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By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics A Democrat on Friday saw his proposal dealing with the number of county commissioners first effectively gutted by an amendment and then killed by his party mates, a rare sight that might have its genesis in the legislator's lawsuit over the caucuses' practice of meeting away from the public view. That lawsuit outlined a secretive process by which Republicans and Democrats met to discuss legislation or discussed policies via messaging apps effectively outside of the purview of the state's Open Meetings Law. The lawsuit ultimately led to a settlement.    READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS

BY Marissa Ventrelli | COLORADO POLITICS The Colorado legislature is diving anew into the debate over "safe injection sites" — places where a person can consume illicit drugs under the supervision of medical personnel— with opponents saying it encourages illegal drug use, while supporters arguing it will yield positive results in the ongoing public health crisis. Drug overdoses have killed thousands of Colorado residents in the last few years. Last year, 522 people died from drug overdoses in Denver alone, the most since tracking began in 1923, according to city records. And though final numbers for overdose deaths statewide won't be available until this summer, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment recorded 1,454 total drug overdose deaths among Colorado residents from 2...

By Thelma Grimes | Colorado Politics Arguing the status quo has failed to curb overdose deaths in Colorado, a Republican legislator is pushing for legislation to make it a felony for possessing any amount of fentanyl. In response the overdose crisis, state policymakers in 2022 approved legislation to heighten the felony charges for possession of 1 to 4 grams of any substance containing fentanyl. The criminal penalty increase above 4 grams, an under 1 gram, possession is a misdemeanor. In addition, the law allows defendants charged with the new felony to argue to a judge or jury that they didn't know they possessed fentanyl, and if a "finder of fact" determines the defendant made a reasonable mistake of fact, the offense becomes a Level 1 drug misdemeanor. READ THE FUL...

By Marissa Ventrelli  | Colorado Politics A proposal in the Colorado House could see a major expansion to the state's "right to repair" laws, notably in the area of electronic equipment, such as mobile phones and other devices.  House Bill 1121 would expand the state's right to repair laws to include digital electronic equipment, such as cellphones, computers, and kitchen appliances. The proposed legislation includes exemptions for a number of products, including motor vehicles, security alarms, and certain medical devices.   The proposal comes on the heels of Colorado's first law on the issue in 2022, under which manufacturers of powered wheelchairs are required to provide independent repair shops and owners of their products with "parts, embedded software, fi...