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VP Harris to talk marijuana reform in roundtable with rapper Fat Joe, Kentucky Governor
Approved, National, THE HILL

VP Harris to talk marijuana reform in roundtable with rapper Fat Joe, Kentucky Governor

By BRETT SAMUELS | The Hill Vice President Harris will convene a roundtable on marijuana reform Friday with rapper Fat Joe, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and individuals who received pardons for marijuana convictions. A White House official said Harris will highlight actions the Biden administration has taken to pursue criminal justice reforms, including by pardoning tens of thousands of Americans with federal marijuana possession charges. Harris is also expected to discuss other actions taken on criminal justice reform, including an executive order President Biden signed in 2022 that banned federal officers from using chokeholds unless deadly force is authorized and limited the circumstances under which federal law enforcement can use no-knock warrants. READ THE FU...
Colorado programs for older residents face major funding shortfalls
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado programs for older residents face major funding shortfalls

By Thelma Grimes | Colorado Politics Funding for community-based programs to help Colorado’s older residents receive daily necessities, such as meals and transportation services, is dwindling, and the future looks bleak, advocates said.   The Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) provides services to more than 56,000 seniors over 60 annually. The federal Older Americans Act and the Colorado Department of Human Services State Unit on Aging support the program. Statewide, there is a growing waiting list of older residents in need of services with AAA, which estimated it needs an annual budget of about $29.5 million just to maintain current levels. The state’s AAA program operated using a $15 million homestead grant between 2019 and 202...
John Fabbricatore Considering Run for CD-4 Special Election
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

John Fabbricatore Considering Run for CD-4 Special Election

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff AURORA, CO – In a statement released today, John Fabbricatore, a seasoned professional with decades of service in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including during the Trump administration, announced that he's considering a run for the upcoming special election in Colorado's 4th Congressional District. Expressing deep concern over what he perceives as a breakdown in immigration enforcement and disregard for the rule of law under the current administration, Fabbricatore emphasized the urgency of addressing the border crisis and its impact on national security and community safety. "After the sudden opening in the 4th District, I've been humbled by the overwhelming support and encouragement from fellow Coloradans," Fabbricatore stated. "M...
The wine and brownies are gone: 50 women trapped on ski bus for 16 hours — and counting — after major Colorado snowstorm
Approved, The Colorado Sun, Western Slope

The wine and brownies are gone: 50 women trapped on ski bus for 16 hours — and counting — after major Colorado snowstorm

By Jennifer Brown | Colorado Sun Amassive snowstorm that buried Colorado and shut down Interstate 70 stranded travelers overnight, including a ski bus filled with 50 women who were out of water and food after being stuck 16 hours and counting.  “We’re in good spirits,” Mary Wagner, one of the skiers on the bus, told The Colorado Sun on Thursday morning. “But we’re done now.”  For years, the women, many retired or moms with kids in school, have taken the ski bus on Wednesdays. This week, they spent the day at Vail, then got back on the bus at 3:30 p.m. for the ride home. Within 10 minutes, as the snow started to fall, they were stopped on Vail Pass because of a stalled car. When they were able to move again, the uphill climb overheated the transmission on the bus, so they...
Residents want Weld County to declare it is non-sanctuary for illegal immigrants
Approved, Northern Colorado, Rocky Mountain Voice

Residents want Weld County to declare it is non-sanctuary for illegal immigrants

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice GREELEY – There was a time, Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams recalls, when local law enforcement in Colorado had the capacity to better work with federal immigration officers. It all ended when Gov. Jared Polis signed Democrat-supported House Bill 1124 into law in 2019. “What this law said was I cannot work with ICE,” Reams told those gathered Wednesday for a town hall meeting here at the Weld County administration offices. A summary of HB 19-1124 indicates it prohibits “a law enforcement officer from arresting or detaining an individual solely on the basis of a civil immigration detainer.” At issue for many in Weld County is whether or not the county is a sanctuary to illegal immigrants, regardless of whether the state has become on...
Lauren Boebert won’t pursue special election nomination to replace Ken Buck after his abrupt resignation
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Lauren Boebert won’t pursue special election nomination to replace Ken Buck after his abrupt resignation

Boebert is still running, however, in the Republican primary to be the GOP nominee for the November election in the 4th Congressional District By Jesse Paul | Colorado Sun U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert said Wednesday that she will not pursue the Republican special election nomination to replace U.S. Rep. Ken Buck in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District after he departs Congress at the end of next week.  Boebert is still running, however, in the Republican primary to be the GOP nominee for the November election in the 4th District. In a written statement, Boebert called Buck’s resignation “a swampy backroom deal to try to rig an election” for her opponents. “Forcing an unnecessary special election on the same day as the primary election will confuse voters, result in a lame duck ...
How Republican Senate leadership candidates stack up on earmarks
Approved, denvergazette.com, National

How Republican Senate leadership candidates stack up on earmarks

By Samantha-Jo Roth | Washington Examiner The resurgence of earmarks has divided Republicans as Congress grapples with a looming partial government shutdown and the choice for new Senate leadership in the fall. As a second chunk of spending bills are expected to be revealed in the coming days to fund the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, State, and Homeland Security, Senate Republicans remain at odds over more earmarks, or community project funding, which direct federal dollars to specific “pet projects” in members’ home states and districts. Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) have declared their candidacy for GOP leader after Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will step down after the 2024 electio...
Report: Bill to end Colorado oil, gas permitting could be $2B tax revenue road to ruin
Approved, State, The Center Square

Report: Bill to end Colorado oil, gas permitting could be $2B tax revenue road to ruin

By Joe Mueller | The Center Square  A bill to substantially restrict oil and gas permitting in Colorado would result in widespread financial and environmental impacts, according to a new report by a research group. The report, published by the Common Sense Institute, a free-enterprise think tank, says Senate Bill 24-159 would negatively impact the state’s economy as well as tax revenue at the state and local levels. The legislation also would result in increased emissions, according to the report, which referenced the recently published Colorado Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap 2.0 Report to support its point. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE CENTER SQUARE
Saying no to veto, Gov. Jared Polis signs bill exempting lawmakers from open meetings law
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Saying no to veto, Gov. Jared Polis signs bill exempting lawmakers from open meetings law

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Just hours after the bill reached his desk, Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a measure that would exempt lawmakers from the state's open meetings law, ultimately saying the matter deals with separations of powers between his office and the Colorado General Assembly.    The law is effective immediately.  In a signing statement, the governor said he accepted Senate Bill 24-157 to "provide clarity to the Legislature as it seeks to resolve ambiguities around their own conduct under the Colorado Open Meetings Law." Polis noted the bill applies only to the legislature, not the executive or judicial branches. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
Colorado rental car fee hike would raise money for Front Range and mountain passenger rail systems
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado rental car fee hike would raise money for Front Range and mountain passenger rail systems

By Jesse Paul | Colorado Sun Colorado’s state-imposed rental car fee would increase by as much as $3 per day under a soon-to-be-introduced bill in the legislature aimed at attracting federal investment in proposed Front Range and mountain passenger train systems. The fee increase would generate an estimated $50 million in revenue annually, money that would be used as a match to secure federal grants. Lawmakers are specifically hoping for a share of the $66 billion Congress set aside in 2021 for rail development in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.  “We have a short window to pull down this federal infrastructure money,” said Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat and the lead sponsor of the forthcoming bill. “I really want to make sure Colorado...

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