Fueled by opposition to a measure seeking to create a public health insurance option, lobbying spending at the Colorado Capitol again reached a record. Nearly $44 million was spent during the 2020-21 fiscal year, which ended June 30, according to a Colorado Sun analysis of filings with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. That’s up […]
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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 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’s an 11 on the weird scale”: Colorado legislature makes an awkward return to the Capitol
The hallways were mostly empty. The lawmakers were mostly masked. The interactions were mostly awkward. The General Assembly’s return to the state Capitol after a two-month coronavirus pause looked anything but normal. Members of the House sat at desks divided by plexiglass or in the gallery above the chamber shouting down their votes on legislation. […]
Posted inBusiness, Health, Politics and Government
Health-related industries top Colorado lobbying spending so far, and it’s only expected to intensify
The total that special interests spend on lobbying Colorado lawmakers appears destined to set records, despite the potential for a shortened session amid the coronavirus pandemic. The payments made by various corporations and interest groups to lobbyists topped $29.6 million from July 2019 through the end of March, according to a Colorado Sun analysis of […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government
Lobbying spending sets new record in Colorado, as interests shift to influence Democratic-controlled Capitol
The aggressive agenda pursued by Colorado’s Democratic-controlled legislature this year – including bills on oil and gas regulation, family leave policies, climate change and health care – contributed to record spending on lobbying. Business interests, associations, nonprofits and other groups spent more than $36.4 million on lobbyists in fiscal year 2019 to influence Colorado lawmakers […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Gov. Polis hires firm of his former campaign spokeswoman to lobby the federal government
Gov. Jared Polis hired a team at Squire Patton Boggs to lobby the federal government on behalf of his administration, a contract that could pay up to $144,000 a year and includes a former top campaign adviser. The two parties signed the agreement June 10, and Squire Patton Boggs filed a lobbying registration 11 days […]
Posted inBusiness, Environment, Growth, News, Newsletters, Outdoors, Outsider
The politically connected owner of a Glenwood Springs quarry wants a massive expansion. Residents are preparing for a fight.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS — The beeping trucks and growling earth movers echo across the canyon overlooking the Colorado River. The Mid-Continent Quarry limestone miners blast cliff walls, crush and process debris into aggregate and truck it down into the valley, where a riverside tourist town bustles with shoppers, hot spring soakers and gondola riders. Glenwood […]
Posted inBusiness, Politics and Government
Lobbying is big money in Colorado. But the spending is difficult to track.
Some chat with lawmakers while others huddle in small groups to discuss legislation. Together, these lobbyists will receive tens of millions of dollars this year from big businesses, nonprofit organizations and local governments hoping to influence Colorado elected officials. The combined total spent on lobbying from July 2014 through December is estimated at $138 million, […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
As outrage grows over the killing of a prominent journalist, a Denver law firm has been making $125,000 a month lobbying for Saudi Arabia
A prominent and politically connected Denver law firm has been making $125,000 a month lobbying on behalf of the government of Saudi Arabia — a link that is drawing new scrutiny after the bipartisan outcry over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s representation of Saudi interests dates back […]