Housing tops Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ State of the State address

Housing tops Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ State of the State address

Housing, housing, and more housing will dominate Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ agenda this legislative session as state leaders aim to encourage more building across the state. The governor, entering his sixth year in office, previewed his priorities Thursday in his annual State of the State address to a packed Colorado House chamber. Roughly the first … Read more

Denver rent assistance program gears up for big year as evictions surge

Denver rent assistance program gears up for big year as evictions surge

On a December morning, dozens of people cycled through the benches outside Room 163 of the Denver City and County Building. A few cradled children, and some looked at the floor. Deja Balles held a document from her landlord. It demanded just shy of $2,700 in back rent for October, November and December. Like the … Read more

Colorado lawmakers return to Capitol amid bubbling political tensions

Colorado lawmakers return to Capitol amid bubbling political tensions

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

Colorado Democrats plan wage theft bill aimed at construction industry

Colorado Democrats plan wage theft bill aimed at construction industry

Colorado construction contractors could face civil liability for wage theft under a bill previewed by Democratic lawmakers Friday. Details of the proposal are still being finalized ahead of the legislative session that begins Wednesday. House Majority Leader Monica Duran, a Wheat Ridge Democrat, said it is one of the bills she plans to introduce on … Read more

Hunter Palm, who entered Nancy Pelosi’s office on Jan. 6, sentenced

Hunter Palm, who entered Nancy Pelosi’s office on Jan. 6, sentenced

A Colorado man accused of entering U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced to three years of probation this week. Hunter Palm, who was arrested in Denver in May 2021, pleaded guilty to disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, … Read more

Denver begins cleanup of Zuni Street migrant encampment

Denver begins cleanup of Zuni Street migrant encampment

A fence enclosed the hundreds of tents lining the blocks around Zuni Street and Speer Boulevard on Wednesday morning as Denver police guarded the area and outreach workers helped the migrants who have been living there get ready to leave. The city of Denver on Wednesday began the process of shutting down the makeshift campsite … Read more

Gun-rights groups sue to block Colorado’s new ban on “ghost guns”

Gun-rights groups sue to block Colorado’s new ban on “ghost guns”

A pair of gun-rights groups have filed a lawsuit against Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to block enforcement of a new state law banning so-called “ghost guns,” in the latest legal challenge of a slew of new firearms reform measures. The suit was filed in federal court Monday, when some provisions of the law took effect, … Read more

New Colorado laws that go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024

New Colorado laws that go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024

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

Chef Michael Diaz de Leon steps down from Bruto as executive chef

Chef Michael Diaz de Leon steps down from Bruto as executive chef

When chef Michael Diaz de Leon took over Bruto in 2020, he was handed “four walls, a hearth oven and a couple of induction burners,” he said. Three years later, Diaz de Leon has transformed Bruto into a Michelin-starred restaurant with a Michelin sustainability award and a 2023 James Beard nomination. “No one really understands … Read more

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

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