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Exchange between clerks and secretary of state’s office after password leak
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Approved, KOAA News, State

Exchange between clerks and secretary of state’s office after password leak

By James Gavato | KOAA-TV NBC-5 Colorado Springs An exchange between the Adams County Clerk Josh Zygielbaum and Christopher Beall, the Colorado Deputy Secretary of State took place on November 1 after a civil servant from the Secretary of State's office posted partial passwords to voting systems online. It happened during a phone between the Secretary of State's Office and several county clerks. During the call, Beall admits the secretary of state's office did not want to disclose that passwords to Colorado voting systems were mistakenly posted online to avoid a 'media storm.' "It's really hard not answering media questions the way I actually want to," said Zygielbaum. READ THE FULL STORY AT KOAA-TV NBC-5 COLORADO SPRINGS
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CPW unanimously adopts new Eastern Colorado mountain lion management plan
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Approved, kdvr.com, State

CPW unanimously adopts new Eastern Colorado mountain lion management plan

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News The 10-year plan to manage mountain lions east of the Continental Divide was adopted unanimously by the 10 Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission members last week. The plan used months of research and public hearings to inform its measures and echoes the similar successful development of the West Slope mountain lion management plan, which was approved in 2020. CPW recently published results from a study of West Slope mountain lions and found that the big cats’ population density is equal to or greater than the density projections used for making harvest decisions. “Mountain lions in Colorado have historically been managed on smaller, localized scales – similar to the management of Colorado’s deer and elk,” CPW explained in a re...
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Daniel: Eventually, you run out of other people’s money
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Daniel: Eventually, you run out of other people’s money

By Bobbie Daniel, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado, long admired for its breathtaking landscapes, vibrant outdoor culture, and once-thriving economy, finds itself at a crossroads. Rising living costs, unaffordable housing, stagnant wages and increasing business closures are eroding the state’s appeal. A state once a beacon of opportunity is now grappling with mounting challenges that jeopardize its economic vitality. Recent data highlights the gravity of the situation. According to the Common Sense Institute (2023), Colorado’s net population growth was a mere 7,236 people, ranking 16th nationally —- a stark contrast to its historic reputation as a magnet for newcomers. The University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business reported a troubling 22% drop in new business fili...
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Polis proposes conversion of Pinnacol in controversial measure to balance budget
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Approved, State, The Sum & Substance

Polis proposes conversion of Pinnacol in controversial measure to balance budget

By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance Gov. Jared Polis’ pitch to convert Pinnacol Assurance into an independent company is being driven not just by money it could generate for the state budget but by the belief that failing to loosen the company’s operational restrictions could jeopardize its sustainability. The Democratic governor sat for an interrogation before the powerful Joint Budget Committee on Wednesday about his plans to address a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall, including $638 million in expense cuts and revenue additions he has proposed. Among the most prominent and controversial of those suggestions is a proposal to allow the state-chartered workers’ compensation insurer of last resort to act as a private company, which could add $100 million to next year’s budget a...
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Western Colorado ranchers bracing for impact of the next release of wolves
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Western Colorado ranchers bracing for impact of the next release of wolves

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Sen. Perry Will told his constituents in a social media post “Brace yourselves, Garfield County,” after Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced that they will begin phase two of their wolf reintroduction program, adding insult to injury to western Colorado ranchers who have already seen the devastating impact on livestock on their northern neighbors. CPW will be trapping and importing the next 10 to 15 grey wolves from Canada and placing them somewhere in Garfield, Pitkin and Eagle County. Rio Blanco County was on the list of potential release sites, but has since been removed from that list due to the limited number of state-owned locations that would meet the criteria in the plan, in addition to the proximity to livestock...
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Groups accuse Colorado Bureau of Investigation of skirting oversight in forensic lab investigation
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Groups accuse Colorado Bureau of Investigation of skirting oversight in forensic lab investigation

By Jenny Deam | The Gazette, via Colorado Politics Two groups accused the Colorado Bureau of Investigation of skirting a federally required oversight process to investigate misconduct in its forensics lab, adding to mounting allegations of wrongdoing at the embattled agency. In a five-page letter dated Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado and the Korey Wise Innocence Project demanded more accountability and transparency in the CBI’s ongoing investigation of its former star forensic scientist, Yvonne Woods, known as Missy, who was found to have mishandled, falsified or deleted DNA findings for years at the lab. Those problems have thrown into question the fate of an unknown but potentially vast number of past criminal convictions in Colorado that reli...
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Meet the new (and not so new) faces of the 2025 legislative session
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Meet the new (and not so new) faces of the 2025 legislative session

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics The upcoming legislative session will see a mix of new and familiar faces, including a number of House members who will be moving to the Senate. With nearly two dozen brand-new legislators set to begin their terms in January, here's a look at the newly-elected officials who will be shaping the state's policies in 2025.  READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Colorado GOP calls voters into action against Jena Griswold’s cover-up of password leak
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Colorado GOP calls voters into action against Jena Griswold’s cover-up of password leak

By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice The Colorado Republican Party is attempting to rally residents of the state into action. Amid claims of compromised election security, party leaders are urging voters to demand accountability from officials through the filing of affidavits. They have accused Secretary of State Jena Griswold of overseeing serious election security flaws. The GOP, in their affidavit, called for action. They released expert testimonies, supporting documents and recordings of internal calls between Griswold's office and county clerks. The materials reveal growing frustration among election officials and cybersecurity experts. A controversy exists over exposure of more than 600 BIOS passwords for election systems in half of Colorado's 64 countie...
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Second portrait of President-elect Trump will not be purchased for Colorado capitol
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Second portrait of President-elect Trump will not be purchased for Colorado capitol

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice A second portrait of Republican President-elect Donald J. Trump will not be purchased and displayed in the Colorado capitol building, Lois Court confirmed Friday in a meeting of the Capitol Building Advisory Committee. Each U.S. President is memorialized in the capitol's third floor Presidential Portrait Gallery. The portrait of Democratic President Joe Biden cost $11,000, Court was told, paid for in taxpayer funds. The portraits of other Presidents have been paid for through private donations. Only one other time in U.S. history has a president been elected to non-consecutive terms, as Trump has been. "Will we need to do it, again?," Court asked of purchasing a second painting depicting Trump as the 47th President. His portrait is display...
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Parents plead for dyslexia screening mandate, and some Colorado education officials are on board
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, State

Parents plead for dyslexia screening mandate, and some Colorado education officials are on board

By Ann Schimke | Chalkbeat Colorado Bri Luna said her daughter started kindergarten with the nickname “Little Miss Sunshine” and by middle school was on antidepressants because of her reading struggles. Mary Sailas said her second grade son, who shifted from foot to foot next to her, told her he’d choose the ability to read over the superpower of flying. And in a particularly heart-breaking moment, Amy Thompson described how her high school-age daughter took her life in 2022 after years of floundering in reading and in school. The three mothers were among about 10 Colorado parents and advocates who begged the State Board of Education at the group’s monthly meeting Wednesday for mandatory statewide dyslexia screening. READ THE FULL STORY AT CHALKBEAT COLORADO
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