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$29M in errors, 30% staff vacancy: Audit uncovers years Colorado prison system budget mismanagement
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CBS Colorado, State

$29M in errors, 30% staff vacancy: Audit uncovers years Colorado prison system budget mismanagement

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado An audit of the Colorado Department of Corrections has uncovered "erroneous information and incorrect calculations" over four years of budget requests reviewed. An independent third party conducted the audit that resulted in nearly three dozen recommended changes. CDOC Executive Director Moses "Andre" Stancil told the state's Joint Budget Committee he agrees with the recommendations in the 101-page report that found CDOC's approach to budgeting is unlike any other prison system in the country, and not in a good way. "Everything has been such a fluid mess over the years," said budget writer and Republican state Rep. Rick Taggert of Grand Junction. The audit found CDOC's budget requests have had "inaccurate, incomplete, and inco...
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Free Speech on Trial: Colorado Pushes Ideology, CEO Pushes Back
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State, The Washington Times

Free Speech on Trial: Colorado Pushes Ideology, CEO Pushes Back

By Valerie Richardson | The Washington Times Sey: 'I would argue that we're the ones correctly gendering' DENVER — Jennifer Sey hasn’t run afoul of Colorado’s newly passed ban on “misgendering,” but it’s only a matter of time. Last year, Ms. Sey founded XX-XY Athletics, a sportswear company that bills itself as “the only brand standing up for female athletes and the protection of women’s sports” in reaction to the influx of male-born competitors in female athletics. Referring to transgender people by their opposite-sex names and pronouns in advertising and customer interactions, as Colorado law now requires, would be more than inconvenient — it would contradict her entire business model. “When we talk about how it isn’t right for boys to compete in girls’ sports, it’s import...
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Economists Sound Alarm: Colorado Faces Sluggish Growth, Shrinking Revenues
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State, Colorado Politics

Economists Sound Alarm: Colorado Faces Sluggish Growth, Shrinking Revenues

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Colorado's economic outlook is on a downward trend, according to state economists, who estimated that the chances of a recession here have risen to 50%. "Uncertainty is the key aspect impacting the economy now and moving forward," said Legislative Council Chief Economist Elizabeth Ramey, who discussed the June revenue forecast with the Joint Budget Committee on Wednesday. The Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) is also less than optimistic about the economic outlook, should a federal budget bill pass, predicting it could affect 100,000 people on Medicaid and SNAP, devastate the state's rural and safety net hospitals and nearly wipe out the state's general fund reserve over the next two years. Uncertainty is also the watchword f...
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Working Families Slammed as COVID Subsidies End: Health Premiums May Double
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State, CBS News

Working Families Slammed as COVID Subsidies End: Health Premiums May Double

By Shaun Boyd | CBS News Republicans' sweeping measure to cut taxes and reduce spending is expected to hit the Senate floor next week. In addition to making big changes to Medicaid, the bill also allows tax credits for those who get health insurance on the state exchange to expire. Connect for Health Colorado says Coloradans on the exchange could see premiums increase by $3,000 a year if that happens. Approximately 80 percent of people who get insurance on the state exchange receive a federal subsidy. While credits were initially tied to income, the American Rescue Plan expanded them to everyone. In rural and mountain communities where insurance can run a family upwards of $30,000 a year, those credits have made insurance affordable for tens of thousands of Coloradans, including R...
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Barstnar and Milo: Energy mandates are making Colorado unaffordable
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denvergazette.com, State

Barstnar and Milo: Energy mandates are making Colorado unaffordable

By Kathie Barstnar and Tony Milo | Commentary, Denver Gazette Progress should not come at the expense of affordability. As Colorado moves toward a lower-carbon future, families and businesses deserve energy options that are reliable, cost-effective, and reflect their needs, not a one-size-fits-all approach. Choice and balance should guide this transition, not rising bills and reduced options. As organizations working to meet Colorado’s growing housing and economic development needs, we see firsthand how rising construction costs and added building requirements are making it harder to deliver buildings and homes that small businesses and working families can afford. The housing affordability crisis is getting worse, and we must implement policies that support Coloradans working to mak...
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As seniors try to downsize, Colorado’s housing market shuts them out
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The Colorado Sun, State

As seniors try to downsize, Colorado’s housing market shuts them out

By Brian Eason | Colorado Sun Most older residents want to age in place. But experts say Colorado’s housing stock wasn’t built with their needs in mind. Pat Malone moved to Arvada with her husband in the early 2010s for a more affordable retirement than they could have found in California. “Or so we thought,” she said wryly. The empty-nesters rented at first, then bought a single-family home. When the stairs became more daunting for her husband, it took them a long time to find what they needed. A single-floor condominium, with no stairs and no garden to maintain is a unicorn in Colorado. “We couldn’t find anything like that when we were (first) looking for a property,” said Malone, 76. “We really had no choice but to buy a house.” Seniors like Malone make up Colo...
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Colorado halts TRACER after Minnesota murders so lawmakers can redact personal info
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denvergazette.com, State

Colorado halts TRACER after Minnesota murders so lawmakers can redact personal info

By Marianne Goodland | Denver Gazette State lawmakers can remove personal information before TRACER site restored TRACER, the Secretary of State's campaign finance website, was taken down on Saturday in the wake of the shootings of four individuals, including two lawmakers, in Minnesota. Two of the victims, Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, were killed in the attack by an individual who posed as a police officer. Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot but are expected to recover. According to NPR, the suspect, Vance Boelter, had a "hit list" of 45 state officials, all Democrats. He was taken into custody Sunday and has been charged with state and federal murder charges. TRACER, aka Transparency in Contribution and Expenditure Report...
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Hardin: Why the NRA-ILA legislative roundups matter more than ever
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Hardin: Why the NRA-ILA legislative roundups matter more than ever

By Amanda Hardin | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Last week, Rocky Mountain Voice partnered with the NRA-Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) to host two critical Second Amendment Legislative Roundups—first in Lakewood, then in Fort Morgan. These events weren’t just a chance to hand out bumper stickers and shake hands; they were about mobilization. Colorado’s gun owners are facing unprecedented legislative attacks, and what we saw in those rooms was the beginning of a serious response. The first event took place on June 10 at Bristlecone Shooting, Training & Retail Center in Lakewood. Over 45 citizens gathered to review the flurry of anti-gun bills that crossed the governor’s desk this year, including the newly signed Senate Bill 25-003. Attendees walked away not only wit...
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Western Heritage Lives On: Pony Express Riders Head Through Colorado Towns
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State, Fox31

Western Heritage Lives On: Pony Express Riders Head Through Colorado Towns

By Heather Willard | KDVR FOX 31 DENVER (KDVR) — Have you ever wanted to see the Pony Express operating as it once did in 1860? There’s a chance to do just that thanks to the National Pony Express Association. On Wednesday, July 11, the organization launched its annual re-ride in Sacramento, California, and if all goes well, by 7:30 p.m. on July 21, the mail carried by the riders will be in St. Joseph, Missouri. What was the Pony Express, and why are there re-rides? The Pony Express Trail crosses 1,966 miles in eight states, and at one point in American history, the Pony Express was the fastest way to deliver mail. The Pony Express began operations on June 16, 1860, according to the National Pony Express Association, and about 10 weeks later, Congress authorized a transcontinental tele...
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Justice on hold: Lawmakers race to fix Colorado’s rape kit backlog
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Top Stories, Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Justice on hold: Lawmakers race to fix Colorado’s rape kit backlog

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice A backlog of 1,369 untested sexual assault kits at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation delays justice and drives significant costs, per a June 2025 report from the Common Sense Institute. Authored by former Denver DA Mitch Morrissey and Senior Analyst Erik Gamm, the report estimates clearing this backlog could prevent 1,481 crimes—including 1,030 sexual assaults—and save Colorado $234.7 million.  The Yvonne “Missy” Woods scandal, involving manipulated DNA in over a thousand cases since 2014, worsened this crisis, exposing gaps in CBI’s processes.  Two bills, HB25-1275 and SB25-304, address these issues, as Rep. Matt Soper (R-Delta), co-sponsor of HB25-1275, detailed in a Rocky Mountain Voice interview. The Wo...
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