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In 75th session, 6 of 10 Colorado Senate committees have one-seat Democratic majority
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

In 75th session, 6 of 10 Colorado Senate committees have one-seat Democratic majority

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Senate leaders on Friday announced committee assignments for the 2025 session that begins on January 8. There will be 10 committees in the 2025 session, six of which will have a narrow one-seat majority, according to Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver, and Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument.  Democrats retained 23 seats following the November election, while Republicans held onto 12.  Only 20 members of the Democratic caucus are assigned to committees; 11 out of 12 Republicans have committee assignments. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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23 Colorado cities must replace at least 20,000 lead pipes that could taint drinking water, survey finds
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

23 Colorado cities must replace at least 20,000 lead pipes that could taint drinking water, survey finds

By Jerd Smith | The Colorado Sun A new statewide survey shows that 23 Colorado cities have aging lead water delivery pipes, roughly 20,000 of them, that could potentially taint drinking water.  Under federal rules, those cities must identify all contaminated pipes and replace them by 2037, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. But the initial survey, completed in October, also found that 170,000 additional water lines still need to be examined. Cities that have untested water delivery pipes are notifying customers of the risk and have November of next year to finish the identification process, according to Seth Clayton, executive director of Pueblo Water. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Commission approves ‘extremely aggressive’ emissions cuts for midstream oil & gas sector
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Approved, State, The Sum & Substance

Commission approves ‘extremely aggressive’ emissions cuts for midstream oil & gas sector

By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance Colorado air-quality regulators on Friday approved the state’s first emissions-reduction rules for the midstream sector of the oil-and-gas industry — rules that officials acknowledged will be expensive to comply with but said are necessary to curb pollution. During a two-day hearing, energy companies warned that the 20.5% reduction in emissions versus 2015 levels come at too high a price — an estimated $86.3 million per year in sector-wide compliance costs that would rise if the sector experienced significant growth. Meanwhile, environmental groups argued that the rules fell short of achieving the emissions cuts called for in the state’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap and don’t guarantee substantial help for disproportion...
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Colorado approves $10M in incentives; largest award aims to poach major solar factory
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Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Colorado approves $10M in incentives; largest award aims to poach major solar factory

By Bernadette Berdychowski | Denver Gazette The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved more than $10 million in tax incentives Thursday to three companies looking to expand along the Front Range. The largest incentive of $6.25 million was awarded to an unnamed solar manufacturer looking for other options to build its first solar cell factory under the code name “Project Phoenix.” It’s considering developing in El Paso County, in or near Colorado Springs. The EDC typically keeps the names of companies seeking incentives confidential in the competitive process to attract businesses from going to other states. At Thursday’s EDC meeting, Hari Achuthan spoke on behalf of Project Phoenix. Achuthan is the CEO and founder of solar manufacturer Convalt Energy. READ THE FULL S...
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Colorado’s budget deficit may be smaller than the $1 billion hole originally predicted
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado’s budget deficit may be smaller than the $1 billion hole originally predicted

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun Colorado’s state budget deficit next year is forecast to be about $250 million smaller than previously anticipated, economic prognosticators told state lawmakers Thursday, news that will make carrying out a fiscal trapeze act slightly easier.  Nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff and the Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting, which presented their quarterly budget and economic forecasts Thursday to the Joint Budget Committee, said the state budget hole is more like $750 million, if not lower. That’s down from the roughly $1 billion hole originally estimated for the fiscal year that begins July 1 if the JBC maintained its current spending plans. The deficit is being caused by a number of factors, including decre...
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Coyote killed near the child attack in Colorado Springs had human DNA on its paws, wildlife officers say
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Coyote killed near the child attack in Colorado Springs had human DNA on its paws, wildlife officers say

By Tracy Ross | The Colorado Sun Human DNA found on the paws of one of two coyotes killed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife suggests the animal was the one that attacked a child in Colorado Springs on Thanksgiving.  The capture comes after weeks of CPW trapping multiple coyotes in and around the northern Colorado Springs neighborhood where the attack occurred when the girl and a friend approached the animal hoping to feed it after mistaking it for a dog.  CPW spokesperson Bill Vogrin offered no details on how the coyote’s paws still had DNA on them three weeks after the attack, citing an ongoing investigation.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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At odds over union law, business and labor groups sharpen arguments ahead of Capitol fight
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

At odds over union law, business and labor groups sharpen arguments ahead of Capitol fight

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics As the fight over proposed changes to an 80-year-old labor law takes shape, unions and businesses have begun sharpening their arguments, with both sides notably claiming their approach is best for Colorado's economy.    Indeed, the two sides are pointing to economic reports and studies in an effort to strengthen their position among lawmakers ahead of next year's legislative session. At least one legislative leader said she wants both sides to have a say in any effort to change the labor law. Established in 1943, the law, called the Labor Peace Act, governs unionization and collective bargaining agreements. While the other 49 states are either "right to work" states — meaning employees aren't required to union be members or to pay...
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The ‘Bustang’ now connects from Sterling to DIA with low-cost fare
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

The ‘Bustang’ now connects from Sterling to DIA with low-cost fare

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Those residing along Interstate 76 on the Eastern Plains of Colorado are used to long commutes to Front Range destinations to meet their needs from shopping and groceries, to work and travel. An announcement by the Colorado Department of Transportation has the potential to make the amenities of Denver feel a little closer. CDOT announced this month the addition of a Denver International Airport stop at Gate 1 of the DEN Hotel Transit Center — near the RTD’s A-Line train and other bus stops and with quick access to the main DIA terminal — by using the Bustang Outrider service from Sterling on a route which also includes service to Union Station. "This is an important service to have, especially for those who don't have vehicles," Fort Morgan C...
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In less than two weeks, new law banning hand-held phone use while driving goes into effect
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Approved, Fox21, State

In less than two weeks, new law banning hand-held phone use while driving goes into effect

By Sarah Ferguson | Fox 21 News Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, a new hands-free law will go into effect in Colorado, banning the use of hand-held phones while driving. The new law expands upon the state’s distracted driving law beyond just texting, and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) wants to ensure drivers understand the consequences. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 21 NEWS
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Colorado wildlife officials omit crucial portion of law as they defend wolf funding
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado wildlife officials omit crucial portion of law as they defend wolf funding

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics The hunt for coins in the couch cushions — the Colorado General Assembly's budget crafters are scrambling to find hundreds of millions of dollars to cover a shortfall projected for the 2025-26 budget and are eyeing wolf funding as a potential area to cut — is getting pushback from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. And the agency has now resorted to omitting a crucial portion of the law that mandated the wolves' reintroduction as it seeks to persuade lawmakers to fund Colorado's reintroduction program. Lawmakers have noticed that omission.   The issue is whether to fund the wolf reintroduction program in the 2025-26 budget year or save the $2.1 million in general fund dollars appropriated annually for the program. READ T...
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