jon becker
-
Bipartisan bill with momentum would speed college transfers’ pace to graduation
—
by
A significant bill with bipartisan momentum could make it easier for college students to transfer to other state schools. Senate Bill 69 passed the upper chamber Friday on a 33-0 vote, so it bounces to the House to start the process there. It’s sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Chris Holbert of Parker and Sen. Rachel…
-
Hickenlooper’s final State of the State reminds lawmakers about water plan
—
by
Three times during Wednesday’s final State of the State address, Gov. John Hickenlooper brought up one of his signature efforts of the past several years: development of a state water plan to guide Colorado during the next 30-plus years. With Hickenlooper one year away from turning over the reins of state government to his successor…
-
Majority House Dems unleash their first five bills…
—
by
Sure, there were all the opening-day rituals under the Dome on Wednesday – speeches, promises of bipartisanship and warm greetings among almost all of the 100 members, who insisted they were happy to see one another again. But then there’s the real business of the General Assembly: making laws (well, and killing legislation; plenty of…
-
Legislative session gets going under the Gold Dome with talk of compromise
—
by
Republicans will introduce a bill to lock $300 million a year into the state budget, and then refer a ballot measure to Colorado voters in November to allow the state to borrow money against it for transportation, Senate President Kevin Grantham said on the opening day of the legislative session Wednesday. That would get the…
-
10 things to watch in the 2018 Colorado legislature
—
by
Cloud of harassment Four legislators, two Republicans and two Democrats, stand accused of sexual harassment, while others have leveled accusations or taken sides. If lawmaking is about relationships, then both could be strained in the early going. A surplus for roads? A December revenue forecast suggested the legislature might have unforeseen hundreds of million…
-
SB 267 for rural Colorado again causing conflict between governor and Republicans
—
by
UPDATED: 1/5/18 1:24 p.m.: Colorado Politics has learned that the House Republicans today filed an open records request to obtain those budget documents. ___ Last year’s omnibus bill, intended to help rural hospitals and schools, is once again causing trouble at the state Capitol that could set up a showdown between House Republicans and the…
-
House Republicans issue new call for Democrats to fund transportation, Duran answers
—
by
With six weeks to go before next legislative session, seven House Republicans are calling out their chamber’s Democratic majority and Gov. John Hickenlooper to spend existing money on transportation in next year’s budget instead of waiting on voters to decide. The group is releasing the statement Thursday morning but it was obtained early by Colorado…
-
Hickenlooper addresses rhetoric over special session, says it should be simple, not partisan
—
by
Gov. John Hickenlooper Monday responded to criticism from Republican lawmakers and others about the special session he called last week to address a mistake made in the hospital provider fee law. The measure, signed into law on May 30, is intended to spare hospitals from a greater than half-billion budget cut in 2017-18. The law…
-
Hickenlooper’s special session could get messy, lawmakers warn
—
by
A simple fix may turn out to be pretty complicated. Gov. John Hickenlooper’s plan to fix a problem with the landmark legislation that reclassified the state’s hospital provider fee program may have hit a snag: the two Republican lawmakers who helped marshal the bill through the General Assembly have no intention of helping with the…
-
Capitol critics could benefit from real-world perspective
—
by
Ideas inspire both philosophers and legislators, but the two jobs differ considerably thereafter. That distinction is critical to understanding the current dust-up between the Independence Institute’s Jon Caldara and several Republican lawmakers. A thoughtful, assertive voice for liberty, Caldara is a friend and an ally. He and the Institute advocate tirelessly for personal freedom and…
