Government overregulation - Rocky Mountain Voice

Chamber report flags 200K Colorado regulations as “excessive or duplicative”

Colorado Politics, Approved, State / May 30, 2025 / 75th Colorado Legislature, Chamber Of Commerce, Colorado Regulations, Government Accountability, Government overregulation, Public Policy, Regulatory Burden

Colorado’s regulatory framework took the center stage during this year’s legislative session, where lawmakers clashed over proposed measures that — depending on who is asked — either benefit workers or create new burdens on businesses.

Behind these two competing frameworks are the Colorado Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado Fiscal Institute.

On the one hand, the chamber and its allies argue that regulations have increased significantly over the past decade, putting up unnecessary barriers for businesses. On the other hand, the Colorado Fiscal Institute and its supporters maintain that the rules are essential to protect workers and consumers from harmful practices.

Chamber report flags 200K Colorado regulations as “excessive or duplicative” Read More »

Ratepayer risk? State law forces Xcel into costly ‘Markets+’ grid deal

The Colorado Sun, Approved, State / May 28, 2025 / Colorado Utilities, Government overregulation, Public Utilities Commission, Ratepayer Impact, Regulatory Overreach, Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy’s plan to join a short-term, wholesale electric market is drawing fire from critics who, in hearings before state regulators this week, said that the price tag is too high and the benefits are minimal.

The market for purchasing day-ahead power Xcel Energy wants to join, Markets+, is run by the Southwest Power Pool, or SPP, whose grid stretches across all or parts of 14 states from Texas to North Dakota.

In hearings before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, business and consumer groups are challenging the $30 million in upfront costs to join Markets+ and Xcel Energy executives are defending it as the best economic and operational choice.

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Walcher: We built it, and they still won’t come

GregWalcher.com, Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice / April 29, 2025 / Economic development, Government overregulation, Housing Crisis, Land use policy, Mesa County, Permitting reform

Building a new subdivision is complicated. Almost every city and county in America have master plans dictating “conforming uses” of land. Most specify lot and home sizes, rules for vehicle access, water supply, sewage disposal, flood control, affordable housing, and park space. Those are addressed in lengthy application processes and public hearings, all preceding building the infrastructure, and then the homes.

The National Association of Home Builders says government regulations account for 24 percent of the final price of new homes. Sixty percent of that comes during planning and development, only 40 percent during actual construction.

Walcher: We built it, and they still won’t come Read More »

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

denvergazette.com, Approved, State / April 23, 2025 / 75th Colorado Legislature, Democrat Lawmakers, Government overregulation, House Bill 1291, Uber

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.

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

Rural towns squeezed by state’s bureaucratic delays and shifting wastewater mandates

Water Education Colorado, Approved, State / April 16, 2025 / Administrative state, CDPHE, Government agencies, Government overregulation, Rural Colorado, Wastewater treatment permits, Water issues

Dozens of small towns in Colorado have banded together to protest new wastewater treatment permits that are designed to protect state rivers and streams, saying they contain new rules that are too costly to implement and they haven’t had time to make the necessary changes to comply.

The controversy comes as climate change and drought reduce stream flows and cause water temperatures to rise, and as population growth increases the amount of wastewater being discharged to Colorado’s rivers.

Rural towns squeezed by state’s bureaucratic delays and shifting wastewater mandates Read More »