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Democrats Advance Bill Sidestepping Citizen Led Push To Prioritize Roads And Bridges
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Democrats Advance Bill Sidestepping Citizen Led Push To Prioritize Roads And Bridges

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics The battle over road funding intensified at the state Capitol this week, where legislators are seeking to negate an initiative that supporters say is sorely needed but which critics insist would divert money from other state priorities. Supporters of the initiative questioned the timing of new legislation that emerged in the waning days of the legislative session. They also wondered about how much feedback sponsors sought, insinuating the House bill was crafted without input from the road construction industry. At stake is roughly $700 million in state dollars. Introduced last week, House Bill 1430 would take effect only ifInitiative No. 175 passes in November. The initiative would require that transportation-...
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After the rhetoric, Colorado secures $200 million for rural health care
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

After the rhetoric, Colorado secures $200 million for rural health care

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice “People will die—tens of thousands, perhaps year after year after year—as a result of the Republican assault on the health care of the American people.” That’s what House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on July 3, during the longest speech in House history, in an effort to delay passage of H.R. 1—a.k.a. the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB)—before it was sent to President Trump for signature. The eight-hour-plus speech set a tone, framing the bill as “a crime scene.” The 43-day shutdown fight came with its own healthcare messaging. “Republicans have tried to stick us with a partisan CR that fails to protect Americans’ healthcare,” the Democrat leader said on the Senate floor. With the performative politicking now in the re...
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Polis Budget Cuts Threaten Health Care Access for Medicaid Patients
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Polis Budget Cuts Threaten Health Care Access for Medicaid Patients

By Brandon Richard | Denver7 Gov. Jared Polis says the cuts helped rebalance the state budget after Congress passed President Trump's tax bill DENVER — Coloradans may be forced to pay more and wait longer for health care treatment due to some of the budget cuts Gov. Jared Polis announced this week. Polis said the cuts were necessary to help rebalance the state budget after a Republican federal tax and spending bill, H.R.1. (One Big Beautiful Bill Act), reduced the state’s revenue and created a $783 million budget gap. "Unlike the federal government, we have to balance our budget,” Polis said. The governor made more than $250 million in cuts and redirected spending across departments. "What H.R.1 does in a way is it makes these cuts, and then it makes states be the bad guy...
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Colorado Legislature Opens Special Session With Taxes and Spending Bills
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State, Approved, The Denver Gazette

Colorado Legislature Opens Special Session With Taxes and Spending Bills

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette Colorado legislators began to advance proposals dealing with an $800 million budget shortfall on Thursday, just hours after the legislature officially re-convened to deal with the revenue shortfall.  They started with a hearing on Senate Bill 1, which adds a requirement to the existing state law that outlines the governor's authority to make spending reductions in case of a significant drop in revenue. Under SB 1, Gov. Jared Polis would be required to develop a plan and present it to the Joint Budget Committee before it goes into effect. Lawmakers and the Polis administration have indicated that budget cuts should be put into place by Sept. 1 in order to spread out any reductions over 10 months, instead of waiting until next Februa...
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Big Beautiful Bill Sparks Heated Debate Among Colorado Lawmakers
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State, Approved, KUNC

Big Beautiful Bill Sparks Heated Debate Among Colorado Lawmakers

By Lucas Brady Woods | KUNC All eight of the state’s U.S. House members shared a stage Tuesday at the Colorado Chamber of Commerce’s congressional luncheon in Denver, where they touted bipartisanship but remained divided over issues like health care and energy. The panel discussion spanned tariffs, the budget deficit, workforce challenges, the environment and energy policy, with much of it centered on the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” a sweeping federal spending measure passed earlier this year and signed into law by President Donald Trump, and how it will impact Colorado. Republican members praised the measure while Democrats criticized various parts of it, underscoring the partisan divides despite repeated calls for bipartisanship.The most significant partisan disagreements at ...
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Colorado’s Medicaid growth is colliding with fiscal reality
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories

Colorado’s Medicaid growth is colliding with fiscal reality

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer A new report from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) warns that Colorado’s Medicaid program is on an unsustainable path—driven by rapid expansion at the state level and compounded by shrinking federal support. The warning comes as lawmakers prepare for a possible special session to address the state’s growing budget deficit. State policy has driven major cost growth Since 2019, Colorado has enacted 182 healthcare-related laws, with 21 of them expanding Medicaid eligibility or benefits. According to CSI’s July 2025 report, these expansions alone add approximately $158 million in recurring annual state costs. In total, the new legislation contributes around $858 million per year in additional Medicaid-related spending. Only 36% of that new spend...
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