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
A Democratic vacancy committee has selected Jillaire McMillan as the party’s candidate for a key state House race in November, weeks after the sitting legislator announced she wouldn’t run for reelection. McMillan, who runs a small marine robotics company with her husband, beat Richard Garcia by two votes — 16 to 14 — in the … Read more
When initial results dropped in Colorado’s primary elections this week, the early signs in several prominent Democratic legislative races lent themselves to an easy characterization: “moderates win, lefties lose.” Left-wing candidates like Denver Reps. Elisabeth Epps and Tim Hernández indeed were trailing in races that had been soaked in outside spending supporting more moderate Democrats, … Read more
Colorado Democrats are eying a large portion of the state’s $1.8 billion-plus surplus this year to provide child tax credits targeted to help lower-income families — along with another slice devoted to helping people working in health- and child-care fields. The proposals are costly policy moves that could put state lawmakers on a path for … Read more
The return of Colorado’s legislature to the Capitol this week brought lofty talk from legislative leaders about the need for civility. It also came with a harsh reality: the acrimony and vitriol that marred last year’s proceedings have done anything but fade away. Simmering tensions have built up for several years, lawmakers on both sides … Read more
Two dozen new Colorado laws — concerning issues including how tractors are repaired, how evictions are handled and how elections are run — go into effect on New Year’s Day, shortly before state legislators return to the Capitol and begin the lawmaking process all over again. The bills that are set to kick in next … Read more
