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New gas station construction will be limited by new Denver ordinance
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

New gas station construction will be limited by new Denver ordinance

By Maddie Rhodes | Fox 31 News On Tuesday, the Denver City Council approved an ordinance limiting gas stations around the city to address the housing crisis. According to the city council in a press release, the ordinance amends the Denver Zoning Code and updates Denver’s land use policy on gas station development. In short, new gas stations cannot be built in certain parts of Denver. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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House bill would impact about 175 private equity-backed child care chains
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, State

House bill would impact about 175 private equity-backed child care chains

By Ann Schimke | Chalkbeat Colorado Colorado parents and teachers would get 60 days’ notice about staff layoffs or enrollment changes if their child care centers are acquired by chains backed by private equity firms. That’s one of the provisions in a bill that cleared its first legislative hurdle Tuesday, with an 8-5 vote in the House Health and Human Services committee. The bill, sponsored by three Democratic representatives, seeks new guardrails for child care centers backed by institutional investors such as private equity or venture capital firms. Experts say such firms aim to generate big profits for their investors, often at the expense of children, families, and workers. Firms do this by cutting costs and charging fees. READ THE FULL STORY AT CHALKBEAT COLORADO...
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Donelson, Lehmkuhl face off in first candidate forum for Colorado Springs City Council
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Approved, gazette.com, Local

Donelson, Lehmkuhl face off in first candidate forum for Colorado Springs City Council

By Brennen Kauffman | The Gazette Dave Donelson and Lee Lehmkuhl kicked off a series of Colorado Springs City Council forums Tuesday by discussing fire risk and fiery issues in District 1. KOAA is hosting the televised candidate forums in partnership with The Gazette in the lead-up to the April 1 municipal election. The two candidates for District 1 answered questions from KOAA reporter Alasyn Zimmerman and pre-taped district residents about the biggest problems in Colorado Springs. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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Bipartisan bill to increase gun theft penalties advances out of House committee, into appropriations
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Bipartisan bill to increase gun theft penalties advances out of House committee, into appropriations

By Marissa Ventrelli  | Colorado Politics A bill increasing penalties for gun theft narrowly cleared its first hurdle on Tuesday, passing through the House Judiciary Committee by one vote.   House Bill 1062, sponsored by Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, and Rep. Ryan Armagost, R-Berthoud, would exempt firearms from the state's sentencing structure for theft, making it a Class 6 felony, regardless of the firearm's value.  The bill passed on a 6-5 vote and will move on to the Appropriations Committee, as it carries a fiscal note of nearly $400,000 for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and nearly $1 million for 2026-2027. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Colorado Restaurant Association supports tip offset bill as Denver restaurants struggle
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Approved, kdvr.com, State

Colorado Restaurant Association supports tip offset bill as Denver restaurants struggle

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News The Colorado Restaurant Association and Foundation is supporting a group promoting independent restaurants in the state, in addition to the Restaurant Relief Act, to help keep Colorado’s restaurants and eateries open. “We want our restaurants and teams to thrive, but we have to stay open for that to happen,” the association wrote in a Facebook post. “Independent restaurants are closing every single day in Colorado. In just three years, Denver has lost 22% of its restaurants.” READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Proposals forbid Colorado governments from banning gas or propane-fired appliances
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Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Proposals forbid Colorado governments from banning gas or propane-fired appliances

By Marissa Ventrelli  | Denver Gazette A group that secured a major property tax deal with legislators last year is behind ballot measures to prohibit state and local governments from banning the use of gas or propane-fired equipment and appliances, such as stoves and heaters. The group seeks to enact the prohibition in state statutes, as well as enshrine that language in the Colorado Constitution. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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The transparency fight for public records despite private agendas in Durango 9-R
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

The transparency fight for public records despite private agendas in Durango 9-R

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Access to public, governmental records ensures transparency, but in Durango School District 9-R, accessing them can come with hurdles. Parents say their Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requests have been met with delayed responses and roadblocks. Brit Hanson, a Durango parent, started looking into the board’s decision-making processes after growing frustrated with its policies. Her concerns began during the COVID-19 pandemic. "My elementary son wore a mask for an entire year and developed an insane rash. He was on medication. Then he would go to violin class afterwards and still have to wear a mask," Hanson said. At one school forum, she recalled how officials dismissed parents’ concerns. "We had over a hundred par...
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HB 1135, requiring schools adopt student cell phone usage policy, advances out of committee
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

HB 1135, requiring schools adopt student cell phone usage policy, advances out of committee

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice The debate to end all debates may soon reach a conclusion. State lawmakers Wednesday advanced House Bill 25-1135, by Steamboat Springs Democrat Rep. Meghan Lukens and El Paso County Republican Rep. Mary Bradfield, a measure requiring schools adopt and implement a student communication device policy. The bill now moves to the House floor on a 11-1 vote of the House Education Committee. While the measure's concepts were broadly supported in the committee hearing, in many schools across the state, suspension of cell phone access in the classroom has raised the ire of parents and students. Many schools have local policy restricting cell phone use, largely brought by educators who have increasingly said classroom distractions have grown beyond the...
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Trump undercuts Lindsey Graham budget plan ahead of key Senate vote
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Approved, National, Washington Examiner

Trump undercuts Lindsey Graham budget plan ahead of key Senate vote

By Rachel Schilke | Washington Examiner President Donald Trump sided with House Republicans in a brewing fight over whether to pass his agenda in one or two parts on Wednesday, undercutting Senate GOP leaders poised to take a key vote advancing their plan later this week. In a post to Truth Social, Trump praised both chambers for doing a “SPECTACULAR job of working together” but said House Republicans’ budget resolution, which tackles tax reform alongside priorities such as the border, is better than Sen. Lindsey Graham‘s (R-SC) because it “implements my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it!” The measure put forward by Graham, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, focuses on border security, defense, and energy but l...
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Senate Judiciary Committee advances Kash Patel as FBI director, will face vote in closed Senate executive session
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Approved, National, The Post Millennial

Senate Judiciary Committee advances Kash Patel as FBI director, will face vote in closed Senate executive session

By The Post Millennial The Senate took a procedural step Tuesday toward confirming Kash Patel as FBI director, voting 48-45 along party lines to begin debate on his nomination. The final confirmation vote is expected later this week. Republican senators have expressed strong support for Patel, 44, citing his background as a prosecutor and national security aide in the first Trump administration. They have also praised his commitment to addressing concerns about political “weaponization” within the FBI and refocusing the agency on its core law enforcement responsibilities. During Patel’s confirmation hearings, he vowed to end the weaponization of the FBI as well as censorship coming from the agency and said, “If confirmed I will work with congress to expose any corrupt activities ...
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