Author: Marianne Goodland
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Colorado Democrats launch petition to censure Gov. Jared Polis for releasing Tina Peters
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Hundreds of Democrats, including party officials and current and former legislators, have signed a petition urging their party to formally censure Gov. Jared Polis over his decision to grant clemency to Tina Peters. The governor’s decision means Peters, the former Mesa County clerk and recorder who was sentenced to nine years’ incarceration for tampering with…
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It’s almost Sine Die and it can’t come soon enough | Capitol M | Week of May 9, 2026
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The lighter side of the state Capitol, usually. At first, May the Fourth might have been a bit of a disappointment. Usually, there’s a lot of Star Wars foolishness on this particular day, but early on, it was low-key. The Senate had nothing. But the House stepped it up, with Rep. Jenny Willford donning the…
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Colorado governor signs $47 billion budget in which ‘nobody won’
Gov. Jared Polis on Friday officially signed a $46.87 billion spending plan for the Colorado state government in the next fiscal year. His signature is the culmination of months of work by legislators, who resorted to cuts, transfers and other mechanisms to balance the 2026-27 budget amid a deficit of more than $1 billion. That…
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Colorado Gov. Polis faces intense lobbying blitz from DC-based groups over credit card ‘swipe-fee’ bill
Colorado’s long‑running fight over credit‑card swipe fees entered its final round Tuesday, when lawmakers sent a proposal to Gov. Jared Polis and rival industry coalitions immediately launched competing campaigns to sway his decision. The clash pits groups urging Polis to sign the bill — restaurants, hotels, breweries, liquor stores, small businesses, and big‑box retailers —…
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Colorado Senate honors journalism icon Fred Brown
The Colorado Senate on Thursday honored longtime Denver Post bureau chief Fred Brown with a ceremony as distinctive as the journalist himself, donning masks bearing his likeness and celebrating his five decades of shaping political reporting and ethical standards in the state. The tribute, offered by Sen. Mark Baisley, R-Woodland Park, noted Brown’s 50 years…
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Colorado lawmakers to get automatic pay increase as $1.5B shortfall forces cuts to Medicaid, other services
Colorado’s $1.5 billion budget deficit is driving widespread cuts across state services, including reduced reimbursement rates for Medicaid providers and steep income losses for families caring for relatives with intellectual and developmental disabilities. However, as those reductions take effect, an automatic pay increase for state lawmakers — triggered by a 2024 change in law —…
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Colorado on the hook for $1 million in costs to pay for wolves’ livestock kills
After paying more than $700,000 in March to ranchers for livestock lost to wolves, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission is poised to approve two additional claims totaling $262,000 at its meeting this week. Those approvals would bring total payouts to about $970,000 with another $56,000 in claims rejected across the March and May meetings.…
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Overtime for farms, school safety, public office rules: What’s new in Colorado law
Gov. Jared Polis signed 25 bills into law Monday, bringing changes that will affect workers, families, schools, and local governments across Colorado. The new laws deal with a range of issues – from overtime rules for farmworkers to limits on lawmakers holding multiple offices, along with school safety upgrades and new standards for dementia care…
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Colorado lawmakers advance rewrite of 2024 law to regulate artificial intelligence
With just nine days left in the 2026 legislative session, a revised proposal to amend the 2024 artificial‑intelligence law is finally advancing — even though it’s not the bill Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez had hoped for. Senate Bill 189, which largely mirrors a draft bill written by a governor-appointed task force, was introduced in…
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Colorado legislature enters final 10 days with hundreds of bills still unresolved
With less than two weeks left in the 2026 session, Colorado lawmakers are staring down the final stretch of a crowded agenda, with 228 bills still unresolved as of Monday and several major measures that have yet to even be introduced. There are 228 bills still awaiting final resolution, including 78 House bills and 53…