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Initiative 362 Would Require Added Identity Check on Colorado Mail Ballots
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Initiative 362 Would Require Added Identity Check on Colorado Mail Ballots

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office said Wednesday that the supporters of Initiative 362 turned in a sufficient number of voter signatures to get the question on this year’s ballot, Colorado voters will be asked in November whether to amend the state constitution to require that people verify their identity when submitting mail ballots by including the last four digits of their Social Security number or their full driver’s license or state ID number.  The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office said Wednesday that the supporters of Initiative 362 turned in a sufficient number of voter signatures to get the question on this year’s ballot. Under the measure, local election judges would be forced to dismiss ballots wit...
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Loveland Sculptor Gifts Jefferson Statue to White House for America’s 250th Anniversary
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Loveland Sculptor Gifts Jefferson Statue to White House for America’s 250th Anniversary

By The Associated Press | The Colorado Sun Colorado sculptor George Lundeen gifts decades-old piece to White House as part of country’s 250th anniversary celebration. WASHINGTON — Instead of adding new roses, President Donald Trump’s White House Rose Garden is growing statues. And one of them comes courtesy of a well-known Loveland sculptor. Trump put statues of some of America’s founders in the garden just off the Oval Office after he replaced its plush lawn with a white stone patio, turning the historic outdoor space into a look-alike of the one at his Mar-a-Lago home and private club in Palm Beach, Florida. At least one statue was a gift. Others are on loan from people who wish to remain anonymous. The latest addition, a bronze de...
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New Federal Rule Ends Medicaid Funding for Some Youth Gender Treatments in Colorado
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

New Federal Rule Ends Medicaid Funding for Some Youth Gender Treatments in Colorado

By John Ingold | The Colorado Sun The new rule blocks federal dollars from being spent on the care. The change will affect hundreds of transgender youth in Colorado. Colorado will suspend Medicaid coverage for hormone therapy and other gender-affirming care for transgender youth due to a new federal rule, the state agency that oversees the program said. The rule, finalized earlier this month, blocks federal funds from being used to pay for the care for youth. Specifically, the rule applies to coverage for people under 18 who are covered by Medicaid and people under 19 who are covered by a companion program called CHIP, which in Colorado is known as CHP+. The rule affects coverage for hormone therapy and puberty blockers, as well as other procedures. It do...
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Denver’s 2028 Convention Bid Advances as Democrats Narrow Field to Three Cities
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Denver’s 2028 Convention Bid Advances as Democrats Narrow Field to Three Cities

By Mike Catalini | The Colorado Sun A final decision is expected to be made later this year by party leaders. Democrats on Thursday narrowed the list of potential host cities for their 2028 presidential convention to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia as their party looks ahead to a wide-open primary to succeed President Donald Trump. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement the cities put forward “incredibly strong bids,” and he promised the convention would be an “inspiring celebration of our party’s future nominee.” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston celebrated the news. “We are honored that Denver has advanced as one of the top three candidates to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention,” he said in a writt...
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Xcel Electric Bills Rise Again as Colorado Regulators Approve $157 Million Increase
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Xcel Electric Bills Rise Again as Colorado Regulators Approve $157 Million Increase

By Mark Jaffe | The Colorado Sun The state Public Utilities Commission cut Xcel Energy’s original rate hike request but the utility could ask for a rehearing. Xcel Energy received approval from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday for a $157 million electricity rate increase that will raise the average residential bill by about $5 a month. The average residential bill for 601 kilowatt hours will rise to $109.92 a month from $104.91. When Xcel Energy originally filed the rate request in 2025 it said the average monthly bill was about $100. The average bill for small commercial customers will rise a little less than 5% to $164.37 a month for 1,041 kilowatt-hours. The parties to the rate case, including Xcel Energy, the state Office o...
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Colorado’s Citizen Initiative Process Faces Growing Influence From Deep Pockets
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Colorado’s Citizen Initiative Process Faces Growing Influence From Deep Pockets

By Colleen Slevin | The Colorado Sun High cost of getting a measure on the ballot has given wealthy interests more power to push their agendas. Colorado loves its ballot questions, ranking among the top states for the most on the ballot. But voters also like to say no — a lot. In the over 100 years that Colorado voters have been able to petition to put questions on the state’s ballot, only 36% of the 256 questions that made it on the ballot have passed, according to a tally by the state legislature. Questions referred to the ballot by state lawmakers have done better, passing nearly 60% of the time. Between 1960 and 2024, Colorado had the third highest number of voter-initiated ballot measures, behind California and Oregon, according to John Mat...
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Children’s Hospital Denies Violating Court Order In Colorado Gender Care Lawsuit
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Children’s Hospital Denies Violating Court Order In Colorado Gender Care Lawsuit

By: John Ingold | The Colorado Sun The hospital is accused of violating an order stemming from the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling that it resume prescriptions for transgender youth. Children’s Hospital Colorado on Monday pleaded not guilty to allegations it has violated a court order to resume gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The plea came during a brief hearing in Denver District Court, during which Judge Ericka F. H. Englert scheduled a multiday trial in mid-September to determine whether Children’s should be held in contempt. Children’s is being sued by four transgender youth and their families who say the hospital discriminated against them when it stopped writing prescriptions to patients under the age of 18 for the purposes of gender-affirmi...
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Colorado Faces Long Fire Season As Crews Gain Momentum On Major Blazes
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Colorado Faces Long Fire Season As Crews Gain Momentum On Major Blazes

By Justin George | The Colorado Sun Procession along I-70 scheduled Monday for pilot killed fighting Gold Mountain fire. On Sunday, firefighters worked across Colorado and prepped for monsoon weather. As firefighters work to fortify containment lines on wildfires burning across Colorado, a procession is set for Monday to escort the body of helicopter pilot Nicholas Dale from Montrose to Denver International Airport.  Dale, 56, of Canada died July 12 when his helicopter crashed into Silver Jack Reservoir while fighting the Gold Mountain fire near Ouray.  A small convoy of about 10 emergency vehicles is scheduled to leave Montrose at 7 a.m. Monday from Cripping Funeral Home and will travel north to Grand Junction then east on Interstate ...
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Colorado Wildlife Commission Sets New Limits on Fur Bearer Harvest While Rejecting Fur Sale Ban
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Colorado Wildlife Commission Sets New Limits on Fur Bearer Harvest While Rejecting Fur Sale Ban

By Tracy Ross | The Colorado Sun The commission voted 6-5 to set daily bag limits to two animals per person for 17 species. Colorado trappers can no longer kill unlimited numbers of fur-bearing animals including mink, bobcat and coyote after the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted to limit them to two animals per species per day at its monthly meeting in Ignacio on Thursday.   The vote came after months of fighting between animal advocacy and pro-hunting groups, and the decision went against a recommendation by CPW staff and Director Laura Clellan, who had recommended a daily limit of four to 15 animals depending on species.  The new limit will affect a small number of hunters or trappers, as the vast majority of trappers take...
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Fewer Homes for Sale Fail to Spark Denver Housing Demand
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, Local

Fewer Homes for Sale Fail to Spark Denver Housing Demand

By: Tamara Chuang | The Colorado Sun More sellers are taking homes off the market to relist them later. Denver has one of the highest rates of relisted homes. As spring revved up for the start of the home-selling season in metro Denver, something seemed missing: There were fewer houses for sale compared with the prior spring. In April, the number of active listings for single-family homes fell 14.2% from April 2025. In May, it was off by 20.5%. And last month, active listings were down 21.1% or about 3,000 homes. Meanwhile, home sales have been subdued, with year-to-date sales in the Denver area up just 0.2% from last year. June’s median price was flat, up 1.6% in a year to $650,000. Less supply, apparently, has not resulted in ...
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