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Hartsook: Colorado Option is a costly failed experiment
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Hartsook: Colorado Option is a costly failed experiment

By Anthony Hartsook | Commentary, Colorado Politics Winter is here, and the dualistic beautiful and brutal nature of this season can result in a lot of unexpected trips for medical care. From accidents on icy roads to collisions on crowded slopes, people need to know they can count on their health insurance to cover the care they need. Accessible health care is often an incredibly serious matter — it is not something to experiment with. Yet, that’s precisely what the state government-controlled Colorado Option does: it treats Coloradans’ access to high-quality health care as a socio-economic laboratory experiment, rather than building on tried-and-true policies. Democratic legislators hastily pushed through the Colorado Option in 2021 with promises of greater consumer choice and lowe...
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Business leaders say they’re deflated by preliminary state rules on carbon management
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Business leaders say they’re deflated by preliminary state rules on carbon management

By Ed Sealover | Colorado Politics Colorado regulators gave preliminary approval on Dec. 5 to the state’s first comprehensive rules on carbon capture and sequestration — rules that business leaders warn could scare off projects that are needed to meet statewide emissions-reduction goals. The rules that Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission leaders are set to give final approval will be included in the state’s application to take regulatory primacy for the growing sector from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They would establish safeguards that ensure the safety of Class VI injection wells and limit the impact they can have on surrounding communities. Operators of such wells sequester carbon coming from industrial sites — typically oil-and-gas drilling pads or o...
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Company that owns three apartment complexes at heart of Aurora TdA gang concerns sues state AG
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Company that owns three apartment complexes at heart of Aurora TdA gang concerns sues state AG

By Nicole C. Brambila | Denver Gazette vis Colorado Politics The owners of the troubled apartment complexes in Aurora have filed a lawsuit against Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser to block a subpoena for the company’s records in a civil investigation. Filed in Denver District Court last week by Brooklyn-based CBZ Management and its affiliated companies, the lawsuit also seeks a protective order to block the release of personal or financial information obtained in the subpoenas. Weiser declined comment. CBZ Management owns 11 properties in Colorado, including three apartment complexes in Aurora that nabbed national headlines for claims that a Venezuelan gang had taken over the buildings. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Second Democrat to seek Colorado Senate District 29 seat to be vacated by Janet Buckner
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Second Democrat to seek Colorado Senate District 29 seat to be vacated by Janet Buckner

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Maya Wheeler, a community activist and business owner from Aurora, has announced she will be running for the vacant Senate seat in District 29. The seat is currently held by Democratic Sen. Janet Buckner, who recently announced she would be resigning next month after running unopposed in the 2024 election.  Buckner started her legislative career in the House in 2015 through the vacancy process, following the death of her husband, Rep. John Buckner. She was elected to the state Senate in 2020.  Wheeler is not the only candidate seeking the vacated seat. Rep. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora, announced her intention to run for the seat last month. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Colorado crime experts urge ‘misdemeanor reform’ to combat crime
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Colorado crime experts urge ‘misdemeanor reform’ to combat crime

By Noah Festenstein | Colorado Politics via Denver Gazette A panel of experts on Tuesday argued that certain crimes should be a felony, instead of a misdemeanor, and Colorado's policymakers should give law enforcement the right tools to go after criminals. That approach might entail pushing back on policies throughout the state and in municipalities, according to the panelists at the Common Sense Institute’s (CSI) annual summit. Moderated by Executive Editor of The Gazette, Vince Bzdek, three panelists discussed tackling crime through data-driven strategies. The Panelists included 18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner, Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams and CSI criminal justice expert and fellow Mitch Morrissey, a former Denver District Attorney. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLO...
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Stephanie Vigil won’t challenge Rebecca Keltie’s victory in state House District 16 race
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Stephanie Vigil won’t challenge Rebecca Keltie’s victory in state House District 16 race

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Rep. Stephanie Vigil, D-Colorado Springs, who lost the House District 16 race to Republican Rep.-elect Rebecca Keltie, says she will not challenge the results. An automatic recount, ordered after the race ended in a seven-vote lead for Keltie, brought that race to a tie. But the canvassing board in El Paso County made up of one Democrat, one Republican, and the county clerk, declared that three votes cast for Vigil would not be counted, and Keltie was certified as the winner on Dec. 5. The Secretary of State's office accepted those results. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis criticized for blaming wolf reintroduction program costs on ranchers
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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis criticized for blaming wolf reintroduction program costs on ranchers

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Gov. Jared Polis is facing backlash for comments he made during the winter conference of Colorado counties, when he blamed ranchers for the cost of the wolf reintroduction program this year. The topic of wolves at the Colorado Counties, Inc. conference arose in response to Polis' comments about an ever-tightening state budget. The association represents 63 of the state's 64 counties. State economists have estimated that the 2025-26 state budget will be short about $1 billion due to lowering inflation and the end of billions in one-time federal money tied to the pandemic. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Colorado officials outline ‘conflict minimization’ efforts ahead of next gray wolves release
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Colorado officials outline ‘conflict minimization’ efforts ahead of next gray wolves release

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Colorado Parks and Wildlife said it has made improvements to its "conflict minimization" program following feedback from livestock producers, who have pleaded with the agency to delay the introduction of the next set of gray wolves. Notably, the state is adding "conflict reduction" staffers and "non-lethal mitigation specialists" to its staff.  Up to 15 more wolves are expected to be released in Colorado early next year.  "Through partnerships with the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), the Colorado Wolf Restoration Ad Hoc Working Group, USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services, Colorado State University Extension, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) and NGOs, we are in a position to offer Colorado livestock...
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Warning signs were there that Assad’s grip in Syria was faltering
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Warning signs were there that Assad’s grip in Syria was faltering

By Mike Brest | Colorado Politics via The Washington Examiner There were indications that Bashar Assad's regime could struggle to maintain its grip on power in Syria — but the military assault that ended his family's more than 50-year reign happened much faster than some experts expected. Assad relied on allies to maintain power during the civil war that commenced more than a decade ago, but when his forces were faced with a new threat starting in late November, they were on their own. Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia did not come to his aid, though Moscow did purportedly allow him to seek refuge there. The U.S. intelligence community often conducts assessments to determine a military's "will to fight," though it's not an exact science. Poor morale am...
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10th Circuit: Attorney cannot deduct $300K racecar ‘advertising’ as business expense
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10th Circuit: Attorney cannot deduct $300K racecar ‘advertising’ as business expense

By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics The federal appeals court based in Denver agreed on Monday that a Colorado attorney could not claim more than $300,000 in car racing expenditures as "ordinary and necessary" business expenses to be deducted from his taxes. The Internal Revenue Service began looking into the tax filings and non-filings of James W. Avery between 2008 and 2013. Avery had been licensed to practice law in Colorado since the early 1980s and worked as a personal injury attorney, but he lived in Indiana from 2003 to 2010. Once there, he became interested in car shows and car racing. During the tax proceedings, Avery said he affixed a decal for his law firm on the back of the car, which he considered "advertising." He believed racing would enable him to meet lawyers or...
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