gov. jared polis
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Polis’ budget proposal faces backlash over Medicaid and Pinnacol deal
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Gov. Jared Polis’ proposed state budget for 2026-27 drew sharp criticism Wednesday from the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, as lawmakers from both parties criticized plans to slow Medicaid spending growth and to rely on a deal to privatize Pinnacol Assurance. This quasi-state agency is the state’s largest provider of workers’ compensation insurance. Polis has already…
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Gov. Jared Polis’ plan to privatize Pinnacol Assurance comes with legal questions
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Gov. Jared Polis recently announced that, as part of his proposed 2026-27 budget, he would allow Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s quasi-public workers’ compensation insurance division, to go private. However, questions on whether it’s possible or legal remain. The Polis administration previously claimed that Pinnacol is a state asset that can be “spun off.” Pinnacol, a domestic…
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Gov. Polis proposes privatizing Pinnacol Assurance to address next year’s budget deficit
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Gov. Jared Polis is hoping for a windfall from the privatization of Colorado’s quasi-public workers’ compensation insurance division to cover some of the anticipated deficits in next year’s operating budget. The 2026-27 state budget, as proposed by the governor, amounts to $47.9 billion, which translates to a 5.2% increase over the current budget. That’s twice…
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Gov. Jared Polis abruptly cancels unpublicized meeting with Joint Budget Committee
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Gov. Jared Polis was scheduled to talk to reporters at 12:30 p.m. on Friday at the Governor’s Mansion to discuss his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, which he is required to submit to the Joint Budget Committee on Nov. 1. Before addressing the media, Polis had planned to meet with the Joint Budget…
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Nebraska says Colorado is stealing its water
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The fight over Nebraska’s attempt to seize privately-owned land in northeastern Colorado persisted this week, with Nebraska accusing Colorado of stealing its water in a filing Wednesday with the U.S. Supreme Court. The issue deals with the Perkins County canal, a proposed 109-mile ditch stretching from Ovid in Sedgwick County and across the Colorado-Nebraska state…
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Gov. Jared Polis stops in Colorado Springs to tout emergency food stamp funding, as agencies say demand is up
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If you want to see the human face of the federal government shutdown, look for the hungry mouths, was the message Gov. Jared Polis delivered in Colorado Springs on Wednesday. He stopped at Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado’s headquarters after announcing at the state Capitol that he will ask the Joint Budget…
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Gov. Polis convenes new working group to address Colorado’s lingering AI law challenges
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For the second time in as many years, Gov. Jared Polis has appointed a working group to address the issues around the state’s 2024 law on artificial intelligence. The law, which Polis signed despite major misgivings last year, is still not ready for prime time. The implementation date for the new law, as set by lawmakers…
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Energy battle: Colorado power plant closures ignite debate over jobs, taxes and energy future in Pueblo
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As Colorado darts toward a future powered by “clean” energy, a battle is brewing in Pueblo, where coal closures, union jobs and lost tax revenue collide with a community demanding a solution as its power plants are a primary target for a shutdown. Between 2025 and 2031, six more coal-fired power plants in Colorado are scheduled to…
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Polis administration touts local cities’ ‘compliance’ with housing laws
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The Polis administration is taking a victory lap this week on local government compliance with housing laws passed by the General Assembly in the past two years, although the highest level among the metrics is only 60% compliant. In another metric, there are more localities that are non-compliant than those that are. The majority are…
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For now, shutdown’s impact is minimal on Colorado government, though officials say state will see ripple effects if it persists
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Colorado officials do not not expect to see major impacts on Colorado-run programs or its workforce for the first week of the federal shutdown, though the state stands to feel the strain, particularly if the stoppage goes into the second week or longer. Like other states, a big chunk of spending in Colorado is paid…
