Westminster’s housing crisis faces local opposition, state demands

Jodi Lovejoy can look out the window of her Westminster apartment and see the mountains of the Front Range. She can track the rolling clouds and watch the weather change over the peaks, something she used to do with her children. The neighborhood is quiet, dotted by mature trees. She doesn’t own the two bedrooms … Read more

Wolverines, protecting homeowners from construction flaws, teen anti-overdose activists and more from the Colorado legislature this week

Colorado lawmakers target another $5 million for Denver Health amid fears of hospital’s “death spiral” A bipartisan group of Colorado lawmakers is again moving to direct a special $5 million infusion to Denver Health amid rising concerns about the hospital’s financial security and fears of a potential descent into a “death spiral.” Members of the … Read more

Colorado lawmakers target another $5 million for Denver Health

A bipartisan group of Colorado lawmakers is again moving to direct a special $5 million infusion to Denver Health amid rising concerns about the hospital’s financial security and fears of a potential descent into a “death spiral.” Members of the powerful Joint Budget Committee, which gave initial approval to the allocation Wednesday night, acknowledged that … Read more

Colorado lawmakers target HOAs, metro districts with more regulation

Homeowners associations’ foreclosure filings on thousands of Coloradans’ houses over unpaid fines and fees have spurred fresh attempts by lawmakers to better regulate HOAs and metropolitan districts with the hope of preventing more people from losing their homes. Lawmakers have introduced several reform bills that would restrict foreclosures from delinquent fees and require HOAs and … Read more

Bills allowing easier use of preferred names, end of the education funding gap and more from the Colorado legislature this week – The Denver Post

Colorado House advances two name-change bills after contentious debate and anti-transgender rhetoric Two bills allowing transgender and nonbinary Coloradans to more easily use their preferred names cleared the House on Friday after anti-transgender rhetoric from Republican lawmakers spread debate and votes over multiple days. The two Democrat-backed measures — HB24-1071 and HB24-1039 — have led … Read more

Housing measures, gender-identity names bills considered by legislature this week

Colorado lawmakers are getting into the meat of the legislative session as we near the March midpoint of the 120-day session, and committees are in full swing. Bills are passing their first chambers, too, and crossing the hall. The first of this year’s land-use bills — a measure to ban occupancy limits — has already … Read more

Colorado lawmakers weigh new building style as fire chiefs push back

As Sean Jursnick traveled through Europe, he marveled at its buildings. The Denver-based architect was particularly struck by a type of development that’s largely illegal in the United States: taller apartment buildings with just a single staircase. Such buildings often feature apartments or condos situated around a central flight of stairs, with front doors opening directly … Read more

Colorado child sex abuse constitutional amendment faces new opposition

Unexpected partisan opposition to a state constitutional amendment that’s aimed at clearing the way for survivors of childhood sexual assault to sue over older claims has clouded the measure’s chances in the Colorado Senate. Backers, who are working to shore up support, see it as a black-and-white proposal that would give survivors of abuse that … Read more

Bills in Colorado legislature take aim at poor Front Range air quality

Democratic state legislators on Thursday rolled out an ambitious suite of bills aimed at improving the Front Range’s air quality — among the worst in the nation — by taking specific aim at the oil and gas industry. The three bills will focus on curbing toxic emissions from oil and gas drilling sites by changing … Read more

Colorado voters may decide if 1st-degree murder defendants get bail

Colorado lawmakers want to change the state constitution so that first-degree murder defendants can once again be held in jail without bail. The push comes just eight months after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that all criminal defendants — including those charged with first-degree murder — must be given the chance to pay bail and … Read more