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Colorado Affordable Housing Law Could Cut Off Funding to Most Cities Without Urgent Fix
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Colorado Affordable Housing Law Could Cut Off Funding to Most Cities Without Urgent Fix

By Brian Eason | The Colorado Sun The problem stems from a provision in Proposition 123 that was supposed to hold local governments accountable for increasing the supply of affordable housing. The vast majority of local governments in Colorado could be barred from receiving affordable housing funding through Proposition 123 for the next three years unless the state legislature steps in to prevent it. The problem stems from a provision in the 2022 ballot measure that was designed to hold local governments accountable for increasing the supply of affordable housing. To remain eligible for the $350 million a year that the measure generates, cities and counties must show that they’re increasing their local supply of affordable housing by 3% a year. But h...
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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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Wyoming Positions Itself As Energy Leader For The Mountain West Colorado Pushes Risky Bet
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Complete Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State

Wyoming Positions Itself As Energy Leader For The Mountain West Colorado Pushes Risky Bet

By Jon Caldara | Commentary, Complete Colorado Years ago, I interviewed a Canadian health-care broker whose job was helping his countrymen escape their own failing system. When their “free” health care turned into “free to wait until you die,” he’d save his clients by routing them to doctors in the U.S. who’d accept cash and rescue their lives. I asked him what advice he had for Americans. His answer terrified me. “I hope the U.S. won’t do what we’ve done with health care,” he said. I thought his reasoning was that he didn’t want to see Americans suffer and die because of medical socialism. But that wasn’t it. He said, “Because if you do, we’ll have nowhere to escape to.” That stuck with me. We are Canada’s health care lifeboat. Every bad sy...
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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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Denver Leaders Face Tough Questions After Data Center Company CoreSite Skips Community Meeting
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Denver Leaders Face Tough Questions After Data Center Company CoreSite Skips Community Meeting

By: Maggie Bryan | Denver7 DENVER — During a town hall on Tuesday night, residents of Denver's Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods demanded answers from city leaders, state officials, and business representatives about the impacts of a new data center being built in the area. CoreSite, the company building the data center, did not attend the town hall and cited safety concerns as the reason it refrained from participating. A spokesperson for CoreSite told Denver7 its leadership team was concerned after seeing social media conversations about the community event, but did not elaborate further. The company is currently constructing a 170,000-square-foot data center at Race Street and E. 49th Avenue in Denver, which will be one of three buildings as part of CoreSi...
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Greeley Voters to Decide Fate of Sports Arena and Private Housing Development in Feb 24 Election
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Greeley Voters to Decide Fate of Sports Arena and Private Housing Development in Feb 24 Election

By Claire Lavezzorio | Denver7 Ballot question 1A would repeal zoning changes already approved by city council for entertainment district featuring sports arena, water park & hotel. GREELEY, Colo. — Greeley residents will soon cast their votes in a special election over the future of the Catalyst & Cascadia projects. Catalyst, a city-owned project planned for the city's west side off Highway 34, would include a sports arena for the Colorado Eagles, an indoor water park and hotel. A second component, Cascadia, involves private residential development. The Feb. 24 special election will ask voters to decide whether to repeal zoning changes already approved by the city council through Ballot Question 1A. Bill Rigler, spokesperson for the&n...
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New Colorado Bill Targets Data Center Growth Energy Use and Water Impact
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DENVER7, Approved, State

New Colorado Bill Targets Data Center Growth Energy Use and Water Impact

By: Allie Jennerjahn | Denver7 DENVER — A bill has been introduced in the Colorado state legislature to propose regulations on data centers continuing to pop up around the state. It's a discussion Denver7 has been listening to with many people struggling with the amount of water and energy needed to make them function. HB26-1030 aims to hold developers accountable to meet climate goals, while also working to boost the economy. Colorado House of Representatives Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Jefferson County, and state Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver County, shared the below joint statement about the proposed regulations with Denver7: READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
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Clean Energy Mandates in HB 1030 Could Undermine Colorado’s Critical Infrastructure
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Complete Colorado, Approved, State

Clean Energy Mandates in HB 1030 Could Undermine Colorado’s Critical Infrastructure

By Sarah Montalbano | Commentary, Complete Colorado Legislators in Denver are off to the races this session with a heavy-handed bill that will chase data center investment out of Colorado. House Bill 26-1030 creates a new bureaucracy, imposes burdensome labor and workforce requirements, and requires data centers to use 100% clean energy. If lawmakers believe data centers are “essential critical infrastructure,” as the bill claims, then the legislature must allow them to use whatever electricity sources they need. If the goal is to drive data center developers to Wyoming, then lawmakers should continue down this path. Mandating unreliable energy The worst part of HB 1030 is its requirement that data centers must be powered with 100% renewabl...
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Colorado Springs Leaders Push Back on AG’s Space Command Lawsuit
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KRDO.COM, Approved, State

Colorado Springs Leaders Push Back on AG’s Space Command Lawsuit

By: Celeste Springer | KRDO COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and two local governing bodies are speaking out in opposition to a lawsuit over Space Command. Back in October, the Colorado Attorney General's Office announced a lawsuit against the Trump Administration over the decision to relocate U.S. Space Command to Alabama. While local officials support Space Command staying in Colorado Springs, many spoke out saying that a lawsuit against the presidency was not the right path forward. In November, Colorado Springs City Council voted 7-2 (with Councilmembers Kimberly Gold and Nancy Henjum dissenting) to denounce the lawsuit. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT KRDO
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Six Colorado counties hike lodging taxes while two hold the line
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Six Colorado counties hike lodging taxes while two hold the line

By Rachael Wright | The Denver Gazette Six mountain communities across Colorado voted on Tuesday to raise their lodging taxes after the state legislature passed a bill allowing counties to triple such taxes and spend the money on a wider range of projects, including public infrastructure, childcare and housing for workers.  Lodging tax increases passed in Eagle, Gilpin, Hinsdale, Ouray, Routt and Park but failed in Chaffee and Custer counties. Rural mountain communities have struggled for years under the pressures of increased tourism. Supporters said the new state law would allow those communities to pass along some of their increased costs to visitors. Before the new law’s adoption, the tax revenue could be used only for tourism marketing and some worker housing. Some of...
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