Colorado lawmakers plan return of criminal justice commission

Colorado legislators are working to launch two commissions that will help shape criminal justice policy statewide into the near future, an effort that’s drawn the praise of policymakers while reigniting the same simmering tensions that helped sink a predecessor last year. Under recommendations issued last month by a working group convened by Gov. Jared Polis, … Read more

Colorado GOP chair Dave Williams under fire from fellow Republicans

The Republican Party in Colorado is having a crisis of confidence, facing increasing calls from within for Chairman Dave Williams to step down following a raucous GOP assembly last weekend and, in the days that followed, bitter infighting in full view. Huerfano County Republican leadership in southern Colorado this week signed a letter demanding Williams … Read more

Denver will restore rec center hours after revamping migrant strategy

Denver is overhauling its approach to serving migrants in a major shift announced Wednesday — along with revised budget impact projections that will allow the city to roll back some cuts, including reduced hours at city recreation centers, in coming months. Mayor Mike Johnston said the city would discontinue the costly practice of sheltering newly … Read more

Reporter’s expulsion from Colorado Republican Party meeting causes uproar

Politicians and news outlets expressed outrage Monday over the expulsion from a Republican gathering of an experienced politics reporter who was told the state party chairman believed her reporting was “very unfair.” Journalists and elected officials, including the former chair of the Colorado Republican Party, came to the defense of Colorado Sun reporter Sandra Fish. … Read more

Colorado Eastern Plains vacancy in Congress leaves district without voice

For the first time in more than 40 years, a congressional district in Colorado is without a voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1983, a seat sat vacant because Jack Swigert, a former astronaut on the Apollo 13 who was elected the previous November, died of cancer one week before taking office. This … Read more

Faith Winter, Colorado Senate leader, enters treatment for alcohol use

State Sen. Faith Winter, a Broomfield lawmaker and the third-ranking Democrat in the chamber, said Thursday that she has entered substance-use treatment for alcohol abuse after appearing intoxicated at a community event this week. Winter apologized for her behavior at the Northglenn event Wednesday night, where she appeared to slur her words when she spoke … Read more

Lauren Boebert hospitalized for blood clot, undergoes surgery

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert underwent surgery for a blood clot after being admitted to a Loveland hospital with severe leg swelling Monday afternoon, campaign officials announced Tuesday night. Boebert, 37, was admitted to UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland with severe swelling in her upper left leg Monday afternoon, campaign officials said in … Read more

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 gun-free zone bill stripped of bars, parks, protests

A proposal to limit where people can carry firearms in Colorado, openly or with concealed carry permits, was narrowed substantially Wednesday as sponsors fought to win a key committee vote in the state Senate. The bill as introduced would have banned firearms from being carried at a slew of places, including stadiums, protests at public locations, … Read more

Colorado’s Jena Griswold faces criticism for anti-Trump advocacy

It is no secret that Jena Griswold, Colorado’s secretary of state since 2019, has a major problem with former President Donald Trump. A quick scroll through her account on X, formerly known as Twitter, reveals dozens of condemnations of the former president, with Griswold repeatedly calling him an “oath-breaking insurrectionist” and a “threat to democracy.” … Read more