kevin lundberg
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Hickenlooper signs ‘Long Bill,’ applauds bipartisan collaboration on state budget
Gov. John Hickenlooper on Friday signed the upcoming year’s budget, known as the Long Appropriations Bill, praising legislators on both sides of the aisle for coming together to avert “draconian” cuts while safeguarding spending on health care and schools. Senate Bill 254 sets a $28.7 billion budget for the state for the 2017-18 fiscal year,…
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Supporters ready to campaign for measure to lower minimum age for Colorado lawmakers to 21
Supporters are lining up to get behind a referendum approved by lawmakers to ask voters next year whether to lower the minimum age to serve in the General Assembly from 25 to 21. “We’re grateful to our legislators for putting this question to the voters,” said Lizzy Stephan, executive director of New Era Colorado, an…
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Colorado open primary bill advances over bumpy terrain as negative ad hits airwaves
Debate inside and outside the Legislature around how to best implement the state’s new voter-approved open primary elections has grown hotter by the hour as the legislative session barrels toward closing day. On Monday, the Senate advanced Senate Bill 305 to the House. The bill is meant to guide the secretary of state’s office in…
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State Senate declares May motorcycle safety month with personal, cautionary two-wheel tales
State Sen. John Kafalas, the diminutive Democrat from Fort Collins, drew a word-picture of himself climbing onto a Harley Davidson. “I know it’s hard t believe, but I’ve ridden Harleys, and as long as they’re low riders, I can touch the ground and hold the bike up,” he said, drawing howls from the chamber. “Back…
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New Era Colorado backs proposal to lower minimum age for state lawmakers from 25 to 21
New Era Colorado, an organization devoted to boosting political participation by young people, is endorsing a proposal to lower the minimum age requirement to serve in the General Assembly from 25 to 21, its executive director told The Colorado Statesman. “New Era believes that young people deserve a seat at the table — and that…
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Lawmakers propose asking voters to lower minimum age for Colorado legislators from 25 to 21
A bipartisan group of legislators wants to ask voters whether to lower the minimum age to serve in Colorado’s General Assembly from 25 to 21. A decade after voters shot down an identical proposal at the polls, lawmakers are back with legislation to refer a constitutional amendment to the 2018 ballot, and they say the arguments…
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In bipartisan vote, state Senate votes down religious freedom-style bill
The Republican-controlled Senate Tuesday voted down a “right to disagree” bill that opponents view as either an untested or euphemistic version of the religious freedom bills introduced in recent years by conservatives around the country that many believe risk diluting the nation’s anti-discrimination laws. All of the Democrats in the chamber were joined by three…
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Colorado anti-abortion ‘ultrasound’ bill defeated in bipartisan Senate vote
All of the Colorado Senate Democrats and two Republicans joined forces to defeat a closely watched anti-abortion bill in the Republican-controlled chamber on Thursday. Senate Bill 284 might have passed had Democrats not forced the one-seat majority caucus members to go on record for or against the bill. Swing-seat Republican Sens. Don Coram from Durango…
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Senate anti-abortion ‘ultrasound bill’ generates heat in committee, advances for now
State Senate Republicans introduced a sweeping bill on Monday adapted from similar efforts across the country that would establish new rules around abortion services in Colorado with an eye to lowering the number of abortions performed in the state. The bill sped into committee Wednesday, leaving opponents playing catch up. NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado called a…