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Veteran suicide prevention pursued in $20M competition
Ahead of Memorial Day, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs launched the Mission Daybreak challenge: a $20 million competition and accelerator program aimed at fostering innovation to decrease suicide deaths among veterans. “To end Veteran suicide, we need to use every tool available,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a Wednesday statement announcing the new […]
After back-to-back shootings, members of Congress from Colorado clash on policy response
As people around the world shared visceral reactions to a mass shooting Tuesday night in Uvalde, Texas, members of Colorado’s congressional delegation weighed in on the carnage that left 19 children and two adults dead at an elementary school. Some elected officials called for undefined action to reduce gun violence, while others offered prayers for […]
Polis signs bills to reduce groundwater use, fund water conservation projects
Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed two bills into law that are aimed at conserving a precious and dwindling resource in the state: water. For the bill signings, the governor traveled to the San Luis Valley, an important agricultural region where farmers face mounting challenges from extreme drought driven by climate change. Republican Sens. Cleave […]
Mentally ill Coloradans await care in jail for months. Could a new effort clear the backlog?
Ever since state Rep. Judy Amabile first experienced how difficult it was to find care for someone with serious mental health needs, she’s been a fierce advocate for expanding access to treatment. Amabile’s adult son began struggling with schizoaffective disorder — which can include symptoms of schizophrenia, like hallucinations and delusions, and symptoms of bipolar […]
New law provides $10M for local police agencies to address high-crime areas
A new state law provides $10.3 million for grants to help local police departments address high-crime areas. The Safer Streets Grant Program is being established through Senate Bill 22-1, which Gov. Jared Polis signed into law Thursday. It was a key priority for Polis and Democratic legislative leaders, but drew little support from Republicans. Sponsors […]
Gov. Polis signs nurse staffing bill but wants to avoid fining noncompliant hospitals
Gov. Jared Polis signed a controversial bill to require minimum numbers of nursing staff at hospitals, but with a big caveat that suggests the new standards won’t be enforced. In a signing statement Wednesday, Polis said fees won’t be levied on noncompliant hospitals for at least the first year the new law is in effect. […]
Tax relief earns bipartisan praise — but party leaders differ on 2022 session’s true savings
Gathered under a banner blaring the phrase “Moving Colorado Forward,” Gov. Jared Polis and Democrats in legislative leadership lauded what they described as groundbreaking accomplishments for Colorado families in the session that ended just before midnight on Wednesday. The bills they passed would put more money in the pockets of households and businesses, they said, […]
What Colorado lawmakers passed, amended, killed in legislative session’s final days
The volume of legislation left to debate, amend and vote on in the final days of the 2022 legislative session made for plenty of high tempers, late nights and frayed nerves. Republican stall tactics left some legislative leaders wondering if the number of bills left on the table would require a special session to tie […]
With less than 36 hours left in legislative session, more than 100 bills pending
As of 8 a.m. Tuesday — an hour and a half after Colorado lawmakers adjourned for the night — there were 199 bills left to be voted on in the state Legislature, according to a report provided by the Office of Legislative Legal Services. That total had dwindled somewhat by midday as the House of […]
GOP escalates delay tactics with two days and dozens of Democratic bills left at Colorado Legislature
Around 7:30 p.m. Monday, Colorado’s House Republican leadership called a caucus meeting. The conversation highlighted key challenges for Democrats and a potential boon for GOP representatives as the session draws rapidly to a close with dozens of significant bills left to pass. Third reading — the last debate and recorded vote in the House or […]
Legislature approves property tax cuts for 2023 and 2024, sending bill to governor
Colorado state representatives approved legislation to temporarily cut property taxes, voting unanimously Friday to send the bill to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 22-238 would temporarily reduce residential and commercial property tax assessment rates, providing $700 million in savings over two years for Colorado homeowners and businesses. Lawmakers and Gov. Jared Polis, who first announced […]
Colorado Senate votes to felonize fentanyl possession, knowing or not
Republicans and Democrats in the Colorado General Assembly want to stop people from taking drugs that contain fentanyl, sometimes without their knowledge, and dying. But the bill targeting Colorado’s fentanyl problem has sharply divided legislators within both political parties, as they’re forced to weigh the consequences of increasing criminal penalties for drug use in a […]