Executive order

Cities sue Polis over housing mandate, cite threat to local control

The Colorado Sun, Approved, Local, State / / , , , , , , , ,

Six “home rule” cities in Colorado are suing the state, alleging it has unconstitutionally usurped their local authority over land use and zoning as it pushes communities to allow denser housing development. 

The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of an executive order Gov. Jared Polis signed last week to withhold some state grants from local communities if they fail to implement a slate of recent housing laws. The cities say the order encroaches on the powers of both the General Assembly and the judiciary to say what the law is and is “beyond the governor’s authority.”

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Governor’s executive order threatening loss of funding draws fire for overriding local housing control

CBS Colorado, Approved, Local, State / / , , , , , , ,

Gov. Jared Polis is putting local governments on notice: Either they comply with state housing laws, or they risk losing at least $100 million a year in state funding.

The governor signed an executive order that takes the battle over local control to a new level. Over the last two years, he’s signed bills regarding residential occupancy limits and accessory dwelling units, transit-oriented communities and manufactured homes, and even limits on staircases and parking spots.

Governor’s executive order threatening loss of funding draws fire for overriding local housing control Read More »

School board in El Paso County moves to restrict transgender athletes, citing safety and fairness

The Colorado Sun, Approved, Local / / , , , , , ,

At an April school board meeting near Colorado Springs, debate raged over a proposed policy to ban transgender students from playing on school sports teams that match their gender identity.

A high school student named Sadie, who spoke against the policy, asked why her district would need a blanket policy when a tiny percentage of student athletes are transgender.

A 60-year-old man who supported the policy and described himself as stronger than any woman in the building claimed a transgender girl could slam a ball into a girl’s head hard enough to put her in the hospital.

School board in El Paso County moves to restrict transgender athletes, citing safety and fairness Read More »

Colorado law limits what voters can verify—and critics say that needs to change

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, National, State, Top Stories / / , , , , , , , , ,

Mesa County’s Ballot Verifier tool has been praised for giving residents unprecedented access to redacted ballot images and cast vote records. But for some longtime election integrity advocates, it’s only part of the solution.

“This is a great step forward,” said Ed Arnos, a Mesa County resident and former lottery systems designer. “But it doesn’t verify the most important part—how the ballots were actually read.”

Colorado law limits what voters can verify—and critics say that needs to change Read More »

Colorado refuses to certify DEI removal order, risks $800M in school funds

Chalkbeat Colorado, Approved, National, State / / , , , , ,

Colorado will refuse a demand from the Trump administration to certify that its schools have eliminated what the federal government says are illegal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, state Commissioner of Education Susana Córdova said Thursday.

“I am not signing that,” Córdova said. “I am not asking our districts to sign that.”

Colorado refuses to certify DEI removal order, risks $800M in school funds Read More »

Griswold sues against Trump’s executive order on elections but is a case study for it

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, National, State, Top Stories / / , , , , ,

When Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced that she was joining a multi-state lawsuit to block President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) on election integrity, she declared the action a defense of democracy itself.

“We will not wait on the sidelines while Donald Trump tries to legislate from the Oval Office and defies the Constitution,” Griswold said in an April 3 press release.

But while Griswold accuses President Trump of federal overreach, her own record suggests a pattern of constitutional violations that have unfolded under the banner of election protection.

Griswold sues against Trump’s executive order on elections but is a case study for it Read More »

Trump order sparks backlash from Colorado election officials over proof of citizenship rule

State, Approved, kdvr.com / / , , ,

President Donald Trump signed a new executive order Tuesday that would overhaul U.S. elections. The order includes requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, among other measures.

Colorado elections officials called the order “unlawful.” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold told FOX31 that her office is still reviewing the entire order in conjunction with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, but said the order would, in some states, “effectively become a poll tax.”

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Trump’s education executive order faces congressional and legal hurdles

National, Approved, Washington Examiner / / , , ,

President Donald Trump‘s executive order to begin shutting down the Department of Education is all but guaranteed to face several challenges in court after multiple critics decried the action as unconstitutional.

Trump’s education executive order faces congressional and legal hurdles Read More »