Tag: Legislative Session

SOURCE: Colorado Politics During last week's opening ceremonies, Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado's lawmakers sought to pick up where last year's regular and special session left off by immediately focusing on one of the state's most persistent problems — the lack of affordable housing units. Here are five takeaways: Housing, housing, housing  Polis set the tone of the first few days of session by bluntly telling lawmakers that Coloradans are desperate for affordable housing and they're impatient for concrete solutions. "There is a real sense of hopelessness and despair in our state around housing that’s on par, in many ways, with how people feel about the divisiveness of our national politics," the governor said in his State of the State address.  READ FULL ARTICL...

By Marissa Ventrelli | SOURCE: Colorado Politics Political protests have happened in America since before it officially became a country. Many Americans point to the Constitution's First Amendment as a defining principle. The Founding Fathers specifically forbid Congress from "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." However, as with just about any rule, there are exceptions. In light of recent protests at the Capitol in Denver, Colorado Politics spoke with First Amendment attorney Mike Beylkin of Zansberg Law to find out what protections protestors have inside the building and the potential legal implications that could lead to being removed from the premises. W...

By Marissa Ventrelli | SOURCE: Colorado Politics Ask just about any Colorado legislator, regardless of party, what they believe to be one of the biggest issues facing the state and there's a high likelihood they will say housing. More specifically, state lawmakers are grappling with the lack of affordable units for first-time homebuyers due in part to the Construction Defect Reform Act, which has left developers vulnerable to costly lawsuits and the state with fewer housing options.  While current members of the Colorado General Assembly work to find a solution, one thing is certain, for the last two decades, construction on housing, such as condominiums, prime real estate for first-time home buyers, has decreased significantly, adding to a growing problem of affordability and a...

By Marianne Goodland | Source: Colorado Politics The Colorado General Assembly immediately got off to a troubled start on Wednesday, when multiple groups of pro-Palestinian protesters shouted from the House gallery, bringing the chamber's business to a brief halt. Similar protests took place in state legislatures in California and Arizona on their opening days earlier this week. The disruption prompted Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat who was part of a group of senators participating in a ministerial role in the House, to say lawmakers "don’t have the time to waste." READ FULL ARTICLE ON COLORADOPOLITICS.COM