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Gaines: Colorado Democrats skirt asking your approval to take your money, bristle at attempts to rein them in
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Approved, Commentary, State

Gaines: Colorado Democrats skirt asking your approval to take your money, bristle at attempts to rein them in

By Cory Gaines | Colorado Accountability Project I think that, among other things, one-party dominance in this state has led to an arrogance on the part of the ruling party.  The idea that they know best.  That the values that their political base along the Front Range ought to by right be the template for the state.  That the special interests they represent have the one true vision for things here.   READ THE FULL COMMENTARY AT THE COLORADO ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT
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Colorado lawmakers reach last-minute bipartisan property tax deal that averts cuts to K-12 funding
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado lawmakers reach last-minute bipartisan property tax deal that averts cuts to K-12 funding

By Jesse Paul and Brian Eason | The Colorado Sun Colorado’s property tax code would be reimagined — with long-term rate cuts for homeowners and businesses and a local revenue cap — under a fiercely negotiated, last-minute bipartisan bill introduced in the legislature Monday that aims to provide tax relief while protecting funding for K-12 schools.  The measure, Senate Bill 233, comes with just three days left in Colorado’s 2024 legislative session — the minimum amount of time needed to pass a bill. And it was the product of negotiations with Colorado Concern, a nonprofit representing CEOs in the state that was working on a plan to ask voters on the November ballot for an even bigger property tax break.  Lawmakers, Gov. Jared Polis’ office and interest groups we...
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Bill to ban purchase, sale and transfer of so-called assault weapons in Colorado will be shelved
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Bill to ban purchase, sale and transfer of so-called assault weapons in Colorado will be shelved

By Jesse Paul | Colorado Sun A Colorado bill that would have banned the purchase, sale and transfer of a broad swath of semiautomatic firearms, defined in the measure as assault weapons, will be shelved at the request of one of its main sponsors. Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat and one of the lead sponsors of House Bill 1292, announced Monday that she would ask for the measure to be killed Tuesday in the Senate State, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. “After thoughtful conversations with my Senate colleagues, I decided that more conversations need to take place outside of the pressure cooker of the Capitol during the last weeks of the legislative session,” Gonzales said in a written statement. “In that spirit, I look forward to renewing and continuing those disc...
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Retiring Republican Doug Lamborn endorses Jeff Crank as his replacement in Colorado’s 5th CD
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Retiring Republican Doug Lamborn endorses Jeff Crank as his replacement in Colorado’s 5th CD

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn on Monday formally endorsed Republican Jeff Crank as his successor. Calling the political operative and former talk radio host "a man of integrity, conviction and solid family values," Lamborn said he's throwing his "total endorsement and full support" behind Crank, one of two Republicans running for the El Paso County-based congressional seat Lamborn has held for nine terms. Lamborn, who announced in January that he wouldn't seek reelection in the heavily Republican 5th Congressional District, said he decided to make the endorsement after watching the GOP primary unfold between Crank and Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams. Both candidates have lost hard-fought primaries to Lamborn over the years:...
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Adams, Arapahoe Republicans to jointly host 4th District forum Saturday in Bennett
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Adams, Arapahoe Republicans to jointly host 4th District forum Saturday in Bennett

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice The six candidates appearing on the Republican Party's primary ballot in the 4th District congressional race each will appear Saturday, May 11, in a two-county forum. Adams and Arapahoe County Republicans will co-host a forum at Bennett Middle School, 455 8th St in Bennett, with the forum beginning at 3 p.m. and scheduled to last two hours. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. "This is an opportunity for the voters of U.S. Congressional District 4 to meet the Republican candidates in an informal forum setting where their questions and concerns can be addressed directly by the candidates," reads a press statement jointly released by Adams County Republican Party Chairman Daniel Belfontaine and Arapahoe County Republican Party Chairwoman Anne Rowland. Th...
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Colorado lawmakers OK bills on AI, oil and gas, medical malpractice
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado lawmakers OK bills on AI, oil and gas, medical malpractice

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics With the end of the legislative session looming closer, members of Colorado's state House worked on Sunday to debate bills, hold a committee hearing and advanced several measures.   With a vote of 37-24, the House passed House Bill 1468, which aims to broaden the scope of the state's facial recognition software task force to include the study of additional facets of artificial intelligence and biometric technology. Lawmakers also adopted an amendment to allow the task force to study the effects of artificial intelligence and biometric technology on "vulnerable communities," addressing points raised by parties and Judiciary Committee members regarding what they described as potential biases against people of color in faci...
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Rockies tickets for 5 bucks? Tickets for Giants series at Coors Field are turning back the clock
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Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Rockies tickets for 5 bucks? Tickets for Giants series at Coors Field are turning back the clock

By Paul Klee | Denver Gazette Hey, it's not all bad news with the Rockies. Tickets are cheap. The local ballclub is last in the National League and first in your budget. The Rockies said Friday lower-level tickets for the San Francisco Giants series Tuesday-Thursday are good to go for as low as $5.05. It's the "Hot Rox" Cinco de Mayo special. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Lundberg: A look at the bad bills remaining in the final week of session
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Approved, Commentary, State

Lundberg: A look at the bad bills remaining in the final week of session

By Kevin Lundberg | KevinLundberg.com I have not ever seen this many really bad bills in one session. Further there are still way too many bills yet to be fully processed and this too looks like a record-breaking volume. Please note that the bad bill list is not exhaustive, these are just the worst ones I have snagged. To see the most recently introduced bills, read the list from the bottom up. Follow Kevin Lundberg at kevinlundberg.com. Good Bills HCR24-1005 Parents’ Bill of Rights This is a resolution to refer to the people this constitutional addition. I helped write this bill, which was heard in House State Affairs last Monday. There was great testimony presented for several hours, but it was still killed, PLV (Party Line Vote). HB24-1022 Publis...
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Bill to boost rural broadband, opposed by Polis administration, dies in committee
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Bill to boost rural broadband, opposed by Polis administration, dies in committee

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics A panel of Colorado lawmakers on Wednesday rejected legislation that would have prohibited the Colorado Department of Transportation from charging annual fees for right-of-way access to deploy broadband networks in some of the most remote areas of rural Colorado.  The Polis administration, which is pushing for high-speed broadband access to 99% of Coloradans in three years, opposed the measure.   Introduced back in January, negotiations over Senate Bill 91 with the Colorado Department of Transportation — whose fees broadband providers claimed would make rural access unaffordable — delayed its first hearing until this week, just a few days before the end of the 2024 legislative session. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLIT...
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Three fallen officers added to the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial
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Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Three fallen officers added to the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial

By Sage Kelley | Denver Gazette Bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace" swept over the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial on Friday, as three officers who fell in the line of duty last year took their place on the memorial. "This democracy was founded on the belief that people would be willing to sacrifice for others," Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said at the memorial — placed directly outside of the Colorado State Patrol Academy in Golden. "There is no more selfless act of service in this state, no more daunting act of heroism, than the decision of a law enforcement officer every morning to stand up and put on a uniform," Johnston said.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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