Termed-out New Mexico governor is picky with pardons
SANTA FE, N.M. – Republican New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has pardoned three people so far during two terms in office in a state with a robust history of forgiveness by governors.
The governor’s office this week confirmed that Martinez issued three pardons in 2012 and no others.
A former district attorney and death penalty proponent, Martinez has barred pardons for sexual offenses and multiple drunken driving convictions. She has through Dec. 31 to act on pardon requests.
The governor’s office says it does not keep a list of pardon applications or denials. It did not immediately provide access to pardon applications.
Martinez’s two immediate predecessors each pardoned scores of people for a variety of convictions. Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson commuted the life sentence for a woman who killed her allegedly abusive husband.
Colorado governor proposes to keep Rocky Mountain National Park open amid potential government shutdown
Thelma Grimes
thelma.grimes@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 hour ago
With a federal government shutdown looming, Colorado’s governor is proposing to use local funds to keep open one of the state’s biggest attractions — Rocky Mountain National Park. In a statement to Colorado Politics on Tuesday, Gov. Jared Polis said,...
Colorado allocates $7.5M for food assistance program for women and children amid federal shutdown
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 hour ago
The federal government shutdown prompted the Colorado General Assembly’s budget writers to take action on Tuesday, allocating additional funds to the Women, Infants & Children, or WIC, food program. The state portion of the federal program is under the Department...
Colorado labor agency says it’s ready to assist federal workers affected by federal shutdown
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 hour ago
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s Unemployment Insurance Division said it is prepared to assist federal workers living in the state who have been furloughed due to the federal government shutdown. Some 54,300 federal workers live in Colorado, according...
City of Pueblo ending contract with Pueblo Economic Development Corporation
Breeanna Jent
breeanna-jent@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 12 seconds ago
PUEBLO — The city of Pueblo will terminate its contract for economic development services with the Pueblo Economic Development Corporation (PEDCO) at year’s end. The city has provided PEDCO 90 days’ notice of the contract termination, effective Dec. 31, officials...
Colorado will help furloughed federal workers claim unemployment benefits
Mark Samuelson Special to The Denver Gazette
mark.samuelson@denvergazette.com
Updated 2 hours ago
As civilian federal workers in Colorado wait for word as to whether they will be furloughed by a federal government shutdown, the state’s Department of Labor and Employment is reaching out to aid workers in claiming unemployment benefits. The agency,...
Colorado business confidence continues to fall under Trump administration
Bernadette Berdychowski
bernadette.berdychowski@denvergazette.com
Updated 2 hours ago
An economic measurement tracking the sentiment of business leaders across Colorado continues to lean negative, according to a new report from the University of Colorado Boulder. The Leeds Business Confidence Index –- a measure of how business leaders across Colorado...
Data protection for minors, HOAs, and 911 calls: New laws going into effect Oct. 1
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 hours ago
A trio of new laws related to online data privacy for minors, foreclosures of homes in HOAs, and repeated calls to 911 dispatch centers take effect on Oct. 1. Here’s a summary of each law going into effect on October...
Government shutdown begins as nation faces new period of uncertainty
Associated Press
associated-press@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 14 hours ago
WASHINGTON • Plunged into a government shutdown, the U.S. is confronting uncertainty after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep government programs and services running by Wednesday’s deadline. Roughly 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed, some potentially fired by the Trump administration....
Is Denver poised to become the Silicon Valley of the ‘New West?’
Deborah Smith
deborah.smith@denvergazette.com
Updated 47 minutes ago
With an abundance of available talent, robust university partnerships and a “welcoming give first mindset,” global leaders in artificial intelligence are pointing to Denver as the next hotbed for public sector tech innovation. As Mayor Mike Johnston wrapped up his...
Colorado officials ramp up finger-pointing as federal government shutdown’s midnight deadline looms
Ernest Luning
ernest.luning@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 hour ago
Members of Colorado’s congressional delegation on Tuesday blamed their counterparts across the aisle for failing to avert the federal government’s first full shutdown in almost seven years. Shortly before casting a vote against a Republican-led temporary spending bill to extend...
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