Colorado Politics

 Ex-Broncos linebacker’s discrimination lawsuit returned to Colorado court

A federal judge returned a former Broncos linebacker’s disability discrimination lawsuit to state court last month, rejecting the NFL defendants’ attempt to keep the case in federal court. Randy Gregory, who played for the Broncos between 2022 and 2023, sued...

 Signatures submitted to cap Colorado’s income tax rate

The group behind a ballot measure aiming to cap the state’s income tax at the current rate has submitted signatures from voters to election officials for review, part of the tug and pull in Colorado between opposing political forces fighting...

 Colorado governor says he doesn’t want socialists to ‘destroy’ state

The ideological divide within the Colorado Democratic Party once more burst into the open on Wednesday when Gov. Jared Polis responded to a legislator’s criticism by referencing Zimbabwe’s socialist experiment. “Thanks to socialism, the average Zimbabwean became a trillionaire,” the...

 Number of people worried about affording life in Colorado increases to 76%, poll shows

As the cost of living in Colorado rises, residents are delaying health and dental care, forgoing activities they enjoy and taking on additional debt, the Colorado Health Foundation’s 2026 Pulse Poll findings show. According to the poll, 76% of respondents...

 Republican candidates pass on signing Colorado gubernatorial nominee Victor Marx’s ‘unity compact’

A spokesperson for Republican gubernatorial nominee Victor Marx said his campaign is “extremely encouraged” by responses to a document the campaign circulated late last week, asking fellow GOP nominees how they want to collaborate in the months ahead before Colorado’s...

 10th Circuit concludes Army was justified in initially withholding Purple Heart to soldier

The Denver-based federal appeals court agreed last week that the U.S. Army was “substantially justified” in its initial decision to withhold the Purple Heart from an injured soldier, then reverse itself when new evidence surfaced during litigation. Joshua Savelkoul ultimately...

 Todd Blanche confronts Democrats’ questions over Epstein files handling: ‘That narrative is false’

President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Todd Blanche, said Wednesday that he could meet with disgraced and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s victims but could not directly approach survivors represented by lawyers, responding to Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) demands...

 Senators introduce bipartisan bill to save Social Security

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation Tuesday aimed at forcing Congress to confront Social Security’s looming funding shortfall before automatic benefit cuts take effect. The proposal comes as the latest report from Social Security trustees warns that the program’s...

 Trump’s popularity worsens with Iran ceasefire falling apart

President Donald Trump remains low in new approval ratings, with only 37% of people saying they approve of his job performance in his second term so far. The latest Economist/YouGov poll, with more than 1,600 respondents between July 10 and...

 House GOP releases budget framework for $95 billion reconciliation bill

The House Budget Committee released the budget framework for Republicans’ third party-line spending bill, with a top line of $95 billion in spending. The resolution includes spending instructions for four committees: the House Administration Committee at $10 billion, the House...

 Trump says ‘we cannot give up’ on ICE vehicle stops after temporary halt

WASHINGTON • President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he doesn’t want to see the end of vehicle stops conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after they were halted by the agency Tuesday in response to multiple fatal officer-involved shootings. The...

 Judge takes injunction in termination case against Denver, Johnston, others under advisement

Jessica Calderon, the Denver employee who won a temporary restraining order preventing the City and County of Denver from terminating her amid the 2025 citywide layoffs, appeared in federal court today for a preliminary injunction hearing in her lawsuit against...

 Colorado kids’ health, education challenges persist, report shows

Despite having one of the country’s highest median incomes, Colorado families are struggling to afford essentials like food, housing, health care and child care. That’s according to the Colorado Children’s Campaign, which released its annual Kids Count report recently. It...

 Colorado receives $5.8 million in federal weatherization assistance grants

Colorado has received nearly $6 million in federal funds through the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program after U.S. senators expressed worries about potential delays. In May, U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Susan Collins, R-ME, issued...

 Judge removes Fremont County DA from murder case

Discovery violations cited in at least 23 cases since former El Paso County prosecutor took over the office Eleventh Judicial District Attorney Jeffrey Lindsey and his entire office in Fremont County were removed from a double homicide and kidnapping case...

 Federal judges’ backlogs increase in Colorado

Colorado’s federal trial judges collectively had 73 motions in civil cases that had been sitting on their dockets for at least six months without a ruling as of March 31, a backlog that nearly doubled from the previous reporting period....

 DougCo approves $2M rideshare expansion to Castle Rock

Douglas County commissioners approved a $2 million agreement Tuesday to expand the county’s Link On Demand rideshare service into Castle Rock through a one-year pilot program scheduled to begin later this summer. The Board of County Commissioners approved a Master...

 Record utility rate requests hit $9.2 billion nationwide in second quarter

Colorado had no requests last quarter Electric and gas utilities sought a record $9.2 billion in rate increases nationwide during the second quarter, according to a new analysis by the consumer advocacy organization PowerLines, as utilities continue seeking billions for...

 City Council changes ethics code in response to audits of Mobolade’s vehicle use

After two recent ethics reports looked into Mayor Yemi Mobolade’s use of his city-provided car, the Colorado Springs City Council is addressing the issue through the city’s Code of Ethics. The City Council approved new ethical rules concerning elected officials’...

 Appeals court clarifies guardrails for mandatory arbitration

Colorado’s second-highest court issued two decisions in recent weeks that clarified the limits on mandatory arbitration, including for cases that raise workplace sexual harassment claims. While arbitration can be a more efficient and private form of dispute resolution compared to...

 3,000 evacuees remain displaced from Aspen Acres fire as incident command changes hands

By Savannah Eller and Nick Smith The wait has no end in sight for evacuated residents of Rye, near where the Aspen Acres fire continues to burn in rough, tinder-dry terrain to the west. While about 6,400 people have been...

 Colorado GDP trails direct competitor states, though slightly ahead of U.S. average

Colorado’s economy is marginally outperforming the national average but lags behind those of direct competitor states, such as Arizona, Texas and Utah, according to a report by a nonpartisan policy group. And while some indicators for the Centennial State appear...

 Trump administration ends freeze on $10 billion in child care subsidies

The Trump administration has lifted its freeze on roughly $10 billion in federal child care and social services funding for five Democrat-led states, prompting a legal fight over whether the lawsuit challenging the funding halt should continue. Last week, the...

 Jeffries thwarts the Left, opposes ending all aid to Israel

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) announced Tuesday that he will oppose an amendment aiming to cut off aid to Israel.  In a letter to his colleagues, Jeffries wrote that the amendment, introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), is “overly...

 Senate Democrats file election meddling complaint against RFK Jr.

Leading Senate Democrats are accusing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of illegally interfering in the midterm elections, saying that he is using his office to protect a GOP majority in the House. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR),...

 Elena Kagan pays tribute to ‘untimely passing’ of Lindsey Graham: ‘Made me look funny’

Justice Elena Kagan began her testimony at a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday by honoring late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), referencing a famous exchange during her 2010 confirmation hearing. Kagan was testifying alongside Justice Amy Coney Barrett on the...

 Forward Party nominee for Colorado’s U.S. Senate seat puts $1.1 million into his campaign

Bob Chew, the Colorado Forward Party nominee for the seat held by Democratic U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, plans to report donating $1.1 million to his campaign and raising an additional $20,000 in the most recent quarter, his campaign told Colorado...

 Divided opinions tick upward, member goes missing | Colorado Supreme Court term in review

The Colorado Supreme Court released the last decisions of its 2025-2026 term at the end of June, with the final numbers showing a significant uptick in non-unanimous opinions over the prior two terms. Further, the composition of the court had...

 Artemis II crew to speak at Red Rocks Amphitheatre

An out-of-this-world event is landing in Colorado next month. The crew of Artemis II will be at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Aug. 3 for an event that will celebrate the Rocky Mountain region’s contribution to their mission around the dark...

 Aurora council moves to penalize people who break public comment rules

Aurora City Council is moving forward with penalties for people who break public comment rules during council meetings. If passed at a future regular meeting, the rule changes would also prioritize students to speak during public comment sessions and limit...