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Colorado voters to decide future of police cooperation with ICE
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Colorado voters to decide future of police cooperation with ICE

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun Initiative 95 would amend the state constitution to require that police officers, sheriff’s deputies and prosecutors alert federal immigration authorities if they charge someone whose immigration status is in question if that person has a prior felony conviction or the charge is for an alleged violent crime Colorado voters will decide in November whether to require that state and local law enforcement work more closely with federal immigration officials.  Initiative 95 would amend the state constitution to require that police officers, sheriff’s deputies and prosecutors alert the U.S. Department of Homeland Security if they charge someone whose immigration status is in question if that person has a prior felony convicti...
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Boulder City Council Slams Xcel Over Handling of Public Safety Power Shutoffs
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Boulder City Council Slams Xcel Over Handling of Public Safety Power Shutoffs

By: Óscar Contreras | Denver7 "I thought the power shut offs were outrageous," said Boulder Mayor Pro Tem Tara Winer. BOULDER, Colo. — At its meeting Thursday evening, Boulder City Council approved sending a letter to Xcel Energy regarding "major concerns" it has with their partnership. For weeks, Boulder's City Council has discussed the three-page letter, which reviews "whether the expectations set forth in the Franchise are being met, and whether we are realizing the vision set forth by the companion Energy Partnership Agreement." In the letter, Boulder leaders address several areas they are concerned with when it comes to Xcel. The first is "that Xcel failed to meet both the 2022 and 2024 emission milestones." The second area of concern deals ...
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Colorado Budget Panel Rejects Prison Expansion Funding Until Plan Is Presented
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Colorado Budget Panel Rejects Prison Expansion Funding Until Plan Is Presented

By Bente Birkeland | The Colorado Sun In a 4-2 vote, the Democrats on the JBC voted in a bloc to deny the dollars, complaining that the DOC lacked a plan to address the state’s growing prison population. Democratic members of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee denied a request Wednesday from the Colorado Department of Corrections for money to pay for additional prison beds.  In a 4-2 vote, the Democrats on the JBC voted in a bloc to deny the dollars, complaining that the DOC lacked a plan to address the state’s growing prison population, despite repeated requests for Gov. Jared Polis’ administration to do so. The two Republicans on the panel voted to approve the ask. “The frustration is that we are just at this point where it’s been repeated asks, y...
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Colorado prison beds could run out by 2026 and lawmakers face hard choices
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado prison beds could run out by 2026 and lawmakers face hard choices

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Spidey sense is tingling on the jail population … I had a reader mention something I thought worth sharing. Colorado has a problem. Our jail’s are nearing capacity. On top of that, we’re struggling to find people willing to guard them.A Corrections1 link is first below. It’s a copy (without the paywall) of a Denver Post article detailing how a Colorado budget analyst for the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee said we’re going to run out of beds for men in prison as early as 2026. Quoting with link intact: “Colorado’s prisons will run out of beds for men in the next fiscal year unless significant changes are made to either reduce the prison population or increase capacity, a state analyst projects in a n...
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A new session, same defiance: How Colorado’s immigration policy put ideology over enforcement
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

A new session, same defiance: How Colorado’s immigration policy put ideology over enforcement

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado lawmakers are walking into the 2026 session with the budget already tight. They’re also bracing for more legal fights with Washington. New bills tied to ICE enforcement are moving early, including one that would expand the state’s ability to sue over immigration-related rights claims. That push comes as Colorado is already in federal court over immigration laws passed last session. In Senate Appropriations on April 11, Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer zeroed in on SB25-276's price tag, asking whether its costs would come out of the legislature's roughly $7.5 million set-aside for new mandates and litigation risks. The answer was a quick "Yes"—no hesitation, no alternative funding source offered. Democrats introduced Senate Bill...
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Polis Says Colorado Police Can Work With DEA Despite Sanctuary Law
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Polis Says Colorado Police Can Work With DEA Despite Sanctuary Law

By The Denver Gazette Gov. Jared Polis on Friday insisted that local law enforcement officers in Colorado can — and should — work with federal drug enforcement authorities to go after criminal activity. An official of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency earlier said Colorado’s “sanctuary” laws, notably its prohibition against cooperating with federal authorities on illegal immigration matters, are having a “chilling effect” on law enforcement’s ability to pursue drug cartels operating in the state. “There’s always a matter of making sure local line officers are educated in our laws and that they know that they’re able to work with our federal partners on criminal matters,” Polis told The Denver Gazette. “So, it doesn’t shock me that there are some line officers somewhere ...
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SB26-005: Colorado Bill Opens State Suits for ICE-Related Rights Violations—Even Against Private Actors
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

SB26-005: Colorado Bill Opens State Suits for ICE-Related Rights Violations—Even Against Private Actors

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado lawmakers have introduced Senate Bill 26-005—legislation that would allow lawsuits in state court when an individual claims their rights under federal law have been violated as a result of civil immigration law enforcement. This bill creates a new state-level cause of action tied specifically to immigration enforcement activity. Its reach is broad. The text applies to “any person whether or not under color of law,” language pulled directly from the bill as introduced. The prime sponsors of the bill are Sen. Mike Weissman, Sen. Julie Gonzales, Rep. Javier Mabrey, and Rep. Yara Zokaie. It has been sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee—which Weissman chairs. That matters. He will be able to control how f...
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Colorado’s prisons are on the verge of total collapse. 
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Colorado’s prisons are on the verge of total collapse. 

By Ahnaf Kalam | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado's prisons are on the verge of total collapse. As of late 2025, state facilities are operating at nearly 98% capacity, while being severely understaffed. Men's prisons alone are projected to run out of beds entirely in the next fiscal year unless drastic measures are taken to reduce the population or add capacity. Inmates are backing up into county jails which were never designed or funded for long-term state housing, while prison staff face mandatory overtime, burnout, and reduced security and rehabilitation programs. And yet, amid this crisis, the Colorado Department of Corrections has found it in its budget to staff a full-time, taxpayer-funded practitioner of "gender-affirming care" for prison inmates. ...
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Copper Theft Blamed for Weeklong Phone Outages in Southeast Denver
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Copper Theft Blamed for Weeklong Phone Outages in Southeast Denver

By Jasmine Arenas | CBS Colorado Some residents and businesses in southeast Denver were without landline phone service for more than a week, leaving many frustrated by what they described as a lack of communication from service provider CenturyLink. CBS Colorado reached out to CenturyLink and a company representative said the outage was the result of being targeted by copper thieves. Phone service was restored Friday morning at Bonnie Brae Flowers, a longtime flower shop on Evans Avenue. Owner Bell Mendenhall said the business was without landline service for more than 10 days. "It's nice to have phones again when you do a lot of business over the phone," Mendenhall said. "People call when they want to send flowers." READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
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Arrest Made After Explosions Damage High Line Canal Trail Near Denver
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Arrest Made After Explosions Damage High Line Canal Trail Near Denver

By Austen Erblat | CBS Colorado An 18-year-old Colorado man has been arrested and now faces multiple charges related to recent explosions that damaged the High Line Canal Trail near Denver. The man, who was not identified by police, is accused of setting off multiple homemade explosive devices along the canal, mostly between October and December. Cherry Hills Village Police, however, said they observed a suspicious person on the trail through police cameras on Jan. 6. The suspect who was described by police in a public alert in December was seen riding a "higher wattage" e-bike with a dark frame, wide tires, and handlebar mittens, and the department said the person they saw on Jan. 6 had "clothing and mode of transportation" that matched previous descriptions...
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