Colorado Politics

 Rep. Ron Weinberg won’t seek reelection

Republican Rep. Ron Weinberg of Loveland announced on Thursday evening that he will not seek another term in the Colorado House. “Serving this community has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” the two-term state representative said on...

 Colorado title board OKs ballot measures to eliminate flat income tax in favor of graduated brackets

Proponents hoping to change Colorado’s income tax structure from a flat rate to graduated tiers — thereby raising taxes for some brackets — walked away from a Wednesday meeting with eight ballot measures approved by the title board. The coalition...

 House advances government funding bills as Johnson appeases GOP factions

The House is one step closer to passing the final slate of appropriations bills after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) successfully staved off rebellions from his center and right flanks, setting up the legislation for a final vote later this afternoon. ...

 Trump’s foreign focus could turn off voters worried about the economy

President Donald Trump’s attention to foreign affairs may be contributing to public perceptions that he isn’t focused enough on the U.S. economy. Polls have shown anemic support for Trump’s military operations, even though they have been reasonably successful and led...

 Colorado lawmakers want officers to conduct ‘lethality assessments’ in response to domestic violence fatalities

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is hoping to reduce to Colorado’s rising domestic violence fatalities through a bill that would require law enforcement agencies around the state to conduct “lethality assessments” on domestic violence victims. In early December of last...

 Colorado Joint Budget Committee rejects DOC’s $2.4M request for more beds

The state’s Joint Budget Committee voted on Wednesday to deny the Department of Corrections’ $2.4 million request for additional prison beds, citing the department’s lack of a plan to address its ongoing overcrowding problems. In September, the committee approved the...

 ‘The people’s lawyer should show up,’ Democratic AG candidates say as Griswold misses forum

Watch the forum here. Three Democratic primary candidates running for Colorado attorney general used a forum Wednesday night to call out the absence of a fourth contender at an event hosted by the Denver Press Club. In their opening statements,...

 Veterans share their priorities with governor candidate Sen. Michael Bennet

Veterans told Sen. Michael Bennet that they want more resources for county-level support services and suicide prevention during a discussion Tuesday at the Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center in Colorado Springs. Having served at the federal level for 16 years,...

 Colorado attorney general invites public to report ICE ‘misconduct’

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has launched a new online mechanism that allows Colorado residents to report “misconduct” by federal immigration agents, his office announced on Wednesday. “Nobody is above the rule of law, including federal agents such as ICE...

 Colorado Democrat John Hickenlooper raises over $1.1 million in 4th quarter for reelection bid

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper’s reelection campaign raised over $1.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 and finished the year with more than $3.8 million in the bank, the Colorado Democrat’s campaign said Thursday. The fundraising haul brings Hickenlooper’s total...

 Fort Carson soldier’s wife could be deported

As the country’s largest immigration enforcement crackdown continues in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, a Fort Carson sergeant is fighting a personal immigration crisis — one that may implode his family. Sgt. Tyler Garza’s wife, Jennifer Maradiaga Baca, is not a legal...

 Enterprise fees surge as more of Colorado’s budget escapes TABOR limits

More than 30 years after Colorado voters approved the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, a growing share of state spending now falls outside the voter-approved limits intended to restrain government growth. A new report shows that fee-funded “enterprises” — state-owned businesses...

 Elizabeth School District dismisses challenge to book-ban injunction on eve of appellate arguments

An Elbert County school district has dismissed its challenge to a judge’s injunction ordering it to return banned books to library shelves, days before the Denver-based federal appeals court was set to hear oral arguments this week. Although a three-judge...

 Monument town council proposes changes to regional water district charter

In response to an ongoing disagreement about representation, the Town Council of Monument has drafted its own amendments to the charter creating the Fountain Creek Watershed District. “We’re due our own representation,” said councilman Marco Fiorito at a discussion about...

 Colorado farmers warn U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper tariffs and research cuts endanger agriculture

Northern Colorado farmers told U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper this week that tariffs and President Donald Trump’s decision to import $40 billion worth of beef from Argentina have hurt Colorado’s agricultural industry. But the administration’s cuts to scientific research are almost...

 ‘Doesn’t do enough’: House Democrats reject GOP deal on cutting ICE funding

House Democratic leaders are planning to oppose a bipartisan homeland security funding bill set for a vote this week, even after Republicans agreed to cut funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A source familiar with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’s...

 Vance heading to Minneapolis amid Trump’s ICE crackdown

Vice President JD Vance will deliver remarks and visit with ICE agents in Minneapolis Thursday, as President Donald Trump continues his immigration crackdown in the state. The vice president has been a critical messenger for the administration combating public opposition...

 Gov. Polis, Democratic lawmakers introduce trio of housing affordability bills

Democratic lawmakers were joined by housing advocates and Gov. Jared Polis at the Capitol on Wednesday to announce a trio of bills they say will increase affordable housing in Colorado. “This session, Colorado Democrats are focused on lowering costs, and...

 Colorado Supreme Court to hear cases on insurance coverage for COVID, witness credibility

The Colorado Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that it will decide the degree to which a virus or other hazard must affect a commercial property before it can trigger loss-or-damage coverage under an insurance policy. At least three of the...

 Colorado halts wolf releases for 2026 as federal pressure mounts

Colorado Parks and Wildlife, facing mounting criticism from the Trump administration over its management of the wolf reintroduction program, announced Wednesday they will not bring in any new wolves to the state for the 2026 winter season. CPW was turned...

 Colorado wildlife officials report first wolf death of 2026 as mortality count reaches 13

Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced late Monday that another British Columbia female gray wolf, known as 2504-BC, was found dead in northwest Colorado on Friday. No cause of death nor an exact location of where the wolf was found was...

 Trump’s threats challenge Europe’s security and prosperity, EU chief says ahead of summit

BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland and impose tariffs on its backers pose a challenge to Europe’s security, principles and prosperity, European Council President António Costa said on Wednesday. “All these three dimensions are being...

 Federal judge says prisoner cannot sue for dog-bite injury

A federal judge concluded last week that a man cannot sue the government for injuries he sustained when a dog allegedly attacked him while he participated in a prison program. Kenneth M. Chandler, representing himself, was participating in the “FIDOS”...

 Agencies investigate suspicious object at Lake Pueblo State Park

PUEBLO — Agencies were investigating a suspicious object Tuesday night at Lake Pueblo State Park, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Parks and Wildlife states that officials discovered a “suspicious munitions-like object” that was partially buried near the dam, Gazette...

 Colorado-based Energy Fuels acquiring Australian rare-earth producer for $299M

Energy Fuels on Tuesday announced it is acquiring an Australian company that produces rare earth elements and alloys in a deal worth $299 million. The Lakewood-based company, which describes itself as a leading U.S. producer of uranium, rare earth elements...

 Colorado Springs officials oppose Space Command lawsuit; AG won’t back down

As Colorado Springs and El Paso County officials oppose a lawsuit against the Trump administration over relocating Space Command to Alabama, the state Attorney General’s Office says it won’t back down. “Some elected officials may choose to accommodate the Trump...

 4 arrested after $900K in damages to former Pueblo County middle school

Pueblo County sheriff’s deputies arrested four men after interrupting a burglary in progress at the former Excelsior Middle School on Thursday, according to a news release by the Sheriff’s Office. Richard Luther, 60, Tylor Lovell, 31, Ezequiel Baca, 35, and...

 Federal judge recommends dismissing trans athletics lawsuit by area school districts

A judge has recommended dismissing a federal lawsuit filed by multiple school districts against the Colorado Attorney General’s and Civil Rights Offices over their policies dictating students’ participation in athletics and activities based on their biological sex rather than gender...

 DOJ subpoenas Minnesota officials in ICE probe

MINNEAPOLIS — Federal prosecutors served grand jury subpoenas Tuesday to Minnesota officials as part of an investigation into whether they obstructed or impeded law enforcement during a sweeping immigration operation in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, a person familiar with the...

 Appeals judge asks Colorado Supreme Court to once again clarify magistrate rules

A member of Colorado’s second-highest court urged the state Supreme Court last week to revise confusing language in the rules governing magistrates, less than two weeks after an attempted cleanup of the rules took effect. Magistrates are judicial employees who are...