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Colorado Democrats Punish Polis Over Decision In Tina Peters Case
Approved, DENVER7, State

Colorado Democrats Punish Polis Over Decision In Tina Peters Case

By Kaylee Harter | Denver7 The 90% vote bars Polis from participating as an honored guest, featured speaker or official rep of the Colorado Democratic Party at events. The Colorado Democratic Party State Central Committee voted overwThelmingly to censure Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday, formally rebuking him for commuting the sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters. The censure bars the governor from participating as an honored guest, featured speaker or official representative of the Colorado Democratic Party at party-sponsored events, including the Obama Gala and DemFest. The motion, read by DNC member Stephanie Beal, said the committee found that Polis' decision to grant clemency to Peters "materially harmed the Colorado Democratic Party's institutional credibility and ef...
Vance Backs Compensation For Tina Peters As Colorado Fallout Grows
DENVER7, Approved, National

Vance Backs Compensation For Tina Peters As Colorado Fallout Grows

By Jessica Porter | Denver7 The Vice President made the comments when asked about a new $1.8 billion fund for political allies. DENVER — Vice President JD Vance held Tina Peters up as a shining example of someone who should be compensated under the Trump administration's newly created $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund.” “This innocent grandmother was going to spend 10 years in prison, completely disproportionate to any misdemeanor trespassing that I have ever seen. Was that fair, no? Is it reasonable to get some compensation for the fact that she was treated unfairly? I think the answer was yes,” Vance said during a press conference on Tuesday. Tina Peters was convicted in 2024 of allowing an unauthorized person to download software from Mesa County’s elec...
Health Officials Confirm Hantavirus Death In Douglas County
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Health Officials Confirm Hantavirus Death In Douglas County

By Robert Garrison | Denver7 DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A Douglas County adult resident has died from hantavirus, state and county health officials reported on Saturday. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said it’s investigating the incident and said the Douglas County case is not linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak. Early findings suggest the person was exposed to the virus locally through contact with rodents, which is the most common source of hantavirus in Colorado, according to CDPHE. The agency did not identify the Douglas County resident nor provide a date as to when the person died. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
Sharp Divides Emerge in Colorado Republican Governor Debate
DENVER7, Approved, State

Sharp Divides Emerge in Colorado Republican Governor Debate

By Óscar Contreras | Denver7 Watch key moments and the full debate between State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and State Rep. Scott Bottoms. DENVER — Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidates State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and State Rep. Scott Bottoms took the stage Thursday evening in their first televised debate ahead of the June 30 primaries. Victor Marx, a third contender in the GOP gubernatorial race, was invited to participate in the debate but declined Denver7's invitation. Both candidates fielded questions before a live studio audience of a few dozen people as they tried to make the case as to why it was time for Coloradans to hand power back to Republicans this November after nearly 20 years of Democratic control in the state. It was the first major televised deba...
Court Rules ICE Failed To Follow Warrantless Arrest Limits In Colorado
DENVER7, Approved, State

Court Rules ICE Failed To Follow Warrantless Arrest Limits In Colorado

By Jessica Porter | Denver7 Agents are now barred from warrantless arrests pending mandatory training. DENVER — A federal judge has ruled that ICE violated a court order and the law by continuing to make unlawful warrantless arrests in Colorado. The ACLU of Colorado filed a lawsuit in October 2025 on behalf of four plaintiffs, alleging Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested and detained people without warrants to fulfill quotas set by the Trump administration. Federal law only allows ICE agents to make warrantless arrests if an individual is a flight risk. In November 2025, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction barring ICE from making warrantless arrests in Colorado. On May 12, a Colorado District Court judge ruled that...
Colorado Colleges Push Back On Bill Cutting Student Aid To Private Schools
DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Colleges Push Back On Bill Cutting Student Aid To Private Schools

By Jessica Porter | Denver7 A last-minute amendment added to HB26-1345 prohibits state financial aid or work study programs for students at private institutions. DENVER — Colorado universities and students are speaking out against a bill moving through the state Legislature that would cut off financial aid to students who attend private universities. “We're really focused on the students and the need of those students to make college a possibility, to help their dreams come true,” said Catherine Rhode the Associate VP of Admissions and Financial Aid at Regis University. “Our neediest students in the state of Colorado are going to be impacted by this loss of funding.” HB26-1345 will modernize the higher education funding model by expanding eligibility for quali...
Jeffco Parents Demand Answers After Hidden Safety Audit Flagged 153 Threats
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Jeffco Parents Demand Answers After Hidden Safety Audit Flagged 153 Threats

By Maggie Bryan | Denver7 A safety audit completed a month before the Evergreen High School shooting flagged 153 threats in Jeffco schools, including a hit list with around 15 names. JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Jefferson County Public Schools parents are demanding answers after learning school district leaders received a third-party safety audit flagging 153 imminent threats — including a hit list with 15 names — a month before the shooting at Evergreen High School, but never released it to the public. The audit was conducted by student safety firm Gaggle, which was given access to the district's Google Workspace, including Google Drive and email accounts belonging to students, from February to April 2025. In the report, the company said it looked for questionable cont...
Surveillance Video Shows How Fast Trespasser Reached DIA Runway
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Surveillance Video Shows How Fast Trespasser Reached DIA Runway

By Robert Garrison | Denver7 Frontier runway fatality under scrutiny as new video reveals how quickly trespasser reached active runway. DENVER — Security and safety questions remain after a person was struck and killed on a runway by a departing Frontier flight after the person allegedly trespassed onto Denver International Airport property Friday night. Security surveillance video of the incident obtained by Denver7 Sunday shows the moment Frontier Airlines flight 4345 struck a pedestrian as the Airbus A320, carrying 231 souls, raced down runway 17L. The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday,” according to a post on the airport’s offici...
Lone Tree Pushes Back Against State Control Over Local Zoning
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Lone Tree Pushes Back Against State Control Over Local Zoning

By Tyler Melito | Denver7 The City of Lone Tree is prepared to use its Home Rule Charter to overrule state laws that limit local control over zoning, occupancy limits, and land use. LONE TREE, Colo. — The City of Lone Tree is calling out the state legislature for passing laws that narrow local control, specifically in areas pertaining to zoning, occupancy limits, and land use. In a recent post on the city's website, officials stated the state is passing laws in "areas traditionally governed at the local level." Lone Tree Mayor Marissa Harmon telling Denver7's Tyler Melito recent state laws are eroding the city's Home Rule Charter. The charter, passed by residents in 1998, acts as the city's constitution and gives the city the power to manage its own affairs. ...
Colorado Economy Takes A Hit As Revised Data Shows 11,000 Jobs Lost Over The Last Year
DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Economy Takes A Hit As Revised Data Shows 11,000 Jobs Lost Over The Last Year

By Shannon Ogden | Denver7 Colorado says the state's unemployment rate increased to 3.9 percent in January, while the labor force participation rate dropped to its lowest level since 2020. DENVER — Colorado lost 11,000 nonfarm payroll jobs last year, according to a grim revised jobs report from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. Brian Lewandowski, executive director Business Research Division at the Leeds School of Business at CU Boulder, said it is unusual for Colorado to lose jobs outside of recessionary periods. Since 2000, Colorado has only recorded job losses in 2002 and 2003 during the tech burst, 2009 and 2010 during the financial crisis, and in 2020 because of COVID, Lewandowski said. The revised data shows the state lost jobs inst...