A bill that would grant more public employees in Colorado the right to unionize is shaping up to be the next big labor fight at the state Capitol. The proposal, which will be sponsored by House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, a Pueblo Democrat, would allow people working for cities, counties, schools, public hospitals and other […]
Bob Gardner
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Proposition 119, which would have raised Colorado marijuana taxes to pay for out-of-school learning, fails
Colorado voters on Tuesday rejected a proposal to increase taxes on recreational marijuana to pay for out-of-school support services for students like tutoring and therapy. Supporters of Proposition 119 admitted defeat at about 8:30 p.m. With more than a million ballots counted at 10 p.m., the measure was failing with 54% rejecting the initiative and […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Colorado’s new state House and Senate maps drew several Democrats into Republican districts and vice versa
One Democratic state senator was drawn into a district that now leans heavily in Republicans’ favor. A GOP House member, meanwhile, will run in a district that’s now solidly Democratic. And a handful of incumbents will have to decide whether to challenge their colleagues in an awkward primary or general election contest or quickly move […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Proposition 119: Colorado voters will decide whether to raise marijuana taxes to pay for out-of-school learning
Colorado voters will decide next month whether to raise taxes on recreational marijuana to help fund a new state program aimed at providing Colorado students with out-of-school learning opportunities. The program, called Learning Enrichment and Academic Progress, or LEAP, would pay service providers, like private tutoring companies or even public school teachers looking for extra […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
The ACLU has become a powerful player at the Colorado Capitol. But at what cost?
The ACLU of Colorado team credited with helping pass a slate of sweeping criminal justice reform measures abruptly resigned this month amid questions about whether the organization — powered by a jump in donations and a favorable political climate — was too aggressive in wielding its new status as one of the most influential groups […]
Posted inCOVID, Health, News, Politics and Government
The behind-the-scenes story of being Gov. Jared Polis during Colorado’s coronavirus crisis
A little more than a month into Colorado’s battle with coronavirus, Gov. Jared Polis and his team reached the helpless realization that there was no end in sight. At that point, more than 8,000 people had tested positive for the disease and over 350 had died, including scores living in senior-care centers. The stay-at-home order […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, Crime and Courts, Education, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government
Chaos and compromise: Colorado’s coronavirus legislative session ends with a flurry of big bills
The Colorado Capitol was mostly empty as the state legislature took a two-month coronavirus pause this spring. The work, though, didn’t actually stop. Behind the scenes, mostly via video calls on Zoom, lawmakers were figuring out how to deal with a host of new issues related to the pandemic, chief among them: how to balance […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Law enforcement warns of unintended consequences with Colorado Democrats’ sweeping police accountability bill
An inability to recruit officers. Financial burdens small law enforcement agencies can’t handle. Sullied prosecutions. As Colorado Democrats’ sweeping police accountability bill received its first hearing on Thursday, police, prosecutors and Republican state lawmakers raised concerns about unintended consequences. “This bill is needed. We agree these types of actions are needed to respond to the […]
Posted inCOVID, News, Politics and Government
Should the Colorado legislature shut down because of coronavirus? The conversation is well underway.
Colorado lawmakers have begun discussing in earnest whether to temporarily shut down the state legislature to limit the spread of the new coronavirus. The debate comes as the outbreak increasingly disrupts activity at the Capitol and as Gov. Jared Polis is warning that the spread of the virus has no end in sight. Colorado’s largest […]
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 […]