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Tag: Michael Bennet

Nearly 500 Democrats move to censure Polis. His own party meets Wednesday to decide what to do.
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State, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Nearly 500 Democrats move to censure Polis. His own party meets Wednesday to decide what to do.

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice The Colorado Democratic Party's central committee meets Wednesday to decide what to do about its own governor. In front of it is a formal complaint, signed by hundreds of Democrats and growing by the hour, asking the party to censure Gov. Jared Polis for commuting Tina Peters' sentence. The signers are not asking a court to undo the commutation. They are not asking the legislature to reverse it. They cannot.  Colorado's constitution gives the governor sole clemency authority, and neither the courts nor the legislature nor the party can take back what Polis already signed. What the signers want is for the party to declare that one of its own governors acted against its interests, to bar him from its marquee events and to say publicly ...
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New Federal Tax Credit Could Expand Colorado School Choice Options
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, Commentary, State

New Federal Tax Credit Could Expand Colorado School Choice Options

By Brenda Dickhoner | Commentary, The Colorado Sun State lawmakers made the right move to postpone legislation that would have created barriers for the program. Colorado lawmakers have been working to close a budget gap of more than $1.5 billion, and programs that students and families rely on are under pressure. At the same time, a new federal tax credit gives Colorado a chance to bring substantial philanthropic dollars into education without drawing from the state’s general fund. The Education Freedom Tax Credit allows taxpayers to receive a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 annually for charitable contributions to scholarship-granting organizations that support K-12 students. Essentially, the program encourages private giving to step in where public fun...
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Former NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s Support For Bennet Governor Campaign Reaches $2.5M
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Former NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s Support For Bennet Governor Campaign Reaches $2.5M

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun Michael Bloomberg has given $2.5M to Rocky Mountain Way, the state-level super PAC supporting the US senator’s gubernatorial campaign. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s support for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s gubernatorial campaign reached $2.5 million last month, which is more than any Republican has raised in the race.  Bloomberg gave $1.25 million to Rocky Mountain Way, the state-level super PAC supporting the Democrat, between Jan. 1 and April 29, which was Colorado’s last campaign finance reporting period. That’s in addition to the $1.25 million the billionaire gave to the group last year.  The Colorado Sun reached out to Bloomberg’s philanthropic arm for comment Tuesday but didn’t immediately hear back. State-...
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Democratic Governor Hopefuls Debate Housing Health Care And Youth Issues
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Fox21, Approved, State

Democratic Governor Hopefuls Debate Housing Health Care And Youth Issues

By Carolynn Felling | FOX21 News (COLORADO SPRINGS) — Sen. Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser debated in Colorado Springs on Sunday, May 3, outlining their distinct visions for addressing Colorado’s cost-of-living crisis. The two candidates are running for the governor’s office in the upcoming June primary election. Their campaigns show differences in strategies to tackle issues like housing affordability, health care costs, and support for the next generation. Both Sen. Bennet and Attorney General Weiser acknowledge the critical urgency of Colorado’s affordability challenges. However, their proposed solutions present divergent paths for the state’s future. Their debate highlighted a division on how to best move Colorado forward. The debate brought ...
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Weiser’s Record: The Lawsuit Machine and the Scorecard
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Weiser’s Record: The Lawsuit Machine and the Scorecard

By Shaina Cole | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Marya Washburn is a federal Forest Service firefighter. She was fired by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins last year, right before fire season. At a January forum in Denver, Attorney General Phil Weiser singled her out by name as evidence of what his office has accomplished. "My office got involved in one of the 50 lawsuits we brought against this administration," Weiser told the Colorado Young Democrats forum. "We got our job back." It is also incomplete in ways voters should understand. The lawsuit Weiser was describing is captioned State of Maryland v. USDA. Maryland filed it. Maryland's attorneys drafted the complaint and argued the case. Colorado was one of several states that added its name to the filing. Weiser's o...
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Colorado Democrats Set Primary Field After Contentious Assembly
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Complete Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado Democrats Set Primary Field After Contentious Assembly

By Savana Kascak | Complete Colorado PUEBLO–Colorado Democrats gathered for their party assembly in Pueblo over the weekend, with nearly 1,400 delegates casting votes to send candidates on to the June 30 statewide primary election. Candidates needed to garner at least 30 percent of the vote to advance, with the top-vote getter appearing first on the ballot Notably absent were big-name Democrats John Hickenlooper, running for re-election to the U.S. Senate, and Michael Bennet, a sitting U.S. senator running for governor.  As previously reported by Complete Colorado, the two men successfully petitioned on the primary ballot, allowing them to forgo the caucus and assembly process. Here’s the results for statewide races. Governor The gubernationa...
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Colorado Lawmakers Split on Iran
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Lawmakers Split on Iran

By Thelma Grimes | Colorado Politics Colorado’s congressional delegation split sharply along party lines Saturday after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, triggering a fresh debate in America over presidential war powers. Trump announced early Saturday morning that U.S and Israeli forces had begun “Operation Epic Fury” after multiple explosions were reported around Iran. Later in the day, the president said that Iran’s leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed. Iranian state media also confirmed Khamenei’s death. Both sides of the political aisle agree that Iran — one official called the country a “terrorist state” — should never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. But Democrats and Republicans clashed over the latest operations, just ...
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Bennet Signals Support for Suspending Colorado Wolf Reintroduction Program
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Bennet Signals Support for Suspending Colorado Wolf Reintroduction Program

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who is running for governor, told a newspaper this month that he favors suspending Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program, though he sounded less certain in another interview a few days later. “I think it’s right to suspend it for now and to try to see whether there’s any way to get back to a place where we’re implementing the original plan with fidelity,” he told the Durango Herald’s editorial board on Feb. 13. “But if we’re not able to implement with fidelity, then we shouldn’t continue.” Just three days later, Bennet appeared a little less certain in an interview with the Steamboat Pilot. “Asked about the reintroduction of wolves — one of the most contentious issues in Northwest C...
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Colorado Ballot Push Aims To Redraw Maps And Diminish GOP Representation
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Colorado Public Radio, Approved, State

Colorado Ballot Push Aims To Redraw Maps And Diminish GOP Representation

By Caitlyn Kim | CPR News The group Coloradans for a Level Playing Field wants to put an initiative on the 2026 ballot that would allow the state to draw new Congressional maps for 2028 and 2030. If voters approve, the state would join the redistricting tit-for-tat going on across the country after President Donald Trump urged Texas to redraw its congressional map to help Republicans retain control of the House in 2026. Several other Red and Blue states have followed or plan on following suit, such as Missouri, North Carolina, California and Virginia. “No one wanted to have to take this action,” said Curtis Hubbard, spokesperson for Coloradans for a Level Playing Field, adding independent commissions that make such decisions are ideal. “But with Donald Trump and his MA...
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Weiser Gains Ground as Bennet Faces Transparency Test on Senate Appointment Choice
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Complete Colorado, Commentary, State

Weiser Gains Ground as Bennet Faces Transparency Test on Senate Appointment Choice

By Jon Caldara | Commentary, Complete Colorado I suggest we get used to saying the words, “Governor Weiser.” The election for Colorado’s next governor does not take place in November. It’s in fewer than five months, on June 30. That’s the state’s primary election. Whoever wins the Democratic primary is the next governor (with all apologies to the seeming 328 Republicans running for the seat). So, out of a state of 6 million people, we must choose between an affable socialist and a tired Washington, DC liberal. Aren’t we the lucky ones. Yes, yes, Michael Bennet has all the name recognition and an independent expenditure cash tsunami (it’s good to be the senator). That’s not enough. There are a bunch of small factors tilting toward Attorney General Phil Weiser, bu...
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