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Session wrap-up: Colorado legislators pass 120 bills in 2026 session
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The 2026 legislative session wrapped Wednesday with lawmakers approving roughly 120 bills, though how many would ultimately be signed by Gov. Jared Polis remains uncertain. Beyond high‑profile debates over artificial intelligence policy and the state budget, legislators advanced major measures on health care, education, immigration, and public safety. Here is an overview of some of…
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Colorado legislators ask voters to forfeit thousands in TABOR refunds, redirect money to school spending
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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 forfeit more than $7,000 in TABOR refunds over the next decade. Senate Bill 135 includes…
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Colorado Gov. Polis faces intense lobbying blitz from DC-based groups over credit card ‘swipe-fee’ bill
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Colorado’s long‑running fight over credit‑card swipe fees entered its final round Tuesday, when lawmakers sent a proposal to Gov. Jared Polis and rival industry coalitions immediately launched competing campaigns to sway his decision. The clash pits groups urging Polis to sign the bill — restaurants, hotels, breweries, liquor stores, small businesses, and big‑box retailers —…
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Fight over road funding intensifies as Democrats seek to negate citizen initiative
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The battle over road funding intensified at the state Capitol this week, where legislators are seeking to negate an initiative that supporters say is sorely needed but which critics insist would divert money from other state priorities. Supporters of the initiative questioned the timing of new legislation that emerged in the waning days of the…
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Democrat Jena Griswold holds wide lead in Colorado attorney general primary, her internal poll shows
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Democratic attorney general candidate Jena Griswold, Colorado’s term-limited secretary of state, holds a wide lead over her three primary opponents just weeks before ballots are set to go out to voters, a new internal poll released by her campaign on Monday shows. Griswold counts more than twice as much support among likely primary voters as…
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While growth slows statewide, small-town populations in Colorado boom
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A proposed housing project could more than double the population of Calhan, a town of just 760 on the Eastern Plains outside Colorado Springs. For some small towns on the Front Range, it’s a familiar situation. Colorado’s overall population growth was just 0.4% last year. At a time when net migration has stagnated statewide, several…
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Lawsuit from men wrongly arrested for Denver shooting dismissed by federal appeals court
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The Colorado-based federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit last week from two men who were arrested as suspects in a downtown Denver shooting when they instead appeared to be the targets. Trevor Puller and Deandre Hutchinson alleged that they were driving in Lower Downtown at around 2 a.m. in April 2021 when an unidentified man…
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Planned Parenthood, groups launch campaign against transgender ballot measures in Colorado
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Planned Parenthood and other groups have launched a coalition to oppose two ballot measures that would ban transgender surgeries among children and require student athletes to only join sports teams that correspond to their biological sex. The two measures will appear in this year’s November ballot, setting the stage for a statewide debate over sports,…
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U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet qualifies by petition for Colorado’s Democratic gubernatorial primary
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U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet on Tuesday became the first gubernatorial candidate to qualify for Colorado’s June primary ballot after state election officials determined the three-term Democrat’s campaign submitted enough valid petition signatures. Bennet is running against Attorney General Phil Weiser in the Democratic primary to determine the nominee for the office held by term-limited Gov.…
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Wildlife agency asks for $450,000 to bring more wolves to Colorado
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The panel of legislators charged with crafting the budget on Monday rejected a proposal that proponents said would increase transparency around how much Colorado Parks and Wildlife spends to bring additional wolves into the state. At the same time, the wildlife agency is seeking $450,000 in general funds for fiscal year 2026–27 — twice what…