Colorado Politics

 Gov. Jared Polis vetoes bills dealing with state budget, social media measure tied to Evergreen High School shooting

Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday issued the first vetoes of the 2026 legislation, striking down a social media bill that he also rejected a year ago. He rejected a total of four, including a bill that was intended to help...

 Colorado governor candidates confront business climate, housing affordability woes

Four of the five major-party candidates for Colorado governor share common ground on two big issues: they see the perception that Colorado has become less business‑friendly as a serious concern, and they view housing affordability as central to the state’s...

 Vice President Vance to USAFA grads: Honor tradition, innovate for future

As artificial intelligence and space defense become more prevalent in warfare, Vice President JD Vance told the 2026 Air Force Academy graduating class to uphold their standards while embracing innovation on a cloudy Thursday morning. Marking the academy’s 68th graduating...

 US agrees to 60-day ceasefire agreement with Iran, but Trump has yet to give final approval

U.S. and Iranian negotiators have agreed to extend the ceasefire for two months and begin substantive negotiations on the future of Iran’s nuclear program, but President Donald Trump is still mulling the final agreement. The agreement, officially a memorandum of...

 Trump names Colorado Springs GOP consultant to Air Force Academy board

President Donald Trump has named a GOP political consultant based in Colorado Springs to the Air Force Academy Board of Visitors.  The board advises the Department of Defense on how to run the school and has recently taken a more...

 Douglas County school board faces $22M budget deficit

The Douglas County School Board on Tuesday previewed its proposed 2026–27 budget amid declining enrollment and a projected $22 million deficit. District officials said the shortfall will be partially covered by a one-time drawdown of the district’s general fund, bringing...

 VA mammography lapse in Colorado facility raises new concerns about women’s care

A VA facility in Aurora has gone more than two years without in-house mammography services, a lapse that federal investigators said contributed to delayed diagnoses, gaps in follow-up care and patient safety concerns for female veterans. Officials with the VA...

 Republicans Kirkmeyer, Bottoms say they won’t back Marx if he wins Colorado’s gubernatorial primary

Two of the Republicans running for governor of Colorado said Tuesday night in a debate that they won’t support the third candidate if he wins next month’s primary election. State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer and state Rep. Scott Bottoms said that...

 Polis signs RTD overhaul bill aimed at rebuilding transit ridership

Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday approved an overhaul of the Regional Transportation District, signing legislation that sponsors hope would reverse stagnant ridership by, among other things, reshaping the agency’s leadership. The bill’s sponsors also argued that the changes would help...

 180,000 signatures submitted to put Colorado road funding initiative on November ballot

Organizers of a proposal seeking to dedicate hundreds of millions of dollars to road construction and maintenance have submitted signatures to state election officials in their campaign to put the initiative on the ballot this November. If officials certified the...

 Trump says Vance’s anti-fraud efforts will save Social Security and lead to ‘balanced budget’

President Donald Trump hosted the 12th Cabinet meeting of his second term on Wednesday, where he claimed that the White House’s anti-fraud task force may balance the federal budget and save Social Security. Trump opened by praising Vice President JD Vance,...

 Democrat Evan Munsing suspends campaign in primary to challenge Gabe Evans in Colorado’s 8th CD

Democratic congressional candidate Evan Munsing announced Wednesday that he is suspending his campaign to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in Colorado’s most competitive U.S. House district, saying his bid to run as an outsider committed to reform has been...

 Tapped: Worst winter in memory triggers cascading economic strain in Colorado mountain towns

Editor’s Note: The Denver metro region sits at the center of one of the American West’s most complex and consequential water challenges. This series examines the interconnected systems that determine how the region secures, stores, and conserves its water while...

 Former state Senate candidate arrested in Colorado Springs murder

Editor’s note: This story has been updated regarding endorsements for Timothy Arvidson going back to his state Senate campaign in 2024. Colorado Springs police arrested a former state Senate candidate for allegedly shooting and killing a man in the 1900...

 Copper thefts threaten 911, emergency communications in Colorado

The theft of copper communications wire is endangering 911 service and other emergency response systems across Colorado, as thieves target infrastructure in Denver and beyond in search of quick profits, according to policymakers and industry representatives. At the state Capitol,...

 Colorado business groups host gubernatorial forum Thursday

Several business groups are hosting a forum among gubernatorial candidates on Thursday morning. The candidates attending are Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser and U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, and Republicans Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer and Victor Marx. The forum will take place...

 Tapped: As fire risk climbs, Colorado faces threat to drinking water

Specialists surveying Colorado’s forests know this year will be challenging. Snow melted too quickly, strong winds dried out the trees, and the early signs of danger are already settling across the landscape. Wildfire season is no longer confined to a...

 Thune navigates fresh Trump rough patch as Senate frustrations boil over

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) just finished a bruising week that left his relationship with President Donald Trump at a recent low point. Whether it gets worse will depend on how well Thune navigates the seemingly growing number of...

 ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ revives yearslong fight over Democrat-backed settlements

President Donald Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is triggering bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill while simultaneously reigniting a years-old conservative argument against administrations from both parties using the Treasury Department’s Judgment Fund to finance politically sensitive settlements with little...

 Trump is seeing doctors for his annual physical. What the public finds out is up to him

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is getting a medical exam on Tuesday, putting his health under renewed public scrutiny after he has worked to dismiss concerns over his age and stamina. The 79-year-old president traveled to Walter Reed National...

 Memorial Day at Fort Logan honors sacrifice of fallen troops

Hundreds gathered Monday at Fort Logan National Cemetery to honor fallen service members during a Memorial Day ceremony, where speakers emphasized the sacrifice and memory of military personnel and their families. The ceremony took place as the nation approaches the...

 Legislature overrules state Supreme Court decisions, federal judges contend with violations of orders | COURT CRAWL

Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. The Colorado legislature overruled two recent state Supreme Court decisions in this year’s session, plus federal judges are addressing the government’s violations of their orders...

 Appeals court reinstates murder case despite ex-DA Linda Stanley’s conduct

Colorado’s second-highest court reinstated the murder and child abuse charges on Thursday against a Fremont County defendant, reasoning that the former district attorney’s misconduct did not warrant dismissal of the charges. A judge previously dismissed the criminal case against defendant...

 How a CU Boulder law school program helped free a Denver man after 27 years in ‘shaken baby’ murder case

From the first time she looked at Stephen Martinez’s case, Boulder attorney Jeanne Segil knew she had a shot at getting him released from prison. Martinez, 58, spent 27 years behind bars for a crime he now says never happened....

 Aurora communication policy changes raise concerns for public safety, press freedom

Proponents argue arestees have a right to privacy until adjudicated An Aurora City Council decision to alter social media policies for the police department has raised concerns from press freedom and public safety advocates, who worry that limiting what police...

 Tapped: Douglas County looks to diversify water supply as population grows

Editor’s Note: The Denver metro region sits at the center of one of the American West’s most complex and consequential water challenges. This series examines the interconnected systems that determine how the region secures, stores, and conserves its water —...

 Tribes sue to halt exploratory drilling in Black Hills near sacred ceremonial site | OUT WEST ROUNDUP

SOUTH DAKOTA Tribes sue to halt drilling SIOUX FALLS — Nine Native American tribes in South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska are suing the federal government in a bid to stop exploratory drilling for graphite near a sacred site in...

 Tapped: Is water a problem for data centers in Colorado?

Editor‘s Note: The Denver metro region sits at the center of one of the American West’s most complex and consequential water challenges. This series examines the interconnected systems that determine how the region secures, stores, and conserves its water while...

 Tapped: Aurora cracks down on water use as reservoirs fall, runoff shrinks

Editor’s note: The Denver metro region sits at the center of one of the American West’s most complex and consequential water challenges. This series examines the interconnected systems that determine how the region secures, stores, and conserves its water while...

 Tapped: Colorado River overallocation collides with record drought conditions

Editor’s Note: The Denver metro region sits at the center of one of the American West’s most complex and consequential water challenges. This series examines the interconnected systems that determine how the region secures, stores and conserves its water while...