marcus Archives

Lawmakers face $700 million in cuts to balance proposed budget

Mar 17, 2017

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Lawmakers did not receive the luck of the Irish Saint Patrick’s Day economic forecast they were hoping for on Friday, learning that they will have to close a nearly $700 million budget shortfall. The projection to close the gap is based on a spending request from Gov. John Hickenlooper in November. The shortfall is about…

Insights: At halftime, what are chances Colorado legislature comes together?

Mar 17, 2017

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Peter Marcus

At the start of the legislative session, in my inaugural column, I said, “There’s a good chance the split legislature could actually come together this year.” A week later, I said, “Hope springs eternal but optimism dies young.” We’re now halfway through the legislative session, so here’s your update: I have no idea, and I don’t…

Democrats pass bill to stop Trump from rounding up minorities

Mar 17, 2017

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Peter Marcus

Democrats on Thursday advanced a bill aimed at preventing the federal government from rounding up minority groups in the wake of a Trump presidency. Reps. Joe Salazar, D-Thornton, and Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, sponsors of the bill, used images of the Star of David placed on Jews, as well as Japanese Americans forced into concentration camps during World…

Trump’s proposed budget signals effort to begin ‘butchering’ the EPA

Mar 16, 2017

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Peter Marcus

The man who led transition efforts for President Trump at the EPA said the administration’s proposed budget signals a commitment to abolish the agency. But Myron Ebell, a Colorado College graduate and an outspoken climate change skeptic who leads energy and environment policy at the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute, said it is not an overnight effort.…

British consulate-general for Colorado says relationship is strong

Mar 16, 2017

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Peter Marcus

The British consulate-general for Colorado is reaffirming the United Kingdom’s commitment to the state at a precarious time for foreign relations under a new Trump administration. An uncertain policy bedrock around immigration and refugee travel not only affects America, but the entire world. Britain, with its own issues around immigration, could be directly tied to…

Gov. Hickenlooper threatens to veto legislation extending bar closing hours

Mar 16, 2017

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Peter Marcus

Gov. John Hickenlooper is threatening to veto legislation that would allow local governments to extend bar hours past 2 a.m. In a letter Wednesday to House Speaker Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, and Senate President Kevin Grantham, R-Canon City, Hickenlooper said he is “unpersuaded that extending alcohol service hours will enhance public safety or lead to less intoxicated…

Democrats announce bills to curb the influence of money in politics

Mar 16, 2017

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Peter Marcus

House Democrats on Wednesday announced a package of legislation aimed at curbing the influence of money in politics. “It is no secret that there is a lot of cynicism about political entities today and the dark money that is spent on political campaigns,” House Speaker Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, said at an afternoon news conference at…

Centerpiece construction defect bill assigned to ‘kill committee’

Mar 15, 2017

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Peter Marcus

The hammer appears to have come down on a centerpiece construction defect bill after the measure was assigned to a so-called “kill committee” in the House. But the likely demise of Senate Bill 156 opens the door for the development of a new construction defect effort, which is coming in the form of fresh legislation.…

Teachers’ union calls charter funding bill ‘DeVos-style’ legislating

Mar 15, 2017

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Peter Marcus

The legislature continues to advance a measure that aims at equitable funding for charter schools, despite cries of “DeVos-style” mandates. The Colorado Education Association, that state’s largest teachers’ union, issued a news release Tuesday, referencing controversial U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The union’s statement is in regards to Senate Bill 61, which would require districts…

Morgan Carroll elected chair of Colorado Democrats as party rebuilds

Mar 11, 2017

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Peter Marcus

Former state Sen. Morgan Carroll of Aurora was elected Saturday to be the next leader of Colorado Democrats. Surrounded by dozens of supporters on a stage in a downtown Denver hotel conference room, Carroll appeared to bridge progressive and establishment ends of the party. She spoke on a gloomy Saturday morning as a light rain…