Tag: Gov. Jared Polis
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EDITORIAL: A welcome assist for school choice in Colorado
Jared Polis ranks high among our state’s “education governors,” a list that over the years has included Democrat Roy Romer and Republican Bill Owens. Polis shares with Romer and Owens not only a firm command of the top issues facing the state’s schools but also a fervent commitment to providing Colorado’s kids wide-ranging educational opportunity. …
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2025 Unfiltered: Top stories of the Colorado General Assembly
In 2025, the Colorado legislature faced a budget deficit, sought to tackle a lingering housing crisis and saw a wave of lawmakers leaving for other opportunities, prompting multiple vacancy committees to act. Here are a look at the year’s top issues: Vacancies. Lots of them. The 2024 election produced 21 first-time lawmakers for the House.…
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Judge denies motion from Gov. Jared Polis to dismiss ICE lawsuit from former state employee
A Denver District Court judge has denied a request by Gov. Jared Polis to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a former state employee over disclosure of information to federal immigration authorities. The lawsuit filed against the governor by Scott Moss, then the director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Division of Labor Standards…
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Colorado Higher Education Director Angie Paccione to step down
Angie Paccione, who has led the Colorado Department of Higher Education since 2019, is returning to the private sector, Gov. Jared Polis said. Paccione’s last day is Jan. 9. The governor’s office said Gov. Jared Polis would decide on the next executive director before she leaves. In his announcement, Polis called Paccione an “incredible leader…
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Lawmakers balk at rules to allow credit cards, online purchase of Colorado tickets
A bipartisan group of 25 lawmakers who included the leaders of the House and Senate from both parties penned a letter to the Colorado Lottery Commission, advising the panel to hold off on rule changes scheduled for a public hearing on Wednesday. The commission is scheduled to review a host of draft rules, including a…
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Gov. Jared Polis’ budget proposal faces backlash over Medicaid and Pinnacol deal
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Gov. Jared Polis’ proposed state budget for 2026-27 drew sharp criticism Wednesday from the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, as lawmakers from both parties criticized plans to slow Medicaid spending growth and rely on a deal to privatize Pinnacol Assurance to generate revenue. Pinnacol, a quasi-state agency, is the state’s largest provider of workers’ compensation insurance.…
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Gov. Polis proposes privatizing Pinnacol Assurance to address next year’s budget deficit
Gov. Jared Polis is hoping for a windfall from the privatization of Colorado’s quasi-public workers’ compensation insurance division to cover some of the anticipated deficits in next year’s operating budget. The 2026-27 state budget, as proposed by the governor, amounts to $47.9 billion, which translates to a 5.2% increase over the current budget. That’s twice…
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Gov. Jared Polis abruptly cancels unpublicized meeting with Joint Budget Committee
Gov. Jared Polis was scheduled to talk to reporters at 12:30 p.m. on Friday at the Governor’s Mansion to discuss his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, which he is required to submit to the Joint Budget Committee on Nov. 1. Before addressing the media, Polis had planned to meet with the Joint Budget…
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Nebraska says Colorado is stealing its water
The fight over Nebraska’s attempt to seize privately-owned land in northeastern Colorado persisted this week, with Nebraska accusing Colorado of stealing its water in a filing Wednesday with the U.S. Supreme Court. The issue deals with the Perkins County canal, a proposed 109-mile ditch stretching from Ovid in Sedgwick County and across the Colorado-Nebraska state…
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Gov. Polis convenes new working group to address Colorado’s lingering AI law challenges
For the second time in as many years, Gov. Jared Polis has appointed a working group to address the issues around the state’s 2024 law on artificial intelligence. The law, which Polis signed despite major misgivings last year, is still not ready for prime time. The implementation date for the new law, as set by lawmakers…