Democrats could use the “nuclear option” to limit debate and prevent their calendar from being overrun as GOP lawmakers in the House stall
Richard Holtorf
Posted inHealth
Colorado mental health workers demand equal pay. But a new state report says their rates are “adequate.”
A report ordered by the legislature to examine Medicaid reimbursement rates for mental health providers has further annoyed therapists in private practice.
Posted inNews
A major Colorado legislative primary remains undecided, but incumbents fended off challengers from Colorado Springs to Loveland
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 […]
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 inNews, Politics and Government
Five moments that defined Colorado’s 2021 legislative session
Every legislative session in Colorado has its defining moments, but not every legislative session happens with a global pandemic as the backdrop. And an economic downturn. And a contentious national election. And two mass shootings. And a national reckoning about race. So when a tornado even ripped through Weld County in the final hours of […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Littwin: The Black caucus told us there was a problem. And then along came Buckwheat.
In matters of race and politics, the issue is not always clear cut. Racism can take the form of a wink or a nod. Or what they call a dog whistle. And then, in some cases, as in the case last week in the state legislature, someone can be speaking from the House floor — […]
Posted inColoradans, Economy, News, Politics and Government
Animal cruelty initiative aggravates Colorado ranchers fresh off MeatOut Day controversy
Coloradans who participated in the great, governor-inspired meat battle of 2021 either tore into a juicy steak Saturday or opted for a vegan burger and a side of veggies. But last weekend’s fight, prompted by Gov. Jared Polis’ proclamation of MeatOut Day, was nothing compared to a brewing battle over what ranchers are calling the […]
Posted inBusiness, Growth, News, Politics and Government
All Colorado eggs must be cage-free by 2025 under law passed to head off stricter ballot measure
The barns that rise up from the rural Colorado flatlands each hold tens of thousands of chickens, layered in steel cages that stack toward the ceiling. The floor of the cages tilts about 6 degrees, so when a hen lays an egg, it rolls downhill and onto a soft conveyor belt headed out of the […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, Education, Health, News, Politics and Government
10 major issues being decided in the final hours of Colorado’s 2020 legislative session
Spirited debates about tax increases and school-required vaccinations, and policies to end police brutality have dominated the final days of Colorado’s coronavirus legislative session, expected to soon reach its last gavel. But lawmakers also decided on dozens of other proposals that will affect everything from their own salaries to whether Coloradans can keep ordering to-go […]
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 […]