colorado general assembly
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Colorado prostitution decriminalization bill shelved after sponsor says it lacks votes
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A bill that would have decriminalized prostitution in Colorado will not move forward this year after its sponsor said it lacks the votes to pass its first committee. Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, a Pueblo Democrat, said he will ask to postpone Senate Bill 97 until after the legislative session ends, rather than advance it to a…
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Colorado Senate swears in Adrienne Benavidez after district vacancy win
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Sen. Adrienne Benavidez, a Democrat from Adams County, was sworn in Monday to the Colorado Senate, just four days after winning a vacancy election in District 21. She was sworn in by Colorado Court of Appeals Justice Lino S. Lipinsky de Orlov. Usually, that role is handled by a member of the Colorado Supreme Court,…
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Cute puppy overload and an audition of a different kind: Capitol M | Week of Feb. 28, 2026
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The lighter side of the Capitol, and most days, you ought to be really grateful for it. There’s a rumor (jk) floating around that an amendment is coming for the bill to legalize prostitution. The amendment would ban condoms made with PFAS. IYKYK. This week, Senate Democrats elected a new president pro tem. The competition took…
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Former House member picked to fill Senate vacancy in Colorado
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A vacancy committee on Thursday night chose a former House legislator to replace former Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, who resigned on Feb. 13 to become the director of the David and Laura Merage Foundation for Combating Antisemitism. Adrienne Benavidez — picked by a Senate District 21 vacancy panel — had served three terms in the…
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Colorado Senate Democrats choose Sen. Cathy Kipp as president pro tempore
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Senate Democrats on Monday elected Sen. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins, as the next president pro tempore. Kipp replaced former Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, who resigned her seat earlier this month. Kipp faced off against Sen. Tony Exum, D-Colorado Springs. The vote total was not announced, although caucus Chair Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, said…
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Colorado Democratic candidate submitted 1,600 signatures — only 29 were valid
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When he turned in some 1,600 signatures last month, Eric Nelson said it demonstrated “strong grassroots support from voters” across the district and a “growing momentum” for his “inclusive, community-centered leadership.” On Thursday, the Secretary of State rejected Nelson’s petition to get on the House District 42 ballot in Aurora, where he is one of…
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Colorado legislators challenge lottery rules allowing credit card purchases
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Back in November, legislators told the Colorado Lottery Commission to hold off on rules that would allow, for the first time, purchases of lottery products with credit cards. The commission went ahead anyway and approved those changes. And now lawmakers have responded with Senate Bill 117, introduced on Thursday, that would limit the purchase of…
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Colorado senators review budget as Medicaid costs drive $776 million increase
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Colorado senators this week are reviewing revisions to the current state budget, which has been reduced by hundreds of millions of dollars in each round of cuts. The bottom line is that, because of Medicaid costs, the state will spend more in 2025-26 than lawmakers approved in the 2025 session. Last week, the House approved…
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Ballot measure seeks to enshrine ‘right to know’ government affairs in Colorado Constitution
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A ballot measure filed Friday would enshrine people’s “fundamental right to know” the affairs of governments, thereby overturning a 2024 law that, critics said, now allows lawmakers to shield their activities from the public. Supported by by groups that aren’t always on the same side, the coalition behind Initiative No. 237 includes the Colorado Press…
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State Rep. Peña outlines significant inequalities in Colorado’s school finance law | A LOOK BACK
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Forty-Five Years Ago This Week: In a guest column published in The Colorado Statesman, House Minority Leader Rep. Federico Peña, D-Denver, wrote that his greatest disappointment with the legislative process was “the inability, or unwillingness, of the General Assembly to address major issues in a forthright manner.” One of the most serious issues was Colorado’s…
