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Colorado Lawmakers Advance Painful Budget Cuts Amid Billion Dollar Shortfall
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Lawmakers Advance Painful Budget Cuts Amid Billion Dollar Shortfall

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette The panel of Colorado legislators in charge of crafting next year’s budget has finalized the 2026–27 spending plan built on deep cuts and one‑time cash transfers in an attempt to close a shortfall of more than $1.2 billion. The plan is leaving lawmakers frustrated with the reductions to core services. Some cited cuts to health care programs for children and families, though others argued the spending plan “protects what matters most.” That $1.2 billion figure comes from the governor’s economic forecast. The legislature’s economists, however, warned of an even bigger deficit at around $1.5 billion. A combination of factors have led to Colorado’s budget woes. Democrats have pointed to the congressional budget approved last...
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Douglas County Launches Red Tape Reduction Task Force To Speed Commercial Development
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Douglas County Launches Red Tape Reduction Task Force To Speed Commercial Development

By Nicholas Fogleman | The Denver Gazette Douglas County kicked off its first Red Tape Reduction Task Force Thursday aimed at speeding up commercial and industrial development timelines in the county, a move leaders said is necessary to keep the county competitive with other regions nationwide. The task force will review the county’s development and regulatory processes to identify permitting “hurdles” in an effort to attract and retain businesses. Douglas County Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle said delays can stem from a range of issues, including complex regulatory requirements or delays with referral agencies. “Sometimes it might be securing power or water for a project and what that looks like. Other times, it could just be administrative hurdles that are unne...
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Colorado Medicaid Chief Resigns Amid Bipartisan Outcry Over Costs And Mismanagement
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Medicaid Chief Resigns Amid Bipartisan Outcry Over Costs And Mismanagement

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette Colorado’s top Medicaid official stepped down on Monday, just as a bipartisan bloc of state senators prepared to formally urge Gov. Jared Polis to remove her over what they called years of mismanagement, waste and costly errors inside the state’s largest agency. One legislator seeking the resignation of Kim Bimestefer, executive direct or of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, called the leadership change a “necessary step toward accountability.” Bimestefer had been under fire from critics, who questioned how health officials have remained in their roles amid what they described as mismanagement at the state Medicaid program, which is beset by allegations of fraud, abuse and runaway spending. The program’...
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Lawsuit Fallout Could Cost Turnberry Residents Millions In New Taxes
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Lawsuit Fallout Could Cost Turnberry Residents Millions In New Taxes

By Sage Kelley | The Denver Gazette Homeowners of a small neighborhood in Commerce City remain confused and irate about the future of their property taxes in the aftermath of a lawsuit between the metropolitan district where they live and a bank. The conflict stems from a 2023 lawsuit in which UMB Bank in its capacity as trustee, alleged the BNC2 Metropolitan District No. 2 was improperly diverting property tax revenue for “administration and operations,” rather than paying back the bonds on which the property taxes were assessed. BNC2, a metro district of about 330 homes, oversees one-third of the Turnberry development. Other lawsuits between three metro districts alleged the administrator overseeing BNC2 at the time — and many other metro districts — took cont...
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Drought Conditions Prompt Water Use Warnings Across Douglas County
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Drought Conditions Prompt Water Use Warnings Across Douglas County

By Nicholas Fogleman | The Denver Gazette Three Douglas County water providers are urging residents to conserve water as the region emerges from a warm, dry winter that has strained water resources. Castle Rock Water, Highlands Ranch Water and Parker Water & Sanitation asked customers to use water wisely and avoid unnecessary waste as irrigation season approaches, according to a joint news release issued Monday. “We want residents to be mindful of how and when they use water, especially outdoors,” Castle Rock Water Director Mark Marlowe said in the release. “Simple steps like checking your irrigation system for leaks or watering only when your landscapes need it can help prevent unnecessary waste.” As of March 17, more than 85% of Douglas County re...
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Former Jeffco Educator Claims District Made Her A Scapegoat After Ex-Boyfriend Scandal
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Former Jeffco Educator Claims District Made Her A Scapegoat After Ex-Boyfriend Scandal

By Sage Kelley | The Denver Gazette Courtney Capek claims her career was completely altered by the actions of another. The Lakewood native returned to the school she graduated from, Green Mountain High School, in 2023 to begin her career teaching and establishing a new era for the school’s theater program. Her dream job didn’t last long, though, with the district not renewing her contract just a few weeks after her ex-boyfriend, James Michael Chevrier, was arrested by the Lakewood Police Department on charges of sexual assault on a child. “What was done to me is not OK. I’m tired of being quiet about it,” she told The Denver Gazette. “The district essentially used me as their scapegoat to say, ‘Hey, we did something’.” ‘Pure disgust’ Capek and Chev...
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No ICE Agents At Colorado Airports As Security Lines Stay Short
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

No ICE Agents At Colorado Airports As Security Lines Stay Short

By Bernadette Berdychowski | The Denver Gazette As President Donald Trump deployed immigration agents to help U.S. airports manage hours‑long security lines during the partial government shutdown, Denver International Airport remained relatively calm on Monday. At the nation’s third‑busiest airport, TSA PreCheck lanes remained open to start the week. By noon, security remained easy to get through, with both the West and East checkpoints showing minimal waits of about five minutes, according to the airport’s live tracker. In a statement to The Denver Gazette, an airport spokesperson said as of Monday, security is still “operating normally.” “At this time, we have not received any communication indicating that ICE agents will be staffing our checkpoints,” the s...
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Colorado Lawmakers Clash Over Prison Spending As State Budget Tightens
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Lawmakers Clash Over Prison Spending As State Budget Tightens

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette The Polis administration is asking for hundreds of millions of dollars to expand the state’s prison system, just as Colorado’s legislators are bracing for a worsening fiscal outlook. The request sets up a clash over priorities at a time when the state faces a nearly $1.5 billion shortfall. The administration is seeking to add prison beds amid overcrowding, though advocates on both sides of the spectrum disagree over its cause. Some advocates have argued that the crisis is partly the result of a backlog of inmates awaiting parole placement. Others maintained that the “crisis” resulted from Democrats’ policies that ultimately seek to release offenders back into communities. On Wednesday, the governor asked budget writers f...
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Colorado Budget Gap Nears $1.5B As Revenue Forecast Slides
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Budget Gap Nears $1.5B As Revenue Forecast Slides

By: Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette The latest revenue forecasts from economists in both the governor’s office and the Colorado legislature show that the state’s budget predicament has worsened — by hundreds of millions of dollars more. That, in turn, means cuts programs and services in next year’s fiscal budget will go much deeper. The state’s fiscal predicament also means no refunds for Colorado residents. Economists with the Legislative Council downgraded the forecast for the 2026-27 fiscal year by another $643 million, bringing the total shortfall to nearly $1.5 billion. What’s driving the downgrade? General fund revenues — dollars that come from tax collections for individual and corporate income tax, and sales and use taxes — came in lower for fi...
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Polis Backs New AI Framework To Replace Controversial 2024 Law
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Polis Backs New AI Framework To Replace Controversial 2024 Law

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette A group that has been working on artificial intelligence policy has reached an agreement on a framework that would replace the regulations adopted by Colorado legislators two years ago. The agreement has the backing of Gov. Jared Polis, who reluctantly signed the AI law in 2024. The agreement reached by the Colorado AI Policy Work Group is meant to repeal and replace the 2024 law, whose sponsors said would protect consumers and residents from algorithmic discrimination but which critics called heavy handed and unworkable. A multi-billion dollar technology company, which recently decided to leave Colorado, cited the new regulations on artificial intelligence as a cause of concern, comparing the “state-level over...
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