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In a shifting of chairs, Republican parties have new leadership in many Colorado counties
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

In a shifting of chairs, Republican parties have new leadership in many Colorado counties

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice The only constant in life is said to be change. That certainly is the way it may feel for those in a number of county Republican parties around Colorado. From El Paso to Weld to Washington counties and other places dotting the map, new party leadership has been put in place during biennial reorganization, and more could be. In Adams County, both U.S. Reps. Lauren Boebert and Gabe Evans spoke before Laura Garcia-Pascoe was elected as the new county Republican chairwoman. "Let’s win big together this cycle," wrote Boebert in a Facebook post and photo with Garcia-Pascoe, after her election. On Monday, during his weekly grassroots call, former Sen. Kevin Lundberg noted Sandra Aste had been named the Larimer County chair. "I am really exc...
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HB 1131, lifting cap on CSU veterinary students, among three bills in each chamber getting second readings Tuesday
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HB 1131, lifting cap on CSU veterinary students, among three bills in each chamber getting second readings Tuesday

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice A bipartisan bill aimed at lifting the artificial cap on students who may enroll in Colorado State's veterinary program will get a second reading and potentially a preliminary vote on Tuesday, Feb. 11, in the Colorado House. House Bill 25-1131, by Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson and Sen. Byron Pelton and joined by Democrat Rep. Andrew Boesenecker and Sen. Cathy Kipp, lifts the enrollment cap at a time when both small and large animal veterinarians are at a shortage throughout the state, especially in Eastern Colorado where two of the legislators represent. The bill passed the House Education Committee on Feb. 6 with a rare 13-0 vote. The House convenes at 9 a.m. The House will also hear second readings on two Democrat-led bills — HB 25-1010,...
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Whooping cough cases nearly tripled in Colorado during 2024, per CDC data
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Whooping cough cases nearly tripled in Colorado during 2024, per CDC data

By Jacob Factor | KDVR-TV Fox 31 News Whooping cough cases are rising across the country and in Colorado, with a nearly 270% increase in Colorado between 2023 and 2024, according to provisional Centers for Disease Control data. Nationally, cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, increased from just over 7,000 cases in 2023 to nearly 35,500 cases in 2024, according to the CDC’s provisional 2024 report. The 2023 provisional report shows Colorado had 244 cases then, while 2024 saw 655 reported cases. According to the CDC’s website, the U.S. is returning to “pre-pandemic patterns where more than 10,000 cases are typically reported each year.” The CDC says public health authorities focus on protecting people at the highest risk for serious illness. READ THE ...
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Colorado legislators, homebuilders look to new bill to standardize building codes
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Approved, CBS Colorado, State

Colorado legislators, homebuilders look to new bill to standardize building codes

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado Despite historic investments in affordable housing in Colorado, home ownership remains out of reach for many people. While the state has increased manufactured home production by 687% over the last three years, Colorado's building codes, which vary from one city to the next, remain a barrier. Now some state lawmakers want to remove that barrier. There are more than 300 different sets of regulations across the state. One city may want all outlets to the left of the studs, while another may want them on the right. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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House bill to allow Colorado’s public universities to compensate student-athletes passes committee
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

House bill to allow Colorado’s public universities to compensate student-athletes passes committee

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics The bill updating Colorado's laws on public collegiate sports "name, image and likeness" (NIL) passed the House Education Committee Thursday, but not without significant opposition. House Bill 1041 would allow a public institution of higher education or athletic association to compensate a student-athlete for using their name, image, or likeness in branding or marketing for the institution. HB 1041 passed on a 9-4 vote and now heads to the full House. But the bill's second section, carving out a new exception to the state's open records law, has drawn the most scrutiny. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Colorado honors Korean War veterans with resolution on Military Appreciation Day
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado honors Korean War veterans with resolution on Military Appreciation Day

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Military, Veterans, and POW/MIA Appreciation Day is an annual event at the state Capitol in early February. It is a day for lawmakers in both chambers to recognize the sacrifices of Colorado's servicemen and women in combat. Traditionally, that's included joint resolutions on Military Appreciation Day, plus nine more recognizing Gold Star families, the USS Pueblo, the Tenth Mountain Division, the anniversary of World War II, appreciation for veterans of the Vietnam War and Persian Gulf conflict, and resolutions saluting the service of Latino/a, Native American, and African American veterans. What has never been recognized in that annual remembrance: service by those who fought in the Korean War. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Is Senate Bill 3 already on death’s door? Anti-gun bill had to be laid over again in Senate
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Is Senate Bill 3 already on death’s door? Anti-gun bill had to be laid over again in Senate

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Senate Bill 25-003, the much-maligned bill that some have said would make Colorado the most anti-gun state in the country, can't seem to get the support it needs to clear the Democrat-controlled state Senate. Support for the bill appeared to have collapsed again Friday before a second reading and preliminary vote, as it was laid over until Feb. 13. The bill was introduced Jan. 8, cleared by a Democrat-led committee Jan. 28 and Friday was laid over for the second time. If passed, SB 3, led by Democrat Sens. Tom Sullivan and Julie Gonzales and sponsored by Democrat Reps. Andrew Boesenecker and Meg Froelich, explicitly prohibits the manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale and purchase of common-use, gas-operated semi-auto rifles or shotguns an...
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Partisan Colorado Senate resolution to be introduced Monday condemning Trump, J6 pardons
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Partisan Colorado Senate resolution to be introduced Monday condemning Trump, J6 pardons

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice A partisan, Democrat-led resolution condemning pardons issued for all involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, protests in Washington, D.C., is expected to be introduced Monday in the Colorado Senate. Senate Joint Resolution 25-006, led by Democrat Sens. Nick Hinrichsen and Matt Ball and prime-sponsored by Democrat Reps. Sean Camacho and Michael Carter, is a measure overtly blaming President Donald J. Trump for the protests. "Following President Trump's speech at The Ellipse, rally attendees marched to the U.S. Capitol and many began rioting, with official FBI estimates concluding that between 2,000 and 2,500 people forcibly and illegally breached the Capitol," the measure reads, noting "many scholars" described the event as an "attempted self-coup" and...
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Support grows for HB 1135, establishing cell phone policy in Colorado schools
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The Center Square, Approved, State

Support grows for HB 1135, establishing cell phone policy in Colorado schools

By Elyse Apel | The Center Square Following initiatives in other states, bipartisan legislation is making its way through the Colorado House requiring schools to regulate cell phone and smartwatch usage during the school day. While House Bill 1135 does require that schools decide on a specific policy on student use of a “communication device,” it does not specify what that policy should be. Five Democrats and two Republicans have signed onto the legislation, which was assigned to the House Education Committee. It will be considered by the committee on Feb. 13. Legislators supporting the bill said it strikes a good middle ground on the issue of phones in schools. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE CENTER SQUARE
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HB 1005, a $34M tax break for Sunset Film Festival, advances despite Rep. DeGraaf’s concern it is ‘disincentive’ to existing taxpayers
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

HB 1005, a $34M tax break for Sunset Film Festival, advances despite Rep. DeGraaf’s concern it is ‘disincentive’ to existing taxpayers

'This is not my hometown. I'm seeing my constituents' money going to a tax incentive that benefits your hometown, while Boulder is taxing itself out of viability.' — Rep. Ken DeGraaf By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice The appropriateness of a tax-credit incentive offered by the state, benefiting a single community and in recruitment of an external entity while ignoring struggling tax-paying entities in that community and other areas of the state, was the discussion of a Colorado House committee Thursday. House Bill 25-1005, by Democrat Reps. Brianna Titone and Julie McCluskie and sponsored by Democrat Sen. Judy Amabile and Republican Sen. Mark Baisley, incentivizing the Sundance Film Festival to relocate to Boulder, was advanced on a 7-6 largely party-line vote, with all commi...
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