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Old Divides Return as Colorado Lawmakers Brace for Contentious 2026 Session
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Old Divides Return as Colorado Lawmakers Brace for Contentious 2026 Session

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Grab your popcorn, it’s going to be an interesting 2026 legislative session in Colorado. There’s not much you can count on these days, but if you’ve been around the Capitol long enough, you’ve probably seen your fair share of disagreements, both friendly and unfriendly — and you can be sure you’ll see even more when the session is gavelled in on Jan. 14. Here are a few of the biggest battles already brewing amongst lawmakers ahead of the session. The urban-rural divide Nearly 80% of Colorado’s land is considered rural or frontier, but about 86% of the state’s population resides in urban areas, according to Census data. The rural minority has long felt excluded from major policy decisions, as many rural legislators ...
Colorado to Enforce New Gun Purchase and Ammunition Restrictions in 2026
KKTV 11, Approved, State

Colorado to Enforce New Gun Purchase and Ammunition Restrictions in 2026

By: Rachel Ramsey | KKTV 11 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Some of the new gun laws set to take effect in Colorado this summer have gotten mixed reactions. Those who support the new laws say they will improve public safety. Those against them say they infringe on Second Amendment rights. Senate Bill 25-003 has seen the most controversy. The law is set to take effect August 1, and will ban the purchase of certain semi-automatic firearms unless certain requirements are met. Those requirements include applying for a permit through your local sheriff’s office, then, if approved, taking gun courses. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT KKTV 11
If you’re not at the table: Why Matt Soper says counties need leverage now
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

If you’re not at the table: Why Matt Soper says counties need leverage now

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Unfunded mandates have become a flashpoint between Denver and Colorado’s counties, with local governments warning they are being asked to do more with less. State Rep. Matt Soper has been vocal in support of counties banding together through the Fix It or Fund It coalition.  He represents Delta and Mesa counties in the Colorado House and is serving his fourth term, with term limits preventing another run. The Delta County commissioner seat he is pursuing is also opening due to term limits. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent Delta and Mesa Counties in the Colorado House of Representatives,” Soper said in a campaign announcement. “As the pressures from Denver spill over into Delta County, it is important t...
Behind AG Weiser’s taxpayer-funded lawsuits against President Trump: Big claims, bigger costs
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Behind AG Weiser’s taxpayer-funded lawsuits against President Trump: Big claims, bigger costs

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Is AG Weiser’s taxpayer-funded Trump Resistance (TM) campaign not as successful as he’d like you to think? ****EDIT as of 1/7/2025. I had some readers on FB mention the link didn’t work. Just in case I added a link that should work below the original Progressive Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has gobbled up lots of our money to fund his Trump Resistance (TM) campaign. Gotta make sure to show those bona fides to his progressive Democratic base. Makes one wonder what his pivot will look like if he wins the primary. Hell, I wonder if he’ll even bother. I remember thinking that surely Jena Griswold would lose to Pam Anderson last Secretary of State election, but Griswold’s handy win clearly ...
Mark Baisley Launches U.S. Senate Bid, Shifts Focus From Statehouse to Washington
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Mark Baisley Launches U.S. Senate Bid, Shifts Focus From Statehouse to Washington

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado State Senator Mark Baisley has entered the race for U.S. Senate, ending his bid for governor and refocusing his campaign on federal policy decisions he says are driving affordability pressures and limiting Colorado’s ability to chart its own course. Baisley described the shift as a move from state-level problem solving to addressing issues he believes now originate in Washington. “I’m moving from being a state senator to a bigger stage in the United States Senate,” he said. He said his earlier campaign sharpened his view of where decisions affecting daily life are increasingly being made — and where he believes Colorado needs stronger representation. Cost of Living and Affordability ...
Colorado Residents Push Back After Xcel Power Shutoffs Disrupt Thousands
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado Residents Push Back After Xcel Power Shutoffs Disrupt Thousands

By Brian Maass | CBS Colorado More than 4,000 Coloradans have responded to a state survey regarding Xcel Energy's Public Safety Power Shutoffs last month during extreme wind events and another 160 have provided written feedback to the state's Public Utilities Commission. Most expressed dissatisfaction with Xcel's approach on Dec. 17 and Dec. 19, believing the utility overreacted, and many complained about what they perceive as Xcel's poor or confusing communication around the events. "It was the single most stressful event of my life," wrote one commenter on the commission's website, who headlined their post by saying, "there has to be a better way." Another commented that the PSPS events are "creating unreasonable and unnecessary hardship for resid...
16 Victims Identified in Disturbing Colorado Hypnosis Sexual Abuse Investigation of Former Teacher
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

16 Victims Identified in Disturbing Colorado Hypnosis Sexual Abuse Investigation of Former Teacher

By Sarah Horbacewicz | CBS Colorado A man who says he is one of at least sixteen victims in an elaborate and disturbing criminal ring that was busted in Colorado is hoping sharing his story could inspire other potential victims to come forward. On Tuesday, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office announced they had arrested former Colorado teacher and 39-year-old suspect, Patricio Illanes on Monday night. Illanes is facing 50 charges of sexual exploitation of a child after more than a decade of working with children. North Carolina resident Diego Pantojas told CBS Colorado he was 16 in 2022 when he joined communities online about hypnosis. But Pantojas says he quickly found himself in an inappropriate conversation with a man in his 30s in Colorado that was allegedly Illa...
Colorado Lawmakers Brace for Wave of Primary Challenges Ahead of 2026 Elections
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Lawmakers Brace for Wave of Primary Challenges Ahead of 2026 Elections

By: Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics As the 2026 election cycle begins, an unusually large number of Colorado lawmakers — many appointed through the vacancy process — are facing primary challenges that reflect deepening divisions within both major parties. But it isn’t only open seats that candidates are looking at: at least 14 current lawmakers, almost all in the House, are facing primary challenges from within their own parties. Six are lawmakers who began their legislative service through the vacancy process, including four who gained their seats in the past year.  On Monday, former Rep. Amy Parks, R-Loveland, announced she would challenge Rep. Ron Weinberg in House District 51. Parks was the partner of the late House Minority Leader Hugh McKean.&nb...
Federal Court Hits Colorado With $5.4 Million Bill Over Pro Life Clinic Ban
Life News, Approved, State

Federal Court Hits Colorado With $5.4 Million Bill Over Pro Life Clinic Ban

By Ryan Colby | Life News The State of Colorado must pay $5.4 million in attorneys’ fees to Becket following the state’s unconstitutional effort to outlaw abortion pill reversal. Becket represented Bella Health and Wellness, a Denver-area Catholic pro-life healthcare clinic, defending them against Colorado’s attempt to make it illegal for doctors and nurses to help women who take the first abortion pill but then decide to continue their pregnancies. A federal court found that Colorado’s attempt to ban abortion pill reversal violated the First Amendment. A federal law now requires the state to pay attorneys’ fees and court costs. “At least 18 moms who received abortion pill reversal care at Bella just celebrate...
Unelected Colorado board tightens landfill methane rules statewide
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Unelected Colorado board tightens landfill methane rules statewide

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project The Air Quality Control Council (AQCC) passes strict new regulations on landfill methane emissions. I wanted to update an earlier story about the unelected AQCC mulling rules about methane emissions for landfills. Per the Sun article linked at bottom, last month the 9 member board (with only 6 of them voting) finalized rules for landfills around the entire state.You read that right. 6 people on a Zoom meeting made decisions for you. 6 people who you cannot vote out.Since it’s a Sun article by advocate Michael Booth, there is ample space given to environmentalists with a couple words from those that disagreed tossed in, all of which I’ll leave for you to read over, but there are a couple details noteworthy en...

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