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Time to stop ballot box wildlife policy before Polis brings in the Grizzlies
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Approved, coloradopeakpolitics.com, Local, Western Slope

Time to stop ballot box wildlife policy before Polis brings in the Grizzlies

SOURCE: COLORADO PEAK POLITICS A Western Slope lawmaker is making it his mission to stop city folk from playing with wildlife policy at the ballot box and forcing any more apex predators down the throats of rural areas that don’t want it. Republican State Sen. Perry Will says he’s introducing a bill this session to stop the madness with these dangerous mandates. Will told the Delta County Independent in a recent interview that he’s tired of ballot box policy from people who don’t have any skin the game. “This bill’s going to show the governor and hopefully a whole lot of other people how you reintroduce a species the right way with the professionals doing it. By running this bill, we will avoid an initiative to reintroduce wolverines. It’s going to be a good message ...
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Douglas County sues to overturn state board’s decision to block property tax relief plan
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Approved, Denver Metro, Local, The Colorado Sun

Douglas County sues to overturn state board’s decision to block property tax relief plan

By Jesse Paul, Colorado Sun Douglas County is suing a state board that last month blocked the county’s creative attempt to offer a $28 million property tax break to homeowners by making an across-the-board reduction in previously determined home values.  The 15-page lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Denver District Court against the State Board of Equalization. It argues that the board didn’t have the authority to block the tax break and that it didn’t follow Colorado’s open meetings laws in doing so.  The county is asking a judge to overturn the board’s unanimous decision to stop the reduction in home values.  The Douglas County Commission voted in September to reduce the county’s valuations, determined in May, of single-family homes, townhomes an...
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Denver mayor bemoans potential $180 million impact of immigrant influx
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Downtown Denver, Local

Denver mayor bemoans potential $180 million impact of immigrant influx

By Jenny Goldsberry, Washington Examiner | SOURCE: THE GAZETTE Colorado Mayor Mike Johnston warned that without federal intervention, it could cost the sanctuary city of Denver $180 million to care for the recent influx of immigrants. Johnson, who is in Washington attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors, said his visit also included a meeting with President Joe Biden. The Democratic mayor said over 36,000 immigrants have arrived in his city since December 2022. "There are heartbreaking stories every day, but we also know without federal support and without federal action, the impact on a city like Denver, this would be $180 million impact on our budget in 2024," Johnston told MSNBC's José Díaz-Balart Reports Friday. "That’s more than 10% of our entire city...
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GAO: USDA needs to improve tracking of foreign farmland ownership
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Approved, Local, Rural Colorado, thefencepost.com

GAO: USDA needs to improve tracking of foreign farmland ownership

Hagstrom Report  | SOURCE: THE FENCE POST The Agriculture Department needs to collect, track, and better share data on foreign farmland ownership, but needs more money from Congress to do that, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released Thursday. GAO complained that USDA annually compiles its data from paper forms filed with headquarters or county offices, but Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has said that to make the system more accurate counties across the country would need to develop detailed systems to report to USDA. READ FULL ARTICLE ON THEFENCEPOST.COM
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Colorado’s Flawed Vacancy Committee System Raises Concerns Over Representation As Democrats Choose New Representative For HD31 By Just 9 Votes
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Approved, Denver Metro, Local, thelobby-co.com

Colorado’s Flawed Vacancy Committee System Raises Concerns Over Representation As Democrats Choose New Representative For HD31 By Just 9 Votes

SOURCE: THELOBBY-CO.COM Once again showing the flaws in Colorado's vacancy committee system, former Thornton City Council member Julia Marvin has been chosen to represent Colorado House District 31 by just nine votes. This Thursday night tiny election highlights the undemocratic nature of a system that allows just a few political party insiders to handpick a representative for hundreds of thousands of Coloradans. Colorado State House Representative-select Julia Marvin Marvin, who currently serves on the Thornton City Council, won with a 9-7 vote over Jacque Phillips. The decision by just nine votes that she will now “represent” such a large district demonstrates the flaws in Colorado’s vacancy committee system. Marvin is the 29th member of the current Legislature initial...
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EDITORIAL: Pot stores close as problems mount
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Approved, El Paso County, gazette.com, Local

EDITORIAL: Pot stores close as problems mount

By Wayne Laugesen | SOURCE: THE GAZETTE Colorado Springs’ elected leaders and voters have been wise to reject marijuana, an increasingly unpopular “recreation” option. They did not fall for the false buzz of Big Marijuana, which promised reductions in crime, less illicit drug use and tax manna for the common good. Consequently, Colorado Springs appears progressive and alive as so many other large cities go to pot with homelessness, crime and open-air drug use. By rejecting recreational sales, Springs voters put themselves ahead of the curve. Pot is no longer the next big thing. It could become the next bad fad of the past, lingering in the margins with gangsta rap and skinny jeans. Springs voters most recently said “no” to commercial drug sales in November 2022 by a margin of n...
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Denver’s presiding juvenile judge suspended, few details on disciplinary investigation
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Denver Metro, Local

Denver’s presiding juvenile judge suspended, few details on disciplinary investigation

By Michael Karlik | SOURCE: COLORADO POLITICS The Colorado Supreme Court temporarily suspended longtime Denver Juvenile Court Presiding Judge D. Brett Woods last month pending a disciplinary investigation, and few details have emerged about the nature of the inquiry. In a Dec. 21 order, the Supreme Court gave Woods 21 days to explain why he should be allowed to remain on the bench while the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline completes its work. On Thursday, the court issued another order reiterating that Woods remains on paid suspension until further notice. Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright did not participate in issuing either order, while Justice Monica M. Márquez recused herself only from the December order. The clerk of the Supreme Court did not kno...
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Annual count of Colorado Springs-area homeless population expands hiring street people to assist
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Approved, El Paso County, gazette.com, Local

Annual count of Colorado Springs-area homeless population expands hiring street people to assist

By Debbie Kelley | SOURCE: THE GAZETTE For the second time, a yearly census to determine how many homeless people are living in El Paso County on a given night will hire helpers who are familiar with life on the streets to do the counting. Debra Stilen will be among those conducting the Point in Time survey that begins on Monday, a process required by the United States Department of Urban Housing and Development for communities to receive federal funding for programs and services for homeless people. After 20 years of homelessness, Stilen entered transitional housing last year. She was ready. But many of her friends are not. “What I find is a lot of them want to be counted, but people who are homeless are so used to being abused or bullied or negative aspects when it comes to a...
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Douglas County Takes Legal Action Against State of Colorado Over Property Tax Relief Denial
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Approved, Denver Metro, Local, thelobby-co.com

Douglas County Takes Legal Action Against State of Colorado Over Property Tax Relief Denial

SOURCE: THELOBBY-CO.COM Douglas County, known for its affluent suburban communities, has taken a legal step this week to resolve the state’s property tax mess by suing the state board responsible for evaluating property assessments. The county claims that officials overstepped their authority and wrongly prevented the county from providing much-needed tax relief to thousands of homeowners. The decision by the board last month and the subsequent appeal to a judge come at a time when Colorado is embroiled in a heated debate over how to address the soaring property tax bills that have burdened residents this year. In its lawsuit filed against the state Board of Equalization, Douglas County accuses the board of making an "arbitrary and capricious" decision by unanimously denyin...
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Adams County Democrats to pick successor to former Rep. Said Sharbini
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Denver Metro, Local, State

Adams County Democrats to pick successor to former Rep. Said Sharbini

By Marianne Goodland | SOURCE: COLORADO POLITICS A Democratic Adams County House District 31 vacancy committee will meet Thursday evening to choose a successor to Rep. Said Sharbini, D-Adams County. Sharbini, who served one year in the House after being elected to his first term in 2022, resigned in December, citing financial pressures and the toxic environment of the state House. The vacancy committee will meet at 5:45 p.m. for a candidates' forum and then at 6:30 p.m. for the election. The election is expected to conclude by 7 p.m. due to other party business on the agenda. There are at least two candidates in the running: Julia Marvin and Jacqueline Phillips. Both have filed to run for the seat in the 2024 primary election. READ FULL ARTICLE ON COLORADOPOLITICS....
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