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Wolf Reintroduction Sparks Debate at Upcoming Colorado Town Hall
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State, Approved, The Gazette

Wolf Reintroduction Sparks Debate at Upcoming Colorado Town Hall

By The Gazette Staff | The Gazette Agriculture and outdoor recreation are considered two of Colorado’s most important industries. The outdoor recreation industry contributes over $65.8 billion and 511,000 jobs to Colorado’s economy, while the agriculture industry generates $47 billion and 195,000 jobs annually, according to the most recent data. Yet as Colorado Politics’ recent Rural Reckoning series indicated, these two powerhouses don’t always get the attention that industries do in the halls of the Capitol. A town hall on Tuesday, Sept. 9, sponsored by The Gazette and The Common Sense Institute, will dive more deeply into the importance of these industries to Colorado’s economic success, and the policies necessary to ensure they thrive. The Common Sense Institute is a non...
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From ACIP to AAP: CDPHE proposes school vaccine rule shift amid 95% MMR goal
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories

From ACIP to AAP: CDPHE proposes school vaccine rule shift amid 95% MMR goal

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado is proposing a new playbook for school vaccines. The Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) plans to drop reliance on the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) — a CDC panel — and instead follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which has rolled out its own schedule and supports only medical exemptions. The shift coincides with CDPHE’s campaign to lift MMR rates from 88 to 95 percent, the herd immunity target, amid national upheaval and rising parental concern. Colorado’s health department is pushing new changes to school vaccine rules, and parents have less than two weeks to weigh in. CDPHE will appear before the State Board of Health on Oct. 15 to request a rulemaking hearing. Public comments...
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Colorado’s unelected energy board moves to give Xcel control over your appliances
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado’s unelected energy board moves to give Xcel control over your appliances

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project, Substack Low energy, low carbon, and higher upfront cost energy codes are now complete I have written in the past about our state's model energy code.** Per the quote (with link left intact) coming from the link at bottom:"The Model Low Energy and Carbon Code, which is required by state law HB22-1362, becomes Colorado’s new minimum energy code on July 1, 2026. Any municipality or county that updates any of its building codes after that date must adopt the model code, or a code that will achieve greater energy efficiency and pollution reductions."That second sentence there is the operant one. Get ready to have this code forced upon your locality as soon as they update their building codes post 7/1/2026.I'll leave it to ...
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Polis Issues Order to Keep Pharmacies Administering COVID Boosters Without Doctor’s Note
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State, Approved, The Colorado Sun

Polis Issues Order to Keep Pharmacies Administering COVID Boosters Without Doctor’s Note

By John Ingold | The Colorado Sun The orders follow the federal Food and Drug Administration’s decision to authorize COVID vaccine boosters only for certain people. Colorado officials on Wednesday issued public health orders aimed at making it easier for Coloradans to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster this fall. The orders essentially create a standing prescription allowing for any Coloradan ages 6 months or older to receive a COVID shot if they or their parents choose. That is significant because pharmacy heavyweights CVS and Walgreens, amid confusion over federal vaccine policy, have thus far refused to administer COVID shots this year to anyone in Colorado without a doctor’s prescription. In addition, the state Board of Pharmacy will meet Friday to discuss ru...
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USDA disaster aid available for Colorado producers after wildfire losses
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The Fence Post, Approved, State

USDA disaster aid available for Colorado producers after wildfire losses

By USDA | The Fence Post Agricultural operations in Colorado have been significantly impacted by recent wildfires. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from these adverse weather events. “USDA has a suite of programs to support farmers and ranchers as they recover from disasters,” said Farm Production and Conservation Deputy Under Secretary Brooke Appleton. “I encourage impacted producers to contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, range, and forestland, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages.”   Producers who experience livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality ...
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State Report Highlights Progress and Ongoing Challenges in Colorado Schools
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kdvr.com, Approved, State

State Report Highlights Progress and Ongoing Challenges in Colorado Schools

By KDVR Staff | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — A total of 55% of Colorado school districts received an accredited or higher rating for the 2025-2026 school year in the preliminary school and district accountability frameworks released Wednesday by the Colorado Department of Education. The frameworks are used to accredit school districts and assign school ratings by measures such as graduation rates, academic achievement and growth, according to the CDE, which said this year’s preliminary frameworks were based on data from 2024-2025. “The steady progress in the school and district frameworks is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our students, staff, and communities over the past few years,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Susan Córdova, in a statement. The 55% acc...
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Coloradans Priced Out of Housing as Costs Outpace Earnings
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State, Approved, kdvr.com

Coloradans Priced Out of Housing as Costs Outpace Earnings

By Spencer Kristensen | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — A report from the Common Sense Institute, a conservative-leaning research organization, revealed that the majority of Colorado residents are being priced out of the opportunity of owning a home. The report called “Colorado’s Housing Affordability Mismatch” was created by CSI’s Chief Economist Steven Byers and states that it analyzes the growing disparity between what Coloradans can afford and what’s actually available in the housing market. The report listed several findings, including: 60% of households in Colorado cannot afford the average home in the state, which is an increase from the 2010 figure of 47% 40% of households can only afford homes under $300,000, which accounts for only 15% of the houses statewide Color...
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Section 8 Pays Colorado Rents Near $4,000 Per Month as Critics Call for Reform
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State, Approved, The Center Square

Section 8 Pays Colorado Rents Near $4,000 Per Month as Critics Call for Reform

By Kenneth Schrupp | The Center Square (The Center Square) - Taxpayers are covering rents of up to $3,879 per month in Colorado, leading taxpayer advocates to question the growing duration of federal Section 8 housing choice voucher (HCV) usage. "Section 8 needs to focus on lifting people out of the trap of poverty, not putting them into the lap of luxury," said National Taxpayers Union president Pete Sepp in an interview with The Center Square. "It's unfair to ask taxpayers who can't afford mortgages or rents of nearly $4,000 per month to foot the bill for subsidies amounting to that much." HCV recipients remain in the program for an average of 15.1 years – that’s up from an average of 12.4 years in 2000, according to a 2024 federal report. When asked about a 2026 budget propo...
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From hunting to fitness: How MAHA unites unlikely allies in Colorado
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, Commentary, State

From hunting to fitness: How MAHA unites unlikely allies in Colorado

By Gary Wockner | Commentary, The Colorado Sun Make America Healthy Again rings true to Coloradans across the political spectrum and can accelerate other conversations Amid the toxic partisan chaos dragging down the American political system, I’ve definitely moved toward the middle. Like me, the vast majority of Coloradans are registered to vote as “unaffiliated” with either party, and for whatever reason, likely hold values that are independent and varied, rather than strictly holding to one party’s line. It’s been fascinating to watch the growth of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, or MAHA, nationally and here in Colorado, which seems to cross all over political boundaries as well. On Aug. 11, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal&nb...
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Space Command exit shows economic cost of political games in Colorado
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Captain K's Corner, Approved, Commentary, State, Substack

Space Command exit shows economic cost of political games in Colorado

By Capt. Seth Keshel | Commentary, Captain K’s Corner, Substack $1 billion in economic value is moving to Northern Alabama, and there is plenty more monetary damage to dish out if Colorado wants to keep political prisoners behind bars. Economic impacts can slice like double-edged swords. Everyone who voted for President Trump last year did so knowing tariffs could cause short-term pain to some of his own voters while simultaneously strengthening an America-first economic outlook. Likewise, one state getting richer in an industry’s move across state lines means another state is getting poorer, impacting not only employees, but those engaging in peripheral business or adjacent industries. We’ve seen this over and over in the culture war with gun and ammo dealers relocating from blue to...
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