peter marcus
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Personality conflicts disrupt Appropriations
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Tensions between Reps. Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, and Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen, escalated during a House Appropriations Committee meeting Wednesday morning, stalling several bills that require funding just as Senate discussions over the budget kicked into high gear. The multiple divisive exchanges between Gerou and Duran sparked calls by Duran for an ethics investigation on Gerou, though…
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More money for the budget, more fights at legislature
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The Senate this week will take up a $23 billion budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year after the House last week passed a largely partisan spending plan that resulted in plenty of fights over how to fund the state. The overall budget proposal represents a $1.1 billion increase over the current budget, and marks…
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SB 125 could face bumpy ride in House
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A measure that would place ride-sharing services like Lyft and UberX under light regulation could face a bumpy ride when it lands in the House this upcoming week. The bipartisan Senate Bill 125, sponsored in the House by Reps. Dan Pabon, D-Denver, and Libby Szabo, R-Arvada, has been scheduled for Wednesday in the House Transportation…
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New legislative take on old telecommunications laws
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A package of bills that would update the state’s decades-old telecommunications laws passed its first test on Tuesday, making it through a House committee with relative ease. The House Business, Labor, Economic and Workforce Development committee backed the five bills after about five hours of debate, despite opposition from senior citizens who believe that the…
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Dems unveil legislation surrounding recall elections
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Democrats this week unveiled legislation that aims to correct some of the legal conflicts revealed last summer during recall elections of two Senate Democrats that nullified mail balloting and contributed to the Democrats’ loss. During an impromptu media availability hosted by Senate Democrats on Monday, lawmakers proposed a measure that would modify a provision in…
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Lawmakers want potency levels for pot products
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Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, has scaled back an original proposal that would have banned cannabis-infused products and concentrates. Instead, his new proposal would set potency equivalency limits for edibles and concentrates. McNulty has partnered with Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont, to push the potency equivalency proposal. The bills — which have delayed status and are…
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Rosier budget could trigger TABOR refunds
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This year’s discussions over a rosier budget picture have highlighted issues with the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights that could result in refunds to taxpayers in the coming years. Lawmakers are concerned because the refunds would come despite voters already approving retention of marijuana taxes. The marijuana taxes would be largely responsible for the excess dollars.…
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New effort to connect on telecom reform
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The Colorado telecommunications industry is hopeful that the reception has cleared enough in the state legislature this year to connect on a package of reform proposals that lawmakers hope to introduce in the next couple of weeks. Drafts had not yet been presented to industry stakeholders as of press time on Thursday, but Rep. Angela…
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Rural interests are still waiting for a little love
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As the legislature reaches mid-session, lawmakers are receiving an “incomplete” grade for addressing rural Colorado; being told by rural interests that they still have much more work to do. It appears unlikely that the Democratic-controlled legislature will end the session in May with applause from rural citizens. The frustration is likely to serve as a…
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Rally for same-sex marriage held at Capitol
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Marriage equality advocates rallied at the Capitol on Monday, imploring that “all loving, committed couples should have the freedom to marry in the state that they call home.” The rally came as nine couples have filed a legal challenge to Colorado’s constitutional ban on marriage for same-sex couples. The lawsuit comes in the midst of…