Governor Jared Polis

Hancock: The future of Colorado hangs between boom and blackout

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There’s a difference between dreaming big and hallucinating. Colorado’s progressive legislators have yet to figure that out.

Once a beacon of frontier grit and entrepreneurial promise, Colorado is drifting into a twilight of self-imposed stagnation. This isn’t the result of some unforeseeable external shock. No. The decline is being engineered — brick by legislative brick — by a political class more interested in social signaling than in fostering economic vitality.

The question isn’t whether Colorado faces a reckoning. The question is whether we will admit the cause before we hit the wall.

Hancock: The future of Colorado hangs between boom and blackout Read More »

Condo reform bill becomes law–after years of lawsuits, delays and rising insurance costs

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Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed the first major bill of his administration that sponsors hope would unclog the state’s longstanding logjam regarding the construction of affordable, middle-market multi-family housing, specifically condos and townhomes, and, thereby directly promote home ownership.

Past efforts by the governor had mostly focused on rental housing and zoning. 

This year, House Bill 1272 aims to jumpstart the affordable condo market, which backers say has died off in Colorado due to “construction defects” litigation.

Condo reform bill becomes law–after years of lawsuits, delays and rising insurance costs Read More »

Caldara: Time to see if Polis will choose his socialist friends or Colorado’s future

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There are only three jobs worth having in Colorado. The first is fortunately mine.

Any person who can make a living by indulging his passion is beyond blessed. I somehow have provided for my family by fighting for personal and economic freedom in Colorado. Running Independence Institute, Colorado’s machine to promote liberty principles over party, politicians and special interests, is a dream come true.

The next coolest job in Colorado is quarterback for the Denver Broncos, which, by the way, I would be totally awesome at.

The only other job I’d want here would be governor, the most influential and powerful gig for changing policy and shaping the state’s future.

Caldara: Time to see if Polis will choose his socialist friends or Colorado’s future Read More »

Teller County to DOJ: Don’t punish rural communities for Denver’s sanctuary policies

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TELLER COUNTY — In a letter sent to President Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ), Teller County leaders are simultaneously supporting DOJ lawsuits against Colorado while at the same time asking for leniency if federal funding is cut off from the state.

The letter was written and signed by Teller County’s three commissioners and sent last week to the DOJ’s Office of Civil Rights.

The commissioners first take issue with Colorado’s recent gun control measures, going so far as to encourage the DOJ to take legal action against the state of Colorado.

Teller County to DOJ: Don’t punish rural communities for Denver’s sanctuary policies Read More »

Colorado Republicans: Effort to save taxpayers money ‘shredded’ by Democrats this session

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Republican lawmakers, who are in the minority at the state Capitol, said they saw little success in their campaign to save residents money this year, as Democrats “shredded” that goal.

At the beginning of the session, Republicans unveiled a series of measures that, they insisted, would save the average Colorado family $4,500 each year.

“We had hopes to make life more affordable,” said Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen of Monument.

Colorado Republicans: Effort to save taxpayers money ‘shredded’ by Democrats this session Read More »

Gazette editorial board: Veto HB 25-1147 to stop the soft-on-crime overreach

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Our state was slammed by a crime wave a few years ago — aided and abetted by a notoriously offender- friendly, victims-be-damned Legislature — leaving it to hard-hit local governments to figure out how to respond.

With state lawmakers abandoning the crime fight on every front — hard drugs, auto theft, illegal immigration, you name it — a number of Colorado cities, commendably, took the reins.

Gazette editorial board: Veto HB 25-1147 to stop the soft-on-crime overreach Read More »

Polis’ ‘libertarian’ label faces reality check from Reason Magazine

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DENVER — Amidst ongoing battles within his own party, and despite recently vetoing a pair of bills that concentrated more authority in Colorado state government, Jared Polis’ carefully scripted reputation as a libertarian-leaning governor appears to be fading.

Even Reason Magazine, the national media outlet that has for years has hung its hat on the idea that Polis is more liberty-minded than progressive, is now questioning whether Polis’ moderate temperament is real, with editor-at-large Nick Gillepsie tugging back on Polis’ libertarian card in an April 14 article asking if the “small government Democrat is beefing up state power.”

Polis’ ‘libertarian’ label faces reality check from Reason Magazine Read More »

Green: Report card for Colorado’s collapse under one-party rule—straight F’s across the board

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Colorado’s economic report card is in, and my beloved home state — formerly a solid A and B student — just flunked every subject. 

Once upon a time, Colorado was a devilishly weird purple state — home to moderate-to-conservative Republicans like Ben Nighthorse Campbell and Tom Tancredo, idiosyncratic Democrats like Gary Hart and Richard Lamm, and (outside the Denver-Boulder Axis) a healthy libertarian streak.

Green: Report card for Colorado’s collapse under one-party rule—straight F’s across the board Read More »

DOJ sues Colorado and Denver over sanctuary policies ‘tying hands of law enforcement’

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DENVER (KDVR) — The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the state of Colorado and the city of Denver for laws and statutes the federal government says are “sanctuary laws.”

The federal government alleges in its lawsuit, filed in Colorado District Court on Friday, that the laws are designed to “interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law.”

DOJ sues Colorado and Denver over sanctuary policies ‘tying hands of law enforcement’ Read More »

Trump issues national flag-lowering order to honor fallen firefighters, Polis follows suit

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DENVER (KDVR) — Flags in Colorado will fly at half-staff on Sunday to honor firefighters who risked their lives to protect fellow citizens as part of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.

Trump issues national flag-lowering order to honor fallen firefighters, Polis follows suit Read More »