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Source for more Colorado wolves: State secures a new source location for the second round of reintroductions
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Approved, DENVER7, State

Source for more Colorado wolves: State secures a new source location for the second round of reintroductions

By Stephanie Butzer | Denver7 News After a previous agreement fell through, Colorado has secured a source location for the second round of gray wolf reintroductions, which will begin this winter. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced on Friday that it had reached an agreement with the British Columbia Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship in Canada. Between December 2024 and March 2025, up to 15 wolves will be captured from the Canadian province and translocated to Colorado. "We are grateful to the B.C. Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship for working with our agency on this critical next step in reintroducing gray wolves in the state," said CPW Director Jeff Davis in a press release. "Their willingness and ability to work with another jurisdiction t...
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Trump promises ‘large deportations’ in Aurora during Friday press conference
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Approved, DENVER7, State

Trump promises ‘large deportations’ in Aurora during Friday press conference

By Jeff Anastasio | Denver7 Speaking at a Friday press conference in California, former president Donald Trump – for the second time this week – singled out Aurora promising to conduct “large deportations” of immigrants. Trump’s comments followed Tuesday’s debate, in which he cited Venezuelan gang activity in Aurora claiming “they are taking over the towns.” Aurora mayor Mike Coffman – a Republican – refuted those claims to Denver7 on Wednesday. "There's no question there have been some issues, but it's been so dramatically exaggerated that it’s the entire city being overrun by criminal or gang activity," Coffman told Denver7. "That couldn’t be further from the truth." READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER7
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Yadira Caraveo, Gabe Evans call each other liars, battle over border in dueling ads in Colorado’s 8th CD
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Yadira Caraveo, Gabe Evans call each other liars, battle over border in dueling ads in Colorado’s 8th CD

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics The gloves came off Friday in the race to represent Colorado's toss-up 8th Congressional District. U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, the Democratic incumbent, and state Rep. Gabe Evans, her Republican challenger, each released TV ads Friday morning focusing on border security — and by early afternoon, both candidates had accused their opponent of lying. Caraveo, a pediatrician and former state lawmaker, won the newly created seat two years ago by just over 1,600 votes in one of the closest congressional races in the country. This year, the district — stretching from suburbs north of Denver to Greeley in parts of Weld County — is considered Colorado's most competitive contest and could determine which party controls the U.S. House. READ THE...
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Could an election-reform initiative really help the business community?
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Approved, State, The Sum & Substance

Could an election-reform initiative really help the business community?

By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance To the average business owner struggling to keep up with inflation and new regulations, electoral reform may not seem like an issue that should be at the top of their priority list. But former DaVita CEO Kent Thiry would beg to differ. Thiry, no stranger to election fights, is spearheading a ballot initiative this year that would upend the way Coloradans vote in statewide primary and general elections. Proposition 131 is drawing criticism from party leaders, unions and senior groups for being confusing and self-serving to the businessman, ensuring that it will be one of the more talked-about measures on what will be a crowded ballot this fall. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE SUM & SUBSTANCE
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Colorado GOP leadership battle is scheduled to go to trial in October
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado GOP leadership battle is scheduled to go to trial in October

By Jesse Paul | Colorado Sun There may be an answer before Election Day as to who is the real chairman of the Colorado GOP.  A judge in El Paso County this week set a two-and-a-half day trial starting Oct. 14 in the lawsuit filed by Eli Bremer seeking to dislodge Dave Williams from the party’s top post and force him to relinquish the party’s resources. Both Bremer and Williams claim to currently be chairman of the Colorado GOP.  The date of the trial won’t leave much time for the outcome to have an effect on the Nov. 5 election. Ballots start being mailed to voters Oct. 11. Most television ad air time and mailers will have been planned and booked by then.  Still, the outcome of the legal drama will chart the future direction of the state Republican Party.  READ THE...
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State regulators on verge of passing new cumulative-impact requirements on oil-and-gas projects
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Approved, State, The Sum & Substance

State regulators on verge of passing new cumulative-impact requirements on oil-and-gas projects

By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance Colorado regulators are debating an “enormous” set of regulations that will require consideration of the cumulative impacts of any new or expanded oil-and-gas project on air, water and other natural resources before state officials can grant operating permits. The rules are the product of several laws passed since 2019 aiming to protect communities already dealing with significant emissions by requiring the state to consider permits in the context of existing pollution rather than focus only on the impacts of the new projects. The most recent bill on the subject, approved this year, gave the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission a specific definition of “cumulative impacts” around which it must build the new regulations. How...
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Caldara: Colorado Press Association rewards secretive government
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Approved, Commentary, completecolorado.com, State

Caldara: Colorado Press Association rewards secretive government

 By Jon Caldera, Commentary | Complete Colorado What’s worse: people in political power shielding their activity from public oversight or the media celebrating them for doing so? Fortunately, in Colorado we don’t have to choose. We get both! The Colorado Press Association (CPA) has bestowed its “Defender of Free Press” award to the very same legislators who earlier this year passed a law to keep the press, and citizens, out of their meetings. Yes, these grand defenders of the Fourth Estate voted to exempt themselves from the Colorado Open Meetings Law so we can’t see what they’re doing — definitely award-worthy. READ THE FULL STORY AT COMPLETE COLORADO Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily r...
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Federal funds to assist Coloradans in online filing of state, federal tax returns
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The Center Square, Approved, State

Federal funds to assist Coloradans in online filing of state, federal tax returns

By Joe Mueller | The Center Square Federal tax money is returning to Colorado via free online tax filing for state and federal returns, which could help low-income taxpayers obtain more credits. Taxpayer money from the $500 billion Inflation Reduction Act will pay for Coloradans to electronically file their state and federal returns for tax year 2025 in 2026 through a program called Direct File. The Colorado Department of Revenue currently offers a free electronic service to file state tax returns. However, the Democratic Gov. Jared Polis and the Department of Revenue contend Direct file will save Coloradans millions in filing fees, hours of time and help taxpayers get information on possible additional tax credits. READ THE FULL STORY THE CENTER SQUARE
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Colorado avoided big funding cuts for schools. But relief for districts could be short-lived.
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado avoided big funding cuts for schools. But relief for districts could be short-lived.

By Erica Breunlin | Colorado Sun Colorado lawmakers averted the potential for serious funding cuts for schools after passing a set of modest property tax cuts during the special legislative session in August. But the relief for school districts could be short-lived. A tight state budget forecast and competing funding priorities are stoking fears that Colorado elected leaders could drop their pledge to begin ramping up funding for schools next year. A new funding formula — signed into law in May after three decades of little change to the way Colorado distributes money to schools — was celebrated by a bipartisan group of lawmakers as a landmark accomplishment of the 2024 legislative session. The new approach added to momentum for school finance after Gov. Jared Polis and legislator...
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Cost of living, housing affordability are top concerns for Colorado residents
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Cost of living, housing affordability are top concerns for Colorado residents

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Cost of living, housing and politics top the list of concerns for Coloradans this year, according to the Colorado Health Foundation's annual pulse survey. Of the 2,404 individuals surveyed, 19% identified cost of living and inflation as the most important issue facing the state, while 17% named housing affordability and 11% cited government and politics. Other top concerns included homelessness, immigration and public safety. Immigration saw the highest change — a 12-point increase from last year's survey. Responses for cost of living and housing increased 3 and 2 points, respectively.  READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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