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Colorado GOP chair Dave Williams helped push House Republican Leader Mike Lynch to resign
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado GOP chair Dave Williams helped push House Republican Leader Mike Lynch to resign

By Marianne Goodland | SOURCE: COLORADO POLITICS The chairman of the Colorado Republican Party helped in ousting House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, who announced on Wednesday that he is stepping down from his leadership post in the wake of mounting pressure after a DUI arrest in 2022 became public. Lynch did not disclose the arrest, which happened before he assumed the mantle of House Minority Leader, to his caucus, a sore point for his colleagues when the story broke last week. How big of a role Dave Williams played in Lynch's ouster is unclear. But the Republican Party official showed up at the state House on Tuesday and spoke with two members pushing for Lynch's resignation from leadership. Williams did not hide his animus toward Lynch in a text message on Wednesday to Colora...
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Top Republican in Colorado House steps down from leadership a week after news about his 2022 DUI arrest
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State, The Colorado Sun

Top Republican in Colorado House steps down from leadership a week after news about his 2022 DUI arrest

House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington, announced his decision in an emotional speech on the House floor as his ouster appeared imminent By Brian Eason and Jesse Paul | SOURCE: THE COLORADO SUN The top Republican in the Colorado House of Representatives resigned from his leadership post Wednesday morning as his ouster appeared imminent a week after revelations that he was arrested in 2022 on suspicion of drunken driving. House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington, announced his decision in an emotional speech on the House floor.  “I am stepping down because it is the right thing to do — because I have become a distraction for my caucus and that is getting in the way of the hard work that we have to do in this building,” Lynch said.  Lynch...
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Draft bill puts numerous places off limits to concealed carry; Democrats test limits of ‘sensitive spaces’
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completecolorado.com, State

Draft bill puts numerous places off limits to concealed carry; Democrats test limits of ‘sensitive spaces’

By Sherrie Peif | SOURCE: COMPLETE COLORADO PAGE TWO DENVER — A bill banning the licensed carrying of a concealed handgun in many newly designated “sensitive spaces” around Colorado may soon be making its way through the legislature, despite similar laws passed in other states already being challenged in court, and losing. The bill has not yet been introduced, but at least one version of a draft has been circulating, showing how far majority Democrats are willing to go to restrict Coloradans’ gun rights. According to the copy obtained by Complete Colorado, the bill is almost identical to legislation already passed in California and New York. Those laws are already being challenged and are expected to eventually make their way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The legislation...
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Colorado looks to copy Chicago with jailhouse voting assistance
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coloradopeakpolitics.com, State

Colorado looks to copy Chicago with jailhouse voting assistance

SOURCE: COLORADO PEAK POLITICS Colorado’s growing industry of Bad Ideas is now pursuing jailhouse ballot collection services for inmates who haven’t committed serious enough crimes to lose their right to vote. Sure, non-felons can already vote. But leftist advocates insist our incarcerated citizens are too stupid to do mail in voting on their own and require the help of ballot harvesters in person voting. Criminal Justice Reform Coalition is already helping Denver inmates vote. Now they’re working with Democrat state Sen. Julie Gonzales on legislation to require in-person voting events at every jail and prison across Colorado. Cook County, Illinois already does it, and look how that’s worked out for Chicago! Cringe. Kyle Giddings, civic engagement coordina...
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Colorado Legislature Considers Making Alcohol To-Go Sales Permanent for Restaurants
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State, thelobby-co.com

Colorado Legislature Considers Making Alcohol To-Go Sales Permanent for Restaurants

SOURCE: THELOBBY-CO.COM A bill is making its way through the Colorado legislative session, aiming to make alcohol to-go sales at restaurants a permanent fixture. Originally introduced four years ago as a response to pandemic-related dining restrictions, this legislation seeks to support the struggling restaurant industry by allowing them to continue offering alcohol takeout. PRIME SPONSORS Sen. Dylan Roberts Rep. William Lindstedt Rep. Rose Pugliese In 2020, when the pandemic first hit, Governor Jared Polis issued an emergency executive order that permitted restaurants to sell alcoholic beverages and cocktails for takeout. In 2021, a bill was signed into law to extend this allowance, but it is set to expire next year, prompting the need for further action. The Colora...
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Lawmakers want Colorado employers to display suicide prevention posters at workplaces
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Lawmakers want Colorado employers to display suicide prevention posters at workplaces

By Marissa Ventrelli | SOURCE: COLORADO POLITICS Colorado is currently ranked sixth in the nation for suicides, a figure that two state lawmakers are looking to decrease through a bill that would require companies to post prevention education posters at workplaces starting next year. The proposal from State Rep. Stephanie Vigil, D-Colorado Springs, and Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D- Commerce City, would also require businesses to include suicide prevention information in company handbooks. Under House Bill 1015, posters created by the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics would include an overview of available suicide prevention training programs, educational materials on reducing access to means of self-harm, such as firearms, information on the 988 Suicide Crisis...
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Chaos erupts as some Republicans try anew to oust leader Mike Lynch
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Chaos erupts as some Republicans try anew to oust leader Mike Lynch

Republican leader survives attempt to oust him By Marianne Goodland | SOURCE: COLORADO POLITICS Another attempt to oust Rep. Mike Lynch as minority leader devolved into chaos on Tuesday morning, when his critics within the caucus failed to muster a quorum to hold a vote on his leadership.    Some of Lynch's colleagues sought to oust him from his post as House Minority Leader on Monday, when the GOP caucus deadlocked on the question of whether to retain him, which meant Lynch kept his post.     It was the second day of the drama that erupted within the House Republican caucus resulting from the news that Lynch was arrested for drunk driving in 2022. Today's saga began with Rep. Scott Bottoms calling for a caucus meeting. But  Rep. Mary Bradf...
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Weekly Roundup: Denver Health Immigrant Crisis, Property Taxes Increasing by 25%, Arapahoe County Commissioners Want to Eliminate TABOR
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freestatecolorado.com, State

Weekly Roundup: Denver Health Immigrant Crisis, Property Taxes Increasing by 25%, Arapahoe County Commissioners Want to Eliminate TABOR

By Brandon Wark | SOURCE: FREE STATE COLORADO This week, we look at the crisis at Denver Health, public school enrollment, home permitting delays, Arapahoe County tax protections under threat, the split in the Democratic House Caucus, the Ouray newspaper theft, and look at an event hosted by the Colorado Union of Taxpayers this week! Links to Articles: New immigrants pose ‘difficult dilemma’ as Denver Health sees thousands of unpaid medical visits: https://denvergazette.com/news/new-immigrants-pose-difficult-dilemma-as-denver-health-sees-700-increase-in-patients/article_93bbba78-b4b0-11ee-83bf-93150c61a814.html Colorado’s public school enrollment hits lowest level in a decade: https://www.denverpost.com/2024/01/17/colorado-public-school-enrollment-2023/ Del...
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Colorado Lawmakers to Consider Pro-Nuclear Bill
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i2i.org, State

Colorado Lawmakers to Consider Pro-Nuclear Bill

By Jake Fogleman | SOURCE: INDEPENDENCE INSTITUTE Colorado lawmakers are set to consider their first nuclear energy bill of the 2024 legislative session later this week. SB24-039, dubbed “Nuclear Energy as a Clean Energy Resource,” is scheduled to go before the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee for first reading on Wednesday. The bill seeks to level the playing field for carbon-free energy technologies under state law by including nuclear energy in the statutory definition of “clean energy.” Nuclear is presently excluded by name. According to the text of the measure: The statutory definition of ‘clean energy’ in current law determines which energy projects are eligible for clean energy project financing at the county and city and county level. The statu...
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Top Republican in Colorado House narrowly survives vote to remove him following revelation about his 2022 DUI arrest
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State, The Colorado Sun

Top Republican in Colorado House narrowly survives vote to remove him following revelation about his 2022 DUI arrest

By Brian Eason and Jesse Paul | SOURCE: THE COLORADO SUN Colorado House Minority Leader Mike Lynch on Monday narrowly survived a vote to remove him as the leader of the chamber’s 19-member Republican caucus after it was made public last week that he was arrested in 2022 on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and possessing a gun while intoxicated. The vote of no confidence was split 9-9, with one lawmaker absent and Lynch voting to keep his post. In ties, the vote fails. During the tense caucus meeting in a Capitol committee room, Lynch rejected calls from some members of his caucus to resign his post. The Wellington lawmaker defended his tenure, saying the caucus has had more cohesion under his leadership than it had in the past. “If I believed that this event,...
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