staging.rockymountainvoice.com

State

Colorado’s Attorney General Grants $3.9M for Opioid Abuse Treatment in Prisons
State, thelobby-co.com

Colorado’s Attorney General Grants $3.9M for Opioid Abuse Treatment in Prisons

SOURCE: THELOBBY-CO.COM Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has recently come under fire for allocating a staggering $3.94 million grant to the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) for the treatment of opioid addiction. Critics argue that these funds should have been prioritized for law enforcement to prevent the distribution, sale, and use of opioids first. The two-year agreement between the Colorado Department of Law and the CDOC will focus on delivering medications for “opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment,” behavioral health counseling, and care coordination for inmates in state correctional facilities. According to Weiser, "Two-thirds of today's incarcerated population, on a nationwide basis, struggles with a substance use disorder, and that percentage is even higher in...
Colorado Introduces a New Railroad Safety Bill in Response to Recent Derailments
State, thelobby-co.com

Colorado Introduces a New Railroad Safety Bill in Response to Recent Derailments

SOURCE: THELOBBY-CO.COM A new train safety bill is currently making its way through the Colorado legislature, aiming to enhance safety measures for railroads across the state. House Bill 24-1030, if passed, will require railroads to implement additional safety features, impose restrictions on the length and weight of trains carrying hazardous materials, and limit the duration that trains can block major intersections during their passage. PRIME SPONSORS Rep. Javier Mabrey Sen. Lisa Cutter Sen. Tony Exum The prime sponsor of the bill, HB24-1030, emphasizes that this legislation had been in progress prior to the tragic derailment incident that occurred north of Pueblo on I-25 in October. The sponsors, who are predominantly Democrats, assert that their primary concern i...
Over a million dollars raised in push to add abortion guarantee to the Colorado Constitution
completecolorado.com, State

Over a million dollars raised in push to add abortion guarantee to the Colorado Constitution

By Mike Krause | SOURCE: COMPLETE COLORADO PAGE TWO DENVER–Proponents of a citizen-initiated ballot measure to place a guarantee of abortion access in Colorado’s state Constitution have spent over $440,000 just on signature gathering towards the effort, with the campaign reporting there’s plenty more where that came from. According to the Jan. 16 contributions and expenditures filing with the Colorado Secretary of State, the issue committee pushing the measure–Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom–has raised $1,368,811 thus far, while spending just $578, 488, leaving over $790,000 in cash on hand, likely more than enough to ensure the question ends up in front of voters. Currently numbered as Initiative 89, the measure would add a new section to the Colorad...
Boebert’s Permissive Attitude Towards Teen Pregnancy Raises Concerns for Voters in Both CD3 and CD4
State, thelobby-co.com

Boebert’s Permissive Attitude Towards Teen Pregnancy Raises Concerns for Voters in Both CD3 and CD4

SOURCE: THELOBBY-CO.COM Colorado Representative and now carpetbagger Lauren Boebert's recent comments about teen pregnancy and her own experiences with contraception have sparked controversy and raised questions about her permissive attitude towards this issue. Both have drawn criticism from conservatives who believe in promoting responsible behavior and traditional family values. During a House Oversight Committee hearing in May 2023, Boebert shared a personal story about the conception of her third son. She revealed that she couldn't afford her birth control prescription and decided to forgo it, leading to her unintended third pregnancy. https://www.youtube.com/embed/lvJGyRd0EJA?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1 May 23, 2023 "My staff is probably going to talk to me about...
Failed Biden Economic Policies Lead to Increase in Unemployment Filings in Colorado
State, thelobby-co.com

Failed Biden Economic Policies Lead to Increase in Unemployment Filings in Colorado

SOURCE: THELOBBY-CO.COM The state of Colorado, initial filings for unemployment benefits have surged in the past week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The increase in jobless claims is indicative of the detrimental impact that President Biden's failed economic policies are having on hardworking Coloradans. The latest data reveals that new jobless claims in Colorado reached 2,748 in the week ending January 13, marking an increase from the previous week's 2,648 claims. These numbers paint a stark picture of the struggles faced by Colorado residents in finding and maintaining stable employment. While the nation as a whole experienced a decrease in unemployment claims, with numbers dropping to 187,000 last week, the situation in Colorado tells a different story. It is ev...
Trump campaign names former legislator Justin Everett as Colorado state director
coloradopolitics.com, National, State

Trump campaign names former legislator Justin Everett as Colorado state director

By Ernest Luning | SOURCE: COLORADO POLITICS Donald Trump's presidential campaign has hired former state Rep. Justin Everett as its Colorado state director, the Colorado Republican Party announced Friday, The move comes less than a month before mail ballots are set to go out for Colorado's March 5 presidential primary, where Trump is set to face three other Republicans in a vote to determine how the state GOP will apportion delegates to the Republican National Convention. On Sunday, the state Republican central committee formally endorsed Trump in an unprecedented break from the party's longstanding practice of staying neutral in primaries. After representing a Jefferson County house district for three terms, from 2013-2019, Everett lost a primary for state treasurer ...
Colorado Democrats pass resolution declaring Jan. 22 Roe v. Wade Anniversary Day
coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado Democrats pass resolution declaring Jan. 22 Roe v. Wade Anniversary Day

By Marissa Ventrelli  | SOURCE: COLORADO POLITICS The legislature has passed a resolution designating Jan. 22 as "Roe v. Wade Anniversary Day" in Colorado. On Jan. 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized abortion as a legal right, a decision overturned in the 2022 case Dobbs vs. Jackson.  The Colorado resolution, sponsored by Democrats from both the House and the Senate, states that the Dobbs decision "resulted in significant physical and mental trauma as well as significant financial burden on people no longer able to access abortion care where they live and who must seek care elsewhere."  The resolution passed 21-13 in the Senate and 41-14 in the House.  READ FULL ARTICLE ON COLORADOPOLITICS.COM
Colorado announces agreement with Washington state tribes to obtain more wolves
coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado announces agreement with Washington state tribes to obtain more wolves

By Marianne Goodland | SOURCE: COLORADO POLITICS Colorado's wildlife officials on Friday announced reaching an agreement with indigenous tribes in Washington state to capture 10 to 15 wolves that will be released in Colorado at the end of the year. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation will allow Colorado Parks and Wildlife, part of the state's Department of Natural Resources, to catch wolves on tribal lands from December 2024 through March 2025, the prime capture season. “We are grateful to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation for working with our agency on this critical next step in reintroducing gray wolves in the state,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis. “This agreement helps CPW to continue to meet our unanimously adopted Colorado Wolf Restoratio...
Colorado offered $1.45 billion in incentives to attract new business. About 5% was claimed.
State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado offered $1.45 billion in incentives to attract new business. About 5% was claimed.

By Tamara Chuang, Colorado Sun If all 35 companies approved in 2023 take Colorado up on its offer of a tax credit to move or expand here, they’ll create more than 12,700 new jobs in the state in the next eight years.  The past year’s slate of approved job-creation tax credits is valued at $146 million, or double the amount approved in 2022 — and for twice the potential new workforce. From startups like Alquist, which plans to 3D-print houses in Greeley, to lithium-ion battery manufacturer Amprius Technologies in Brighton and several space- or semiconductor-related firms weighing a move to El Paso County, the new cohort joins more than 300 past awardees that have qualified for $1.45 billion of tax credits and created around 20,000 jobs in 14 years.  But so far, most award...
A lot of people want to run for office in Colorado this year. Here’s what it takes to actually get on the ballot.
State, The Colorado Sun

A lot of people want to run for office in Colorado this year. Here’s what it takes to actually get on the ballot.

By Sandra Fish, Colorado Sun The 2024 general election is less than 11 months away and a wave of candidates are filing paperwork to run in Colorado’s eight congressional districts, 16 state Senate districts and 65 House districts. But jumping into a race doesn’t guarantee someone a spot on the ballot for the June 25 primary, let alone the Nov. 5 general election. Candidates must spend big money to qualify for the contest, or they can try to pick up enough support from members of their political party through what’s called the caucus and assembly process. The mad dash to make the ballot is underway, as the primary ballot must be set by April 26.  READ FULL ARTICLE ON COLORADOSUN.COM