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State Regulators Set Hearing on El Paso County Rejection of Xcel Power Line Permits
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

State Regulators Set Hearing on El Paso County Rejection of Xcel Power Line Permits

By Scott Weiser | The Denver Gazette Proposed routing for Xcel’s Power Pathway project in eastern and southeastern Colorado (Courtesy of Xcel Energy)      Colorado regulators plan a public hearing next week on Xcel Energy’s appeal to override El Paso County’s rejection of permits for a major transmission line segment. The hearing renews debate over a statewide renewable energy project that rural residents argue threatens property rights, wildfire safety and local landscapes without delivering benefits to their communities. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission scheduled the in-person session for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 26 at Swink Hall in the El Paso County Fair and Events Center, 366 10th St., Calhan, to gather comments on Xcel’s request to build 45 mil...
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Polis Says Colorado Police Can Work With DEA Despite Sanctuary Law
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Polis Says Colorado Police Can Work With DEA Despite Sanctuary Law

By The Denver Gazette Gov. Jared Polis on Friday insisted that local law enforcement officers in Colorado can — and should — work with federal drug enforcement authorities to go after criminal activity. An official of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency earlier said Colorado’s “sanctuary” laws, notably its prohibition against cooperating with federal authorities on illegal immigration matters, are having a “chilling effect” on law enforcement’s ability to pursue drug cartels operating in the state. “There’s always a matter of making sure local line officers are educated in our laws and that they know that they’re able to work with our federal partners on criminal matters,” Polis told The Denver Gazette. “So, it doesn’t shock me that there are some line officers somewhere ...
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Colorado Air Regulators Seek Steep Fee Increases to Fund Rising Regulatory Demands
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Air Regulators Seek Steep Fee Increases to Fund Rising Regulatory Demands

By Scott Weiser | The Denver Gazette Colorado’s air quality agency plans to raise charges for air pollution permits and emissions reports for businesses that release even modest amounts of contaminants, potentially increasing fees by 65-70% over two years to generate $13.5-$14 million, according to state budget documents. The Air Pollution Control Division has proposed updates to two existing regulations. The changes would increase fees for annual pollution reports that detail a facility’s emissions output, permit processing and yearly emissions fees, while cutting some duplicate paperwork. The proposals aim to help fund the division’s work reviewing submissions and enforcing clean air standards, according to the agency. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZET...
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Fentanyl Fuels Deadly Year in Denver Despite Major Drug Seizures

By Michael Braithwaite | The Denver Gazette Bundles of fentanyl pills seized by the Rocky Mountain Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration during an October operation that resulted in over 1 million seized pills. (Courtesy, DEA RMFD)      Fatal fentanyl overdoses in Denver rose by nearly 25% in 2025 to the second-highest total in the past half decade, according to preliminary data from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment. Within the city, 346 people died last year from fatal fentanyl doses, up from 277 the year before, which is second to only 2023 in the number of fatal fentanyl overdoses this decade, according to the data. The trend matched that of overall drug overdoses in the city, which rose from 4...
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Aurora Leaders Weigh Civilian Oversight as Police Accountability Debate Grows
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Aurora Leaders Weigh Civilian Oversight as Police Accountability Debate Grows

By Kyla Pearce | The Denver Gazette More than 50 people attended a listening session Tuesday evening in Aurora to talk about the possibility of creating a civilian oversight group for the Aurora Police Department. The session was led by new councilmembers Gianina Horton and Amy Wiles, who took questions from the audience to start about the costs and meaning of police oversight. Talk of creating an independent oversight group for the APD is not new. For more than a year, protesters have attended every Aurora City Council meeting to demand action from the council following the police shooting death of Kilyn Lewis, who was unarmed and wanted on an attempted murder warrant. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Colorado Prepares to Enforce Semiautomatic Gun Training Law
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Prepares to Enforce Semiautomatic Gun Training Law

By Scott Weiser | The Denver Gazette Colorado Parks and Wildlife has scheduled a series of virtual and in-person stakeholder meetings beginning Feb. 9, 2026, to explain requirements for a new firearms safety program and gather input from dealers, instructors and sheriffs before the mandate takes effect August 1, 2026. The program, created under Senate Bill 25-003, requires anyone purchasing or transferring certain firearms to obtain a background check, complete an in-person safety course and obtain an eligibility card that must be shown to sign up for the mandatory training. The law applies only to future transactions and exempts existing owners. Upcoming meetings include virtual sessions for firearms dealers and instructors on Feb. 9, followed by an in-person Den...
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Denver Advances Law Enforcement Mask Ban Despite Federal Conflict Concerns
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Advances Law Enforcement Mask Ban Despite Federal Conflict Concerns

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette A proposed ordinance prohibiting law enforcement officers from concealing their identities while interrogating, detaining, or arresting an individual in Denver moved forward to another yet-to-be-assigned City Council committee for further consideration. The proposal, presented to members of the city’s Budget and Policy Committee on Monday by Councilmembers Flor Alvidrez and Shontel Lewis, would also prevent law enforcement from wearing face coverings within a city facility. City officials argued the measure would address public safety fears and increase transparency, though others wondered about its implementation and effectiveness, while raising the specter of conflict between local police officers tasked to enforce the ban and ...
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Denver Audit Finds Office of Social Equity and Innovation Still Falling Short on Financial Oversight
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Audit Finds Office of Social Equity and Innovation Still Falling Short on Financial Oversight

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette Denver’s Office of Social Equity and Innovation has yet to implement half of the 14 recommendations made by auditors in 2024, leaving the city and the Colorado Youth Detention Continuum Program at risk of misusing small-dollar funds. A follow-up report released by City Auditor Tim O’Brien on Thursday noted that, while the office has made progress, gaps involving policies and procedures, inconsistent financial records and insufficient monitoring of grant-related expenses remain. Denver’s Chief Equity Officer Ben Sanders told The Denver Gazette that much of what is in the auditor’s report about the youth detention program is “fair.” “The auditor is auditing a program that transitioned, starting in the summer of 2024, from th...
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Xcel Files $546 Million in Rate Hikes Amid Massive Colorado Spending on Clean Energy Transition
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Xcel Files $546 Million in Rate Hikes Amid Massive Colorado Spending on Clean Energy Transition

By Scott Weiser | The Denver Gazette Colorado’s largest utility filed for major increases in both electric and natural gas rates within weeks of each other, a move that could add roughly $17 a month to the average household bill serving both services. Xcel Energy submitted a natural gas rate case to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 29, 2025, seeking $190 million in additional annual revenue — an 11.4% jump that would raise average residential gas bills by $7.59 a month. That follows a November filing for a $356 million electric rate boost, adding about $9.94 monthly bill for residential electric customers. If regulators approve both as requested, the combined hit for dual-service households would be around $17.53 a month, with increases likely ta...
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Douglas County Commissioners Emphasize Local Control Without New Home Rule Election
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Uncategorized, Approved, Local, The Denver Gazette

Douglas County Commissioners Emphasize Local Control Without New Home Rule Election

By Noah Festenstein | The Denver Gazette The future of Douglas County chasing “home rule” status may not be in the hands of commissioners, but rather by residents who are considering placing the issue back on the ballot, according to one commissioner. Last March, Douglas County commissioners proposed to become a home rule county. The three Republican commissioners asserted that home rule status would allow the county to gain “local control” within a Democratic-controlled state. Commissioners said future efforts to gain local control are still a possibility, despite voters overwhelmingly rejecting the proposal in June. Different from municipal home rule charters, home rule counties are rare in Colorado. Out of 64 counties, only four have adopted home rule: Pitkin...
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