politics
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Union dues proposal clears first hurdle, but its fate is murky at Colorado Capitol
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A proposed to repeal a key requirement of a nearly century-old labor law has cleared its first committee hearing, but its fate remains uncertain, particularly since Gov. Jared Polis vetoed a similar proposal last year and he indicated this year he intends to do so again, unless businesses and unions can secure an agreement. Still,…
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Colorado legislators revisit social media guardrails for youth
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Colorado legislators are making another push to regulate social media platforms, raising worries about the negative impact on youth mental and physical health, even as others argued that policies should be carefully crafted to ensure they balance protection and innovation. The push in Colorado is part of a growing trend in America and elsewhere. In…
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Immigration resolution ignites hours of debate in Colorado House
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A joint resolution affirming lawmakers’ “commitment to Coloradans navigating the complex United States immigration system” sparked more than three hours of debate on the House Floor on Tuesday morning, reflecting the tension rising between Colorado and the Trump administration, which has traded barbs and lawsuits, underpinned by the former’s campaign to crackdown on illegal immigration…
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Q&A with Taxpayers Protection Alliance’s Ross Marchand
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The Taxpayers Protection Alliance describes itself as a nonpartisan group “dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.” Colorado Politics spoke with TPA’s senior fellow and attorney, Ross Marchand, about the organization’s work investigating Colorado’s Medicaid spending increase. CP: Can you tell me…
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Colorado lawmakers reverse course, OK $2.4M funding for additional prison beds
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The Colorado legislature’s budget panel changed course on Wednesday, reversing its previous decision to deny the Department of Corrections $2.4 million request to pay for additional prison beds. Last week, JBC members voted, 4-2, to deny the department’s request, with Democrats arguing that they have yet to see the department make any substantial effort to…
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Gov. Polis highlights Colorado’s business climate and affordability during annual gathering
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Gov. Jared Polis used his annual meeting with Colorado business leaders on Wednesday to take stock of his time in office, highlighting the state’s pandemic response, ongoing challenges facing downtown economies, and what he described as continued efforts to balance a strong business climate with affordability concerns. Polis was joined by leaders of some of…
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Colorado lawmakers reintroduce union bill, revive other stalled legislation
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It can take years for a policy to successfully pass through the Colorado legislature, which is why it’s not uncommon to see the same bill or a version of it brought back from the dead several sessions in a row in the hopes it would eventually pass. Here are a few measures lawmakers are hoping…
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Colorado Democrats reignite debate over gender identity in child custody cases
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Democratic lawmakers eye reviving a provision related to gender identity in child custody cases that was stripped from a bill signed into law last year. Last session, lawmakers passed House Bill 1312, which dealt with legal protections for transgender individuals. The law included new provisions dealing with name changes on marriage certificates, sex designations on…
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Report: Colorado government has grown beyond TABOR’s limits
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Colorado’s government has grown substantially over the past three decades beyond the limits that voters approved to restrain that expansion, according to a new report from a think tank. The analysis from the Independence Institute, which examines state spending, revenue sources, and employment trends since the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights went into effect in 1992,…
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Colorado lawmakers want officers to conduct ‘lethality assessments’ when responding to domestic violence calls
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A bipartisan group of lawmakers is hoping to reduce to Colorado’s rising domestic violence fatalities through a bill that would require law enforcement agencies around the state to conduct “lethality assessments” on domestic violence victims. In early December of last year, police found the body of 37-year-old Annette Valdez in a trash can near a…
