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On a hydrogen-powered train, Colorado leaders stress urgency of Front Range passenger rail
By: Chase Woodruff - September 21, 2023
“We’re now going 70 miles an hour,” said Gov. Jared Polis, hunched over beside the train’s engineer, into what he thought was its PA system. “Feel that smooth ride at 70 miles an hour. Imagine getting out of your cars. Not having to navigate the Gap. Colorado Springs to Denver in an hour or less.” […]
Feds OK killing of some reintroduced Colorado wolves, putting Dec. 31 deadline in reach
By: Chase Woodruff - September 15, 2023
Federal wildlife officials on Friday announced they will grant Colorado a key exemption that paves the way for the state to reintroduce gray wolves to the Western Slope by the end of this year, while still allowing “lethal take” of the endangered animals in some circumstances. In a final environmental impact statement on the state’s […]
‘Get this right’: Colorado wildlife officials forge ahead with wolf reintroduction by end of year
By: Chase Woodruff - September 13, 2023
Colorado wildlife officials expressed confidence in a hearing at the Capitol on Tuesday that they’re on track to reintroduce wolves to the state by the end of the year, but lawmakers continued to sound skeptical of the plan and its impact on ranchers and rural communities. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is moving forward with a […]
Trump attorney in 14th Amendment case defended secretary of state’s right to bar candidates from ballot
By: Chase Woodruff - September 11, 2023
An attorney representing former President Donald Trump in a lawsuit seeking to disqualify him from running for president in Colorado has a history with some of the constitutional issues raised by the suit — as the victor in a 2012 case that plaintiffs repeatedly cited as bolstering their argument for blocking Trump from the ballot. […]
Rising crime rhetoric persists in Colorado. Data tells a different story.
By: Chase Woodruff - September 11, 2023
In the opening days of Colorado’s 2023 legislative session, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers, mayors and law enforcement officials stood in the halls of the Capitol and unveiled what they said was the solution to a statewide spike in motor vehicle thefts. Senate Bill 23-97 increased penalties for repeat offenders and re-felonized thefts of […]
Bennet, Neguse echo calls for full BLM review of Utah oil train terminal expansion
By: Chase Woodruff - September 7, 2023
Two Colorado Democrats on Thursday joined local governments and environmental groups in urging the federal Bureau of Land Management to undertake a full review of the proposed expansion of an oil-train terminal in eastern Utah. Down the Line: Tracing the route — and risks — of Utah’s proposed Colorado-bound oil trains The operator of the […]
It’s the iconic yellow school bus, but equipped for clean air with new Colorado grants
By: Chase Woodruff - September 5, 2023
With Colorado students back in school for the fall, more than two dozen school districts, local governments and private businesses across the state are among the inaugural recipients of two state grant programs to boost the adoption of heavier-duty electric vehicles — including new battery-powered versions of the iconic yellow school bus. Gov. Jared Polis […]
State-funded zero-fare program ends as RTD launches free youth ridership pilot
By: Chase Woodruff - September 1, 2023
Though a detailed report on the ridership impacts of a state-funded free-fare program on Colorado’s largest transit system won’t be available until next month, officials with the Regional Transportation District say the early signs are positive. RTD’s Zero Fare for Better Air program, established by state lawmakers to encourage alternatives to car travel during the […]
New IRS guidance revives possibility of taxing Colorado’s TABOR refunds
By: Chase Woodruff - August 30, 2023
Federal officials are once again floating a plan to treat refund payments made to Coloradans under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights as taxable income, and state leaders aren’t happy about it. In a notice issued Wednesday, the Internal Revenue Service proposed guidance on how it will treat payments made by a variety of state refund […]
Colorado state treasurer urges feds to reject Kroger-Albertsons merger
By: Chase Woodruff - August 23, 2023
Colorado Treasurer Dave Young on Wednesday became the latest elected official in the state to formally oppose the proposed $24.6 billion merger between supermarket giants Kroger and Albertsons. In a joint letter to the Federal Trade Commission, Young, a Democrat, and six other state treasurers wrote that the deal would threaten “the long-term economic security […]
Groups sue Colorado air regulators over ‘inadequate’ environmental justice rule
By: Chase Woodruff - August 22, 2023
Three Colorado environmental groups on Monday sued a panel of state air-quality regulators, alleging that a permitting rule adopted earlier this year failed to live up to the requirements of a 2021 environmental justice law. GreenLatinos, 350 Colorado and Earthworks filed their lawsuit against the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission in Denver District Court, petitioning […]
Tracking extreme heat in Colorado in 2023 as more record highs are forecast
By: Chase Woodruff - August 21, 2023
Another heat wave is gripping the Denver area this week after a summer full of record high temperatures in many parts of Colorado. Temperatures near Denver are expected to reach 98 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday, topping the daily record of 97 degrees, set in 2007. Red flag conditions due to heat and high winds were […]