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Colorado officials outline ‘conflict minimization’ efforts ahead of next gray wolves release
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado officials outline ‘conflict minimization’ efforts ahead of next gray wolves release

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Colorado Parks and Wildlife said it has made improvements to its "conflict minimization" program following feedback from livestock producers, who have pleaded with the agency to delay the introduction of the next set of gray wolves. Notably, the state is adding "conflict reduction" staffers and "non-lethal mitigation specialists" to its staff.  Up to 15 more wolves are expected to be released in Colorado early next year.  "Through partnerships with the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), the Colorado Wolf Restoration Ad Hoc Working Group, USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services, Colorado State University Extension, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) and NGOs, we are in a position to offer Colorado livestock...
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Warning signs were there that Assad’s grip in Syria was faltering
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coloradopolitics.com, National

Warning signs were there that Assad’s grip in Syria was faltering

By Mike Brest | Colorado Politics via The Washington Examiner There were indications that Bashar Assad's regime could struggle to maintain its grip on power in Syria — but the military assault that ended his family's more than 50-year reign happened much faster than some experts expected. Assad relied on allies to maintain power during the civil war that commenced more than a decade ago, but when his forces were faced with a new threat starting in late November, they were on their own. Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia did not come to his aid, though Moscow did purportedly allow him to seek refuge there. The U.S. intelligence community often conducts assessments to determine a military's "will to fight," though it's not an exact science. Poor morale am...
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10th Circuit: Attorney cannot deduct $300K racecar ‘advertising’ as business expense
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coloradopolitics.com, State

10th Circuit: Attorney cannot deduct $300K racecar ‘advertising’ as business expense

By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics The federal appeals court based in Denver agreed on Monday that a Colorado attorney could not claim more than $300,000 in car racing expenditures as "ordinary and necessary" business expenses to be deducted from his taxes. The Internal Revenue Service began looking into the tax filings and non-filings of James W. Avery between 2008 and 2013. Avery had been licensed to practice law in Colorado since the early 1980s and worked as a personal injury attorney, but he lived in Indiana from 2003 to 2010. Once there, he became interested in car shows and car racing. During the tax proceedings, Avery said he affixed a decal for his law firm on the back of the car, which he considered "advertising." He believed racing would enable him to meet lawyers or...
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Democrats reject audit of Colorado Secretary of State’s password breach
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Democrats reject audit of Colorado Secretary of State’s password breach

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Just hours after a third party investigation found the Secretary of State's Office "unintentionally" violated policy in posting a spreadsheet with election equipment passwords, Democrats on the Colorado General Assembly's Legislative Audit Committee rejected calls for an audit of that breach. The committee is evenly between Democrats and Republicans; hence, the potential for a tie vote. And the panel killed the proposal along party lines, with Democrats balking at the request and Republicans supporting it. The committee voted, 4-4, dooming the audit request.   READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Colorado Democrats to hold vacancy elections to fill two Senate seats
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado Democrats to hold vacancy elections to fill two Senate seats

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics With the state's new legislative session slated to get under way on Jan. 8, Democrats currently have to vacancy seats to fill in Senate Districts 29 and 31. Respective vacancy committees have scheduled elections to be held in early January. Denver Democrats on Monday announced they will hold a vacancy election on Tuesday, Jan. 7 to choose a replacement for Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver. Hansen announced he would resign his Senate District 31 seat, effective Jan. 9, the day after the start of the 2025 General Assembly. He's taken a job as CEO of La Plata Electric in Durango. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Castle Rock passes measure supporting Trump’s deportation plan
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coloradopolitics.com, Local

Castle Rock passes measure supporting Trump’s deportation plan

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette via Colorado Politics Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s response to the president-elect’s illegal immigration deportation strategy has prompted one Colorado town to push back — again. Since Johnston took office in July 2023, Denver has welcomed nearly 43,000 immigrants, most whom illegally crossed the southern border, into Colorado’s most populous city. Johnston, a Democrat, recently made national headlines when he told local news blog Denverite the city’s police and “50,000 Denverites” would not comply with President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to deport thousands of immigrants currently residing illegally in the Mile High City. Denver’s mayor even suggested he’d go to jail if necessary.  READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS...
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Proposed ‘blanket ban’ on flavored tobacco could cost the city of Denver millions
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coloradopolitics.com, Local

Proposed ‘blanket ban’ on flavored tobacco could cost the city of Denver millions

By Deborah Grigsby | Denver Gazette via Colorado Politics A bill prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products within the City and County of Denver got the nod of approval from the city’s Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee on Wednesday. The vote was 6 - 1, with Councilmember Kevin Flynn casting the lone dissenting vote. The next stop will be City Council for a final vote as early as Dec. 16, to pass the ordinance by the end of the year, according to District 9 Councilmember Darrell Watson, one of the bill’s sponsors. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Colorado lawmakers debate when, how to fund $350M voter-approved public safety mandate
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado lawmakers debate when, how to fund $350M voter-approved public safety mandate

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Colorado lawmakers are scrambling to figure out exactly how to carry out voters' approval of a ballot measure that directs the General Assembly to put $350 million into a fund to help recruit, train, and retain local law enforcement. The measure did not specify a timeline for when the money must be allocated or whether it's a yearly allocation. Lawmakers are grappling with those questions as the state's budget crafters are seeking money anywhere, given that the state faces a $1 billion shortfall. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Denver auditor: City’s college scholarship program failed to implement almost all recommendations
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coloradopolitics.com, Local

Denver auditor: City’s college scholarship program failed to implement almost all recommendations

By Deborah Grigsby | Denver Gazette via Colorado Politics More than a year after Denver auditors raised concerns about oversight, data management, and quality assurance with the city’s tax-funded college affordability program, a follow-up audit found that the Office of Children’s Affairs has failed to implement the bulk of recommended changes made in the original report. Of the original eight recommendations, auditors noted that Children's Affairs, which oversees the Prosperity Denver Fund program, had only partially implemented two but had not taken steps to address the risks the other six sought to resolve. Back in 2018, Denver voters approved a ballot measure known as Prosperity Denver, which called for a 0.08% sales tax — less than one cent on $10 — and would be distributed in...
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Gov. Polis, Sen. Bennet and Rep. Crow slam sweeping Hunter Biden pardon as ‘mistake’
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Gov. Polis, Sen. Bennet and Rep. Crow slam sweeping Hunter Biden pardon as ‘mistake’

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics Leading Colorado Democrats criticized President Joe Biden's pardon of his son for federal crimes, calling the move a "mistake" that weakens Americans' faith in the justice system. Contradicting his own earlier pledges that he wouldn't pardon his son, the Democratic president issued a sweeping pardon for Hunter Biden late Sunday, characterizing the latter's federal prosecution on charges of tax evasion and falsifying a firearms purchase form as politically motivated. "While as a father I certainly understand President @JoeBiden’s natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country," Gov. Jared Polis tweeted Sunday night. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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