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New Colorado laws raise stakes in domestic abuse response
DENVER7, Approved, State

New Colorado laws raise stakes in domestic abuse response

BY BRANDON RICHARD | DENVER 7 DENVER — More than 200 new state laws will take effect on Wednesday, including laws that provide additional protections for survivors of domestic abuse. Denver7 dug into one of the new laws and spoke with community members to find out how it will address a problem they say is long overdue for a solution. Eunice Brownlee is a survivor of domestic abuse. While she was never physically abused, she told Denver7 she endured constant emotional and financial abuse and was afraid of losing custody of her daughter. “There were all kinds of stuff that happened, and our life became very challenging,” Brownlee said. “One of the things that most people don't understand is that coercive control is the thing that keeps people trapped in relationships b...
Colorado Kicks Off Regulatory Surge with 200+ New Laws
State, Approved, DENVER7

Colorado Kicks Off Regulatory Surge with 200+ New Laws

By Stephanie Butzer | Denver7 More than 200 new laws go into effect in Colorado on Wednesday, and they touch on subjects ranging from domestic violence to wildfires, and tax incentives to education. Denver7 has compiled a list of all of these laws below. A few more laws passed in 2025 will go into effect this September and October, followed by more in January and February 2026. Click on any of the links below to explore more details about each bill, including who sponsored it, when it was passed and what the vote was, and the fiscal impacts. You can explore the "2025 Digest of Bills," prepared by the Office of Legislative Legal Services, here. Below is a list of all of the Colorado laws that go into effect on Aug. 6, 2025: H.B. 25-1005 Tax Incentive for Film Festivals ...
Progressive Spending Comes Due as Colorado Faces Billion Dollar Shortfall
State, Approved, DENVER7

Progressive Spending Comes Due as Colorado Faces Billion Dollar Shortfall

By Brandon Richard | Denver7 News State lawmakers will likely return to the Colorado Capitol for a special session to address the budget shortfall. DENVER — For the second time this year, Colorado is facing a massive budget shortfall, and the legislature’s top Democratic leaders blame President Donald Trump’s "big, beautiful bill." State budget officials released new projections on Wednesday, showing the current budget is suddenly $1.2 billion in the red. “Right now, we don’t have the cash to pay our bills,” Colorado budget director Mark Ferrandino told lawmakers. "We are talking about a budget and a revenue shortfall equivalent or greater than what we saw during the Great Recession." Some lawmakers were left shell-shocked and worried for Coloradans struggling to make it. ...
Federal Probe Launched After Man Wakes Up as Doctors Prepare to Harvest His Organs
National, Approved, DENVER7

Federal Probe Launched After Man Wakes Up as Doctors Prepare to Harvest His Organs

By Scripps News Group | Denver7 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is investigating organ donation practices after a Kentucky organization allegedly began harvesting organs from people who may not have been dead. A House subcommittee held a hearing Tuesday on organ donation safety lapses, some concerning Kentucky-based nonprofit Network for Hope, which merged with Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA). TJ Hoover was declared brain dead after suffering an overdose in October 2021, but his sister Donna Rhorer says doctors attempted to harvest his organs while he was still showing signs of life. Rhorer says TJ's eyes were open and tracking movement during his honor walk, when family members gather to say goodbye before organ donation surgery. "Almost immediately ...
Coloradans rally after school abduction case tossed under new ‘incompetence’ law—demanding legislative change
DENVER7, Approved, State

Coloradans rally after school abduction case tossed under new ‘incompetence’ law—demanding legislative change

By Natalie Chuck , Joe Vaccarelli | Denver7 Legislation passed last year states that a judge must dismiss charges if a suspect is found incompetent to stand trial and not restorable ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — A state lawmaker, elected officials and community members called for legislative action on Wednesday, stating that a state law requiring courts to drop charges against individuals found to be incompetent needs to be revised. This comes after news that a suspect accused of attempting to kidnap children at an Aurora elementary school last year will have the case dropped sparked outrage and received national attention. "When we're looking at this law, it needs to be reconsidered,” said Susan Payne, founder and former executive director of Safe2Tell. Solomon Galliga...
42 Percent of Colorado Roads in Poor Condition as CDOT Spending Soars
State, Approved, DENVER7

42 Percent of Colorado Roads in Poor Condition as CDOT Spending Soars

By Danielle Kreutter | Denver7 DENVER — Across the state, there has been no significant improvement in infrastructure over the last five years, according to the latest "report card" from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Colorado received a cumulative grade of "C-," the same as the last study the ASCE conducted in 2020. The report looks at more than a dozen different types of infrastructure. The majority of the categories remained the same compared to the last report card. Roads were one of two categories that went down. Colorado roads were graded as a "D+." The overall grade for Colorado from ASCE has remained unchanged since 2020 Across the state, there has been no significant improvement in infrastructure over the last five years, according to the ...
Redfin report shows Gen Z buying homes younger than millennials or Gen X
DENVER7, Approved, National

Redfin report shows Gen Z buying homes younger than millennials or Gen X

By Rachel Wingrat | Denver7 DENVER — New data from Zillow shows the median earner in Denver would need a $44,000 raise to afford a mortgage on a home. It's just the latest statistic that shows how hard it can be to buy a house. But Gen Z seems to be defying the data. According to a recent report from Redfin, Gen Z is actually outpacing millennials and Gen X when it comes to homeownership, compared to when those other generations were the same age. Denver7 spoke with Elizabeth Million, with Elevation Credit Union, about how this is possible when homes seem so unaffordable. "They definitely do their research, which is fantastic," Million said. "The Gen Z segment, they're okay to move or drive as far as it takes to find affordable homes." So Million said, that mi...
Denver sues to keep federal funds while limiting ICE cooperation
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Denver sues to keep federal funds while limiting ICE cooperation

By Óscar Contreras | Denver7 The joint lawsuit alleges the Trump administration has asserted “an unprecedented and unlawful interpretation of the federal government’s authority to commandeer local government resources” DENVER — The City and County of Denver on Tuesday announced it had filed suit against the Trump administration for what it called “its unlawful and unconstitutional threats” to withhold federal funding over Denver’s policies limiting cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The joint lawsuit, filed last week in conjunction with nearly 50 other jurisdictions from across the country in U.S. District Court in northern California, alleges the Trump administration has asserted “an unprecedented and unlawful interpretation of the federal government’s aut...
New report blames bureaucracy, labor gaps for Colorado’s housing affordability crisis
DENVER7, Approved, State

New report blames bureaucracy, labor gaps for Colorado’s housing affordability crisis

By Danielle Kreutter | Denver7 Mile High United Way, BuildStrong Foundation and McKinsey & Company collaborated on the in-depth housing report DENVER — A new report from Mile High United Way, BuildStrong Foundation and McKinsey & Company reveals that 51% of renters and 21% of homeowners in Colorado are cost-burdened. That means more than 30% of their income is spent on housing. But after surveying 200 various stakeholders involved in housing in Colorado, the report brought to the table six potential solutions to address the problem. Read the full report in the embed below: One solution was to improve plan review and permitting speeds. The report cited feedback that long redundant review processes can often delay projects. "There are technology solutions now ...

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