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Tech industry outcry stalls Colorado’s AI law as Congress weighs ban on state regulations
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Approved, DENVER7, National, State

Tech industry outcry stalls Colorado’s AI law as Congress weighs ban on state regulations

By Brandon Richard | Denver7 DENVER — U.S. Congress is considering banning states from regulating artificial intelligence for the next 10 years, adding uncertainty to the future of Colorado’s AI law. In 2024, Colorado became the first state to pass a comprehensive law regulating artificial intelligence. “A.I. in general is just changing so rapidly all the time,” said State Rep. Brianna Titone, one of the prime sponsors of Senate Bill 24-205. Titone said SB24-205 aims to protect consumers from AI systems they may unknowingly come across. “You’re trying to get a job, get a loan, legal decisions, getting into college,” said Titone. “If there’s an AI system making those decisions on behalf of that entity, how is that affecting you? Do you even know that this AI system is be...
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Rep LaMalfa takes aim at Endangered Species Act: ‘Species of the week’ halting real conservation
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Approved, DC News Now, National

Rep LaMalfa takes aim at Endangered Species Act: ‘Species of the week’ halting real conservation

By Maddie Biertempfel | DC News Now WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Recovering animals that are nearing extinction, like the black-footed ferret, was the whole point of the 1973 Endangered Species Act but some lawmakers say it needs to be reformed. “Is the program working as designed 50 years ago?'” Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) asked. “No, it’s been interpreted way beyond that, where it isn’t just the species, but they want to have every ounce of possible habitat as they determine is critical habitat.” California Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa says the law has hindered new infrastructure and doing things like controlled burns, aimed at preventing larger fires and ultimately helping habitats. “Instead, like in forestry, we end up with million-acre fires, 500,000-acre fires year afte...
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Rewriting the rules: Wolves, federal reform and a lawsuit from rural Colorado
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Rewriting the rules: Wolves, federal reform and a lawsuit from rural Colorado

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Late last year, five wolves were airlifted from Oregon to Colorado under a plan voters narrowly approved—but few knew one of them came from a pack with a history of livestock attacks.  Fewer still knew the move may have violated federal law. At the center of the controversy is a growing belief that Colorado’s wolf reintroduction bypassed environmental law and public transparency.  And a federal lawsuit now threatens to unravel the entire plan. The lawsuit that could reset the rules The National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, is one of the country’s cornerstone environmental laws — meant to ensure that federal actions don’t proceed without full environmental review and public input.  But when...
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Congressman Gabe Evans introduces BELOS Act to support military families
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Approved, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Congressman Gabe Evans introduces BELOS Act to support military families

By Tori Ganahl | Rocky Mountain Voice In a move to honor America’s fallen service members and their families, Colorado Congressman Gabe Evans has introduced the Benefits that Endure for Lifetimes of Service (BELOS) Act, a bipartisan bill that would provide free lifetime National Park passes to families of veterans who passed away due to service-related illness or injury​. The bill is named in honor of First Sergeant Marc Belo, a decorated U.S. Army soldier who dedicated 30 years of his life to serving his country.  Belo was a first responder at the Pentagon on 9/11 and deployed three times—to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. He passed away in 2024 due to cancer linked to his military service​. Rep. Evans, a fellow veteran who served alongside Belo, emphasized the signif...
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House Republicans reach new plan to avoid shutdown after back-to-back defeats
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Fox News, National

House Republicans reach new plan to avoid shutdown after back-to-back defeats

By Elizabeth Elkind  | Fox News House Republican negotiators have tentatively reached an agreement on averting a partial government shutdown at the end of Friday, sources told Fox News Digital. Two people familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital that the deal would include a short-term extension of this year's federal funding levels, disaster aid funding, and agricultural support for farmers – but under three separate bills. It would also involve an agreement to act on the debt limit next year as part of Republicans' planned massive conservative policy overhaul via a process called reconciliation. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX NEWS
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Congress sneaks pay raise for itself into spending bill as Americans struggle to make ends meet
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Approved, National, The Daily Caller

Congress sneaks pay raise for itself into spending bill as Americans struggle to make ends meet

by Adam Pack | Daily Caller Members of Congress are slated to receive a pay raise for the first time in 15 years if the massive spending bill released by House leaders Tuesday evening passes both chambers and is signed into law. The 1,574 page bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), contains language allowing for a cost of living adjustment (COLA), which would give members of Congress a pay raise for the first time since 2009. This pay increase for Congress comes as many lawmakers’ constituents are struggling to make ends meet as inflation has skyrocketed under President Joe Biden’s administration. Lawmakers currently earn a base salary of $174,000 annually with members in leadership receiving a higher salary. If Biden signs the CR into law, members of Congress are set to rec...
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Three Russia hoax bombshells hidden in IG report on DOJ surveillance of Congress
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Approved, National, The Federalist

Three Russia hoax bombshells hidden in IG report on DOJ surveillance of Congress

By Mollie Hemingway | The Federalist These revelations show why the DOJ needs massive reform in the next administration. Last week the Department of Justice’s inspector general  released a report on some of the DOJ’s tracking of communications from media and congressional figures as part of its purported investigation into who was leaking classified information against President Donald Trump in 2017. Three significant bombshells about the Russia collusion hoax were hidden inside the dense and dry 100-page report. For context, when Trump won the 2016 presidential election, anonymous Democrat operatives in the federal government and Congress began leaking like sieves as part of a coordinated effort to paint Trump as a mastermind spy who had worked with Russian President Vladimir Put...
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In race to push a landmark water bill through Congress, Colorado is one state in the way
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Approved, National, The Colorado Sun

In race to push a landmark water bill through Congress, Colorado is one state in the way

By Shannon Mullane | The Colorado Sun Tribal nations, Arizona and over 30 other stakeholders have just days to get a historic water rights settlement through Congress, and they’ll have to get past pushback from Upper Basin states, including Colorado, to do it. The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act would secure safe, reliable water for thousands of Navajo, Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute tribal members in northeastern Arizona. It would give the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe a reservation. It would resolve water rights disputes, and potentially set up new funding streams for tribes. If successful, it would conclude about 60 years of work, advocates say. But some Congressional representatives have balked at the price tag: $5 billion. State officials...
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Two water bills by Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper advance in lame duck session
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, National

Two water bills by Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper advance in lame duck session

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics The race to get bills signed into law before President Joe Biden leaves office is on, and two water bills sponsored by Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Denver, are trying to get on that list. The first is an extension of the Colorado River Basin System Conservation Act, which earlier this year put $125 million into the system conservation pilot program operated by the Upper Colorado River Commission. Under the latest iteration, the act would be extended until 2026. The system conservation pilot program is a voluntary, temporary, and compensated agreement to conserve consumptive use (or depletion) of agricultural, municipal, or industrial water. It was tested between 2015 and 2018 and allowed lapses, but it was restarted in 2023. However, the progr...
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Congress takes up a series of bills targeting China, from drones to drugs
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Approved, kdvr.com, National

Congress takes up a series of bills targeting China, from drones to drugs

By Jennifer Nuelle | KDVR, via AP How to curb and counter China’s influence and power — through its biotech companies, drones and electric vehicles — will dominate the U.S. House’s first week back from summer break, with lawmakers taking up a series of measures targeting Beijing. Washington views Beijing as its biggest geopolitical rival, and the legislation is touted as ensuring the U.S. prevails in the competition. Many of the bills scheduled for a vote this week appear to have both Republican and Democratic support, reflecting strong consensus that congressional actions are needed to counter China. The legislation “will take meaningful steps to counter the military, economic and ideological threat of the Chinese Communist Party,” said Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House Sel...
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