Author: Marianne Goodland
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Senate committee moves forward with Colorado ballot measure to redirect TABOR refunds to schools
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A Senate panel on Thursday voted along party lines to move forward with a bill that would ask voters for permission to eliminate Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights refunds and redirect those dollars to K-12 public education. The 6-3 vote in the Senate Finance Committee sends Senate Bill 135 to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further…
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Wolf depredation payouts in Colorado top $700,000 in 2025
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The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission approved more than $706,000 in wolf depredation claims for 2025 during its March meeting last week, an amount that exceeds the state’s annual wolf compensation fund by more than double. The commission rejected another $53,611 in claims. But more are expected, based on comments from Colorado Parks and Wildlife…
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Colorado auditor finds serious issues with labor agency’s unemployment insurance accounting
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Colorado’s state auditors found serious issues with the accounting practices of the unemployment insurance division of the Department of Labor and Employment, concluding the agency underestimated and overestimated figures to the tune of billions of dollars. The auditors labeled the problems with its most serious concern — a “material weakness,” an indication of a significant…
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Split vote by Colorado Title Board stops ballot push to privatize Pinnacol Assurance
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The Colorado Title Board, a three-member panel that sets the language for ballot measures, recently reversed a prior decision and blocked a proposal to privatize Pinnacol Assurance from moving forward. The main issue decided by the title board is whether a ballot measure meets the state’s constitutionally mandated single-subject law and whether its content fits…
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Colorado open records bill dies in Senate committee
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Efforts to overhaul Colorado’s open records law stalled anew. A proposal that would have extended response times for public records requests and added accountability measures for late responses failed to advance out of its first committee and will not move forward this year. The Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee rejected Senate Bill 107,…
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Colorado prostitution decriminalization bill shelved after sponsor says it lacks votes
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A bill that would have decriminalized prostitution in Colorado will not move forward this year after its sponsor said it lacks the votes to pass its first committee. Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, a Pueblo Democrat, said he will ask to postpone Senate Bill 97 until after the legislative session ends, rather than advance it to a…
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Bill to roll back Colorado lottery credit card purchases clears Senate committee in tight vote
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A bill seeking to reverse the Colorado Lottery’s recent move to allow credit card purchases for tickets narrowly cleared its first legislative hurdle last week, advancing on a 5-4 vote after hours of debate over gambling addiction, consumer debt and the future of online lottery sales. But the measure — which the Senate Finance Committee…
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Another TABOR fight: Democrats plan to redirect residents’ refunds to K-12 spending
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Colorado voters could decide this fall whether billions of dollars that would otherwise be returned as refunds under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights should instead go to public schools under a ballot measure unveiled Thursday by Democrats. Supporters say the proposal would address chronic underfunding in K-12 education, while critics argue it takes money away…
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U.S. House probes reports of fraud, waste in Colorado’s Medicaid program
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A congressional committee is probing reports of waste, fraud and abuse in Colorado’s Medicaid program, citing recent stories outlining over-billing in transportation spending and alleged improper payments in autism services. The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce has sent a letter to Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and…
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Colorado lawmakers’ speeches on immigration, Iran draw worries about decorum, grandstanding
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Several speeches from Colorado legislators this week have raised new worries about decorum and grandstanding in the state House after two members talked about immigration and Iran using what’s called a “point of personal privilege.” Under the rules of the chamber, moments of personal privilege are allowed for a member to speak for up to…