marcus
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Liquor store expansion effort draws dramatic wrangling from all sides
The continuing saga over expanding liquor sales in Colorado took more bizarre twists and turns Wednesday as lawmakers narrowly advanced legislation. The House Finance Committee advanced a measure on a 7-6 vote that would build on last year’s historic overhaul of liquor laws that allowed for the gradual sale of full-strength alcohol in grocery stores…
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‘Far-reaching’ energy legislation advances in Colorado legislature
Lawmakers on Wednesday advanced a measure that would maintain funding for the Colorado Energy Office, while restructuring it and doing away with certain programs. Senate Bill 301 – a 57-page bill introduced in the waning days of the legislative session – is supported by Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper’s Energy Office, though some environmental interests and Democrats…
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Gas line linked to fatal Firestone home explosion stirs political storm
Evidence that a home explosion that killed two people in Firestone was caused by natural gas leaking from an old pipeline has kicked off a broader political conversation. In many ways the conversation is not new. Concerns surrounding oil and gas activities have stirred for years. But drawing a direct connection to the tragedy in…
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New plan unveiled to raise money for critical Colorado state services with days left in legislature
Despite a dramatic back-and-forth Monday over a plan to free money for critical state services, legislative leaders say they are close to a compromise. The proposal would create a 20-year bond program to direct $1.8 billion towards critical infrastructure, including roads and highways. The first iteration of the legislation started with a $1.35 billion bond program. Lawmakers…
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Republicans accused of ‘hijacking’ education funding in the name of charter schools
Democrats and the state’s largest teachers’ union say Republicans have hijacked a critical school funding measure in the name of charter schools. The annual School Finance Act, which lawmakers are constitutionally obligated to pass each year, was amended on Thursday to include equitable funding for charter schools. Republicans, led by Sen. Owen Hill of Colorado…
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Hickenlooper vetoes tax credit extension for cigar retailers
Gov. John Hickenlooper on Friday vetoed legislation what would have addressed a tax credit on cigars shipped out of state. The bipartisan Senate Bill 139 would have allowed cigar retailers to claim a tax credit on the state’s 40 percent excise tax for out-of-state sales. The credit is set to expire in September 2018. The…
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Insights: On Hospital Provider Fee, ‘I’m still waiting… I’m still waiting… I’m still waiting…’
I’ve been walking around the Colorado Capitol lately with the Talking Heads’ song “Crosseyed and Painless” stuck in my head. It’s really just a few lines in the song: “Facts are simple and facts are straight. Facts are lazy and facts are late… I’m still waiting… I’m still waiting… I’m still waiting…” But it hasn’t…