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Legislature recognizes contributions of nurses, EMS responders
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Legislature recognizes contributions of nurses, EMS responders

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice The role of emergency workers and nurses was recognized Tuesday in the Colorado Senate, with a selection of each seated in the chamber. Adams County Democrat Sen. Kyle Mullica, an emergency room nurse when he's not serving in the state legislature, noted that a nurse is comfort in trying times. "It has been a tough [few] years to be a nurse," he said. "They take care of us in our most difficult times." And before a patient many times reaches the hospital or emergency room, emergency workers care for them, El Paso County Republican Sen. Larry Liston said. Republican Sen. Mark Baisley introduced EMS workers in the chamber. "Every now and then we need a hero," he said. "When that emergency medical situation comes on us or our family, or...
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Coloradans are clamoring for ‘unity, action and hope’ Minority Leader Lundeen tells Senate
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Coloradans are clamoring for ‘unity, action and hope’ Minority Leader Lundeen tells Senate

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice It's a tough time to be a Coloradan, Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen summarized for the Colorado Senate as the 75th General Assembly opened this week. "In recent years, our state has been burdened with policies that are at best heavy-handed, at worst suffocating," he said. Such as, Lundeen said, regulations, fees and the hated 10-cent per-bag fee each time a Coloradan goes to the mini-mart or the grocery store. They are policies that "weigh heavily on the families we are here to serve," Lundeen said. Some have estimated the 10-cent bag fee is a $500 annual tax for the average family. The Republican warned that economic anxieties of Coloradans are real, tangible and growing. "We have passed policies that overreach," he said. "Laws th...
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When the utilities lobby received an icy reception from Colorado state senators
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Law Week Colorado, State

When the utilities lobby received an icy reception from Colorado state senators

By Michael Rummel | LawWeekColorado.com While lobbyists have always been a fairly regular fixture at the Colorado General Assembly, there have been moments in Colorado history when their presence wasn’t appreciated. Late January 1957 was one of those moments.  Improvements in transmission technology had made power generation using natural gas a more economic and feasible option following World War II. The 1950s also saw a rise in the production of natural gas in the Denver Basin, adding to the existing natural gas developments on the Western Slope.  These factors led to a rise in interest from municipalities in pursuing natural gas power plants for their citizens. But an issue arose when Rocky Ford attempted to build one. According to a Rocky Mountain News article from the ti...
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Senate District 30 committee picks John Carson to serve Douglas County in 75th Legislature
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Senate District 30 committee picks John Carson to serve Douglas County in 75th Legislature

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice John Carson, an attorney and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who previously served as a Colorado regent, was selected Saturday through a vacancy committee to serve in the 75th Colorado Legislature in Senate District 30, representing Douglas County. The seat was previously held by Kevin Van Winkle, who was appointed in December as a Douglas County commissioner. Carson was selected in the first round of balloting by 52.2% of delegates present, defeating Kim Ransom and Priscilla Rahn. The Senate District 30 vacancy committee includes 168 people, with the 135 voting members Saturday qualifying as a quorum. Carson was elected to the Douglas County School Board in 2005 and from 2009-13 served as the president of that board. He was also selected in 201...
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Marc Catlin drawing on youth football, rafting and Bigfoot for inspiration as he ‘graduates’ to Senate
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Marc Catlin drawing on youth football, rafting and Bigfoot for inspiration as he ‘graduates’ to Senate

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice In preparation of his move to Colorado's upper chamber for the 75th legislative session, Marc Catlin has reflected upon a time in which he coached youth football. “There was a little boy who came up to me and said, 'Coach, I think something is wrong with me'," Catlin recalls. "When I asked him what he meant, he said, ‘It feels funny inside.’ I told him, ‘Well, that’s just butterflies. If you don’t have those, you’re not gonna play well.’ And that little critter played like a tiger that day.” The newly-elected state senator views his new role through a lens of humor, humility and determination. “If you don’t have some anxiety about it, you’re probably not thinking about it," he said. He served as a state representati...
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In 75th session, 6 of 10 Colorado Senate committees have one-seat Democratic majority
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coloradopolitics.com, State

In 75th session, 6 of 10 Colorado Senate committees have one-seat Democratic majority

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Senate leaders on Friday announced committee assignments for the 2025 session that begins on January 8. There will be 10 committees in the 2025 session, six of which will have a narrow one-seat majority, according to Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver, and Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument.  Democrats retained 23 seats following the November election, while Republicans held onto 12.  Only 20 members of the Democratic caucus are assigned to committees; 11 out of 12 Republicans have committee assignments. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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By regaining seat held by party-flipper Priola, GOP appears to have staved off Dems’ supermajority in Senate
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State, The Sum & Substance

By regaining seat held by party-flipper Priola, GOP appears to have staved off Dems’ supermajority in Senate

By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance Colorado Senate Democrats appear unlikely to capture a supermajority in that chamber, even as House Democrats are on track to maintain that veto-proof status in theirs, leaving the Legislature with a kind of status quo following the 2024 election. Several key races in each chamber remain too close to call, but in most cases those races have shown little change in results as more ballots have been counted. Some of the biggest pockets of untabulated tallies now remain in El Paso County, where both a state Senate and a state House race are on the line, and in Weld County, home to a key House race. But as of mid-afternoon Wednesday, nearly 24 hours after polls closed, Democrats appear to have retained a 23-12 margin in the Senate, leaving ...
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State Senate a battleground as Republicans attempt to prevent Dems’ supermajority in both chambers
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coloradopolitics.com, State

State Senate a battleground as Republicans attempt to prevent Dems’ supermajority in both chambers

By Marissa Ventrelli  | Colorado Politics With just one seat needed for Colorado Democrats to secure a supermajority in the Senate, this year's election is pivotal. If House Democrats stay above the two-thirds of the seats won in the last election, the party will hold supermajorities in both chambers.  Democrats already have firm control of the levers of power at the state Capitol, given its members occupy all of the statewide seats, including the governor's office, plus the majority in both chambers. Having a supermajority in both chambers would provide Democrats with a veto-proof majority. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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‘We’re going to get this seat back’: Bright vying to reclaim Senate District 13 for Republicans
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘We’re going to get this seat back’: Bright vying to reclaim Senate District 13 for Republicans

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Scott Bright has an eye on reclaiming the Senate District 13 seat for Republicans in the Colorado Legislature. The district overlays the 48th, 50th and 63rd Colorado House districts in the areas of Brighton, Greeley and largely the Hwy. 85 corridor. Senate District 13 had been held by Republican John Cooke, for a short term the minority leader in the Colorado Senate, but upon him becoming term-limited, the seat went to Democrat Kevin Priola following redistricting. Prior to Cooke, Republican Scott Renfroe held the seat for eight years. "We're going to get this seat back," Bright said during a recent campaign event. "It is really important that we win this Senate seat, and a couple of other winnable seats." Among his top priorities would be...
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What’s on my ballot? Seven Senate races are opposed in primary election
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

What’s on my ballot? Seven Senate races are opposed in primary election

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice There will be four opposed Colorado Senate races for Republicans to decide and three for Democrats to weigh on the primary ballot. Election Day is Tuesday, June 25. Registered voters should have received a mailed ballot or will in the coming days. Those Coloradans who are not yet registered to vote may do so in a couple of ways with various deadlines. Register at GoVoteColorado.gov through June 17, in order to receive a ballot by mail. Additionally, registration can be completed in person at a voting center until 7 p.m. on Election Day. There are 35 seats in the Colorado Senate, with 18 appearing on the ballot and among those seven being opposed in the primary election. Democrats are one seat from holding a super majority in the Senate. They ...
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