Author

Chase Woodruff

Chase Woodruff

Chase Woodruff is a senior reporter for Colorado Newsline. His beats include the environment, money in politics, and the economy.

Neguse pushes for wildfire recovery funds in COVID-19 relief package

By: - December 4, 2020

Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse will urge congressional leadership to include funding for a range of wildfire prevention and recovery programs in any potential coronavirus relief legislation, his office said Friday. “Communities that have been fighting the public health and economic impacts of COVID-19 are now also … beginning the long journey of recovering from catastrophic […]

Conservative group pushing property tax cut for 2021 ballot

By: - December 2, 2020

Colorado Republicans didn’t have much to celebrate at the top of the ticket in the 2020 election, with both President-elect Joe Biden and Senator-elect John Hickenlooper scoring decisive wins in two key statewide races. But conservatives took heart from several down-ballot results, including the passage of ballot measures to lower the state income tax rate […]

Fauci warns of COVID ‘surge upon a surge’ in briefing with Gov. Polis

By: - December 1, 2020

Gov. Jared Polis was joined at a briefing on Colorado’s coronavirus response on Tuesday by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, and both men warned that despite the promise of multiple effective COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon, things may get worse before they get better. The number of people hospitalized with […]

Congressional delegation to celebrate lighting of Colorado-harvested Capitol Christmas tree

By: - November 30, 2020

Members of Colorado’s congressional delegation will join House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week for the ceremonial lighting of the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree, which was harvested earlier this month from the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests on the Western Slope. Pelosi, Colorado lawmakers and U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen will […]

Tax relief for Colorado bars, restaurants ordered by Gov. Polis

By: - November 25, 2020

Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday issued an executive order to provide up to $2,000 in temporary tax relief to Colorado bars and restaurants for sales made in November, with the expectation that the relief will be extended by the Colorado General Assembly when it convenes for a special legislative session next week. “Colorado’s restaurants, bars, […]

Gov. Polis forms task force aimed at January school reopenings

By: - November 25, 2020

Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday formally convened a task force of educators, parents and public health experts to advise the state and local school districts on how to achieve a return to in-person learning by January 2021. “Every child should have the opportunity to reach their full potential and we cannot let our students’ education […]

No hazard pay for Colorado grocery workers despite COVID-19 surge, busy holiday season

By: - November 25, 2020

Kevin Smith is doing what he can to minimize the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to his wife, who was born with a congenital heart defect — staying apart at home, sleeping in separate rooms, taking frequent temperature checks and getting tested when he’s able. “The last thing I’d want to do is bring COVID home […]

New oil and gas rules given final approval by Colorado regulators

By: - November 23, 2020

Colorado oil and gas regulators gave final approval on Monday to a sweeping set of changes to the state’s drilling rules, in a major step towards the full implementation of a landmark reform bill enacted by Democrats in the legislature in 2019. In a series of unanimous votes, the five-member Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation […]

Coal plant closures accelerated with air commission approval of Regional Haze plan

By: - November 20, 2020

At least eight of Colorado’s 11 remaining coal-fired generating units will face mandatory retirement deadlines over the next decade, and three could be required to close earlier than their operators had planned, under a plan given preliminary approval by the state’s Air Quality Control Commission on Friday. Colorado was required to submit the plan as […]

Rep. Neguse elected to leadership post by congressional Democrats

By: - November 19, 2020

Rep. Joe Neguse, who represents Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, was unanimously elected by his fellow Democrats on Thursday to serve as a co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, the messaging arm of the House Democratic Caucus. “I’m incredibly honored to be elected by my colleagues to serve […]

Colorado unemployment claims jump by 22% with more COVID-19 restrictions on the way

By: - November 19, 2020

The number of new unemployment filings in Colorado rose again last week, with regular initial claims jumping by more than 22% to 9,171 — the highest level since early July and a continuation of an upward trend since filings reached a low of 4,840 in September, according to data from the Colorado Department of Labor […]

Trump officials cast doubt on CORE Act in Senate testimony; Gardner absent

By: - November 18, 2020

After a years-long wait, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act finally got its first hearing in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, but Republican lawmakers and top public lands officials in President Donald Trump’s administration made clear that the conservation package isn’t a top priority. In a hearing of the Public Lands, Forests and Mining […]