It’s been a rough year for Colorado mental health therapists willing to care for low-income patients on Medicaid. Some were ordered last fall to pay back thousands of dollars to a middle-man contractor the state hires to handle billing for therapy they’d already provided, so-called “clawbacks” that threatened to close small clinics. Others quit taking […]
Chris Kolker
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Political chess games aside, the race in Colorado’s Senate District 27 was about issues
My family and I have lived in Colorado state Senate District 27, centered on Centennial, since 1976. I was raised here, and I’m raising my family here. In that time, I have come to know my community well — its businesses, its shops and restaurants, its parks and open spaces, its people. I’ve also witnessed […]
Posted inElection 2020, Politics and Government
Democrats hold their majorities at Colorado Capitol but GOP blunts a second blue wave
Democratic state lawmakers boosted their majority in the state Senate by one seat and maintained their strong numbers in the House after balloting ended Tuesday. But new House leadership, 16 new lawmakers, a continuing pandemic and the budget fallout from a voter-approved tax cut may make for challenging times in the 2021 General Assembly. Senate […]
Posted inElection 2020, Politics and Government
Democrats dominate campaign fundraising and spend big to build majority in the Colorado legislature
Democrats are outspending Republicans in state legislative races, and super PACs are pouring in $10 million, as the majority party looks poised to make gains in both chambers. A few of the competitive races are exceeding the $1 million mark with the most expensive contest — a state Senate seat in Adams County — topping […]
Posted inElection 2020, Politics and Government
Ethics complaints. Big spending. A criminal allegation. This may be the nastiest campaign in Colorado.
Suzanne Staiert’s state Senate campaign slogan is “Practical. Not Political.” But the Republican competing for an open Centennial seat is finding herself in the midst of a political maelstrom and new questions are surfacing about her work as a lawyer. Staiert is representing a dark money nonprofit whose affiliated super PAC spent $175,000 on advertising […]