colorado politics
-
Colorado lawmakers target ‘ghost networks’ to expand access to mental health care
—
by
A few years ago, the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance conducted a “secret shopper” survey on health insurance plans across six states, including Colorado. Of the 120 providers called, one-third were either inaccurately listed in the carrier database, out of service, or did not return the call. Only half of all calls to providers in…
-
Resolution calling for increased road funding clears Colorado Senate committee
—
by
A Republican legislator said he was pleasantly surprised on Wednesday when the state Senate’s transportation panel advanced a resolution brought to him by county commissioners urging the Colorado Department of Transportation to invest more money to fix roads. Road maintenance is “probably the No. 1 issue” in his seven-county district, said Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling.…
-
Colorado’s legislative activity has increased 56% since 2012, report finds
—
by
The Colorado General Assembly has adopted increasingly more bills in the last several years, even as the proposals have also become more complex. The legislature passed 487 bills during the 2025 legislative session, representing a 56% growth in legislative output since 2012. That growth represents the fourth-highest in the country, behind only Wyoming, Utah, and…
-
Hick, much like Trump, harmed rural Colorado | Dick Wadhams
—
by
Colorado’s congressional delegation unanimously opposed President Donald Trump’s recent veto of the Arkansas Valley Conduit water project which had been passed by Congress without opposition. But Trump is not the first chief executive to unilaterally harm communities in rural southeastern Colorado. U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper was elected governor in 2010 against a discredited Tea Party-driven…
-
Union dues proposal clears first hurdle, but its fate is murky at Colorado Capitol
—
by
A proposal to repeal a key requirement of a nearly century-old labor law has cleared its first committee hearing, but its fate remains uncertain, particularly since Gov. Jared Polis vetoed a similar proposal last year and he indicated this year he intends to do so again, unless businesses and unions can secure an agreement. Still,…
-
Colorado legislators revisit social media guardrails for youth
—
by
Colorado legislators are making another push to regulate social media platforms, raising worries about the negative impact on youth mental and physical health, even as others argued that policies should be carefully crafted to ensure they balance protection and innovation. The push in Colorado is part of a growing trend in America and elsewhere. In…
-
Immigration resolution ignites hours of debate in Colorado House
—
by
A joint resolution affirming lawmakers’ “commitment to Coloradans navigating the complex United States immigration system” sparked more than three hours of debate on the House Floor on Tuesday morning, reflecting the tension rising between Colorado and the Trump administration, which has traded barbs and lawsuits, underpinned by the former’s campaign to crackdown on illegal immigration…
-
Q&A with Taxpayers Protection Alliance’s Ross Marchand
—
by
The Taxpayers Protection Alliance describes itself as a nonpartisan group “dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.” Colorado Politics spoke with TPA’s senior fellow and attorney, Ross Marchand, about the organization’s work investigating Colorado’s Medicaid spending increase. CP: Can you tell me…
-
Colorado legislators eye giving inmates more earned time to ease prison overcrowding
—
by
Colorado lawmakers are proposing several changes to a state law that sponsors say would help ease overcrowding and reduce strain on state facilities. The proposal would mandate data reporting, as well require certain actions, including transitioning inmates from community corrections, considering “alternate sanctions” for technical parole violations, and giving inmates more earned time. In 2018,…
-
From child actors to ‘kidfluencers’: Colorado lawmakers consider digital-age Coogan Act
—
by
Jackie Coogan had been an actor since birth, or just about. His first acting gig was as a toddler in the 1917 silent film, “Skinner’s Baby,” where he played the titular infant. At age 7, he starred alongside Charlie Chaplin in 1921’s “The Kid,” and by the time he turned 21, he was estimated to…
