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Douglas County Takes Legal Action Against State of Colorado Over Property Tax Relief Denial
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Approved, Denver Metro, Local, thelobby-co.com

Douglas County Takes Legal Action Against State of Colorado Over Property Tax Relief Denial

SOURCE: THELOBBY-CO.COM Douglas County, known for its affluent suburban communities, has taken a legal step this week to resolve the state’s property tax mess by suing the state board responsible for evaluating property assessments. The county claims that officials overstepped their authority and wrongly prevented the county from providing much-needed tax relief to thousands of homeowners. The decision by the board last month and the subsequent appeal to a judge come at a time when Colorado is embroiled in a heated debate over how to address the soaring property tax bills that have burdened residents this year. In its lawsuit filed against the state Board of Equalization, Douglas County accuses the board of making an "arbitrary and capricious" decision by unanimously denyin...
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Bill to create fiscal committee to rein in $34 trillion national debt advances in House
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Approved, denvergazette.com, National

Bill to create fiscal committee to rein in $34 trillion national debt advances in House

By Zachary Halaschak, Washington Examiner | SOURCE: THE GAZETTE The House Budget Committee voted Thursday to advance landmark legislation that would create a fiscal committee to limit the growth of the national debt. The committee advanced the bipartisan legislation in a 22-12 vote. The Fiscal Commission Act of 2023 would form a panel consisting of both Republican and Democratic lawmakers from both chambers of Congress, in addition to outside experts. Specifically, the commission would be composed of 16 members — the speaker of the House, House minority leader, Senate majority leader, and Senate minority leader would each appoint four members. Three of the four members must be lawmakers, and one must be an outside expert. The country is staring down some $34...
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Democrat Congressman Challenges Republicans to Remove Statue of Liberty in Immigration Debate
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Approved, National, thelobby-co.com

Democrat Congressman Challenges Republicans to Remove Statue of Liberty in Immigration Debate

SOURCE: THELOBBY-CO.COM In a stunning display of misplaced rhetoric, Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) has taken aim at his Republican colleagues, challenging them to introduce a bill that would remove the Statue of Liberty. Frost's provocative statement came during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing, where he criticized Republicans, particularly Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), for their immigration stances and their support of the H.R. 2 bill. Frost, a first-term legislator, read a portion of the poem "The New Colossus," which is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. The poem, intended as a message to immigrants arriving at Ellis Island in the 1800s, has long symbolized America's welcoming embrace of those seeking a better life. However, Frost's cynical use of ...
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House conservatives press Mike Johnson to attach border security to Senate funding bill
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Approved, denvergazette.com, National

House conservatives press Mike Johnson to attach border security to Senate funding bill

By Cami Mondeaux and Reese Gorman, Washington Examiner | SOURCE: THE GAZETTE House conservatives are urging Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to make last-minute changes to a stopgap funding measure, seeking to attach Republicans' border security bill to the final text. Members of the House Freedom Caucus met with Johnson on Thursday, just hours before the lower chamber is set to vote on a continuing resolution that would avoid a partial government shutdown over the weekend. Conservatives pressed Johnson to amend the resolution text to include House Republicans' signature border bill, H.R. 2, in the final version of the funding extension — a request they said the speaker is "considering." “[Rep. Andy] Harris and I just went and spoke with the speaker about ...
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WEF releases report on financing sustainable agriculture
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Approved, National, thefencepost.com

WEF releases report on financing sustainable agriculture

Hagstrom Report  | SOURCE: THE FENCE POST The World Economic Forum, which is meeting in Davos, Switzerland, this week, has released a report proposing a model for achieving sustainable agriculture worldwide. The report says, “To support the adoption of practices and sustain their implementation, a key source of financing should come from the monetization of the full value of all ecosystem services delivered by regenerative practices, including improved resilience and environmental outcomes like healthier soils, carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions avoidance, reduced freshwater use and pollution, and enhanced biodiversity.” “In exchange for ecosystem services, all the actors that benefit from regenerative agriculture, including value chain participants (across crop rot...
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Adams County Democrats to pick successor to former Rep. Said Sharbini
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Denver Metro, Local, State

Adams County Democrats to pick successor to former Rep. Said Sharbini

By Marianne Goodland | SOURCE: COLORADO POLITICS A Democratic Adams County House District 31 vacancy committee will meet Thursday evening to choose a successor to Rep. Said Sharbini, D-Adams County. Sharbini, who served one year in the House after being elected to his first term in 2022, resigned in December, citing financial pressures and the toxic environment of the state House. The vacancy committee will meet at 5:45 p.m. for a candidates' forum and then at 6:30 p.m. for the election. The election is expected to conclude by 7 p.m. due to other party business on the agenda. There are at least two candidates in the running: Julia Marvin and Jacqueline Phillips. Both have filed to run for the seat in the 2024 primary election. READ FULL ARTICLE ON COLORADOPOLITICS....
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Democratic Denver mayor to lead coalition of mayors asking for federal help for immigrants
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Downtown Denver, Local, National

Democratic Denver mayor to lead coalition of mayors asking for federal help for immigrants

By Brady Knox, Washington Examiner | SOURCE: COLORADO POLITICS Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is heading to Washington, D.C., as the head of a coalition of mayors asking for help with the migrant crisis. Johnston, a Democrat, will use the United States Mayors Conference to advocate federal assistance in dealing with the migrant crisis. Denver is one of several Democratic-controlled cities that have been the target of Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R-TX) migrant busing campaign, which has seen Texas ship thousands of immigrants to the sanctuary cities. “In D.C. this week for the @usmayors conference to work with fellow mayors, our federal delegation and the White House to advocate for federal action on the migrant crisis,” Johnston said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Johnston has previously...
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Colorado Democrat Lawmakers’ Excessive Legal Defense of Secret Ballot System Costs Taxpayers Over $54,000
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Approved, State, thelobby-co.com

Colorado Democrat Lawmakers’ Excessive Legal Defense of Secret Ballot System Costs Taxpayers Over $54,000

SOURCE: THELOBBY-CO.COM Colorado Democrat lawmakers have spent over $54,000 in taxpayer funds to defend their secret ballot system in court, only to be ordered by a judge to cease its use due to violations of the Open Meetings Law. According to documents obtained by KUNC News through an open records request, the total cost of the case is not final, as there is an expected additional invoice from the attorneys hired by the lawmakers. Suzanne Taheri, the lawyer representing the plaintiff who prevailed in the lawsuit, plans to seek court costs from the legislature as well. Despite the ruling on January 5, it remains unclear whether lawmakers, including Sen. President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, plan to appeal the decision, as their spokesperson did not respond to inquiries fro...
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Colorado State Legislature Introduces Seven Bills with Implications for the Business Community
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Approved, State, thelobby-co.com

Colorado State Legislature Introduces Seven Bills with Implications for the Business Community

SOURCE: THELOBBY-CO.COM As the Colorado state legislature enters its third week, lawmakers have already introduced several bills that could have a significant impact on the business community. Here are seven that were introduced on the first day of the 2024 Colorado General Assembly: Senate Bill 24-020: Alcohol Beverage Delivery and Takeout by Sen. Dylan Roberts, Rep. William Lindstedt, and Rep. Rose Pugliese, this bill aims to allow businesses to continue offering alcoholic beverages for takeout and delivery beyond the current sunset date of July 1, 2025. House Bill 24-1008: Wage Claims Construction Industry Contractors proposed legislation, sponsored by House Majority Leader Monica Duran, Rep. Meg Froelich, Sen. Jessie Danielson, and S...
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Student enrollment down statewide, up in Denver because of newly arriving immigrants
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Downtown Denver, Local, State

Student enrollment down statewide, up in Denver because of newly arriving immigrants

By Nicole C. Brambila | SOURCE: THE DENVER GAZETTE Student enrollment statewide declined for a second year with new data from the Colorado Department of Education showing a loss of about 1,800 students on what’s called the October count, which is used to determine funding levels for school districts. “On a percentage basis, it’s a fairly small change,” said Jennifer Okes, chief school operations officer for the Colorado Department of Education. Statewide enrollment remains relatively stable. Those 1,800 Colorado students equate to a roughly 0.20% decrease, down from 883,264 in 2022 to 881,464 last fall, state data shows. Colorado’s enrollment was last this low in 2013, when 876,999 pupils were counted, after gaining 13,438 students. What the Oct. 2 count doesn’t show is t...
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