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Tag: Legislative Session

Guns, deepfakes and occupancy limits: 16 new Colorado laws go into effect in July
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kdvr.com, State

Guns, deepfakes and occupancy limits: 16 new Colorado laws go into effect in July

By Samantha Jarpe | Fox 31 Denver Hundreds of bills were passed and signed into law during the 2024 Colorado legislative session, and over a dozen of these will go into effect on July 1. The new laws range from a ban on residential occupancy limits to a ban on carrying guns in certain areas. READ THE FULL STORY, INCLUDING MORE DETAIL ON THE LAWS, AT FOX 31 DENVER
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Under Colorado’s ‘hands-free’ device law, it cannot be primary reason for law enforcement stop
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Under Colorado’s ‘hands-free’ device law, it cannot be primary reason for law enforcement stop

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Under a new "hands-free" law, Colorado drivers will be prohibited from using cellphones while driving, but it is a secondary offense, meaning it cannot be the primary reason to be pulled over. Next year, Colorado will join 27 other states in adopting a "hands-free" law, prohibiting the use of electronic devices like cellphones while driving.      Under Senate Bill 065, law enforcement officers can't stop a driver solely because they're using a phone while driving. Instead, using an electronic device while driving is classified as a secondary offense, meaning drivers can only be cited for it if they are pulled over for something else, such as reckless driving.  Drivers are permitted to use their phones while opera...
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If voters adopt statewide ranked choice voting, Colorado may prevent it from taking effect
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State, The Colorado Sun

If voters adopt statewide ranked choice voting, Colorado may prevent it from taking effect

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun If Colorado voters decide in November to pass a ballot measure making big changes to the way the state’s elections are conducted, it may be years before they go into effect — if ever. That’s because of a last-minute amendment added to a broad bipartisan election bill awaiting Gov. Jared Polis’ signature. The provisions would create a major barrier to a proposal to alter Colorado’s primaries so candidates of all parties run against each other, with the top four vote-getters advancing to a ranked choice general election.  Now, proponents of the election overhaul, who were unaware of the big hurdles created by Senate Bill 210 until they were contacted this week by The Colorado Sun, are demanding that Polis veto the legislation...
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Bills Signed By Governor Polis This Week
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Bills Signed By Governor Polis This Week

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff Colorado Governor Jared Polis has been active in signing multiple bills into law, including one aimed at implementing comprehensive guidelines for funeral facilities. The recent bill, Senate Bill 173, introduced by Sen. Dylan Roberts (D-Frisco) and Rep. Matt Soper (R-Delta), mandates that all mortuary science professionals, including funeral directors, obtain a state license by January 2026. This measure follows a string of disturbing incidents at funeral homes across Montrose, Denver, and Colorado Springs. Another significant law, House Bill 1335, also sponsored by Roberts and Soper, continues regulations under the Mortuary Science Code, ensuring regular inspections of funeral homes. In response to these legislative actions, Senator Roberts emphas...
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Gaines: Imagine if journalists covered guns like they do abortion
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Commentary, completecolorado.com, State

Gaines: Imagine if journalists covered guns like they do abortion

By Cory Gaines | Complete Colorado I think you can take Democrat House Majority Leader Duran at her word when she recently told CPR News, that she and her colleagues made passing gun control legislation “…routine, just as anything else that we run.”  Since taking over all levers of power at the state level, and suffering no negative consequences, majority Democrats have indeed made gun control legislation “routine” in Colorado. In that same CPR article, Duran is also quoted as saying, “I know the bills we passed this year will make a big difference in making our community safer.”  Regardless of where you put the balance point between individual liberties and tradeoffs made in the name of safety, I hope that we could agree that we should be careful putting restrictions on any kin...
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Colorado’s (not yet signed) new law bans cellphone use while driving. When can it lead to a traffic stop?
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State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado’s (not yet signed) new law bans cellphone use while driving. When can it lead to a traffic stop?

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun All drivers will be prohibited from talking on or otherwise using their cellphones while driving under a bill passed by the Colorado legislature this year that Gov. Jared Polis says he will sign into law.  Senate Bill 65 would create some exceptions, including for drivers using hands-free accessories. Senate Bill 65 says a driver can’t be cited for talking on or using their cellphone while driving unless a law enforcement officer sees them doing so in a “manner that caused the individual to drive in a careless and imprudent manner, without due regard for the width, grade, curves, corners, traffic and use of the streets and highways and all other attendant circumstances.” READ THE FULL STORY ON THE BILL AT THE COLORADO SUN
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The next grey wolf? Gov. Polis signs bill to reintroduce wolverines in Colorado
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coloradopolitics.com, State

The next grey wolf? Gov. Polis signs bill to reintroduce wolverines in Colorado

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Gov. Jared Polis traveled across the Western Slope on Monday to sign several bills, ranging from issues like highway safety, wildfire mitigation and species conservation. In particular, Polis signed the proposal to reintroduce wolverines to Colorado and the state's wildlife division is to bring 45 of them over three years.  Colorado Parks and Wildlife will introduce 30 female and 15 male wolverines over a three-year period in hopes of boosting the species' population, as only about 300 wolverines remain in the contiguous United States.  READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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State taxpayers to lose $2.8 billion in TABOR refunds due to legislature, study shows
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coloradopolitics.com, State

State taxpayers to lose $2.8 billion in TABOR refunds due to legislature, study shows

By Noah Festenstein | Colorado Politics As a result of 101 bills passed by the Colorado legislature, over $2.8 billion in state TABOR refunds will not go to Colorado taxpayers between 2024 and 2026, according to a recent report from the Common Sense Institute. The $2.8 billion loss is just less than half of the projected $6 billion in TABOR refunds for the next three years, CSI found in its report following the 2024 Colorado legislative session. “Legislators focused intensely on TABOR refunds this session,” CSI Mike A. Leprino Fellow Lang Sias said in a statement. “What started a few years ago,” he said, “has snowballed into what we saw play out during the 2024 session where more than 100 bills redirected TABOR refunds.” READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Gov. Polis vetoes 6 bills dealing with variety of subjects, 300 more awaiting his penstroke
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Gov. Polis vetoes 6 bills dealing with variety of subjects, 300 more awaiting his penstroke

By Thelma Grimes | Colorado Politics Gov. Jared Polis’ office announced late Friday evening that the governor has rejected six bills, including measures that deal with employee discipline, construction wages and the treatment of energy derived from burning solid waste.  It's the governor's first vetoes of bills passed in this year's legislative session, when lawmakers sent more than 500 bills of the 705 introduced to Polis' desk. As for Friday night, Polis was still working through more than 300 bills that needed his action. One of the bills vetoed involved wage claims in the construction industry. House Bill 1008 would have made a general contractor liable for wage claims by workers for salaries allegedly owed by a subcontractor. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO ...
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Only 3 state legislators get ‘A’ grade on ’24 Liberty Scorecard, 87% of legislators fail the test
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Only 3 state legislators get ‘A’ grade on ’24 Liberty Scorecard, 87% of legislators fail the test

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Three percent of all state legislators graded an A and 87% of legislators had a failing grade in the Liberty Scorecard Colorado ratings released Friday following the close of the 74th General Assembly. The annual study found the three lawmakers most strongly adhering to the principles of the U.S. Constitution through their legislation and votes are the same from last session, with a different order. Rep. Ken DeGraff, an El Paso County Republican ranked second last session, earned an A-grade and topped the list with a score of 95 this session. Rep. Stephanie Luck, a Freemont County Republican who was rated first last year, was rated third this session with an A grade and 92-point score. Ranking second was Rep. Scott Bottoms, an El Paso County ...
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