Rick Palacio, the former chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, violated the state’s ethics law when he became a consultant for Gov. Jared Polis in late 2020 because he had too recently served as the governor’s chief of staff, the state’s Independent Ethics Commission ruled. Former Colorado Democratic Party chairman Rick Palacio. (Handout) The commission … Read more
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
Seven Colorado counties filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing the state of illegally taking tax money generated from oil and gas extraction and set aside for local governments. The suit, which names Gov. Jared Polis and state Treasurer Dave Young, was filed in Denver District Court by several mostly rural counties on the Western Slope, plus … 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
The Colorado Senate gaveled in Thursday morning and quickly gave final approval to a much-heralded property tax deal, ending a special session aimed at stopping a pair of ballot initiatives that would enact deeper cuts. The legislation now goes to Gov. Jared Polis for his signature — and is expected to prompt the conservative and … Read more
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is joining a Justice Department antitrust lawsuit against real estate software company RealPage Inc., accusing it of an illegal scheme that allows landlords to coordinate to hike rental prices in Colorado and elsewhere. The lawsuit, filed Friday alongside seven other attorneys general in states including North Carolina and California, alleges the … Read more
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and U.S. Rep. Jason Crow both criticized a Republican plan for a second Donald Trump presidency during primetime speeches at the Democratic National Convention this week, while U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ previous support for education. Oh, and Polis cracked a Taylor Swift reference, continuing his emerging … Read more
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joked about his “interesting” first week as Kamala Harris’ running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket and criticized Donald Trump’s background on Wednesday during a Denver fundraiser that collected $3 million for the campaign. “This week has been interesting,” Walz told roughly 150 attendees in the backyard of the 33,000-square-foot Phipps … Read more
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — His flip-flops obscured by shin-high hay, Jason Peasley stood in an empty field just west of town and gestured at a phantom community. “That’s where the fire station would’ve been,” he said, pointing to the base of a small hill. He turned around and nodded toward some barns, near the road that … Read more
President Joe Biden’s proposal this week to cap rent increases in larger apartment buildings across America has elevated an idea that’s long been embraced by progressive housing advocates in Colorado — but, in a split among Democrats, is opposed by Gov. Jared Polis. What’s more, at the local level, rent-stabilization policies are essentially illegal under … Read more
