Colorado Rep. Said Sharbini resigns — second Dem to quit this month

State Rep. Said Sharbini, a Brighton Democrat, is resigning just a year into his term, he said Monday — making him the second freshman lawmaker to quit this month. Sharbini cited the political “vitriol” at the Capitol and low pay for the long hours required of lawmakers. Legislators whose terms began in January, including Sharbini, … Read more

Stratford’s first-term council chair ‘willing to work with anyone and everyone’

STRATFORD — The Town Council’s new leader is a longtime local attorney and first-time elected official.  A divided council on Monday voted 6 to 4 to name Carl Glad, a Republican who was elected last month to represent District 8, which covers much of the town’s north end, as chairperson for the next two years.  … Read more

Colorado Black lawmakers propose study of racial equity, solutions

Several state lawmakers want to zero in on deep-rooted disparities that are holding back Black Coloradans economically, from low homeownership to disproportionately high incarceration rates, and expand the search for solutions. That’s the aim of legislation unveiled Wednesday that would charge History Colorado, the state’s historical society, with undertaking a comprehensive study into the reverberations … Read more

Another North Carolina Democrat won’t seek reelection under new maps

North Carolina Democrat Rep. Wiley Nickel announced Thursday that he won’t seek reelection under new congressional maps in the state and floated a possible future Senate run, arguing the Republicans who approved the district lines “rigged the system” in their favor. “Republicans have rigged the system to favor themselves and I don’t have a path … Read more

House passes sweeping defense policy bill that includes 5.2% pay raise for members of the military

By Clare Foran and Haley Talbot | CNN The House voted Thursday to pass a critical defense policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act, which sets the policy agenda and authorizes funding for the Department of Defense annually. The bill will next be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. The Senate passed … Read more

National pharmacare plan is in limbo as health minister calls pending deadline ‘arbitrary’

Health Minister Mark Holland signalled Tuesday the government is unlikely to meet the end-of-the-year deadline imposed by the NDP for passing pharmacare legislation — a condition of the supply-and-confidence agreement that was struck to keep the Liberals in power until 2025. Holland said talks are ongoing with NDP MP Don Davies, the party’s health critic, … Read more

U.S. ‘beginning’ internal discussions about renewing North American trade pact

For anyone with lingering night terrors from the last renegotiation of NAFTA, the notion of reopening the pact might evoke the trailer for a classic horror movie sequel: It’s baaaaa-aaaack.  But this time is different, says the U.S. envoy to Canada. In an interview with CBC News, Ambassador David Cohen said officials in his country have … Read more

The Capital Has a Bad Case of Year-End Panic

Sometimes Washington needs to scare itself silly to get anything done. This year’s repeated threats of government shutdown are classic examples, even if the crisis has not been permanently averted but merely deferred to early 2024. The current panic is over U.S. assistance to Ukraine, which is set to run out at a moment when … Read more

Brookfield school board names area teacher as new chairperson

BROOKFIELD — Two Democrats took the Board of Education’s top seats at Wednesday night’s Board of Education meeting, after a close vote. By a vote of 4 to 3, newly elected board member Wendy Youngblood, a Democrat, beat board member Joy Greenstein, for the role of board chairperson. Greenstein, a Republican, was previously vice chairperson. Youngblood replaces Bob Belden, who … Read more