One of the most closely watched Colorado statehouse primaries this year remained too close to call Wednesday with the two Democratic candidates vying to represent central Denver’s House District 6 separated by fewer than 500 votes. Elisabeth Epps, a criminal justice activist, was leading Katie March, a former legislative aide, on Wednesday evening in a […]
Paul Lundeen
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Is calling Denver a “toilet bowl” a winning message for Colorado Republicans in 2022?
“A toilet bowl.” “A city that no one wants to come to.” “There’s nobody out there that says Denver’s great anymore.” Those were three takes on the Mile High City earlier this month from three different Republican state representatives. The remarks were made during a news conference recapping the 2022 legislative session and they raised […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Colorado schools with “Thunderbird” mascot set to get one-year reprieve from $25,000 monthly fines
Colorado schools that could face $25,000 monthly fines over “Thunderbird” mascots are poised to be granted a one-year reprieve to come into compliance with a 2021 state law banning American Indian nicknames. The one-year delay, tucked into a school finance bill working its way through the legislature, applies only to schools added after 2021 to […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, Equity, News
“We are their parent”: Proposal calls for free college tuition for Colorado children in foster care
Charis Glatthar became a foster kid at age 14, then lived in 14 homes in four years. She lost track of how many schools she attended. When Glatthar aged out of the child welfare system, she hoped she could go to college, but had no money and no clue about how to apply for financial […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Colorado’s teacher shortage highlights need for more school funding, union boss says
Colorado will continue to face a critical teacher shortage unless state leaders make good on their constitutional obligation to increase education funding, the head of Colorado’s largest teacher union says. “We’re at a crisis point that requires bold action by our legislature,” Colorado Education Association President Amie Baca-Oehlert told The Colorado Sun in an interview […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Despite partisan rhetoric at the Colorado Capitol, just 4.4% of bills this year passed along purely party lines
A record 504 bills introduced in the Colorado legislature became law this year, and 94% of them had at least one Republican vote. And half of the 39 Republicans in the state House and Senate voted for 58% of those bills, according to a Colorado Sun analysis. That’s despite a third year of Democratic rule […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: When it comes to protecting Colorado kids, is the marijuana industry in or out?
As Chuck Smith, board president for Colorado Leads, the state’s cannabis alliance, highlighted June 19 in a guest-opinion piece in The Colorado Sun, Colorado marijuana business leaders had a key role in shaping House Bill 1317, which the state legislature passed earlier this month. It’s an important bill that takes steps to better protect Colorado […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Colorado lawmakers are creating a fund to raise teacher pay. But they’re not putting any money in it.
When teachers descend on the Colorado Capitol to demand pay raises, they’re often met with a common refrain from state lawmakers: Talk to your districts. That’s because it’s not the legislature that holds the purse strings when it comes to teacher pay. The General Assembly may send millions of dollars to districts, but it’s up […]
Posted inEconomy, Education, News, Politics and Government
Millions more for Colorado K-12 schools? Lawmakers seek court opinion first.
Democratic lawmakers are asking the Colorado Supreme Court to decide whether a proposed tax change that could generate millions for K-12 education is constitutional. Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights typically requires voter approval for tax increases. This proposal would gradually increase local school district property taxes without a vote under the premise that voters a […]
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 […]