Colorado Politics

 Gazette editor Jim Trotter inducted into the Denver Press Club Hall of Fame

The Denver Press Club on Saturday will induct Denver Gazette and The Gazette in Colorado Springs Associate Editor Jim Trotter into its Hall of Fame. “Jim Trotter is being inducted into the Denver Press Club Hall of Fame because of...

 Couple’s notarized agreement did not create common law marriage, appeals court says

A Garfield County couple’s signed, notarized document attesting to their common law marriage does not mean they were actually married, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled last week. In contrast to a formal, licensed marriage, Colorado recognizes common law marriages between two...

 Trump leaves China without making a ‘determination’ on Taiwan arms sale

President Donald Trump has yet to make a determination on the delayed American arms sale to Taiwan, an issue that Chinese President Xi Jinping raised during their closed-door talks. Trump left Beijing on Friday following the two-day summit, and he...

 Are Marco Rubio’s 2028 presidential prospects on the rise?

A recent all-star week for Secretary of State Marco Rubio is fueling fresh chatter about a 2028 presidential bid. But insiders in the orbit of President Donald Trump aren’t jumping on the bandwagon just yet. Rubio’s May 5 appearance in the White...

 Colorado Democrat John Hickenlooper lands support from trio of local labor unions

Three local labor unions endorsed U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper’s bid for reelection this week, calling the Colorado Democrat a proven champion of the state’s workers and their rights. Hickenlooper’s campaign announced endorsements on Tuesday from SMART Sheet Metal Workers Local...

 Colorado legislators pass bill to strengthen sex crime victim protections

A Colorado bill that supporters say would strengthen victim protections and mandate law enforcement training on how trauma can affect survivors of sex crimes and domestic violence is on its way to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk for signing. Senate Bill...

 Colorado justices acknowledge judge’s misunderstanding of law in eminent domain case

Members of the Colorado Supreme Court appeared to agree on Tuesday that a Douglas County judge incorrectly believed he lacked the authority to allow a property owner to pursue evidence challenging a government entity’s legal right to take the property...

 Colorado legislators pass bill that sponsors say would strengthen sex crime victim protections

A Colorado bill that supporters say would strengthen victim protections and mandate law enforcement training on how trauma can affect survivors of sex crimes and domestic violence is on its way to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk for signing. Senate Bill...

 Municipal camping bans do not violate Colorado Constitution, says appeals court

Municipal ordinances that ban people from living on public property do not violate the Colorado Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, the state’s second-highest court ruled on Thursday. A three-judge Court of Appeals panel agreed that it was appropriate...

 Colorado legislature wraps up tough budget year

Colorado lawmakers are wrapping up their work on Wednesday, closing out a year defined by the lack of fiscal flexibility, woes over Medicaid spending and a staccato of action on a host of issues, ranging from artificial regulation to a...

 10th Circuit again dismisses ex-prison employee’s challenge to workplace DEI training

The Denver-based federal appeals court dismissed a second lawsuit on Monday brought by a former Colorado Department of Corrections employee who was offended by an equity training module and had alleged it created a hostile work environment. In 2023, U.S....

 AI’s rapid growth spurs regulatory reaction in Colorado

The 2026 legislative session was marked by a major push to regulate artificial intelligence, a technology advancing at breakneck speed. Colorado is at the forefront of AI policy, becoming the first state to pursue regulation on “algorithmic discrimination” by passing...

 As Colorado’s federal judges churn through immigration petitions, Domenico’s cases sit undecided

Colorado’s U.S. District Court judges have spent months pushing out decisions in hundreds of immigration detention cases and largely siding with detainees, but one judge has barely touched his caseload. Chief Judge Daniel D. Domenico has only issued orders in...

 Bill on firearm barrel sales withdrawn after veto threat from Colorado governor

A bill that would require firearm barrels to be sold in person by a federally licensed firearms dealer was pulled by its sponsors, who said they were all but told that Gov. Jared Polis would veto the measure. Sponsored by...

 Colorado Democrat Jason Crow calls on House leadership to ban trading on prediction markets

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow on Monday joined a bipartisan call asking House Speaker Mike Johnson to adopt new rules banning the chamber’s lawmakers, their families and staff from participating in prediction markets, in a move the Aurora Democrat said can...

 Federal judges hear arguments over Colorado school district’s gender identity rooming policy

A panel of judges at the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit challenging JeffCo Public School’s policy of assigning students to overnight accommodations on school trips based on gender identity. The lawsuit, filed in...

 Colorado legislators ask voters to forfeit thousands in TABOR refunds, redirect money to school spending

A Democratic‑backed proposal to direct money to K‑12 schools using Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights dollars is headed to the ballot, setting up a major debate over taxpayer refunds and long‑term education funding. If voters approve it, the average Coloradan would...

 10th Circuit analyzes sentencing process for probation violators in rare all-judges’ hearing

All 12 full-time judges on the Denver-based federal appeals court gathered for a rare oral argument on Monday to consider whether one of the court’s precedent-setting opinions created a process for sentencing probation violators that is out of step with...

 Aurora is ‘strong and getting stronger,’ mayor says in State of City speech

Aurora is “strong and getting stronger,” the city’s mayor said on Tuesday, citing successes in a new homeless navigation campus. Mayor Mike Coffman said he leaves work every Friday and goes straight to the Regional Navigation Campus, where he then...

 Hantavirus outbreak is not like COVID-19 pandemic, CDC says

Hantavirus is not a COVID-19 sequel. Infectious disease experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who refer to the outbreak on the cruise ship that’s been in the news as the Andes virus, describe the risk to the...

 Colorado justices skeptical of defendant’s challenge to flawed jury instruction

Members of the Colorado Supreme Court appeared willing to uphold a defendant’s vehicular eluding conviction on Tuesday, suggesting that an incorrectly worded jury instruction was not an obvious and harmful error in light of the defense’s choice not to dispute...

 Colorado lawmakers kill both major data center bills

Colorado lawmakers killed competing bills aimed at regulating large data centers, meaning regulation of the facilities is left in the hands of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission for now. The action leaves the state without new statewide rules even as...

 Colorado Politics’ 8th CD primary debate canceled after Democrat Shannon Bird withdraws 

Organizers on Tuesday canceled next week’s Democratic primary debate in Colorado’s toss-up 8th Congressional District after former state Rep. Shannon Bird withdrew, leaving just one candidate planning to take the stage. Three Democrats are seeking the nomination in the state’s...

 Colorado bill on lobbyist registration awaits final decision from the governor

A bipartisan bill requiring more disclosure from legislative liaisons and state agency lobbyists is in limbo, despite broad support in both the Colorado House and Senate as Gov. Jared Polis is reportedly considering a veto. Senate Bill 147, sponsored by...

 Colorado eyes expansion of state inspection authority over immigration detention centers

A proposal to add new inspection requirements for detention centers and increases the civil liability for sharing information with federal immigration authorities passed both chambers of the Colorado Legislature. The proposal is now headed to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk. House...

 Thune blesses push to block senator pay during government shutdowns

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) put his stamp of approval on legislation Tuesday that would block senators from receiving paychecks during a government shutdown. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) has pressed leadership to call a vote on the legislation during...

 AOC and Rubio lead party primaries in 2028: Poll

A new poll of adults in the United States found that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are the top choices in their respective parties for the 2028 presidential election. Atlas Polls surveyed more than 2,000...

 ICE ‘materially violated’ order on warrantless arrests, Colorado judge says

A federal judge ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday to immediately train its Colorado employees about how to lawfully perform warrantless arrests, after the evidence showed officers had little understanding of the requirements. U.S. District Court Senior Judge...

 Trump picks Daniel Domenico for 10th Circuit vacancy

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that U.S. District Court Chief Judge Daniel D. Domenico is his choice to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Denver-based federal appeals court. Domenico, who is 54 this year, is Trump’s only appointee to...

 Judge’s error allowing juvenile defendant to be prosecuted as adult cannot be reversed, appeals court says

Colorado’s second-highest court concluded last month that a judge’s error in allowing a juvenile defendant to be prosecuted as an adult cannot be corrected on appeal because the defendant later pleaded guilty. The case arose under unusual circumstances, after police...