chris holbert

Lawmakers consider road ahead in wake of inconclusive special session on pot tax

Oct 11, 2017

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Ernest Luning

There’s no guarantee, but lawmakers on both sides say they’re hopeful they can come up with a way to let special districts again collect sales tax on recreational marijuana when the Colorado Legislature convenes in January. The question vexed the General Assembly last week during the two-day special session called by Gov. John Hickenlooper to…
Right will lead the right at CUT awards breakfast featuring — surprise! — Tancredo

Oct 10, 2017

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DAN NJEGOMIR Colorado Politics

Tom Tancredo says he’s taking the public’s temperature, gauging its appetite for yet another gubernatorial run. A more world-weary reading of the former congressman/forever firebrand’s ad hoc stumping around the state is that it’s a case of, “Oh please, no! Really? Me? You want me to run for guv? Again?” Either way, Colorado’s favorite fusion…
Pot industry raising campaign cash for Colorado Senate Republicans

Oct 10, 2017

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JOEY BUNCH

If you like pot and Republicans, and have a few Benjamins to burn, there’s an event for your social calendar Wednesday evening in Denver. The Colorado Cannabis Industry is staging a fundraiser to re-elect Republicans to the state Senate. It’s slated for 5 to 7 p.m. at Cap City Tavern. Individual tickets are $250 each,…
First day of Colorado legislature’s special session ends with one bill gone, another to follow

Oct 2, 2017

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Marianne Goodl

It’s like a family reunion. Eventually there will be fights. The “family” – the Colorado General Assembly – returned to the state Capitol on Monday to begin a special session intended to fix an unintentional problem caused last May. And the fight broke out almost immediately. The Senate Transportation Committee killed the Senate bill that…
Legal questions over fix stymie special session

Oct 2, 2017

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Marianne Goodl

The biggest fight over whether to fix a drafting error in an omnibus rural sustainability bill is whether the fix requires voter approval. Senate Republicans are adamant that voters in those special districts should weigh in. Democrats and those who have fought similar battles in the courts say no. And it’s all about how the Taxpayer’s…
Prominent Senate Republicans make a case for pot to President Trump

Sep 29, 2017

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JOEY BUNCH

State Senate Majority Leader Chris Holbert and Sens. Tim Neville and Vicki Marble sent a message to their fellow Republican in the White House this month: continue to keep federal hands off Colorado’s pot. Colorado Politics obtained a copy of the letter they penned to President Trump, urging him to keep his word from the…
Q&A with Kevin Van Winkle: Young Colorado lawmaker got an early start at the Capitol

Sep 25, 2017

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DAN NJEGOMIR Colorado Politics

Some say nothing really prepares you for elective office, but Kevin Van Winkle might disagree. The youthful, second-term lawmaker, who represents Douglas County’s District 43 in the Colorado House of Representatives, served for years as a legislative staffer before his election in 2014. Van Winkle, a Highlands Ranch Republican, learned a lot from his time…
El Paso County could chip away at I-25’s Gap, as locals hit go on funding

Aug 14, 2017

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JOEY BUNCH

By chipping away at The Gap, El Paso County voters could do something that some state legislators encourage and others dread: siphon off support for a statewide transportation plan by spending their money locally. The Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority board last week approved a ballot question to ask voters if it’s OK to set…
Insights: In Colorado, bipartisanship found a way forward

Aug 13, 2017

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JOEY BUNCH

With the the grease fire that is Republicans’ too-big-to-fail promise to repeal and replace Obamacare, it’s time to remind D.C. how the Colorado legislature got things done this year, from healthcare to switchblades. The state Constitution forces the legislature to balance its budget each year, that’s a big part of it. Moreover, Republicans and Democrats…
Principles of Liberty Colorado organization releases legislative scorecard, honors ‘rock stars’

Jul 24, 2017

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Ernest Luning

State Rep. Justin Everett, a Littleton Republican, ranked highest among Colorado lawmakers in the annual Principles of Liberty scorecard, the conservative organization announced Saturday at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver. Known as “Justin Neverett” and “Dr. No” for his propensity for voting “no” on legislation, Everett was one of nine legislators, all Republicans, to…