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Meet the new (and not so new) faces of the 2025 legislative session
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
Colorado GOP calls voters into action against Jena Griswold’s cover-up of password leak
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...
Second portrait of President-elect Trump will not be purchased for Colorado capitol
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...
Parents plead for dyslexia screening mandate, and some Colorado education officials are on board
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
Caldara: Polis, Dems prefer Trump win Colorado’s electoral votes
Approved, Commentary, completecolorado.com, State

Caldara: Polis, Dems prefer Trump win Colorado’s electoral votes

By Jon Caldara | Complete Colorado Yet again the voters of Colorado pummeled Donald Trump at the ballot box. He lost here by an audacious 12%. I have a question for the majority of Coloradans who didn’t want him as president: How do you feel about Colorado’s 10 Electoral College votes going to President-elect Trump instead of Vice President Kamala Harris? Voters of our hardcore blue state despise Trump and came out in very large numbers to voice their hatred of the man. And yet, our 10 electoral votes from Colorado will go to…Trump. So, you with Trump Derangement Syndrome, is this what you wanted? READ THE FULL STORY AT COMPLETE COLORADO Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the ma...
Appeals court limits e-scooter companies’ liability for injuries caused by negligent users
Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Appeals court limits e-scooter companies’ liability for injuries caused by negligent users

By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics, via Denver Gazette Colorado's second-highest court ruled on Thursday that electric scooter companies cannot be held liable simply for making scooters available to users who, in turn, cause injuries to others. Answering the question for the first time, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals stressed that, even though e-scooter providers have no general duty to protect third parties from their users, there could be specific scenarios in which companies can be held responsible — for example, by renting to a customer known to be dangerous. "We express no opinion on the existence and scope of a company’s duty to third parties in circumstances not alleged in this case. Nor do we consider the nature of any duty Lime might owe to the users ...
Wyatts Towing has new owners after agreeing to $1 million settlement with Colorado
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Wyatts Towing has new owners after agreeing to $1 million settlement with Colorado

By Melissa Reeves | via Colorado Politics A towing company that agreed to pay $1 million as part of a settlement with Colorado's attorney general's office for predatory towing practices is under new management. Last week, the Colorado attorney general's office announced thousands of victims of illegal towing will receive restitution checks in the mail, following a $1 million settlement with Wyatts Towing. The office announced the settlement last year, which resolved a state investigation into "illegally collected fees, unlicensed towing, and other unfair and deceptive business practices," the office said. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
Colorado House Republicans celebrate election of Keltie, Woog in elimination of Dems’ supermajority
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Colorado House Republicans celebrate election of Keltie, Woog in elimination of Dems’ supermajority

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado House Republicans are celebrating the election of Rebecca Keltie and Dan Woog in their close District 16 and 19 races, which would erase Democrats' supermajority in the House. https://twitter.com/COHouseGOP/status/1857283274801877188 As of Friday morning, Keltie held a 7-vote lead over Democrat Steph Vigil in the District 16 race in El Paso County. Also, Woog has a 123-vote lead over Democrat Jillaire McMillan in the District 19 race in Boulder and Weld counties. The victories would give Republicans 22 seats in the 65-seat Colorado House of Representatives. “Colorado voters spoke loudly, supporting two common-sense leaders in Dan Woog and Rebecca Keltie,” House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese said in a statement, declaring both...
Boebert, Hurd commit to seamless transition in 3rd District U.S. House leadership
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Boebert, Hurd commit to seamless transition in 3rd District U.S. House leadership

By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado Republicans have had some inner-party drama this year. But, teamwork is possible. U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert and U.S. Rep.-elect Jeff Hurd are proving it. In a joint press release, the two pledge a smooth transition of leadership for Colorado's 3rd U.S. House District. Boebert presently serves in the seat. Hurd will serve in the seat come January. They both express confidence in each other and their teams. “As legislators wrap up our work for the 118th Congress, it is critically important that the people of Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District experience a smooth transition of representation as Congressman-elect Jeff Hurd begins his term in January,” says Boebert. The congresswoman highlights ongoing collaboration, not...
‘CDOT is going to have to answer some hard questions’: Former, current congressmen want answers on failures
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘CDOT is going to have to answer some hard questions’: Former, current congressmen want answers on failures

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Former State Sen. Ray Scott has been trying to hold the Colorado Department of Transportation accountable for more than a decade, even staying engaged on the issue after leaving office. “We have had too many people killed on Colorado highways in the last few years, and this year has had devastating consequences to too many families,” Scott said. Now, he's being joined by the Colorado Republican delegation in Congress, with a letter led and authored by U.S. Rep. Greg Lopez, to find solutions. In June 2024, two women, Candace Smith and Trinity Hasse, were killed on Highway 550 near Montrose when they stopped for flaggers in a CDOT work zone and were hit from behind by a speeding vehicle.  Three additional people were inju...