gov. john hickenlooper
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COVER STORY: Hickenlooper’s legacy of water
Gov. John Hickenlooper leaves office on Jan. 8, 2019, after eight years of service as governor. He may be best remembered for guiding the state through its growing pains over the legalization of recreational marijuana, but he leaves another legacy as well: Water. In a fast-growing state that places greater demands on its water supply…
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LAMBERT | Sudden death of legislation was a setback for mental health care
When a bill passes the statehouse with overwhelming bipartisan support, but is killed through the guile of a small minority that refuses to compromise and would rather see taxpayer dollars held hostage, we don’t need lectures from the saboteurs about how a mythical impasse resulted in the bill’s failure. Yet, that is what has transpired…
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Hickenlooper’s long-time budget director to leave
Henry Sobanet, who has led the governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) for the past seven years, will leave at the end of June, according to an announcement Tuesday from Gov. John Hickenlooper. Sobanet has been the go-to person on the state budget for several gubernatorial administrations; he also was the budget director for…
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Hickenlooper creates task force on abuses in construction industry
Colorado added almost 10,000 jobs in the construction industry between April 2017 and April of this year, but that growth is accompanied by complaints about payroll and employee “misclassification” that Gov. John Hickenlooper says can lead to labor-law violations. This week, he signed an executive order setting up an enforcement task force that will coordinate with…
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Special session on Colorado pot issues called a long shot
Members of Colorado’s marijuana industry and other advocates on Thursday floated the idea of a special session of the state legislature to overturn Gov. John Hickenlooper’s vetoes of three marijuana bills this week. Hickenlooper nixed legislation that would have allowed samples of cannabis products to be consumed in “tasting rooms” at licensed stores, as well…
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Hickenlooper signs pension-reform bill; vetoes 2 measures
Gov. John Hickenlooper signed several pieces of legislation Monday but also added to his veto tally. The governor signed into law a bill that lawmakers and pensioners hope will start the state on a path to shoring up a $32 billion shortfall in the Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) pension plan for state workers…
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Hickenlooper expects suit over school-choice language in bill for foster children
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on Friday signed House Bill 1306, which is intended to allow foster children avoid being shuttled from one school to another. But he’s definitely not happy about it. The bill deals with the problems foster children experience with school when they move from one placement to another. Under current law, a…
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Hickenlooper vetoes autopsy bill opposed by news outlets
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper Friday afternoon announced he had vetoed three bills passed in the 2018 legislative session that ended last month, including one that would have placed autopsy reports on children off limits to the public except under limited circumstances. Senate Bill 223 was brought to the General Assembly by El Paso County Coroner…
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HUDSON | Sidetracked by sidebar issues, TABOR lawsuit plods onward
Last week the desultory path of the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Colorado’s TABOR amendment found its way into Courtroom 2 at the old federal building in downtown Denver. Just one day short of seven years since their case was originally filed, arguments and a resolution regarding the merits of plaintiffs’ claims appeared no closer…
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Opioids, vet benefits, civil rights top Hickenlooper’s bill signings this week
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has begun the last round of statewide bill signings for his time in office, with ceremonies starting on the Front Range and ending the week on the Western Slope. Hickenlooper has until June 8 to sign, veto or allow bills to become law without his signature. The General Assembly sent 432…