Author: Marianne Goodland
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Colorado House finishes work on 2026-27 state budget, finally
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The House on Saturday, after four days of work – it usually takes two – finished up their work and voted on the $46.8 billion 2026-27 state budget, as contained in House Bill 1410 and 64 accompanying measures designed to help balance the budget. The delay in getting to the finish line was caused by…
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An “-“ends tribute in a week full of “odds” | Capitol M | Week of April 11, 2026
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The lighter side of the Capitol, usually… The decision to read the budget bill — the long bill, which spans 661 pages this year — put a damper on the House’s already less‑than‑festive mood. So Capitol M decided to catch up on some of the odds and ends that have been on my mind lately,…
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What you need to know about the Colorado legislature reading a 661-page bill aloud
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A rarely used procedural move by a Republican legislator threw the Colorado House into an extended slowdown, after she invoked her right to have a nearly 700-page state budget bill read aloud in full. Once Rep. Brandi Bradley, R‑Roxborough Park, made the request, the House was required by law to read House Bill 1410, which…
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Literal reading of budget bill complicates Colorado legislators’ plans for GOP assembly
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Republican Rep. Brandi Bradley’s decision to force the full reading of the state budget — called the “long bill” for its obvious length — has not only slowed House business to a crawl but also disrupted her colleagues’ plans for the weekend. Rarely invoked when it comes to the budget bill, the parliamentary maneuver can…
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Colorado lawmakers grapple with spending cuts amid $1 billion-plus deficit
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The battle over Colorado’s budget for next year — which stalled in the House over a procedural maneuver — entered a more difficult phase on Thursday, when legislators grappled with hundreds of millions of dollars in proposed reductions to balance the budget. The state constitution requires a balanced budget, although that rarely stays balanced for…
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House GOP stalls Colorado budget debate by forcing full reading of 661-page bill
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A procedural battle at the Colorado Capitol boiled over on Wednesday night, when a House Republican demanded the 661‑page state budget be read aloud in full — a move that delayed the advance of the proposed $46.8 billion spending plan. Colorado legislators are constitutionally required to adopt a balanced budget each year. For next year’s…
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Colorado House opens debate on $46.8B budget already showing strain
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With rising Medicaid costs, no dollars set aside for new legislation and dozens of bills still seeking funding, Colorado lawmakers on Wednesday began debating the proposed $46.8 billion budget that is already proving difficult to keep on track. By the time the main budget measure and its 64 accompanying “orbital” bills — which rely on…
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Inside the GOP caucus: Colorado legislator explains why a bigger budget still means cuts
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Tasked with explaining a budget driven by rising caseloads, shifting federal dollars and a $1.5 billion shortfall, Joint Budget Committee member Rep. Rick Taggart spent Tuesday’s Republican caucus meeting detailing why the 2026–27 spending plan appears larger on paper, even as many state programs face cuts. “If I look a little tired, I am,” Taggart…
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Senate-passed farmworkers overtime bill easily clears Colorado House committee
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A proposal to ease Colorado’s overtime requirements for agricultural employers cleared a key House committee Monday, setting up a broader fight over whether the state should scale back a labor policy adopted just five years ago. The House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee approved the bill Monday to raise the threshold for overtime pay…
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Public comment period opens as federal review targets Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program
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Federal wildlife officials have opened a formal review of Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program, launching a public comment period to assess how the state has handled rising conflicts between wolves and livestock. A notice from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was published in the Federal Register on Monday, setting a June 5 deadline for the comments. The…