As Chuck Smith, board president for Colorado Leads, the state’s cannabis alliance, highlighted June 19 in a guest-opinion piece in The Colorado Sun, Colorado marijuana business leaders had a key role in shaping House Bill 1317, which the state legislature passed earlier this month. It’s an important bill that takes steps to better protect Colorado […]
Alec Garnett
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Democrats pursued a no-policy-left-behind mantra for Colorado’s 2021 legislative session
Colorado Democrats’ massive bill to drive down health care costs suddenly appeared to be in real trouble. It was late May in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, and three of the four Democrats on the panel were raising concerns about the policy in House Bill 1232. “I believe we have a lot more […]
Posted inHealth, News, Politics and Government
Colorado lawmakers’ effort to curb illegal use of high-potency marijuana by teens is stoking privacy concerns
State lawmakers and medical marijuana patient advocates are concerned that a bill at the Colorado state Capitol to regulate cannabis concentrates, in part by tracking purchases, could compromise patient privacy. Colorado uses “seed-to-sale” software known as METRC to track cannabis production from the moment a seed is planted to when it’s harvested, turned into a […]
Posted inEconomy, News, Politics and Government
Housing, workforce development, infrastructure: How Colorado Democrats plan to spend $3.8B in federal aid
Colorado Democrats on Monday unveiled the broad strokes of how they plan to spend $3.8 billion in federal coronavirus stimulus money being sent to state government, prioritizing affordable housing, workforce development and infrastructure projects. More than half of the money — $2 billion — will be allocated before the 2021 legislative session ends by June […]
Posted inBusiness, Crime and Courts, Economy, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government, Transportation
“A lot of big items still out there”: Colorado lawmakers have a massive to-do list with only a month left
The Colorado legislature is entering the final month of its 2021 lawmaking term with a host of unresolved, complicated Democratic priorities, including an effort to reshape the state’s transportation funding system, an overhaul of the health care industry and an equity-focused rework of the tax code. Also pending are four gun control bills, a measure […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government
Colorado lawmakers aim to enact strict new regulations on marijuana concentrate, medical cannabis
Marijuana concentrate and medical marijuana would be subject to strict new regulations under a bill introduced Friday in the Colorado legislature that’s aimed at curbing teen use and adult overconsumption of high-potency cannabis. House Bill 1317 would require that dabs — concentrated cannabis that comes in a wax form and is made by extracting THC […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government, Transportation
Colorado Democrats formally introduce their transportation-fee bill with Republican, business community support
Colorado Democrats formally rolled out their massive transportation fee-implementation and spending bill on Tuesday with support from top business leaders and two Republicans, saying 2021 is the year to finally tackle the holy grail that is the state’s long standing infrastructure deficit. “This is the year we will make it happen,” Senate Majority Leader Steve […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, Economy, Health, Housing, News, Politics and Government, Transportation
Colorado lawmakers, governor unveil $700M state economic stimulus plan. Here’s where the money will go.
Top Democratic and Republican state lawmakers on Wednesday joined Gov. Jared Polis to unveil the broad strokes of a roughly $700 million state economic stimulus plan, most of which is set to go to “shovel-ready” infrastructure projects, including repairs to the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels and Interstate 70 bridges The shovel-ready projects will total $170 million, […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News, Politics and Government
Indigenous students say they need more from Colorado universities. An in-state tuition bill is a first step.
By Jason Gonzales, Chalkbeat Colorado Indigenous students with historical ties to Colorado could soon get in-state tuition at public colleges under a proposal that recently cleared its first legislative hurdle. Student advocates say the bill is part of a broader push on how Colorado schools need to address injustice against Indigenous people and ensure all […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
As Colorado legislature reconvenes, leaders pledge funds for K-12, higher education
By Jason Gonzales and Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat Colorado Colorado lawmakers returned to work Tuesday with Democratic leaders pledging to restore cuts made to K-12 and higher education during the early months of the pandemic last year and to invest more in education. “The uphill recovery and the many daunting tasks before us may be mighty, […]