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COVER STORY: DEADLY CARE | Scrutiny mounts as 14 Coloradans die under care of Office of Public Guardianship
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Policymakers who launched a pilot program for the state to serve as guardian for individuals who have no family or friends and often end up in hospitals are scrutinizing its work, particularly following the deaths of 14 wards under its care. Alarmed by the deaths, Gov. Jared Polis also indicated he would seek more oversight…
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Robert Werthwein to step down from state Office of Behavioral Health
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Robert Werthwein, the director of the state’s Office of Behavioral Health since Sept. 2017, will resign at the end of February next year, he announced in an email Tuesday. Axios Denver, which first reported his resignation, said he did not cite a reason for his resignation, only that he intended to pursue other opportunities. A spokesperson…
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With mental health needs in crisis, will a new state agency help?
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Mental health services, far outstripped by the need for both youth and adults, are the focus of a new state agency being created within the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). The new agency, which will be known as the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA), is to be housed, until at least 2024, within CDHS. The…
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What’s next for Sen. Kent Lambert? Science, but not the political kind
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi44VLt4TTg Sen. Kent Lambert, without a doubt, is one of the lions of Colorado Senate. He is an intelligent and engaging member of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, the six lawmakers who literally write the state budget; no dummies allowed. Because of term limits, this was his last legislative session, and many anticipated some other…
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Capitol M: Week ending March 30
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A look at the lighter side, usually, of what goes on at the state Capitol. This week, however, Capitol M feels the need to call out some ill-thought-out behavior this week. If you aren’t reading…The Facebook page of Senate Majority Leader Chris Holbert, Capitol M says “do it!” Holbert has taken upon himself to…
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Former Colorado state Rep. Elwood Gillis passes away at 83
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Former Colorado state Rep. Elwood Gillis of Lamar passed away Feb. 6 at the age of 83. Services were held Feb. 12 in Lamar. Lee Elwood Gillis was born in Ballinger, Texas, on Aug. 29, 1934. He graduated from Stratford High School in 1952, earned a bachelor’s degree from West Texas State in 1956. Gillis served…
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December revenue forecasts begin to look at impact of federal tax law on Colorado
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While Colorado’s economy is still on the upswing, state economists are waiting to see what comes out of Washington, D.C., in the weeks and months ahead, and how federal tax reform legislation will affect Colorado’s coffers. But the news looks good for possible funding bumps for transportation, one of the major issues left behind in…
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Good Question: Which of the state’s rural hospitals are most threatened by proposed $500M budget cuts?
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This year’s Colorado budget so far includes what amounts to a $500 million cut to state hospital funding. It’s a frightening sum that threatens to deeply slash rural health services and to shut down some rural hospitals altogether. The proposed cuts will be a centerpiece of debate at the Capitol in the remaining three-and-a-half weeks…
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Lundberg: ‘Absolutely’ it would be ‘messier’ to do away with Joint Budget Committee
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State Sen. Kevin Lundberg doesn’t sound very enchanted with plans House Republicans have recently floated to change the way the Legislature writes the state’s annual budget. The Berthoud Republican, a member of the powerful Joint Budget Committee, suggested in a recent interview with The Colorado Statesman that the six-member panel – three from each chamber…
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Paul Lundeen proposes shorter legislative sessions, biennial budget process
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State Rep. Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, wants to shorten Colorado’s legislative session and overhaul the way lawmakers approve annual budgets by doing away with the Joint Budget Committee and moving to biennial budgets. “Mark Twain said it best,” Lundeen says, setting the tone at the beginning of a brief video posted online by the Independence Institute.…
