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 […]
lawmakers
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Colorado lawmakers approve effort to give past child sex assault victims a chance to sue their abusers, institutions
The Colorado legislature on Tuesday sent Gov. Jared Polis a contentious bill that would give historic survivors of child sexual assault, for whom the civil statute of limitations has run out, a three-year opportunity to sue their abusers and the institutions or organizations that failed to stop the abuse. Senate Bill 88 cleared the House […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Colorado lawmakers send two bills tightening gun regulations to Gov. Polis, who will sign them into law
State lawmakers have sent two bills that would tighten gun regulations in Colorado to Gov. Jared Polis, who plans to sign them into law. Senate Bill 78 would require Coloradans to report a lost or stolen firearm within five days of realizing that it’s missing. Failing to do so would be a Class 2 petty […]
Posted inHealth, News, Politics and Government
Colorado Democrats unveil their public health insurance option proposal. Here’s how it would work.
Democrats in the Colorado legislature on Thursday introduced a bill designed to drive down health care costs and, if consumers’ expenses aren’t reduced, potentially create a state-offered health insurance option. The measure is the result of years of efforts by progressive lawmakers and is a top priority for Gov. Jared Polis. But it faces stiff […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Children of color are much more likely to face harsh school discipline. A Colorado bill seeks to change that.
By Jason Gonzales, Chalkbeat Colorado Colorado school districts would have to reduce suspensions and set higher standards for school resource officers under a state bill introduced Friday that takes aim at what’s called the school-to-prison pipeline. The bill also bans the use of handcuffs on elementary school students. Children of color and those with disabilities […]
Posted inNews
The Colorado Capitol’s hallways are where dealmaking happens. Coronavirus has emptied them.
The normally bustling-with-activity basement cafeteria is draped in caution tape. The lobbies outside the House and Senate chambers, where spittle flies and influence peddlers jostle for a view of lawmakers, are closed. Railings in the Colorado Capitol corridors, where real estate can be hard to come by because they are lined with lobbyists, are mostly […]
Posted inBig Idea, COVID, News, Politics and Government
Big idea: Republicans think Colorado should rethink how much emergency power a governor should have
In theory, Gov. Jared Polis could keep Colorado under emergency-declaration status for as long as he’s leading the state, giving himself broad powers that he wouldn’t otherwise be able to wield during calmer times. Big spending? Yes. Suspending regulations? That’s OK. Creating temporary laws? The governor has that power. Republicans in the Colorado legislature want […]
Posted inElection 2020, News, Politics and Government
“We were getting ready to make a stand”: Colorado congressmen recount harrowing moments as rioters approached
U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse had just finished speaking on the House floor in defense of President-elect Joe Biden’s win on Nov. 3 when the Democrat from Lafayette noticed something was wrong. Speaker Nancy Pelosi was escorted from the chamber. Then House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who was sitting behind Neguse, was removed from the House […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Education, News, Politics and Government
Graduation rates could suffer after lawmakers cut a program to help Colorado kids entering high school
The leap from eighth grade to ninth grade can be particularly daunting, with high stakes for students: the success or struggles that mark their first year of high school can predict whether they will graduate. About a dozen of Colorado’s 178 school districts have implemented a year-old, state-funded program that provides extra support to incoming […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government
Spring Café linked refugees with state lawmakers. A shortage of immigrants means the Denver coffee shop will close.
Spring Café, just blocks from the Colorado Capitol, has for the past four years provided a kind of two-way civics lesson for the caffeine-starved state lawmakers who patronize it and the newly arrived refugees who work there and serve them. Legislative deals are cut at the coffee shop’s tiny round tables. Behind the counter and […]