Colorado lawmakers reject PERA funding change as system faces crunch

Colorado lawmakers reject PERA funding change as system faces crunch

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

Jared Polis signs property tax bill after ballot measures withdrawn

Jared Polis signs property tax bill after ballot measures withdrawn

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

Judge dismisses several claims by Douglas County in property tax fight

Judge dismisses several claims by Douglas County in property tax fight

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

Will Colorado property tax special session end initiative ballot wars?

Will Colorado property tax special session end initiative ballot wars?

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

Gov. Polis signs bills providing income tax, property tax cuts

Gov. Polis signs bills providing income tax, property tax cuts

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 close to outlawing hand-held use of cellphones by drivers

Colorado close to outlawing hand-held use of cellphones by drivers

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

Colorado Democrats spar over bill to prohibit rent-setting algorithms

Colorado Democrats spar over bill to prohibit rent-setting algorithms

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

Colorado lawmakers aim to protect gender identity in hate crimes law

Colorado lawmakers aim to protect gender identity in hate crimes law

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

Colorado property tax commission recommends changes amid ballot battle

Colorado property tax commission recommends changes amid ballot battle

A bipartisan group of Colorado policymakers approved nearly a dozen recommendations to soften the pinch of property tax increases Friday, including an “adjustable cap” on future hikes and mechanisms to spread out hefty tax bills. State Sen. Chris Hansen is chairman of the state Property Tax Commission, which issued its recommendations Friday. (Photo by AAron … Read more

Colorado lawmakers eye regulation to reduce youth social media use

Colorado lawmakers eye regulation to reduce youth social media use

Annie Valentina Castanon knows the endless scroll of social media well — one short video on an app like Instagram or TikTok turns into another, she said, and soon a minute turns into hours. The quick rush from flashy entertainment gives way to anxiety as she worries about losing time that should have been spent … Read more