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In final weeks of Colorado legislative session, 374 bills still need action
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

In final weeks of Colorado legislative session, 374 bills still need action

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics On day 105 of the 120-day legislative session, lawmakers have 374 bills out of 673 bills introduced that need action between now and midnight, May 8, when the session adjourns. The number of bills introduced in 2024 is the fifth highest in the last 25 years. Four sessions have had more than 700 bills, with 2003 at the high watermark, with 736. According to data from the Office of Legislative Legal Services, the House has introduced 462 bills, the Senate 211. The larger number for the House reflects not only its more members but also the fact that it took the lead on appropriations bills this year, including the state budget and dozens of related bills. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Caldara: Ex-Rep. Ken Buck leaves constituents without a voice in D.C., at worst possible time
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Approved, Commentary, completecolorado.com, State

Caldara: Ex-Rep. Ken Buck leaves constituents without a voice in D.C., at worst possible time

By Jon Caldara | Complete Colorado (You can listen to this column, read by the author, here.) The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has called for a vote on funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. He has done so at sizable professional risk. His isolationist Republicans might remove him from his leadership position for it. By the time you read this column, you’ll likely know how those votes went. As I write this, I have no idea. But I do know there’s one vote that could be wildly important, if only there were a representative to cast it. With Ken Buck’s resignation well before his term ends, he has left the voters of Colorado’s 4th Congressional District without a voice in government, and at a remarkably critical time. Not only is the ...
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House bill to add protections for victims of sexual assault signed into law
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

House bill to add protections for victims of sexual assault signed into law

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff A bipartisan bill offering increased protection for victims of sexual crime offenses has been signed into law by Lt. Gov. Diana Primavera, in the absence of Gov. Jared Polis. House Bill 1072, by Rep. Lisa Frizell, R-Castle Rock, and Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, adds protections in law for victims of sexual assault. The bill passed the House by a rare 63-2 vote, with only Democrat Reps. Judy Amabile and Elisabeth Epps opposed. “I am proud to be a part of this expansion to broaden protections for victims of sexual assault,” Frizell said in a statement. “This is a crucial step in promoting a fair and just legal system for victims and ensuring the blame is placed on the perpetrator, not the victim." Under current law, criminal rape shield laws ar...
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Rep. Armagost complains House Bill 1460 is ‘blatantly punitive for officers’
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Rep. Armagost complains House Bill 1460 is ‘blatantly punitive for officers’

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice Rep. Ryan Armagost, formerly a law enforcement officer, was critical Wednesday of a rushed process and lack of stakeholder involvement in House Bill 1460, titled "addressing measures to strengthen responses to law enforcement misconduct." The bill advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday and to the House floor by a 6-5 vote. "This bill was pretty blatantly designed to be punitive for officers," he said. "It is littered with punitive action without due process." The bill requires law enforcement agencies to respond to allegations of officer misconduct with an investigation, and officers are required to report allegations of misconduct by their peers. Should an officer fail to report, a Class 2 misdemeanor penalty could be a...
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Democrats advance first-in-the-nation gun bill, one mandating gun owners to purchase insurance
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Democrats advance first-in-the-nation gun bill, one mandating gun owners to purchase insurance

RMGO threatens to sue State of Colorado, others term it unconstitutional By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice The punishment Democrats will assess on Coloradans wishing to pursue their Constitutional right of gun ownership will be either the costs of an insurance policy or fines beginning at $500 for a first offense of not having firearm liability insurance, if House Bill 1270 passes. The bill was heard Wednesday in the Senate's State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee. "We need to make sure Coloradans have adequate insurance to carry firearms," said Denver Democrat Chris Hansen, the sponsor of the bill in the Senate. As with other gun-restricting laws presented this session by Democrats in the House and Senate, this one had substantially more opposition to the...
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Independents breaking for GOP’s Evans by 6 points in toss-up Colorado House district, polling says
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Approved, State, Washington Examiner

Independents breaking for GOP’s Evans by 6 points in toss-up Colorado House district, polling says

By Cami Mondeaux | Washington Examiner Independent voters in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District are leaning toward a Republican challenger to incumbent Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO), according to a GOP polling memo showing the freshman lawmaker in a vulnerable position in one of the most competitive races of the 2024 cycle.  Despite making history as the first Latina member to represent Colorado in Congress, a majority of voters in the district are either unfamiliar with Caraveo or have no opinion of her, according to the internal survey commissioned by the National Republican Congressional Committee. Roughly 23% of voters report having a favorable view of Caraveo compared to 16% who responded negatively, according to the poll, first shared with the Washin...
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Overbeck: Transgender fans try to kill parent’s rights and girls-only sports ballot initiatives 
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Overbeck: Transgender fans try to kill parent’s rights and girls-only sports ballot initiatives 

By Joy Overbeck | Guest Commentary The transgender craze infecting our schools and dumping many gender-confused young children headfirst into a bewildering pipeline of puberty-blocking drugs, hormone injections and eventually gender-mutilating surgery, is making progress in Colorado thanks to the legislature’s ruling Democrat majority.  A bill allowing children as young as kindergarten to change their names to an opposite-sex name without the school telling parents (HB24-1039) is awaiting the governor’s signature. The epic lie that children can reject their own bodies and instead “choose their preferred gender” can lead to tragedy as young people who have regretted their transitions are increasingly telling us.  But now concerned parents, grandparents and ordinary citize...
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What words can’t Colorado Republicans say in immigration debate? House Democratic leaders gave them list.
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

What words can’t Colorado Republicans say in immigration debate? House Democratic leaders gave them list.

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Colorado Republicans are accusing Democratic leaders of censorship, saying the latter have provided them with a list of words they are prohibited from using during floor debates. The list comes from a memo issued by the Biden Administration to the Executive Office for Immigration Review. According to the memo, the Library of Congress stopped using the term "illegal alien" in 2016 because it is was deemed pejorative, and several US Supreme Court cases have adopted the term "noncitizen" instead of "alien" because the latter term is associated with hate groups. The list provided to House Republicans includes terms such as "illegal," "alien," "invader(s)," "interloper," "squatter," and "fresh off the boat," and recommends using terms like "migrant...
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In November, voters will decide on adding economic transparency to ballot measures
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

In November, voters will decide on adding economic transparency to ballot measures

Initiative 77 is second on the ballot, 11 other measures a step away By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice Registered voters will be asked this fall whether the state should provide more economic transparency in relation to ballot measures, following the signature verification this week of Proposed Initiative No. 77, qualifying it for the ballot. The measure specifically asks, "Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes requiring that a summary of any qualifying economic impact statements for an initiative be placed on the ballot preceding the initiative's ballot question?" Specifically, if voters approve the measure, the state would at the minimum have to provide the effect a measure would have on state employment, the state's gross domestic product, and on ...
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The votes are in and here’s what Colorado lawmakers want to spend money on
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Approved, denvergazette.com, State

The votes are in and here’s what Colorado lawmakers want to spend money on

By Marianne Goodland | Denver Gazette The votes are in following House Democrats' new process for determining which bills would pass, assuming the money is there. The new process, as outlined by House and Senate Democrats in early April, replaces the "quadratic" voting system that a Denver District Court ruled in January is illegal.  Once the 2024-25 state budget headed back to the Joint Budget Committee, which came with a compromise version approved by both the House and Senate, lawmakers got to work voting on their priorities for the scant amount of money, relatively speaking, that they have to spend on new programs. The "set-aside" from the Joint Budget Committee, the panel of lawmakers that drafts the state's annual spending plan, is around $22 million, but some of tha...
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