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Polis says Colorado isn’t a sanctuary state but the laws say otherwise
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The Gazette, Approved, Commentary, State

Polis says Colorado isn’t a sanctuary state but the laws say otherwise

By The Gazette editorial board | Commentary, The Gazette Gov. Jared Polis has distinguished himself in business and politics, yet he arguably missed his true calling — doing stand-up at a comedy club. He’d leave his audience in stitches. Case in point: His thigh-slapper the other day — about Colorado not being a sanctuary state. He had us rolling on the floor. We were laughing through our tears, of course, given the toll illegal immigration has taken here. But there’s no denying the governor is a hoot. He is in fact such a natural-born comic, his familiar, “Sanctuary? What sanctuary?” routine is uproarious even when delivered secondhand by his communications staff. “Colorado is not a sanctuary state,” Polis’ office deadpanned in a news release Thursday for our news affiliate Co...
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Denver Eliminates Jobs but Preserves Core Public Safety Services
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Eliminates Jobs but Preserves Core Public Safety Services

By Deborah Grigsby and Dan Boniface | The Denver Gazette Denver's Office of Transportation and Infrastructure lost the most employees with 31 layoffs. The specifics of Denver's staffing layoffs became clearer on Wednesday, when Mayor Mike Johnston revealed the positions that have been eliminated within city agencies this week. Some agencies took a heavy hit, where the Johnston administration cut as much as a third of their budgeted workforce. The public safety agencies saw nearly 100 vacant positions eliminated, though no officer was laid off.   The mayor sought to guarantee no impact to several services, but he hinted that the cuts will affect programs. Even his own initiative on homelessness — he had promised to end the crisis in his first term as may...
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Denver Cuts Costs With Targeted Staff Reductions Amid Budget Crisis
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Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Denver Cuts Costs With Targeted Staff Reductions Amid Budget Crisis

By Parker Gordon | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — The city and county of Denver announced it has completed layoff notifications to 169 employees “as part of a larger effort to balance the 2026 budget.” In a press release on Wednesday, the Denver mayor’s office said the 169 city employees were notified and that there will be no additional layoffs or furloughs for the agencies impacted this year. This comes after city workers waited for information on the layoffs when Denver Mayor Mike Johnston sent a letter to city and county employees in July that layoffs would begin on Monday. On Monday, the mayor’s office announced that the city would be eliminating 928 positions as a result of the $200 million budget shortfall. The layoffs were reportedly announced by the mayor’s office to ...
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Denver City Council Pushes Back On Xcel Energy Franchise Extension
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Denverite, Approved, Local

Denver City Council Pushes Back On Xcel Energy Franchise Extension

By Denverite Staff | The Denverite The Denver City Council threw a curveball for Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration and the state’s most powerful utility on Monday night. Xcel Energy is seeking an extension of the franchise agreement that allows it to operate in Denver. The agreement, up for renewal after 20 years, requires the approval of Denver voters. But on Monday, the city council voted against placing the measure on the November election ballot. Council members raised a variety of concerns about Xcel’s service in the city, and said they wanted to take more time to talk with community members and negotiate the agreement. The city council may still have time to place a modified measure on this November's ballot, or it could wait for an election next year, but city leaders...
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Denver wasted millions on homeless shelter that never housed anyone
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Local, Approved, denvergazette.com

Denver wasted millions on homeless shelter that never housed anyone

By Noah Festenstein | The Denver Gazette After not housing a single homeless person, Denver’s $9 million purchase of a former hotel planned as a new homeless shelter is set to be sold off again — well over two years after its initial purchase, according to Denver’s Department of Housing Stability. The city’s new price tag? Just $10. That is, of course, if an interested developer is willing to continue transforming 12033 E. 38th Avenue, a former Stay Inn hotel, into a shelter providing “supportive” homeless services, according to stipulations set by HOST. “To make this financially viable, the property will be sold for $10 — a strategic move that reflects our commitment to long-term affordability rather than short-term financial returns,” spokesperson Julia Marvin told The D...
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Law Enforcement Cracks Down on Drug Cartels in Colorado
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Local, Approved, The Gazette

Law Enforcement Cracks Down on Drug Cartels in Colorado

By Nick Sutton, Gabe Monte, and Michael Elizabeth Sakas | The Gazette Anti-narcotics federal agents conducted raids in Denver and Colorado Springs on Wednesday, hinting the operations focused on rooting out money-laundering activities. Authorities divulged few details. “The DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division, along with our partners from Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, IRS, and our state and local partners conducted law enforcement operations in the Denver and Colorado Springs areas today," the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Rocky Mountain Division said in a statement late Wednesday. Agents in Colorado Springs seized a phone, bags of cash and computers from multiple El Ranchito restaurant-grocery store locations.  "It seems like they're trying to accuse us...
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Polis threatens to withhold $280M from cities defying housing laws in new executive order
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Polis threatens to withhold $280M from cities defying housing laws in new executive order

By Brandon Richard | Denver7 In a new executive order, Gov. Jared Polis identified more than 30 funding sources the state could withhold from cities. DENVER — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is turning up the heat on cities that aren’t following new state housing laws. He issued a new executive order on Wednesday that identifies $280 million in funding that could be withheld from them. It’s the latest development in a dispute between the governor and leaders of several cities over state housing laws, including laws to increase housing density near transit and another to ban certain cities from enacting or enforcing minimum parking requirements. “I hope that communities across the state do more on housing, but there's got to be some state minimum that you can't actively be part of ...
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Denver Is Losing Everything That Gave It Character
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Westword, Approved, Commentary, Local

Denver Is Losing Everything That Gave It Character

By Westwood Readers | Commentary, Westword After almost thirty years, the Hornet has taken off from the corner of First and Broadway. For decades, the Hornet has amused patrons and passersby alike with the messages on the sign outside the restaurant at 76 Broadway. But the sign that went up last week was not so amusing: "Thanks Denver! Come & Say Bye." The Hornet flew off after last call on August 9; the building it had called home for almost thirty years was sold this spring, and the restaurant itself had been put up for sale. But instead, the owners opted to close, putting this message on social media: "While many things have changed and become more complicated over the years at 1st & Broadway, we would prefer to celebrate all of the amazing times that you shared wi...
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Denver City Council Rejects Ranked Choice Voting in Narrow Vote
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Local, Approved, Axios Denver

Denver City Council Rejects Ranked Choice Voting in Narrow Vote

By Esteban L. Hernandez | Axios Denver The way Denver elects its mayors, city council members and other local officials is staying put for now. The latest: The Denver City Council voted 7-6 Monday night to reject putting a measure on the November ballot that would changed the city's municipal elections to a ranked choice voting method. The system lets voters rank multiple candidates in order of preference. Why it matters: The move could have reshaped how candidates campaign — and how voters choose — for Denver's top offices. State of play: Supporters said the new system would have increased voter turnout, save money and boost candidate engagement. The other side: Councilmember Kevin Flynn led opposition on the voting method. Flynn pointe...
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As businesses flee downtown Denver, Johnston points to falling homicide rate
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

As businesses flee downtown Denver, Johnston points to falling homicide rate

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Mayor Mike Johnston has been pointing to a 44% drop in homicides in the first half of 2025, calling it proof his crime plan is making a difference. The figure is a sharp improvement from last year, but it’s recent and doesn’t show where things stood before the pandemic. In the city’s core, the gains are harder to find. A report from the Common Sense Institute shows murders in District 6, the downtown police district, have risen 133% since 2020. Aggravated assaults, drug crimes, public disorder, and larceny are also up. While some neighborhoods have seen improvement, downtown has not kept up the same pace. Citywide Gains, Downtown Losses Data from DenverCrimes.com shows citywide violent crime down more than 30% from last...
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