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Cory Gardner reenters Colorado political conversation to make endorsement in crowded 4th Congressional District race
State, The Colorado Sun

Cory Gardner reenters Colorado political conversation to make endorsement in crowded 4th Congressional District race

By Jesse Paul | Colorado Sun Cory Gardner reentered Colorado’s political conversation Wednesday to endorse former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg in the crowded Republican primary in the state’s 4th Congressional District, a race that includes U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert.  “Jerry Sonnenberg is the conservative conscience of the 4th Congressional District,” Gardner, a former U.S. senator from eastern Colorado who lost his reelection bid in 2020, said in a written statement. “He will be a passionate and dedicated warrior for our nation and our shared conservative values.” Gardner represented the 4th District from 2011 to 2015 before he was elected to the Senate. He’s mostly shied away from the public spotlight since leaving Congress in early 2021, making his endorsement more notable. ...
Ex-staffers say Colorado’s Office of Public Guardianship is in crisis, ask Polis to replace leaders
coloradopolitics.com, State

Ex-staffers say Colorado’s Office of Public Guardianship is in crisis, ask Polis to replace leaders

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics A Colorado office tasked with taking care of some of the state's most vulnerable citizens is once more facing questions about its management, notably after resignations have left it with just a few staffers to care for more than 80 clients. The Office of Public Guardianship is down to two remote guardians, who may live four to six hours away from their wards and who aren't tasked with in-person visits, and it has no in-person guardian for its Denver-based district, Colorado Politics has learned. The remote guardians are responsible for the office's 82 clients, who are primarily based in mental health facilities in Denver and Pueblo. "We can no longer sit back and watch this office be set up to fail," seven former guardians who have ...
Colorado National Guard training with Jordanians as conflict persists in the Middle East
Colorado Springs Gazette, National, State

Colorado National Guard training with Jordanians as conflict persists in the Middle East

By Mary Shinn | Colorado Springs Gazette As conflict persists in the Middle East, the Colorado National Guard is playing a key role in maintaining America's partnership with Jordan, a U.S. ally in the region.  Colorado National Guard members were in Jordan last week training with Jordanian units, during one of the 35 annual training events organized between the local guard and Jordan, said Brig. Gen. Michael Bruno, who oversees the partnership. About half of the weeklong training events take place in Colorado and half in Jordan.  The partnership, now in its 20th year, has helped lay the groundwork for the U.S. to more easily work with Jordan if needed and trained Jordanians to be more capable, he said.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE
Republican Nathan Butler will seek to unseat Rep. Lukens in Colorado House’s 26th District
State, STEAMBOAT PILOT

Republican Nathan Butler will seek to unseat Rep. Lukens in Colorado House’s 26th District

By Elliott Wenzler  | Steamboat Pilot A Republican candidate has filed to oppose Democratic state Rep. Meghan Lukens as she runs for re-election to represent the competitive 26th district of the Colorado House, which covers the northwest corner of the state and narrowly favors Democrats.  Nathan Butler, who is an Army veteran, was elected to the Craig City Council in November.  House District 26 encompasses Rio Blanco, Moffat and Routt counties and most of Eagle County. Its population is about 28% registered Republicans and 23% registered Democrats. The largest voting block, like in many parts of the state, is the 48% of the population that is unaffiliated with either party.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE STEAMBOAT PILOT
State funding could be withheld from Colorado cities that don’t tie housing to transit under new affordability push 
State, The Colorado Sun

State funding could be withheld from Colorado cities that don’t tie housing to transit under new affordability push 

By Brian Eason | Colorado Sun Colorado Democrats on Tuesday introduced a bill that would send millions of dollars to cities that agree to encourage denser housing near transit — and withhold state highway funding from those that don’t. The measure, House Bill 1313, is a key piece of Democratic Gov. Jared Polis’ plans to address the state’s housing shortage and combat climate change. It relies heavily on financial incentives, such as affordable housing tax credits and infrastructure funding, to coax cities into developing transit-oriented communities — a departure from last year’s failed attempt to force cities to zone for apartments and townhouses. But it has a punitive side, too: Affected cities that don’t take steps to meet housing goals laid out in the bill could see cuts ...
Video: RMGO’s Ian Escalante discusses the Colorado Legislature’s 2024 anti-gun bills
freestatecolorado.com, State

Video: RMGO’s Ian Escalante discusses the Colorado Legislature’s 2024 anti-gun bills

By BRANDON WARK | Free State Colorado Colorado’s anti-gun legislators are attempting some of the most egregious restrictions on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms that Colorado has ever seen. From outright gun bans, to expensive concealed carry requirements, these politicians have no regard for law-abiding gun owners or the Second Amendment. Fortunately, Colorado has a Pro-Gun Advocacy Organization called Rocky Mountain Gun Owners (also known as RMGO). RMGO is effectively fighting back through lawsuits, lobbying, and electoral work. Ian Escalante is the Director of Operations for RMGO. His passion for Liberty is matched by his knowledge of legislation. In this video, Ian provides a detailed look at all of the anti-gun bills that have been filed so far, and explains what kind...
Boebert in 4th District, Evans in 8th win President’s Day Celebration straw poll in Windsor
National, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Boebert in 4th District, Evans in 8th win President’s Day Celebration straw poll in Windsor

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice WINDSOR – The winding path of the campaign trail in Colorado’s 4th and 8th Congressional District races turned Sunday evening to the President’s Day Celebration hosted by the Conservative Patriot Alliance here at American Legion Post No. 109. “There have been a series of debates and forums,” said David Huntwork, chairman of the Conservative Patriot Alliance and emcee of Sunday’s event. “Rarely are candidates allowed a significant amount of time to share about themselves. We wanted to provide that.” Republicans vying for the Republican Party’s nomination in both districts participated in a meet and greet and a successive five-minute speech to the audience before a straw poll was conducted. “This is a very non-scientific poll,” Huntwork ...
Plan to ensure there’s end-of-life cash to plug all Colorado oil wells may fall short, study says
State, The Colorado Sun

Plan to ensure there’s end-of-life cash to plug all Colorado oil wells may fall short, study says

By Mark Jaffe | Colorado Sun New Colorado rules to insure there is enough cash to plug each oil and gas well in the state at the end of its life may not generate enough money to do the job, according to an analysis by Carbon Tracker. The report by the nonprofit environmental think tank said that in the short-run the state may end up with less in financial guarantees than it had before the new rules were adopted nearly two years ago and about 39% of oil and gas companies still have not completed financial assurance plans. The Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission, which adopted and administers the financial assurance rules, disputes those findings. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
Demand for Colorado’s Ag in the Classroom creates increased funding need
State, thefencepost.com

Demand for Colorado’s Ag in the Classroom creates increased funding need

By Rachel Gabel | The Fence Post The Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom program has experienced tremendous growth in demand from teachers wanting to include agriculture in their curriculum. So much so, there are currently 1,100 classrooms — over 23,000 students — signed up, creating the need for an additional $20,000 in funding to avoid turning away students. Sisters Rachel (Linke) Allnut and McCall (Linke) Knecht worked together with their cousin, Sierra Linke, to create Seed, Sprout, Spice for the Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom project. All three young women are ranch raised and graduated from Middle Park High School. Allnut, a kindergarten teacher used her teaching expertise in foundational reading skills and her love of agriculture to write the text and, paired with Lin...
First Amendment expert: Proposal from Democratic leaders ‘completely’ exempts lawmakers from open meeting laws
coloradopolitics.com, State

First Amendment expert: Proposal from Democratic leaders ‘completely’ exempts lawmakers from open meeting laws

By Luige Del Puerto | Colorado Politics Leaders of the Colorado General Assembly, along with several Democratic members, are seeking sweeping exemptions for lawmakers from the state's open meetings law, which contains guarantees of transparency when officials craft policies. The exemptions only apply to the legislature, not to other policymaking bodies such as a city council or county commission.   It's not immediately clear if the proposal is a direct response to a lawsuit filed in July against leaders of both House caucuses. That lawsuit from two Democratic legislators claimed the Democratic and GOP caucuses each held mandatory secret meetings at least weekly during the 2023 legislative session, directing legislative aides to omit or disguise the meetings on legislators' calenda...