Democrat Lawmakers

Sanctuary showdown: Colorado Democrats pass bill while feds sue

DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado’s Democratic lawmakers are pushing ahead on immigration bills despite the U.S. Department of Justice filing a lawsuit Friday to challenge those laws.

One of those measures, SB25-276, “Protect Civil Rights Immigration Status,” that lawmakers are pushing forward on, focuses on protecting civil rights and immigrant communities in Colorado and was passed by the House on Saturday after amendments were made. The vote was made along party lines, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.

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Final week at the Capitol: Democrats target TABOR, transparency and immigration enforcement

DENVER — With under a week to go before they adjourn this year’s legislative session, Colorado lawmakers still have a lot of work ahead of them.

Dozens of bills are still under consideration, including several controversial proposals.

“It feels like 80% of the work happens in the last two weeks,” said State Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood. “Our budget was pretty late in being finalized, and so, nothing can really move until we know how much money we’re working with, or in this case, how much money we’re not working with.”

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“Sitting on a powder keg”: Opponents slam SB25-276 for shielding illegal aliens, risking federal funds

A bill aimed at protecting undocumented immigrants in Colorado has created a firestorm at the Colorado State Capitol. Supporters say it’s about protecting the constitutional rights of everyone regardless of citizenship. Opponents, including Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell, say it would protect dangerous criminals.

He says if the bill becomes law, his deputies will have to choose between enforcing state law and losing federal funding or enforcing federal law and facing thousands of dollars in fines.

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“Drawing the line”: School boards warn HB25-1312 oversteps on parental rights, brings policy chaos

More than 70 school board members and education leaders have signed a letter urging lawmakers to reject HB25-1312, also known as the Kelly Loving Act.

Andrea Haitz, president of the District 51 Board of Education, warned that the bill “risks placing schools in an even more precarious legal position, especially when parents disagree on matters like gender identity or preferred names.”

Jason Jorgenson, secretary of the District 11 Board of Education and a lead organizer of the opposition letter, said HB25-1312 “risks encouraging youth to pursue a path of gender transition without appropriate parental involvement.”

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SB280 offers millions to tech giants—some say it’ll leave ratepayers holding the bill

With the help of generous corporate tax breaks, the state of Virginia has built up a data center industry that’s the envy of some Colorado lawmakers.

The tax incentives helped bring Virginia over $9 billion in economic investments and some 75,000 jobs. In some communities, data centers make up as much as a third of the local tax base.

But in the wake of a 2024 state audit detailing the growing environmental and financial costs for Virginia residents, public officials there have growing doubts over whether those jobs were worth the price.

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Montana governor urges gunmakers to ditch Colorado after new weapons ban

FIRST ON FOX: GOP Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte is launching a video campaign to remind gun manufacturers in Colorado that if they move just a few hundred miles to the north, they can be free of one of the nation’s most restrictive gun control bills signed into law earlier this month in their state.

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Uber warns it may leave Colorado if new rideshare bill becomes law

The largest rideshare company in the US says it will be forced to stop operations in Colorado if a bill that places certain regulations on transportation network companies becomes law. 

House Bill 1291, sponsored by Reps. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, and Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, and Sens. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, would require rideshare companies to conduct background checks on drivers every six months and prohibit them from hiring applicants who have been convicted of crimes including domestic violence, stalking, and harassment.

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Not political theater: Montrose federal intervention request grounded in Constitutional oath

What does it mean to defend the Constitution? Two commissioners say this is what it looks like. On April 16, the Montrose County Board of County Commissioners voted 2–1 to send a formal Request for Federal Intervention to former President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Joondeph: Democrats are dying on the most unpopular hills in politics

The phrase “the hill you choose to die on” is an expression meaning a belief, opinion, or position that one is fiercely committed to defending, even when it is impractical or contrary to one’s long-term goals. It suggests a willingness to fight or resist to the point of losing, rather than pivoting, conceding, or compromising.

In the political world, most players lack conviction or principles. They are swayed by the political winds, the latest opinion polls, or the size of the most recent campaign contributions they receive. Their positions are primarily situational, influenced by their proximity to the next reelection bid or which Sunday morning talk show has invited them as guests.

Democrats, finding themselves in the minority during President Donald Trump’s second term, are attempting to stem their political bleeding by choosing odd hills to stand on in an effort to bolster their political appeal ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Fortunately for Trump and his party, Democrats are selecting sinkholes rather than hills.

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Lee and Friday: We saved our daughters—HB25-1312 would’ve punished us as child abusers

We are both mothers whose daughters went through a phase in which they believed they were boys. We never affirmed that belief, although their schools and much of the broader culture did. Eventually, our daughters recognized their true identities and ceased identifying themselves as “transgender.”

A bill under consideration in Colorado (where Ms. Lee lives) would define parents like us as child abusers.

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