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Gov. Polis touts vaccine progress, warns of continued risk amid variant spread
Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday shared more positive news about the state’s COVID-19 vaccine supply and efforts to administer doses to eligible groups, but urged Coloradans to continue following public health guidance as the virus — including the newly confirmed B.1.351 variant — continues to pose risks. After receiving an initial bulk shipment of about […]
Bipartisan group pushing $150 million pot tax hike to fund tutoring aid
A bipartisan group of current and former state lawmakers is backing a ballot initiative to raise taxes on marijuana sales to fund a new state grant program to boost “out-of-school learning opportunities” for Colorado students. If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, the Colorado Learning Enrichment and Academic Progress program would provide an […]
Inconsistencies in Rep. Boebert’s accounts of volunteer work, arrest history revealed in county records
Speaking at a campaign event in Silver Cliff in October 2020, Rep. Lauren Boebert told a crowd of supporters the story of how she had brought a “message of freedom and independence to women at the Garfield County jail.” “For seven years, I had the opportunity to counsel at-risk women, women who had thought they […]
Colorado lawmakers revive plans to better monitor — but not regulate — some toxic air pollutants
A year ago, Colorado lawmakers were moving forward with ambitious legislation to track and regulate new categories of air pollutants from facilities like Commerce City’s Suncor oil refinery when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, forcing them to drastically downsize the proposal. In an abbreviated end to the legislative session in June, they passed only a tiny […]
Proposal to ban local limits on natural gas killed in Colorado House committee
A Colorado House of Representatives committee on Wednesday defeated a proposal that sought to ban local governments from placing restrictions on the use of natural gas by homes and businesses. House Bill 21-1034, sponsored by Republican Rep. Dan Woog of Erie, was postponed indefinitely on a 7-5 vote following debate in the House Energy and […]
Unions rally outside Sen. Hickenlooper’s office, demand minimum wage hike
“What do we want?” Yuliana Guerrero shouted through a megaphone to the crowd gathered outside Sen. John Hickenlooper’s Denver office. The crowd’s response came in both English and Spanish: “Fifteen dollars!” “When do we want it?” Guerrero asked. “Now!” Guerrero, a Denver janitor and member of Service Employees International Union Local 105, was one of […]
Conservation groups cheer House passage of Colorado public lands package
Colorado conservation advocates are cheering the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of a bill that would establish new or permanent protections for more than 1 million acres of federally-owned land across the state. By a vote of 227-200, the House on Friday passed H.R. 803, the Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act, with four […]
Colorado tweaks vaccine rollout again, aims to prioritize ‘most vulnerable’
Colorado’s latest effort to fine-tune its vaccine prioritization plan will move people aged 60 and up, people with multiple serious health conditions, and grocery and agricultural employees to the front of the line, while those aged 50 and up and many other categories of “essential workers” will likely have to wait several weeks longer than […]
Colorado lawmakers debate public lands legislation on House floor
Democratic and Republican members of Colorado’s congressional delegation on Thursday took sharply differing positions on a major package of public lands legislation as it was debated on the floor of the House of Representatives. Rep. Joe Neguse, a Democrat from Lafayette and the newly elected chair of the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and […]
Xcel aims to double renewables, retire coal plants early in state-required ‘clean energy plan’
Ahead of a key regulatory proceeding next month, Colorado’s largest utility on Wednesday announced plans to achieve an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation by 2030. Xcel Energy’s first Clean Energy Plan, a new type of filing required by Colorado’s 2019 climate-change legislation, aims to double the utility’s renewable energy and battery […]
Rep. Boebert spars with Colorado Democrats as public lands bill advances in House
With Democrats newly in control of the White House and the U.S. Senate, a legislative package that includes two long-anticipated Colorado public lands bills appears headed for swift passage in the House of Representatives — over the objections of the congresswoman who represents the Western Slope district where much of the affected land is located. […]
Biden taps Colorado wildlife advocate for key public lands role
President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday announced new additions to its leadership team at the Department of the Interior, including Nada Culver, a Colorado-based environmental advocate with the National Audubon Society, for a key leadership role at the Bureau of Land Management. Culver will serve as deputy director of policy and programs at the BLM, […]