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Colorado budget battle reveals deep divide over spending priorities
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Complete Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado budget battle reveals deep divide over spending priorities

By Rep. Scott Bottoms | Commentary, Complete Colorado Nearly two millennia ago Jesus of Nazareth said, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). Colorado’s Capitol is a long way in space and time from ancient Israel, but the principle remains and is often illustrated during the legislature’s annual budget week. We see where people’s values are by programs that lawmakers do – or do not – fund. The first observation about budget week is a broad one: Governor Polis and majority Democrats like to make a distinction between Washington DC and Denver. They speak of the ‘Colorado way’ so as to suggest that the dirty and deceitful politics of the national capitol never make their way to the state one. Don’t believe it. Here’s an example: with all the talk of ...
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Congress Challenges Colorado Court Rule Limiting Immigration Enforcement Access
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Congress Challenges Colorado Court Rule Limiting Immigration Enforcement Access

By Nicole C. Brambila | The Denver Gazette The U.S. House Judiciary Committee is seeking information from Colorado’s court administrator regarding a new requirement that attorneys certify they will not use court data for immigration enforcement, arguing it unlawfully obstructs federal law and compels political speech tied to the state’s “sanctuary” policies. Colorado, a blue state that has passed “sanctuary” laws, has been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration, which has cracked down on illegal immigration. Colorado officials, meanwhile, have adopted a confrontational stance against both the administration and Trump’s policies, routinely criticizing the president and suing over an array of issues. Broadly speaking, “sanctuary” policies restrict or prohibit coop...
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HB26-1276 faces hearing today as Rep. Slaugh warns sanctuary policies could cut federal jail funding
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

HB26-1276 faces hearing today as Rep. Slaugh warns sanctuary policies could cut federal jail funding

By Rep. Scott Slaugh | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Editor’s update: HB26-1276 is scheduled to be heard today at 1:30 p.m. in the House Finance Committee (HCR 0112). Readers can listen to the hearing live here or sign up to testify here. Since the year 2000, by Act of Congress the federal Department of Justice’s has annually reimbursed state prisons and thousands of local county jails across the nation for the documented costs of incarcerating convicted criminal aliens –persons not lawfully present in the United States and convicted of a felony crime or two misdemeanors under a state’s criminal code. That decades-old federal program is called the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, or simply, “SCAAP.”   From its inception the federal SCAAP program ...
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While Colorado cuts care for its most vulnerable, it continues funding undocumented children in a $96 million program
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

While Colorado cuts care for its most vulnerable, it continues funding undocumented children in a $96 million program

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice “This is selfish.” That’s how Jon Caldara opened his April 1 column, writing not about politics, but about his son. He leads Denver’s Independence Institute and has long been a free-market voice in Colorado. "My son, Chance, has Down syndrome," Caldara shared. "This 21-year-old man cannot consistently count to five, can't read and can't write his own name. He needs constant supervision for choking risks. He still needs help toileting. And that's just the start." Medicaid, Caldara wrote, "was designed for people like him, our most vulnerable. And I am grateful for it. This is the funding he requires to live." The Colorado legislature is in the process of cutting it — not because the state determined Chance and people...
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DIGNITY Act debate: What’s in the bill raising concerns on amnesty and enforcement
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The Federalist, Approved, National

DIGNITY Act debate: What’s in the bill raising concerns on amnesty and enforcement

By Brianna Lyman | Commentary, The Federalist I read the bill. And frankly, it might be worse than just amnesty. Despite President Donald Trump winning on the promise of “mass deportations,” a handful of spineless Republicans, alongside Democrats, are trying to push a mass amnesty act known as the DIGNIDAD Act — or, for English speakers, the DIGNITY Act. The legislation is billed as not being amnesty, but would give millions of illegal aliens — both so-called DREAMers/DACA and non-DREAMers/DACA — a legal status. But co-sponsor Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., insists it’s not amnesty, so much so that she’s screaming at people on X to “READ. THE. BILL. BEFORE. YOU. OPEN. YOUR. MOUTH.” So I read the bill. And frankly, it might be worse than just a...
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Colorado Faces Backlash Over Law Limiting Attorney Cooperation With Federal Authorities
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Fox News, Approved, Commentary, National

Colorado Faces Backlash Over Law Limiting Attorney Cooperation With Federal Authorities

By Jonathan Turley | Commentary, Fox News New law forces lawyers to certify they won't share court data with immigration officials. Colorado's tourism slogan, "It's Our Nature," has a menacing meaning for free speech advocates. Colorado is now arguably the most anti-free speech state in the union, pushing an array of measures attacking those with opposing social and political views. The irony is that the state has proved a bonanza for free speech with spectacular legal failures that reaffirmed rather than restricted the First Amendment. Now, the Democratic legislature and governor are back with new unconstitutional measures, including a requirement that lawyers not share information with federal immigration officials as a condition for filing with state courts. ...
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Rahm Emanuel Warns Democrats Have Lost Focus On Working Class
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Washington Examiner, Approved, National

Rahm Emanuel Warns Democrats Have Lost Focus On Working Class

By Jay Caruso | Washington Examiner Rahm Emanuel has never been mistaken for a shrinking violet. As former President Bill Clinton‘s senior adviser, former President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, and the mayor of Chicago, he operates with a bluntness that has made him enemies on both sides of the aisle. So, when he sits down on a podcast and unloads on the Democratic Party of which he is a member, from the right, it is worth paying attention, even if you factor in that he is almost certainly running for president in 2028 and has every reason to position himself as the adult in the room. He is not wrong. In a wide-ranging conversation on the Reason podcast, The Fifth Column, with Michael Moynihan and Matt Welch, Emanuel laid out a critique ...
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DHS Chief Floats Ending International Flights To Sanctuary Cities
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TownHall.com, Approved, National

DHS Chief Floats Ending International Flights To Sanctuary Cities

By Joseph Chalfant | Townhall Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin unveiled a new proposal on Monday night to eliminate Customs and Border Patrol at international airports in sanctuary cities, effectively ending all international travel from the location. https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/2041280851418165306?s=20 https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/2041294053132657079?s=20 “If they are a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city?” Mullin asked Fox News’ Bret Baier. “Seriously, if they are a sanctuary city and they are receiving international flights, and we’re asking them to partner with us at the airport, but once they walk out of the airport, they’re not going to enforce immigration policy? Maybe we need to h...
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$46.8 Billion Colorado Budget Reflects Rising Medicaid Costs and Hard Choices
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The Gazette, Approved, State

$46.8 Billion Colorado Budget Reflects Rising Medicaid Costs and Hard Choices

By Marianne Goodland | The Gazette The six-member panel of legislators in charge of crafting the state budget has now turned over its plan to the Colorado legislature, proposing to spend $1.5 billion more for the Medicaid program. The increase is driven by Medicaid costs, which forced the Joint Budget Committee to make cuts elsewhere. All told, House Bill 26-1410 proposes a state budget of $46.8 billion, with $17.3 billion coming from general funds, the revenue largely from corporate and individual income taxes, as well as from sales and use taxes. Notably, that general fund amount is 1.4% higher than the $17.1 billion in the 2025-26 budget. The 2025-26 budget, as approved by lawmakers a year ago, stood at $43.9 billion. It has changed significantly since...
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Federal Immigration Law Remains Untested Against Sanctuary Policies
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Just The News, Approved, National

Federal Immigration Law Remains Untested Against Sanctuary Policies

By Just the News Contributor | Just the News DOJ has recently signaled interest in using the law – § 1324 – more aggressively. But as of early 2026, no prosecution of a sheriff or comparable official for detainer noncompliance has gone forward. A federal law on the books makes it a crime to harbor or transport an illegal alien – punishable by up to a decade in prison. But the Justice Department has never used the law against the local officials and organizations most visibly defying federal immigration enforcement, despite years of escalating conflict over “sanctuary” policies. Across the country, cities, counties and states have adopted measures that limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under so-called "sanctuary" policies, local law enforceme...
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