Author: Marissa Ventrelli
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Colorado District Attorneys unveil 2026 legislative priorities | WHAT’S YOUR AGENDA?
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Welcome to What’s Your Agenda?: The Colorado Politics’ weekly publication of trade association priorities for the state’s 2026 legislative session. The Colorado District Attorneys’ Council provides training, resources, and legislative support to every prosecutor in the state. In order to take a position on an issue, all 23 elected district attorneys must be in agreement.…
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Colorado lawmakers target ‘ghost networks’ to expand access to mental health care
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A few years ago, the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance conducted a “secret shopper” survey on health insurance plans across six states, including Colorado. Of the 120 providers called, one-third were either inaccurately listed in the carrier database, out of service, or did not return the call. Only half of all calls to providers in…
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Resolution calling for increased road funding clears Colorado Senate committee
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A Republican legislator said he was pleasantly surprised on Wednesday when the state Senate’s transportation panel advanced a resolution brought to him by county commissioners urging the Colorado Department of Transportation to invest more money to fix roads. Road maintenance is “probably the No. 1 issue” in his seven-county district, said Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling.…
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Hail drives up to 54% of homeowners’ insurance premiums in parts of Colorado
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Hail is the largest cost driver of homeowners’ insurance spikes in many parts of the state, according to data collected by the Colorado Division of Insurance. The department requested data from 20 homeowners’ insurance carriers to calculate average premiums and the percentage of those premiums attributable to hail and wildfire risks. “We know that homeowners’…
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Colorado budget gets clean opinion from Office of the State Auditor
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Colorado’s state auditor issued a “clean” opinion on the financial statements prepared by the government and higher education institutions, concluding they met generally accepted accounting principles and the documents were presented fairly. The state’s financial statements reported total assets of $65.9 billion and expenditures of $56.3 billion. The state also spent just over $20 billion…
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Colorado lawmakers take aim at ‘imposter’ peaches, melons and chiles
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Do you know where your Palisade peaches come from? What about your Rocky Ford melons? Your Pueblo chiles? You might think they were grown right here in the state, especially if they have the “Colorado Proud” logo — but that’s not always the case. That’s according to policymakers pushing a measure that seeks to label…
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Colorado budget writers put Medicaid caregiver pay cuts on hold
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The Colorado General Assembly’s budget decision-makers have put proposed pay cuts on hold for people who care for a family member with a disability who receives Medicaid. The Joint Budget Committee made the decision after hours of testimony from family caregivers and several advocates. The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing has been struggling…
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Colorado Democrats propose changes to juvenile corrections, jail searches, municipal courts | Bills in brief
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Colorado lawmakers introduce hundreds of bills each year. Bills in brief cuts through the noise by explaining which proposals matter, what’s at stake, and how decisions at the Capitol could affect everyday life across the state. Colorado lawmakers are advancing a slate of bills dealing with crime and corrections this session that would reshape how the state…
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Colorado’s legislative activity has increased 56% since 2012, report finds
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The Colorado General Assembly has adopted increasingly more bills in the last several years, even as the proposals have also become more complex. The legislature passed 487 bills during the 2025 legislative session, representing a 56% growth in legislative output since 2012. That growth represents the fourth-highest in the country, behind only Wyoming, Utah, and…
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From red flag orders to rollbacks, gun policy takes center stage at the Colorado Capitol | Bills in brief
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Colorado lawmakers introduce hundreds of bills each year. Bills in Brief cuts through the noise by explaining which proposals matter, what’s at stake, and how decisions at the Capitol could affect everyday life across the state. Numerous gun-related bills are already moving through the Colorado legislature just weeks into the 2026 session, with proposals ranging from expanding…
