news
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Municipal sentencing bill in Denver moves forward
The Denver City Council introduced legislation Monday aimed at aligning municipal penalties with state law to “stop criminalizing poverty.” The bill, which was heavily revised and amended, was moved forward on a 10 to 2 vote, with Councilmembers Darrell Watson and Amanda Sawyer dissenting. Currently, people in Denver can face months in jail for relatively…
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Michael Allen says a weakened justice system, rising crime drove him to run for attorney general
Michael Allen said he is running for attorney general because he believes Colorado’s criminal justice system has been weakened by recent legislation and that rising crime is directly increasing the cost of living. A Navy veteran and longtime prosecutor, Allen argued that Colorado needs an attorney general who focuses on public safety, rather than on…
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Colorado House ethics committee delays hearing to allow Rep. Lindsay to seek legal counsel
The Colorado House ethics committee voted Monday to pause the ethics complaint against Rep. Mandy Lindsay while she seeks legal counsel. The hearing was scheduled to begin with two days of testimony, during which Lindsay could present evidence and call witnesses and other witnesses — including Rep. Junie Joseph, D‑Boulder — were expected to testify.…
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Polis administration awards $30 million for local climate policy projects
Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Energy Office announced $30 million in grants Thursday to 18 local and tribal governments for projects to reduce emissions, improve air quality and promote energy efficiency. This second and final round of the federally funded Local IMPACT Accelerator Grant program brings the total spending to $51.7 million. The first…
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‘Peaking at the right time’: Barbara Kirkmeyer is confident as ballots go out
Calling 2026 an “interesting” year, Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer said the race for the Republican nomination has taken her from a “bizarre debate” to a broader effort to maintain the party’s integrity, while making the case that she’s ready to lead Colorado into better days. As the primary election season winds down and voters begin casting…
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Registered voters on the eve of the 2026 primaries | Cronin & Loevy
The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office has published the latest voter registration figures for the state and its counties as of June. Colorado ranks among the highest states for independent, or unaffiliated, voters. Only Alaska and Massachusetts have more. New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine and Oregon also rank highly. So here is what the state looks like politically as Coloradans are voting in this year’s party primary elections. Keep in…
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Democratic candidates DeGette, Kiros and James clash in CD1 forum
The three Democratic candidates for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District clashed on Friday night over a host of issues, even as they expressed frustration with their party. The candidates — U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, doctoral student Melat Kiros and university regent Wanda James — took part in the forum moderated by Colorado Politics reporters on Friday…
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Rep. Jeff Crank thinks Democrats are too focused on Trump, not enough on Colorado Springs | Vince Bzdek
For U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, who’s unopposed in the Republican primary for the 5th Congressional District but the main target of both candidates in the lively Democratic primary, the big question in the midterms is not who will stand up to President Donald Trump best. “The question, and I think this will be one in…
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Fight over Colorado and Denver building energy standards gains federal attention
The U.S. Department of Justice notified the U.S. District Court in Denver that it is considering filing a Statement of Interest in a lawsuit challenging Colorado’s and Denver’s building energy performance standards on federal preemption grounds. The notice says the federal government has questions about the preemptive scope of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act…
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Denver City Council considers criminal code update
Returning to the Denver City Council chambers this week is an ordinance that would update the city’s criminal code to align local penalties with state laws and recent Colorado Supreme Court rulings. It primarily aims to reduce the maximum possible jail time and fines for lower-level, city-specific offenses. The code update was postponed during the…