build our base,” […]