To deliver on his campaign promises and policy priorities, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is relying on wealthy donors and major advocacy organizations to pay the bill. The Democratic governor is accepting more than $1 million from donors, nonprofits and foundations to pay salaries and costs associated with six top policy positions, according to a review […]
Rachel Zenzinger
Posted inPolitics and Government
Colorado lawmakers made billions in cuts to finish the budget. Now Gov. Polis may need to make even more.
In the final hours of the lawmaking session, the General Assembly finalized a $30.3 billion state budget after weeks of difficult work to close a $3 billion deficit. Instead of expressing relief at the finish line, the top legislative budget writer issued a warning. “For those of you who haven’t heard the news flash, next […]
Posted inPolitics and Government, Transportation
Amid budget crunch, Colorado nets much-needed windfall for road projects with strong debt sale
For once, some good budget news. Colorado received a $111 million premium on a debt issuance of $500 million, thanks to strong investor demand for state-issued debt. As a result, budget writers say that $100 million in planned cuts to the Colorado Department of Transportation over the next two years — and some additional cuts […]
Posted inCOVID, Health, Politics and Government
How Colorado lawmakers closed a $3 billion shortfall to balance the budget and why it led to tears
To address a $3 billion shortfall, Colorado lawmakers made a series of drastic spending cuts Thursday and moved close to finalizing a state budget battered by the coronavirus and the paralyzed economy. The legislative budget committee cut $448 million from K-12 education — a 10% cut compared to a year ago. The actual cut is […]
Posted inCOVID, Politics and Government
Colorado activated the National Guard to help with coronavirus. The lowest rank makes just $1.67 an hour.
The minimum pay for the 50 Colorado National Guard members called to duty by Gov. Jared Polis in response to the new coronavirus outbreak is just $1.67 an hour. Colorado lawmakers gave final approval to legislation in early March to boost the paltry salary days before the state’s emergency declaration and the guard’s activation to […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Lawmakers are finally setting out to retool Colorado’s school funding formula. They’ll have to reach a consensus on these questions first.
A legislative committee is exploring how to revise a school funding formula many deem outdated, but lawmakers have more questions than answers and less than two months to decide how dollars will flow to schools. The Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance, which has spent close to three years contemplating changes to the formula, known […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, Health, Politics and Government
New attack ad from oil and gas industry ally blasts Gov. Jared Polis and Democrats for “junk science”
A dark-money conservative political organization allied with the oil and gas industry is taking aim at Colorado’s governor and a new administration report on health impacts from drilling operations, declaring “it’s time to fight back” against “Jared’s junk science.” The attack — airing on radio stations and appearing online — is the most aggressive assault […]
Posted inEducation, Politics and Government
The Democratic agenda came with a big price tag. Now Colorado budget writers worry about paying the bill.
To pass their expansive legislative agenda, the new Democratic majority at the Colorado Capitol spent big this year. Real big. And now even Democratic budget writers are worried about how to make ends meet. “There were a lot of bills passed last (session) that have continued spending … and some of those were very large,” […]
Posted inGrowth, News, Politics and Government, Transportation
Colorado is spending record sums on transportation. But state highways are getting less.
By the end of the new fiscal year, Colorado state lawmakers will have pumped a record-setting $1.7 billion extra into transportation over a two-year stretch, with over $1 billion more on the way. But they also made history in another way, to little fanfare: For the first time, lawmakers are sending money from the state’s […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, Education, Health, News, Politics and Government
Colorado treats marijuana taxes like “a piggy bank.” But now top lawmakers want to limit spending to two areas.
Colorado lawmakers “hear it all the time,” says Sen. Rachel Zenzinger. “There’s so much suspicion around what we’re doing with marijuana money,” the Arvada Democrat told The Colorado Sun. “There is this perception that there’s a lot of money and we’re just not spending it on education like we should.” The complaints from constituents and […]