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House Republicans respond to Gov. Polis on his ‘State of the State’
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

House Republicans respond to Gov. Polis on his ‘State of the State’

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice It will remain to be seen how closely Democrat Gov. Jared Polis aligns in the 75th legislative session with Colorado House Republicans on a variety of priority issues to the minority caucus. During a long address in which he noted Lord of the Rings, referenced Star Trek and Star Wars, and imitated Taylor Swift, Polis found a bit of time to borrow some of the key issues of the day from the minority party's playbook, including affordability, public safety, education and brief mentions of agriculture. “Colorado families are facing significant challenges, and I appreciate the governor’s recognition that affordability remains one of the greatest concerns for Coloradans," House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese said following Polis' address to the join...
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Ganahl: A response to Gov. Polis’ State of the State address
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Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Ganahl: A response to Gov. Polis’ State of the State address

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Note: The following is a loose translation of Heidi Ganahl's response to Gov. Jared Polis' State of the State address Thursday to members of the 75th legislature. Hi there it’s  Heidi Ganahl, and today I’m here to set the record straight on Governor Polis’ rosy vision for Colorado. While his speech may sound polished, it paints a very different picture than the reality Coloradans are facing every day. Let’s talk about the challenges that weren’t mentioned — or were glossed over. 1. Economic and infrastructure failures: Governor Polis likes to tout Colorado as a land of opportunity, but for many, it’s become a land of unaffordability. Seniors on fixed incomes are being driven out, families can barely afford groceries, and vehi...
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‘We need our roads fixed’: ‘Peltonia’ Sen. Byron Pelton opens 75th session with reminder for Gov. Polis
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘We need our roads fixed’: ‘Peltonia’ Sen. Byron Pelton opens 75th session with reminder for Gov. Polis

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, claims to have already been at work for his constituency as the 75th General Assembly opened Wednesday. Luckily, for Pelton, he ran into Gov. Jared Polis, and offered a gentle nudge, as Pelton — who claims to be from a place called "Peltonia" — is apt to do. "The governor was talking to his transportation team and I reminded him that, in rural Colorado, where most of the money is generated in this state — $47 billion of agriculture money — that we need our roads fixed, especially in Senate District 1," Pelton said. It should not be a foreign subject to the governor. Pelton's predecessor in District 1, Jerry Sonnenberg, once famously said: "We have potholes so big you better be wearing your spurs to hang on." ...
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Browning: With hiring of environmental justice liaisons, state taking another stab at DEI implementation at taxpayer expense
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Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Browning: With hiring of environmental justice liaisons, state taking another stab at DEI implementation at taxpayer expense

By Lindy Browning | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice During a time when state legislators are trying to figure out where to cut the budget because of the state operating at what previously was thought to be a $1 billion shortage, the Energy and Carbon Management Commission, previously known as the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission, has announced that they are hiring two new environmental justice liaisons. According to the announcement on the ECMC website: “We are hiring two EJ Community Liaisons. One position is dedicated to the West Slope and one position is dedicated to the Front Range. You’ll work remotely from home and receive a state-issued electric vehicle to make travel possible as you interact extensively with communities in your region. You’ll work independently but be part of...
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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis rescinds 200 ‘unnecessary, outdated, wasteful, obsolete’ executive orders
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis rescinds 200 ‘unnecessary, outdated, wasteful, obsolete’ executive orders

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order on Thursday to rescind more than 200 executive orders, almost all of which had been issued before he took office. He said this move would make the government more efficient. From 2019 through Thursday, Polis has issued 586 executive orders, not including clemency orders, which are another form of executive order. The high watermark was 2020's COVID-19 year, when he issued 316. Only two of the 208 orders he canceled on Thursday were orders he issued — one from 2019 and another from 2020. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Could Polis really align with Trump on anything? He might on cutting from BLM wild horse management budget
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Could Polis really align with Trump on anything? He might on cutting from BLM wild horse management budget

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice In a shocking and unexpected post on Twitter/X, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis posted that he wants the Trump administration to give at least half the funding that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) uses to manage Colorado wild horses to Colorado. The post came from his personal page, not his official governor's page. Polis wrote, “…the BLM spends $187.8 million dollars a year on the Wild Horse Program, including $8.5 million on the 'inhumane horse roundups', and over $100 million caring for the 60,000 horses in holding facilities. Giv[ing] half that amount to the states with wild horses (like CO) with guardrails for horse treatment, we will efficiently manage the population through birth control, eliminating the need for c...
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Gov. Polis proposes shielding funding for major water programs as state’s $1 billion deficit looms
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State, The Colorado Sun

Gov. Polis proposes shielding funding for major water programs as state’s $1 billion deficit looms

By Jerd Smith | The Colorado Sun Colorado’s largest water agency may be shielded from significant funding cuts as the state addresses its financial woes, under the 2025-26  budget proposed by Gov. Jared Polis. The Colorado Water Conservation Board would see a $6.9 million increase in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, rising from $98.1 million in revenue this year to $105.1 million, according to the governor’s office. But in 2026, funding would drop to $97.6 million due to a decline in severance tax revenue, which is derived in part from oil and gas production and is a key part of the CWCB’s funding. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Potential gubernatorial candidates suggest new approaches to transportation
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State, The Sum & Substance

Potential gubernatorial candidates suggest new approaches to transportation

By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance Two of Colorado’s leading potential gubernatorial candidates suggested Wednesday that the state should focus more attention on maintaining and upgrading highway infrastructure, signaling a potential shift could be coming in transportation policy. Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser and Republican state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, who are both rumored to be eying runs to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Jared Polis in 2026, spoke at a Move Colorado event on what’s next for transportation in the state. Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse sent a video to the event because Congress remains in session, while Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a fourth rumored candidate, had to miss the event because of a pressing issue, organizers said. ...
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Drive less, bike more? Polis’ transportation vision faces public backlash in one city
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Drive less, bike more? Polis’ transportation vision faces public backlash in one city

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Gov. Jared Polis' Administration plans to build 3,540 miles of new bicycle lanes, an 81% increase from the current reality. This goal is one of many outlined in his Administration’s “Colorado Transportation Vision 2035.” The plan is aimed to play a role in helping meet the state’s climate goals. An underlying agenda, or one sub-goal, is explicitly stated in the plan: “Doubling Colorado’s non-auto mode share from today’s level of 9.6% to 19.2% by 2035.” But what does this administrative jargon mean exactly? No speculation is needed. The answer is provided in the plan. “This means that the percentage of trips where people choose to take transit, walk, bike or roll (instead of driving alone) would slightly more than doubl...
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Polis proposes conversion of Pinnacol in controversial measure to balance budget
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State, The Sum & Substance

Polis proposes conversion of Pinnacol in controversial measure to balance budget

By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance Gov. Jared Polis’ pitch to convert Pinnacol Assurance into an independent company is being driven not just by money it could generate for the state budget but by the belief that failing to loosen the company’s operational restrictions could jeopardize its sustainability. The Democratic governor sat for an interrogation before the powerful Joint Budget Committee on Wednesday about his plans to address a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall, including $638 million in expense cuts and revenue additions he has proposed. Among the most prominent and controversial of those suggestions is a proposal to allow the state-chartered workers’ compensation insurer of last resort to act as a private company, which could add $100 million to next year’s budget a...
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