The Colorado Sun combed through the roughly 650 pieces of legislation introduced at the Capitol this year to find the ones that will affect — or would have affected — your life.
general assembly
Posted inHealth, News, Politics and Government
Colorado plans to expand experimental adult guardianship program despite complaints, scrutiny
The 73 adults assigned a guardian through a new state agency have dementia, intellectual disabilities, brain injuries and mental illnesses severe enough that a court has deemed them unable to make their own decisions. None have family or friends to care for them, so they have become wards of the Colorado Office of Public Guardianship, […]
Posted inPolitics and Government
Colorado’s state budget drives decisions that affect us all, but it’s long and complicated. We’re here to help.
Schools, roads, parks. The cost of college and health care. How much you pay in taxes. No matter what issue you care about in Colorado, chances are the state budget plays a large role in its fate. The good news: following the budget process from home is easier than ever thanks to live-streamed government meetings […]
Posted inPolitics and Government
Coronavirus bills push lobbying to record total in Colorado. Here’s a look at the big spenders.
The total spent on lobbying at the Colorado Capitol topped $40 million this session — a record driven in part because of contentious last-minute legislation introduced in response to the coronavirus. The spending to lobby the Democratic-led General Assembly is nearly 12% higher than 2019 and $10 million more than in 2016, according to a […]
Posted inCOVID, Health, Politics and Government
“It feels like my back is up against a wall”: Why a handful of Colorado lawmakers are afraid to come to the Capitol
As House Speaker KC Becker, a Boulder Democrat, called the roll on Tuesday for the first time since Colorado’s legislative session went into recess due to the coronavirus pandemic, Rep. Janet Buckner waited patiently to hear her name. A lawmaker since 2015 and the speaker pro tempore, she knew what to expect. Except instead of […]
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 inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Colorado renters may have eviction records even though they’ve never been evicted. Lawmakers want to change that.
Every time an eviction case is filed by a landlord in Colorado, it produces a court record, even if the tenant wins and gets the case dismissed. Those eviction filing records are swiftly scraped up by third-party tenant screening companies that use them to produce rental reports for landlords that aren’t always accurate. “And so […]
Posted inPolitics and Government
Will Michael Bloomberg’s deep financial ties to Colorado translate into votes on Super Tuesday?
Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign is launching a door-to-door effort to introduce him to Colorado voters — but the Democratic candidate is no stranger to the state. Ahead of his White House bid, the former New York mayor and billionaire businessman contributed at least $6 million to Colorado political campaigns in the past decade, funded major […]
Posted inPolitics and Government
Do you have a good idea for a new state law? Here’s how to get it drafted by Colorado lawmakers
The next Colorado legislative session doesn’t start until Jan. 8, but the deadline for legislators to submit ideas for bills is quickly approaching. And this means it’s an opportune time to share ideas and concerns with your state lawmakers. All 100 state lawmakers are allowed to introduce five bills each year, and the deadline for […]
Posted inPolitics and Government
The political stakes for Proposition CC are huge. It’s a test case for a major fiscal overhaul in Colorado.
This November, Proposition CC will ask Colorado voters to permanently lift the spending limits in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, but the political stakes embedded in the question are even more consequential. The ballot question represents the most significant overhaul to TABOR since voters approved the constitutional provision in 1992, and serves as a test […]