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6% of Colorado land is supposed to be protected by conservation easements. But who enforces them?
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6% of Colorado land is supposed to be protected by conservation easements. But who enforces them?

By Jerd Smith | The Colorado Sun The landscape of sprawling pastures dotted with ponderosa pines and towering square buttes that bridges Interstate 25 south of Castle Rock and north of Monument is vast, quiet and largely undeveloped. Colorado voters wanted it that way 25 years ago when conservation groups, a former governor and a billionaire stepped in to forever protect this high-profile corridor from future development. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Citing overreach by Democrats, Sen. Mark Baisley becomes second Republican to enter race for governor
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Citing overreach by Democrats, Sen. Mark Baisley becomes second Republican to enter race for governor

By Bente Birkeland | The Colorado Sun The list of Republicans aiming for Colorado’s top office is growing. Two current statehouse Republicans have officially entered the race for governor in 2026, when Democratic Gov. Jared Polis is term limited. Colorado has not elected a Republican governor since Bill Owens handily defeated a Democrat in 2002.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Does Colorado get back more or less than it spends in federal taxes?
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Does Colorado get back more or less than it spends in federal taxes?

By John Ingold | The Colorado Sun If you ever feel like you may be in a one-sided relationship with the federal government come tax season, there’s a chance you’re right. It’s not you, it’s them. The focus lately on federal spending cuts has highlighted the importance that massive amounts of federal money play in all 50 states. But there’s another perspective to this issue: For some states, the amount they receive back in federal funding is less than what they pay in taxes. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Sen. Michael Bennet is ‘very, very seriously’ considering Democratic run for governor, senior aides say
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Sen. Michael Bennet is ‘very, very seriously’ considering Democratic run for governor, senior aides say

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is “very, very seriously” considering a run for Colorado governor in 2026, according to two senior aides, as he contemplates how to most effectively push back against the Trump administration.  The aides spoke Friday to The Colorado Sun on the condition of anonymity to relay personal conversations they’ve had with Bennet. The staffers said Bennet has been making phone calls to Colorado political and civic leaders as he mulls his decision.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Crisanta Duran, a former Colorado House speaker, jumps into 2026 race for attorney general
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Crisanta Duran, a former Colorado House speaker, jumps into 2026 race for attorney general

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun Democrat Crisanta Duran, a former speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, announced Thursday morning that she will run next year to be Colorado’s attorney general.  “I’m running for attorney general because I am committed to ensuring that every Coloradan is safe, healthy and economically secure,” Duran said in a written statement. “Like many Coloradans, I’m deeply concerned about the future of our country and know that a new path forward is required in times like these when it can seem as though nothing is sacred.” If elected, Duran said she would “work to protect consumers, increase affordability, combat corruption and stand up to greed.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Rural Colorado schools already hurting for resources could be choked by proposed funding cuts
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Rural Colorado schools already hurting for resources could be choked by proposed funding cuts

By Erica Breunlin | The Colorado Sun Like many of Colorado’s school districts, particularly those in rural areas, Hinsdale County School District RE-1 in Lake City keeps its classrooms humming with a bare-bones, but scrappy, staff.  There’s the English teacher who also instructs AP courses and offers drama and personal finance classes; the social studies teacher who also teaches concurrent enrollment classes so high schoolers can earn college credits; and the school counselor who doubles as a licensed teacher, managing courses in cybersecurity, career and technical education and concurrent enrollment. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Do just 2 in 5 Colorado fourth graders meet expectations in math?
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Do just 2 in 5 Colorado fourth graders meet expectations in math?

By Por Jaijongkit | The Colorado Sun Around 42% of fourth graders in public schools tested at or above their grade level in math in standardized testing. Results come from the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress, administered to fourth and eighth graders once every two years.  The NAEP measures whether students can demonstrate grade-level proficiency and apply their knowledge to real-world situations.  Colorado’s average fourth grade math score was 239 out of 500, compared with the national average of 237. The percentage of students scoring at or above grade level rose to 42% from 36% in 2022.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Shutting down the Colorado Youth Advisory Council would save about $50k a year
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Shutting down the Colorado Youth Advisory Council would save about $50k a year

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun The Colorado legislature, as part of its efforts to close a budget hole of more than $1 billion, is planning to axe a nearly two-decade program that enlists teenagers from across the state to help draft and offer input on bills. Shutting down the Colorado Youth Advisory Council would save about $50,000 a year. That’s a relatively paltry amount, but it’s meant to send a message that costs must be trimmed wherever possible.  The cut foreshadows the big, and often painful, line-item reductions the legislature will have to make in the coming weeks. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Colorado’s budget hole is now $1.2 billion, as Medicaid costs continue to climb
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Colorado’s budget hole is now $1.2 billion, as Medicaid costs continue to climb

By Brian Eason | The Colorado Sun Colorado’s looming budget shortfall just keeps getting worse. In a letter to the Joint Budget Committee this week, state officials said Colorado will need to spend an additional $73 million on Medicaid this budget year, which ends June 30, as demand for health services continues to surge beyond the administration’s expectations. Costs are expected to continue to rise next budget year, when the state now expects to spend $86 million more than previous estimates. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Ballot measure to overturn Colorado wolf reintroduction clears title board in first hurdle
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Ballot measure to overturn Colorado wolf reintroduction clears title board in first hurdle

By Jason Blevins | The Colorado Sun Wolf reintroduction could return to the Colorado ballot next year.  The Colorado Secretary of State’s Title Board on Wednesday approved language for a proposed ballot measure that would ask voters in 2026 to end the reintroduction of gray wolves by the end of that year.  “The only thing we are doing with this ballot measure is asking voters to approve a day where wolves would no longer be introduced in Colorado by humans,” said Stan VanderWerf, a former El Paso County commissioner who helped write the ballot measure. “This proposal does not make any other changes to state or provisions that address the management of wolves or reimbursement for depredation. It’s a very simple proposal.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE ...
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