Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Jared Polis

Progressive Spending Comes Due as Colorado Faces Billion Dollar Shortfall
State, Approved, DENVER7

Progressive Spending Comes Due as Colorado Faces Billion Dollar Shortfall

By Brandon Richard | Denver7 News State lawmakers will likely return to the Colorado Capitol for a special session to address the budget shortfall. DENVER — For the second time this year, Colorado is facing a massive budget shortfall, and the legislature’s top Democratic leaders blame President Donald Trump’s "big, beautiful bill." State budget officials released new projections on Wednesday, showing the current budget is suddenly $1.2 billion in the red. “Right now, we don’t have the cash to pay our bills,” Colorado budget director Mark Ferrandino told lawmakers. "We are talking about a budget and a revenue shortfall equivalent or greater than what we saw during the Great Recession." Some lawmakers were left shell-shocked and worried for Coloradans struggling to make it. ...
Critics Warn of Blackouts and Rising Costs as Polis Accelerates Green Agenda
State, Approved, completecolorado.com

Critics Warn of Blackouts and Rising Costs as Polis Accelerates Green Agenda

By Sherrie Peif | Complete Colorado DENVER — Information obtained by Complete Colorado shows that Gov. Jared Polis continues to double down on a 100 percent renewable energy plan for the state by 2040, despite late last year admitting his current plan is already on a dangerous course for energy ratepayers. In a letter obtained by Complete Colorado in October 2024, Governor Polis admitted he’s concerned Colorado is on track for the same large rate increases that are happening wherever “beneficial electrification” is tried, if the transition is not “carefully managed.” Yet, on July 16, the governor’s Clean Energy Office (CEO) held a Zoom meeting with as many 100 “stakeholders” to discuss further legislation in the coming year to push Colorado towards full decarbonization of the stat...
Governor Solicits Input After Millions Already Spent on Pedestrian Project
Local, Approved, Colorado Politics

Governor Solicits Input After Millions Already Spent on Pedestrian Project

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Gov. Jared Polis is asking Coloradans to weigh in on the $29 million pedestrian bridge he envisions as part of the state's 150th birthday celebration. However, the bridge project, which will primarily be funded by private donations, is facing challenges in its next step: securing approval from the legislature's Capital Development Committee. The bridge, according to its design, will connect the grounds of the state Capitol across Lincoln Street to Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park, and then across Broadway to Civic Center Park. The state has already allocated $8.5 million of taxpayer money to initiate the project, but the remaining funds will need to be raised through private donations. The initial cost is $18 million, but an additional $10...
Polis Plans Special Session After Trump’s Budget Bombshell: Dems See Opportunity to Revive Agenda
State, Approved, The Sum & Substance

Polis Plans Special Session After Trump’s Budget Bombshell: Dems See Opportunity to Revive Agenda

By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance Passage Thursday of the budget-cutting “One Big Beautiful Bill” essentially mandates that the Legislature will return to the Capitol for a special session this summer to deal with aspects of the federal law impacting Medicaid funding and artificial-intelligence regulation. Gov. Jared Polis’ Office of State Planning and Budgeting estimates the bill’s reductions to Medicaid spending, food assistance and other benefits that are largely or partially federally funded will cut state revenues $500 million and boost state costs another $500 million. That will necessitate legislators to come back and re-balance the budget, likely by reducing funding to a number of other programs. And before passing the bill, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators strip...
DHS Warns Polis, Governors of Terror Threat After U.S. Hits Iran
State, Approved, kdvr.com

DHS Warns Polis, Governors of Terror Threat After U.S. Hits Iran

By: Heather Willard | KDVR FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a national terrorism bulletin Sunday warning of possible cyber attacks and violence, including antisemitic hate crimes, following U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said that he, alongside other governors, was briefed by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem about the bulletin on Sunday. Colorado officials react to U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites “The State of Colorado is not aware of any Colorado-specific threats at this time. I have directed our state to coordinate closely with local and federal partners to protect our safety by monitoring and tracking any potential threats to Coloradans and our state’s infrastructure and military assets,” Polis wrote on Fa...
With 12 new laws, Colorado Democrats treat gun ownership like a public threat
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

With 12 new laws, Colorado Democrats treat gun ownership like a public threat

By Jesse Paul | Colorado Sun From limiting who can purchase most semiautomatic rifles on the market today to raising the minimum age to buy ammunition, Democrats in the legislature were busy this year imposing new gun regulations Democrats in the Colorado legislature this year passed a dozen bills imposing new gun regulations, all of which were signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis. They included measures limiting who can purchase most semiautomatic rifles on the market today, raising the minimum age to buy ammunition and aiming to improve Colorado’s response to mass shootings. While some don’t go into effect until next year, and a few are sure to draw legal challenges from gun rights groups, they represent some of the most wide-reaching changes to Colorado’s firearms laws ever a...
Jared Polis vetoes Colorado labor movement’s priority bill. Union leaders say they’ll be back.
Approved, National, The Colorado Sun

Jared Polis vetoes Colorado labor movement’s priority bill. Union leaders say they’ll be back.

By Jesse Paul | Colorado Sun Gov. Jared Polis made his expected veto of Senate Bill 5 official on Friday, a decision that’s sure to deepen the rift between him and the Colorado labor movement, as well as Democrats in the legislature.  The measure would have abolished a requirement in the Colorado Labor Peace Act that 75% of workers at a company sign off before unions can negotiate with businesses over union security. That’s after a majority of workers vote to unionize. Union security is the term for when workers are forced to pay fees for collective bargaining representation — regardless of whether they are members of their workplace’s union. Unions are required to bargain on behalf of all workers at a company, including nonmembers. That’s why unions feel it’s only fair that union...
Colorado legislature declines to override Jared Polis’ veto of social media bill after House caves
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado legislature declines to override Jared Polis’ veto of social media bill after House caves

By Jesse Paul | Colorado Sun The Colorado legislature Monday declined to override Jared Polis’ veto of a bipartisan bill aimed at protecting children from the harms of social media, sparing the governor the embarrassment of the state’s first veto override in 14 years. The override effort failed when the state House caved by laying over the vote to override the veto until May 9, which is after the legislative session ends. That prevented representatives from having to vote against the override after backing the bill. “The votes are not here,” said Rep. Andy Boesenecker, a Fort Collins Democrat and one of the lead sponsors of the bill. “That’s a fact.”  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
President Trump calls Colorado Capitol portrait ‘distorted,’ blames Gov. Polis
Approved, kdvr.com, State

President Trump calls Colorado Capitol portrait ‘distorted,’ blames Gov. Polis

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News DENVER (KDVR) — President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday to disparage a portrait of himself that has hung in the Colorado Capitol since 2019. The Colorado Republican party collected over $10,000 in donations for Trump’s portrait in 2018, which was overseen by Colorado Citizens for Culture. The oil painting was commissioned by the Colorado GOP from Sarah Boardman, who also painted the Colorado Capitol’s portrait of former President Barack Obama.AOC, Sanders speak to over 30K in Denver in ‘biggest political event since Obama 2008’ However, Trump took issue with the painting on Sunday, posting to Truth Social that his Colorado portrait “was purposefully distorted.” "Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, b...
House Republicans respond to Gov. Polis on his ‘State of the State’
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

House Republicans respond to Gov. Polis on his ‘State of the State’

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice It will remain to be seen how closely Democrat Gov. Jared Polis aligns in the 75th legislative session with Colorado House Republicans on a variety of priority issues to the minority caucus. During a long address in which he noted Lord of the Rings, referenced Star Trek and Star Wars, and imitated Taylor Swift, Polis found a bit of time to borrow some of the key issues of the day from the minority party's playbook, including affordability, public safety, education and brief mentions of agriculture. “Colorado families are facing significant challenges, and I appreciate the governor’s recognition that affordability remains one of the greatest concerns for Coloradans," House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese said following Polis' address to the join...

FD863768-0ACF-495E-9D21-2EF784DFFA6B[1]

Join us at RMV's Freedom Festival

Click Here for Tickets!

This will close in 0 seconds