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Legislators considering bills to reduce ‘trigger audits’ targeting business
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State, The Sum & Substance

Legislators considering bills to reduce ‘trigger audits’ targeting business

By Ed Sealover | The Sum & Substance Multiple medium- to large-sized companies say that they’ve been targeted for audits over and over by groups of a dozen or more municipalities in recent years, typically at the behest of a third-party auditing firm contracted by smaller cities to investigate potential tax scofflaws. It’s not the general concept of the audits that bothers tax professionals and business leaders so much the frequency and number of these audits, as well as the fear that an unregulated company is sharing information from the investigations to spur more audits. The primary company contracting with Colorado cities to perform these audits says it does not share such information, but critics note that the firm — Revenue Recovery Group of Baton Rouge, Louisiana — refuses...
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Dems threaten to torpedo GOP’s government funding bill targeting noncitizen voting
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National, The Daily Caller

Dems threaten to torpedo GOP’s government funding bill targeting noncitizen voting

By Rebeka Zeljko | Daily Caller Democrats are already pushing back against a Republican-led plan that would temporarily fund the federal government until March, decrying a separate bill attached to the measure that requires proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration. Speaker Mike Johnson is planning to introduce the continuing resolution (CR) next week with the hotly-contested SAVE Act tethered to it, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, Punchbowl reported Tuesday. At the same time, a number of Democrats have called the effort a nonstarter and encouraged Republican lawmakers to be more “bipartisan.” “As we have said each time we’ve had a CR, the only way to get things done is in a bipartisan way and that is what has happened every time,” Sen...
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Congress faces urgent deadline to prevent government shutdown, stopgap needed to keep operations running
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National, THE HILL

Congress faces urgent deadline to prevent government shutdown, stopgap needed to keep operations running

By Brie Stimson  | The Hill Congress is staring down a deadline this month to prevent a government shutdown, as members on both sides of the aisle have made clear a stopgap of some kind will be needed to keep the lights on. Lawmakers have until Sept. 30 to pass legislation to prevent a funding lapse. And while November’s elections could make the chances of a shutdown less likely, leaders have their work cut out for them amid deep divides on spending.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE HILL
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US judge tosses machine gun possession case, calls ban unconstitutional
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denvergazette.com, National

US judge tosses machine gun possession case, calls ban unconstitutional

By Nate Raymond | Denver Gazette A federal judge has dismissed charges against a Kansas man for possessing a machine gun, saying prosecutors failed to establish that a federal ban on owning such weapons is constitutional. The decision by U.S. District Judge John Broomes in Wichita on Wednesday appeared to mark the first time a court has held that banning machine guns is unconstitutional after the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 issued a landmark ruling that expanded gun rights. In that ruling, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court established a new test for assessing firearms laws, saying restrictions must be "consistent with this nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation." The Supreme Court clarified that standard ...
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Property tax bill passes Colorado House during special session
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CBS 11 KKTV, State

Property tax bill passes Colorado House during special session

By Tony Keith | CBS11 The Colorado House passed HB24B-1001 on Wednesday hoping it will help reduce property taxes. News releases from both House Democrats and House Republicans shared their take on the legislation. ”We are committed to making Colorado a more affordable place to live, and with this bill we’re delivering additional property tax relief in a responsible way while protecting funding for our schools, parks, libraries and community institutions,”said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon.“Two initiatives from wealthy special interests on the November ballot would de-fund schools, lengthen emergency response times, and strip health care away from our most vulnerable Coloradans. Stopping these measures with small changes to the bipartisan property tax package from last session...
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Founder of Democrat ‘Dark Money’ Network Seeks to Identify Conservative Donors for a Specific Purpose
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National, The Federalist

Founder of Democrat ‘Dark Money’ Network Seeks to Identify Conservative Donors for a Specific Purpose

By BRIAN HAWKINS | The Federalist In recent years, the activist left has built a network of left-leaning nonprofits to help tilt elections and ballot initiatives in favor of realizing far-left policy outcomes on abortion, gender identity, and DEI, among others. Politico highlighted the Arabella network’s role in the 2018 midterms, describing “an unprecedented gusher of secret money” that was “fueled by massive anonymous donations.” The New York Times noted how, in 2020, left-of-center nonprofits outspent “groups aligned with Republicans” $514 million to $200 million. This surge in spending has brought scrutiny from Republicans in Congress and in the states, particularly around the role of foreign donors to candidate and ballot issue campaigns. Conservative media n...
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New state law automatically seals more than 100,000 criminal records from background checks
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State, The Colorado Sun

New state law automatically seals more than 100,000 criminal records from background checks

By Jennifer Brown | The Colorado Sun Colorado is sealing more than 100,000 court records, the result of a new law that applies to nonviolent offenses and is intended to help people with criminal pasts pass background checks for jobs and housing. Most of the crimes are misdemeanors and petty offenses, and many involved drugs or theft.  Colorado for years has allowed people to petition to seal their arrests and convictions, a process that requires legal guidance and possibly a hearing before a judge. But the new Clean the Slate Act directs the state judicial system to automatically seal records that are eligible. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Constas: Colorado’s property tax crisis, the partisan divide driving the state’s housing affordability crisis
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Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Constas: Colorado’s property tax crisis, the partisan divide driving the state’s housing affordability crisis

By James Constas | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Homeowners across Colorado with mortgages are opening their annual escrow analyses and facing a shocking reality. I am one of them.  To my dismay, I discovered my mortgage will increase by a staggering $1,000 per month. This 54% surge in my monthly payment was driven by soaring property taxes and an even more exorbitant rise in homeowner's insurance premiums. Astonishingly, I now pay more towards taxes and insurance than towards the principal and interest on the property! Outraged, I shared my escrow analysis on X (formerly known as Twitter), where it garnered 887 likes, 263 retweets, and over 24,000 views in just 24 hours, clearly striking a chord. The 72 comments came from fellow homeowners sharing their fiscal misery and ...
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Colorado Capitol rolls back ban on political-themed apparel after kicking out KNUS host for pro-life sweatshirt
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State, The Washington Times

Colorado Capitol rolls back ban on political-themed apparel after kicking out KNUS host for pro-life sweatshirt

By Valerie Richardson | The Washington Times Visitors to the Colorado State Capitol will no longer be monitored by the political fashion police. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression said the Capitol has dropped its policy forbidding politically themed apparel in the House and Senate galleries after pushback from a local radio host who was kicked out for wearing a “Pro-Life U” pullover. “Faced with a potential 1st Amendment lawsuit, leaders of the Colorado House and Senate agreed to rescind the Capitol galleries’ unconstitutional ban on pins and apparel ‘expressing political statements,’ ” said the foundation in a Wednesday statement. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE WASHINGTON TIMES
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‘It’s crucial that we work together’: House Republican leaders call for bipartisan cooperation in special session
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘It’s crucial that we work together’: House Republican leaders call for bipartisan cooperation in special session

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice When Gov. Jared Polis called on Thursday for a special session of the 74th State Legislature, he specifically noted the need for bipartisan efforts toward property tax solutions for Coloradans. It is crucial those words are reflected in actions of the majority party, leaders of the House Republicans said in a joint media statement. Republicans face a superminority in the Colorado House -- only 19 of the 65 members are Republican -- which often meant during regular session their bills are killed in committee and their voices muted. "The majority party has had multiple opportunities to work with us on a solution," said Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter. "Instead, their delays and dysfunction have led to a rushed process that could have been a...
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