coloradopolitics.com

In Elbert County, manager and attorney get 40% pay increases, with perks

12Jul

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coloradopolitics.com, Local

In Elbert County, manager and attorney get 40% pay increases, with perks

By Deborah Grigsby | Colorado Politics Two of Elbert County’s top officials received contract extensions this year, each with pay raises and county-owned cars, among other perks. The Board of County Commissioners extended “Engagement of Service” contracts to County Manager Shawn Fletcher and County Attorney Bart Greer. Fletcher, who has been on the job for less than 18 months, saw a pay bump of $80,000 over his 2023 contract, bringing his annual salary to $220,000. Additionally, he gets the use of a county-owned or leased vehicle, a monthly housing allowance of $1,500, and an extra two weeks (8 days) of vacation leave above his current accrual rate. Greer, who has represented the county for close to seven years, will also receive an annual salary of $220,000 and use a county ve...

Dueling meetings planned to decide future of party’s leadership

10Jul

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coloradopolitics.com, State

Dueling meetings planned to decide future of party’s leadership

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics Rival factions of the Colorado Republican Party have scheduled separate meetings a week apart in different corners of the state later this month to consider whether to remove Dave Williams as the state party's chairman, though the meeting set by Williams' allies is only planned to last long enough to gavel in and then immediately recess. Leaders of both groups accuse the others of staging "illegal" and "fraudulent" meetings in what they characterize as attempts to hijack the state Republican Party for their own gain, even as GOP candidates are left scrambling to prepare for a crucial election just months away. Organizers of a long-simmering move to oust Williams from the party position said Monday that they'll convene on July 27 at a church in ...

Voters in Aurora will be asked to decide whether to repeal pit bull ban

10Jul

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coloradopolitics.com, Local

Voters in Aurora will be asked to decide whether to repeal pit bull ban

By Kyla Pearce | Colorado Politics Aurora councilmembers on Monday decided to ask voters in November whether to repeal the city's pit bull ownership ban after a court deemed the council's vote to do so in 2021 to be invalid. The decision is on appeal, but, in the meantime, the city could vote to put the question on the ballot, according to City Attorney Pete Schulte. It passed unanimously. Only seven councilmembers were present when the vote was taken — Crystal Murillo and Alison Coombs were in another room listening to protesters who took over the meeting to demand the firing of the SWAT officer who killed Kilyn Lewis, whom the police sought for attempted homicide. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS

Greg Lopez sworn in to serve final six months of ex-Rep. Ken Buck’s term

9Jul

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coloradopolitics.com, National

Greg Lopez sworn in to serve final six months of ex-Rep. Ken Buck’s term

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics Republican Greg Lopez was sworn in as a congressman Monday to represent Colorado's 4th Congressional District after winning a special election to complete the six months remaining in former U.S. Rep. Ken Buck's term. After House Speaker Mike Johnson administered the oath of office, Lopez addressed fellow lawmakers on the House floor, noting that he would only serve until the next Congress takes office in January. "But in that short time, I vow to stay true to the virtues of respect, collaboration, friendship, unity and, most importantly, statesmanship," Lopez said. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS

Group submits petition to ban hunting of bobcats, mountain lions, lynx

6Jul

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coloradopolitics.com, State

Group submits petition to ban hunting of bobcats, mountain lions, lynx

By Deborah Grigsby | Colorado Politics A volunteer group seeking to ban the hunting of Colorado wildcats has submitted signatures to election officials to get the measure on the November ballot. The group called "Cats Aren’t Trophies," which is behind Initiative 91, delivered 188,000 signatures to the Secretary of State on Wednesday. The state requires valid signatures from 124,238 registered voters to secure the measure's placement on the November ballot. Supporters described the hunting of mountain lions and bobcats "inhumane" and called it "commercial killing." Opponents, meanwhile, countered that it's a threat not just to Colorado's hunting tradition but also to wildlife management itself. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS

Following special election victory, Greg Lopez to be sworn in Monday to finish out ex-Rep. Buck’s term

6Jul

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coloradopolitics.com, State

Following special election victory, Greg Lopez to be sworn in Monday to finish out ex-Rep. Buck’s term

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics Republican U.S. Rep.-elect Greg Lopez is scheduled to be sworn into office on Monday, July 8, after winning last month's vacancy election in Colorado's 4th Congressional District, a Lopez spokeswoman and House Speaker Mike Johnson's office told Colorado Politics on Friday. The 60-year-old Lopez is expected to serve the roughly six months remaining in former U.S. Rep. Ken Buck's term, following the five-term Republican's resignation from Congress in March. Once Lopez is sworn in, Republicans will expand their slim majority in the House of Representatives to 220 members, compared to 213 Democrats, with two vacant seats remaining. Lopez easily defeated Democratic nominee Trisha Calvarese for the solid GOP seat, which covers Douglas County...

Rural communities face critical firefighter shortage, in some cases, outlook is ‘bleak’

5Jul

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coloradopolitics.com, State

Rural communities face critical firefighter shortage, in some cases, outlook is ‘bleak’

By Deborah Grigsby | Colorado Politics When Elizabeth Fire Chief T.J. Steck first entered the fire service more than 30 years ago, he was one of more than 2,000 applicants for just six full-time positions with Denver Fire. Competition was intense. That’s not the case now, Steck told members of the Colorado Wildfire Matters Review Committee on Tuesday. “Now, fire departments across the Front Range are actually fighting each other for applicants and trying to poach from each other — because we don't have the number of applicants anymore,” he said. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS

Analysis: Those candidates who raised the most won their state legislative races

5Jul

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coloradopolitics.com, State

Analysis: Those candidates who raised the most won their state legislative races

By Luige Del Puerto | Colorado Politics With a few exceptions, Colorado's candidates for the state legislature who raised the most money won their races. Longtime political observers also noted something unique from this year's primary elections — a concerted effort, they said, to pull politics back to the "center." An analysis of the fundraising of dozens candidates largely confirmed an axiomatic presumption in campaigns — the person with the most money wins. That was true for both state Senate and House candidates, the results of last Tuesday's primary elections showed. “Money will always be the mother’s milk of politics. The more you raise and spend, the better chance of winning," Michael Dino, a political expert who served as campaign manager for fo...

Democrat Yadira Caraveo hauls in nearly $1.8M for quarter in Colorado’s toss-up 8th CD

3Jul

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coloradopolitics.com, State

Democrat Yadira Caraveo hauls in nearly $1.8M for quarter in Colorado’s toss-up 8th CD

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo plans to report raising nearly $1.8 million in the most recent fundraising quarter in a bid to defend Colorado's battleground 8th Congressional District, her campaign told Colorado Politics. The first-term lawmaker heads into the general election with an eye-popping $3.3 million in the bank for a race that could determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives once ballots are counted in November. A spokesman for Caraveo's campaign said she raised more than $1,769,000 for the three-month period from April 1 to June 30, including more than $1.2 million in receipts since the pre-primary reporting period ended on June 5. The quarterly figure pushes Caraveo's total fundraising this cycle...