In an unprecedented move, the Colorado General Assembly temporarily adjourned in the middle of its lawmaking session Saturday to encourage social distancing and help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus amid a national emergency. House Speaker KC Becker called it “a very solemn” occasion as she introduced the resolution to pause the session for […]
2020 legislative session
Posted inEnvironment, News, Politics and Government, Water
Colorado lawmakers wanted to tackle the state’s PFAS problem. They are taking more of a baby step.
Colorado lawmakers hoped this year to accelerate regulation of a group of man-made chemicals called per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are often used in firefighting foam and have contaminated drinking water in communities across the state. But a bipartisan bill to do just that was stripped of its most comprehensive elements during its first hearing at […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, Education, News, Politics and Government
Thousands of Colorado workers already earn college credit for their time on the job. But even thousands more could.
Laura Seitz spent more time in a clinic than a classroom as she learned how to become a medical assistant but still earned college credit toward her certification. She was enrolled at Front Range Community College, but most of her practical education came at Associates in Family Medicine in Fort Collins. There, she trained with […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News, Politics and Government
Mill levy equalization: Three words that could dramatically shift Colorado’s school funding system
Not all school districts collect property taxes equally, which has been robbing some Colorado students of fair funding in education, according to advocates who hope to see lawmakers overhaul the state’s school finance system this legislative session. A key component of the overhaul would be establishing a uniform mill levy for schools. This would shift […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Colorado lawmakers want to stop dogs, cats from being euthanized in shelters for lack of space
Sometimes, food and shelter just aren’t enough. A bill at Colorado’s Capitol says dogs and cats deserve more when they’re lost or abandoned — they need mental and emotional care, too. Lawmakers want to discourage shelters from killing animals because of lack of space and ensure that dogs and cats are adopted, returned to their […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics and Government
There’s a push to increase fines for Colorado polluters and directly help impacted communities
The Western Sugar Cooperative sugar beet processing plant in Fort Morgan was ordered to pay a $2 million fine to Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment in May 2018 for egregious water and air quality violations. Like most penalties collected from CDPHE, the money was funneled primarily into the state’s general fund, which pays […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News, Politics and Government
A bill is coming that would change enrollment rules for Colorado charter schools. Could it also deter more from opening?
A lawmaker worried that charter schools aren’t offering kids with disabilities the same opportunities as traditional public schools wants to change the rules. But education advocates say Rep. Shannon Bird’s proposed changes unfairly target charter schools and are trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. Through legislation she plans to introduce next week, Bird, […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government, Technology, Transportation
Electric-vehicle makers want to sell directly to Coloradans. Dealers say that’s a “solution in search of a problem.”
Update: The state Senate Energy & Transportation committee approved the bill on a vote of 3 to 2 on February 18, 2020. Senate Bill 167 now heads to the full Senate for consideration. The wave of new electric vehicles from auto manufacturers combined with new EV-friendly policies has Colorado prepping for what it hopes will […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics and Government
Will 2020 be the year Colorado bans plastic bags, Styrofoam and other single-use plastics?
The Town of Avon did something daring in January: It banned expanded polystyrene food containers, a.k.a. Styrofoam. The move made the town the first community in Colorado to forbid such take-out food containers, which don’t do well in microwaves — or with trash recyclers. But it also put them at odds with an obscure state […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, Politics and Government
As Democrats try to end private prisons in Colorado, critics warn of economic ruin for rural areas
The first steps in a push by Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic leaders to stop the use of private prisons in Colorado are generating criticism and concern about the potential economic impact in rural areas. The House will vote on a package of spending legislation this week that allows the state to reopen a shuttered […]