quick hit
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Colorado labor union group gives 36 legislators an ‘A+’ — and 36 others an ‘F’
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The labor union organization Colorado AFL-CIO scored all 100 state legislators on their performance during the 2023 legislative session and the results are very mixed: 36 legislators earned “A+” grades of 97% or higher, but just as many earned an “F” grade. The organization, made up of over 130,000 union members, said it scored the…
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Former leaders of Emerge Colorado start new training program for women in politics
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There’s a new candidate training program in town. Emerge Colorado spent 10 years as the state’s premier training and recruitment organization seeking to get Democratic women elected into public office. But earlier this month, the national affiliate Emerge America cut ties with its Colorado chapter amid accusations of mismanagement. Now, some of the former leaders…
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Colorado DMV now accepts crypto for online payments
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Need to renew a driver’s license? Now, Coloradans can use bitcoin for that. The Division of Motor Vehicles announced Thursday that it accepts cryptocurrency through PayPal for online payments. This includes paying for license renewal, identification cards, vehicle registration and other DMV services offered at mydmv.colorado.gov. “At the DMV, we’re always looking for ways to better…
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Colorado lowers cost of phone calls for prisoners, will make calls free in 2025
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Colorado is moving to make phone calls free for prison and jail inmates, as a new law goes into effect on Friday. The Colorado Department of Corrections currently charges 8 cents per minute for phone calls to and from prisons. If an inmate makes a 15-minute phone call everyday, that adds up to $438 each…
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New IRS guidance could potentially tax Colorado’s TABOR refunds
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Only six months ago, Coloradans breathed a sigh of relief when the Internal Revenue Service announced it would not take out federal taxes on refunds from Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. But now Colorado officials worry that taxability of the refunds is once again being called into question under new guidance released by the IRS on Wednesday,…
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Colorado awarded $245M for cost savings from state health insurance programs
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Cost reductions from Colorado health insurance programs saved the federal government $245 million in 2023, money which will soon be returned to the state. The U.S. health and treasury departments announced Colorado’s $245 million in pass-through funding on Wednesday – the largest amount Colorado has received, said Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway. This is the first…
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Aurora man receives probation for threatening to kill Gov. Jared Polis
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An Aurora man who threatened to shoot Gov. Jared Polis pleaded guilty to retaliation charges on Monday and was sentenced to four years of probation. Jeromie Rose, 42, admitted to leaving two voicemails on Polis’ front desk line on June 20, threatening the governor’s life. In the voicemails, Rose said, “I’m gonna f—— fire a whole…
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Colorado counties awarded nearly $1M to boost election security
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Almost every county in Colorado received grants to upgrade the physical security at their election offices over the last year. In total, 56 counties were given more than $945,000 in grant awards, the Secretary of State’s Office announced on Tuesday. The grant program was created by Senate Bill 22-153, passed by state legislators in 2022 in response…
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Colorado Division of Youth Services fixes reporting issues on juvenile recidivism, education
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A state audit found significant improvements in the accuracy of the Colorado Division of Youth Services’ reporting on recidivism and educational outcomes of young offenders. In 2019, the division was revealed to be miscalculating and using incomplete data for its annual reports. This resulted in reports that under-represented the recurring criminal offenses of youths discharged…
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Colorado fails to inspect dozens of marijuana businesses, audit finds
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At least 75 Colorado dispensaries haven’t been inspected by the state in the last four years. An audit released Monday uncovered wildly inconsistent inspections among Colorado marijuana businesses. Dozens of dispensaries haven’t received any targeted inspections or underage compliance checks since 2019, the audit found. In that same timeframe, one dispensary was inspected 19 times. From…
