Denver Sen. Chris Hansen’s decision to leave the state Capitol for a job in southwestern Colorado while endorsing two Democrats to ascend the political ladder behind him has frustrated party officials and sparked fresh criticism of the process that’s served as a gateway for a third of the state legislature. “The optics are (expletive),” summarized … Read more
State Sen. Janet Buckner, an Aurora Democrat, announced Thursday that she plans to resign at the start of the legislative session in January. Buckner is the second senator to announce their resignation in the weeks following their reelection. She was unopposed in her Nov. 5 reelection. Buckner has served in the legislature since 2015, when … Read more
Lamenting the uneasy budgetary situation facing the state, Colorado lawmakers rejected a proposed bill Friday that would have increased annual payments to the Public Employees’ Retirement Association in times of inflation. “I think it’s a good concept. I don’t see how we can afford it this year,” Rep. Rick Taggart told fellow lawmakers on the … Read more
Colorado’s grand bargain on property taxes concluded Wednesday as Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill that further cuts commercial and residential rates, while a conservative group withdrew two contentious initiatives from the November ballot. The legislature passed House Bill 1001 last week during its second property tax-focused special session in the past year. Polis called … Read more
A Denver judge this week dismissed several claims made by Douglas County against the State Board of Equalization over what the county alleged was an illegal move to block it from providing tax relief to thousands of homeowners this year. Denver District Judge Martin Egelhoff on Tuesday dismissed three of Douglas County’s four claims, saying … Read more
After years of sparring over property tax rates, leading Colorado Democrats and conservative activists finally see an offramp from the conflict. To get there, it will only have taken two special sessions, annual short-term bills at the Capitol, multiple threats of ballot measures and a failed attempt to override the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. The … Read more
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed several tax-related bills into law Tuesday, including two that deliver what officials are touting as historic cuts to taxes of different kinds. One reduces income and sales taxes. Senate Bill 228 cuts the state’s income rate by up to 0.15% in years when state revenue handily exceeds the cap set … Read more
Colorado lawmakers have agreed on a compromise measure to combat distracted driving on roadways, solidifying a ban on the hand-held use of cellphones behind the wheel that is moving toward passage in the final hours of this year’s legislative session. Negotiators faced pressure from law enforcement officials to make sure the ban was enforceable — … Read more
A bill aimed at barring landlords from using algorithms to set rents died in the Colorado Senate on Wednesday after a group of moderate Democrats joined Republicans to reject a more forceful House version of the measure. The crux of the disagreement was an adopted amendment that bill backers charged had been written by a … Read more
Transgender and nonbinary people would receive more explicit protections in Colorado’s anti-bias and harassment law if a newly introduced bill becomes law. Advocates characterize the bill as a simple legislative fix to ensure gender identity and expression are protected across state law, while also sending a message about Colorado’s values. “(The bill) ensures nonbinary and … Read more
