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Advance Colorado could pull two ballot initiatives, likely leading to property-tax special session
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Approved, State, The Sum & Substance

Advance Colorado could pull two ballot initiatives, likely leading to property-tax special session

By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance Colorado legislators appear headed for another debate about lowering property taxes after an influential commission largely backed a compromise plan Monday to cut taxes further if backers of two wide-ranging initiatives removed the measures from the November ballot. It’s not an absolute certainty that Gov. Jared Polis would call a special session to consider the framework deal agreed to by initiative proponents Colorado Concern and Advance Colorado with legislators and other officials who have been involved in negotiations. But with Polis having signaled a willingness to consider the idea and with the governor-backed Commission on Property Tax getting some level of support from most of its members to the general details in the plan, pressure i...
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Peters convicted on seven counts in election integrity trial
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Peters convicted on seven counts in election integrity trial

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice Viewed as a patriot by many on the right concerned with election security and integrity, former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters was convicted Monday on numerous counts related to a breakdown of her county’s election computer system in 2020. Peters was convicted of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty and failing to comply with the secretary of state. Central to the case, Peters faced accusations she had used another person's security badge and her position to provide access to an expert related to MyPillow's Mike Lindell to the election system. Lindell also had questioned the validity of election results nationally....
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‘We’re going to get this seat back’: Bright vying to reclaim Senate District 13 for Republicans
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘We’re going to get this seat back’: Bright vying to reclaim Senate District 13 for Republicans

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Scott Bright has an eye on reclaiming the Senate District 13 seat for Republicans in the Colorado Legislature. The district overlays the 48th, 50th and 63rd Colorado House districts in the areas of Brighton, Greeley and largely the Hwy. 85 corridor. Senate District 13 had been held by Republican John Cooke, for a short term the minority leader in the Colorado Senate, but upon him becoming term-limited, the seat went to Democrat Kevin Priola following redistricting. Prior to Cooke, Republican Scott Renfroe held the seat for eight years. "We're going to get this seat back," Bright said during a recent campaign event. "It is really important that we win this Senate seat, and a couple of other winnable seats." Among his top priorities would be...
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Fact check: Incarcerated felons can’t vote, but upon release they can
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Fact check: Incarcerated felons can’t vote, but upon release they can

By Justin George | The Colorado Sun People convicted of felonies who have served their entire sentences can vote in Colorado. So can people on probation and parole. Those convicted of felonies who are imprisoned or confined to detention as part of their sentence cannot vote. They regain their voting eligibility after they have completed their “full term of imprisonment,” according to the Colorado Secretary of State. “The day you are released from detention or incarceration is the day your eligibility to register to vote is restored,” the office stated on its website. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Second attempt at proposal to give marijuana users concealed-carry gun rights fails to make ballot
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Approved, State, Westword

Second attempt at proposal to give marijuana users concealed-carry gun rights fails to make ballot

By Thomas Mitchell | Westword A proposed initiative that would have given concealed-carry rights to marijuana users won't appear on the November ballot, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office. Organizers for the campaign had until August 5 to turn in the 124,238 signatures needed for the initiative to qualify for the election. Although three other campaigns submitted signatures right before the deadline, Initiative 147: Criteria for Obtaining Concealed Handgun Permit wasn't one of them. The initiative, pushed by Colorado-based Guns for Everyone, would have removed marijuana from the "unlawful use" category on concealed handgun permit applications. Guns for Everyone attempted a similar ballot push in 2016 but failed to gather enough signatures tha...
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‘We’re not going anywhere’: Protect Kids Colorado pledges to be back in 2026 for another run at initiatives
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘We’re not going anywhere’: Protect Kids Colorado pledges to be back in 2026 for another run at initiatives

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice An effort to place two initiatives on the statewide 2024 ballot came up short, but leaders and volunteers of Protect Kids Colorado say they will continue the work toward successful 2026 signature campaigns. "We're not going anywhere," said Erin Lee, one of several leaders of Protect Kids Colorado. "The fire has only just been lit in Colorado." In coordination with former Colorado Sen. Kevin Lundberg and other leaders, Protect Kids Colorado attempted to put forward two propositions: Prop. 142 - Requiring parents of children in public schools to be informed if their child is experiencing "gender incongruence," a term defined by the initiative as "a difference between a child's biological [born-with] sex and the child's perceived or desired g...
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Gun owners, retailers face new restrictive firearm laws which went into effect this week 
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Approved, State, World Journal

Gun owners, retailers face new restrictive firearm laws which went into effect this week 

By E.E.Mullens | World Journal New "gun violence prevention" laws took effect statewide yesterday, Wednesday, Aug. 7.  The new laws increase training requirements for concealed carry permits, add dollars to CBI budgets for investigations into illegal firearm practices and add requirements to credit card companies concerning firearm and ammunition sales in the state. READ MORE ON THE NEW LAWS AT THE WORLD JOURNAL
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Linnebur: In the battle of flames and bureaucracy, these are streamlining solutions for Colorado’s wildfire crisis
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Linnebur: In the battle of flames and bureaucracy, these are streamlining solutions for Colorado’s wildfire crisis

By Tyler Linnebur | ConservAmerica On Tuesday, July 30, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis declared disaster emergencies for multiple wildfires and activated the state emergency operations plan. These major fires, fueled by extreme heat and dry conditions, are raging across thousands of acres near Loveland, Lyons, and Jefferson County. Tragically, at least one person has died, and multiple homes have been destroyed.  This devastating scenario has become increasingly common in recent years because of drought, poor forest management\ and ineffective environmental policies. Massive fires cause extensive property damage, force evacuations and degrade air quality. The ecological toll is significant, destroying wildlife habitats and damaging watersheds. Several factors contribute to the severi...
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Panel of Colorado lawmakers schedule meeting amid talk of property tax compromise, special session
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Panel of Colorado lawmakers schedule meeting amid talk of property tax compromise, special session

By Deborah Grigsby | Colorado Politics A panel of Colorado lawmakers tasked with crafting long-term property tax policy is meeting on Monday, potentially laying down the groundwork for a special session amid speculation that parties are negotiating a potential compromise that would pull two initiatives from the November ballot in exchange for deeper reductions to people's tax liabilities. The agenda posted on the state’s legislative website stated that the 19-member Commission on Property Tax will convene to discuss potential changes to legislation that Democrats and Republicans passed just this last session. That measure, the product of a deal reached by Democrats and Republicans, reduced commercial property tax assessment rates and decreased property valuations. The pr...
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There are 2.5 million acres of ag land in Colorado owned by foreign interests, but will lawmakers pass a bill to stop it?
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Approved, denvergazette.com, State

There are 2.5 million acres of ag land in Colorado owned by foreign interests, but will lawmakers pass a bill to stop it?

By Deborah Grigsby | Denver Gazette State Rep. Brandi Bradley, R-Roxborough Park, introduced House Bill 23-1152 more than a year ago, aiming to ban foreign ownership of agricultural land in Colorado. Although the bill did not make it out of committee, discussions during Wednesday's Water Resources and Agricultural Review Committee meeting indicate renewed interest in the topic, and a new bill is expected to be introduced. Some 2.5 million acres of Colorado farmland are owned by foreign entities, according to a 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture report. This makes Colorado home to the third most foreign-held agricultural land in the nation, followed only by Texas (5,435,906 acres) and Maine (3,489,957 acres). Ashley House, Colorado Farm Bureau vice president of stra...
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