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CU President Mark Kennedy announces plans to step down
University of Colorado President Mark Kennedy will step down from his post in the “near future,” he announced Monday. “The Board of Regents and I have entered into discussions about an orderly transition of the presidency of the university in the near future,” Kennedy said in a statement. “The board has a new makeup this […]
Republicans called Colorado’s just-transition office for coal workers ‘Orwellian.’ Now they want to boost its funding.
In May 2019, as Democrats in the Colorado General Assembly advanced a bill launching the state’s efforts to ensure a “just transition” for coal workers impacted by the shift to clean energy, Republicans were incensed. In a tense, late-night floor debate over House Bill 19-1314, which created a new Office of Just Transition in the […]
Lawmakers ask Colorado Supreme Court to review redistricting fix
Colorado lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bipartisan resolution sending a formal “interrogatory” request to the Colorado Supreme Court, asking it to rule on the constitutionality of a bill that aims to address problems caused by U.S. Census Bureau delays that have thrown a wrench in the state’s once-a-decade redistricting process. House Joint Resolution 21-1008, co-sponsored […]
Colorado lawmakers unveil $5.3 billion proposal to solve ‘transportation crisis’
A broad coalition of state and local elected officials and Colorado business groups on Tuesday unveiled a new legislative proposal that they hope will bring an end to a years-long quest to secure billions in new funding for roads and other transportation infrastructure. “For the first time, we are introducing something that isn’t just a […]
Ex-Interior chief David Bernhardt rejoins Colorado-based lobbying firm
David Bernhardt, the Colorado native who served as Secretary of the Interior under former President Donald Trump, has once again rejoined Denver-based law and lobbying giant Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, this time as part-time “special counsel,” the National Law Journal reported Monday. Bernhardt, who was born in Rifle and began his political career as a […]
Climate bill advanced by Senate committee as Polis issues veto threat
Democratic lawmakers in the Colorado General Assembly again voted to advance a major piece of climate legislation on Wednesday, hours after Gov. Jared Polis harshly criticized the bill and indicated that he would veto it if it reaches his desk. The Senate Finance Committee approved Senate Bill 21-200, sponsored by Sens. Faith Winter and Dominick […]
Front Range rail district bill wins bipartisan support in first hearing
Lawmakers on the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee on Tuesday advanced a bill that would represent a major step forward for Colorado’s long-running efforts to establish passenger rail service between cities along the Front Range. The panel approved Senate Bill 21-238 on a 6-1 vote, with state Sen. Ray Scott, a Republican from Grand Junction, […]
Colorado AG launching independent investigation into air-quality whistleblower complaint
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is moving to launch an independent investigation of allegations made last month by a group of whistleblowers that the state’s air-quality agency has for years illegally issued permits to industrial polluters. In a request for information issued on Monday, the Colorado Department of Law solicited proposals from outside law firms […]
Conservative groups float gas tax cut in response to Colorado lawmakers’ proposed fee hike
As Colorado lawmakers consider a plan to raise fees on gasoline sales to fund transportation and infrastructure projects, two conservative political groups on Monday threatened to back a ballot initiative to cut the state’s gas tax in response. Americans for Prosperity Colorado and Colorado Rising State Action said in a press release that they’re prepared […]
Boulder route ‘recommended’ by commissioners as Front Range rail momentum builds
A passenger rail line along the Front Range is closer to becoming reality than ever before — and one of the three routes studied most closely by state officials has emerged as the clear favorite. Members of the Southwest Chief and Front Range Passenger Rail Commission voted on Friday to formally recommend an alignment that […]
Boulder shooting suspect faces 43 additional charges, including for large-capacity magazines
In a press conference marking one month since 10 people were killed in a mass shooting at a Boulder grocery store, law enforcement officials acknowledged Thursday that it’s only the beginning of a “long and difficult journey” for victims’ families and the community at large. “It’s because of the victims and their families that we’re […]
Senate committee advances climate bill opposed by Gov. Polis
Colorado lawmakers on Tuesday night advanced a major piece of climate-change legislation after a lengthy committee hearing that put on full display a long-simmering conflict between Gov. Jared Polis and top Democrats in the state Legislature. “We feel like the legislation we have passed has not been implemented,” state Sen. Faith Winter told Will Toor, […]