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Wolf advocates charged with illegal lobbying of lawmakers at state capitol
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Wolf advocates charged with illegal lobbying of lawmakers at state capitol

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics The state's election office on Monday began proceedings against an advocate for wolves in Colorado over allegations of illegally lobbying during the 2024 session at the state Capitol.  Initially, a second individual was also accused of illegal lobbying, but that complaint has been dismissed. The complaints, filed in March by John Williams, who operates Colorado Wolf Tracker, claimed Stephen Capra and his organization, Bold Visions Conservation, lobbied multiple legislators on behalf of a paying client, all without registering and without disclosing the client’s identity as required by law.  READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Ten bills passed in session, earning some bipartisan support, aimed to address variety of water issues
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State, The Colorado Sun

Ten bills passed in session, earning some bipartisan support, aimed to address variety of water issues

By Larry Morandi and Jerd Smith | The Colorado Sun Colorado lawmakers gave the thumbs-up to 10 water measures this year that will bring millions of dollars in new funding to help protect streams, bring oversight to construction activities in wetlands and rivers, make commercial rainwater harvesting easier and support efforts to restore the clarity of Grand Lake. Money for water conservation, planning and projects was a big winner, with some $50 million approved, including $20 million to purchase the Shoshone water rights on the Colorado River. Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, chair of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, expressed gratitude for the legislature’s focus on water issues and for funding the Shoshone purchase. “This continues to show the state...
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Wolverine reintroduction legislation is ‘completely opposite’ of Colorado’s ballot–driven wolf plan
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State, The Colorado Sun

Wolverine reintroduction legislation is ‘completely opposite’ of Colorado’s ballot–driven wolf plan

By Jason Blevins | Colorado Sun A new predator could be coming to Colorado’s high country but supporters are promising this reintroduction will be different.  Colorado lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved the return of wolverines to Colorado’s alpine landscape, with a plan “that is completely opposite from the wolf reintroduction process,” said Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Democrat from Avon who co-sponsored the legislation with Sen. Perry Will, a Republican from New Castle.  Roberts said the pair’s Senate Bill 171 marks “a responsible way to do wildlife reintroduction.” The bill is heading to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk for final approval. If signed, the effort will mark the first-ever attempt to restore wolverines to a native range.   READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN...
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Colorado Republicans celebrate policy wins in 2024 legislative session
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado Republicans celebrate policy wins in 2024 legislative session

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics House and Senate Republicans celebrated big policy wins during the 2024 legislative session, in particular focusing on property taxes and an income tax rate reduction. "I'm very happy at what our caucus was able to do," said House Minority Leader Rep. Rose Pugliese of Colorado Springs, who added that Republicans accomplished much in the 2024 session. Pugliese cited housing measures with Republican sponsorship, including include House Bill 1152, the accessory dwelling unit bill, and House Bill 1308, which would push the state's Division of Housing to move a little faster in releasing resources for affordable housing development. Pugliese also pointed to the income tax rate reduction in Senate Bill 228, which will lower the rate from 4.4% ...
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Rep. Bradley announces town hall meetings to review legislative session, focus on future
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Rep. Bradley announces town hall meetings to review legislative session, focus on future

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice State Rep. Brandi Bradley has announced a pair of town hall meetings she will host in District 39 to discuss legislative victories, losses and what lies ahead. Bradley will join with Sen. Mark Bailey and Sen. Kevin Van Winkle at 6:30 p.m. May 13 at the Larkspur Fire Station, 941 S. Spruce Mountain Road. She will again be joined by Van Winkle and this time by Sen. Jim Smallwood at 7 p.m. May 16 at Freedom Fellowship in Centennial. A time of fellowship, food and fun will precede the May 16 event at 5:30 p.m. "It has been an honor to represent House District 39 for the last two years," Bradley wrote in her district newsletter. "I never, in a million years, thought that I would run for office. It has been one of the most gratifying and most diffi...
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Voters might get chance to tell schools to notify parents of signs their kid is transgender
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State, Westword

Voters might get chance to tell schools to notify parents of signs their kid is transgender

By Hannah Metzger | Westword Days after a new state law began allowing Colorado students to choose their names at school, an effort to require parental notification for such behavior started petitioning for the November ballot. Initiative 142 would require that public school staff inform parents if they obtain any information that a student is experiencing "gender incongruence," defined as a difference between the student's biological sex and gender identity. If a child uses a different name or pronouns at school — or even if an employee overhears students talking about their gender identity — their parents would have to be notified. Advocates of the proposed initiative say they started printing petitions last week. They must collect 124,238 signatures by August 5 t...
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Bob Gardner’s infamous filibusters, policy prowess made him one of the GOP’s most effective weapons
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State, Westword

Bob Gardner’s infamous filibusters, policy prowess made him one of the GOP’s most effective weapons

By Hannah Metzger | Westword Eighteen years after he was first elected to the Colorado Legislature, state Senator Bob Gardner concluded his final legislative session on Wednesday, May 8. Twenty-four state legislators will vacate their seats this year, but Gardner has called the Capitol home for the longest. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2006, serving through 2014 before joining the Senate in 2016. Now term-limited, Gardner is one of only two current legislators expected to complete the maximum eight years in both chambers, and he started two years earlier than the other — Senator Kevin Priola, who was first elected in 2008. Following a career under the gold dome, Gardner, age 70, is stepping away from public office. He plans to return to his law pract...
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‘The Most Legit Dude’ in the Colorado Capitol: Senator becomes unlikely celebrity
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State, Westword

‘The Most Legit Dude’ in the Colorado Capitol: Senator becomes unlikely celebrity

By Hannah Metzger | Westword One Colorado legislator has become the subject of fan pages, a weekly holiday and an effort to replace Mayor Mike Johnston’s greeting at the Denver airport with his voice instead. As state Senator Perry Will walks through the Colorado Capitol Building on Friday, May 3, staffers stop him to ask for photos. Dozens of people roam the halls wearing bolo ties — Will’s signature look — in homage to the year's last “Perry Will Friday,” which has been celebrated every week since the legislative session began in January. Now four months in, with legislators preparing to adjourn this week, Will is a bona fide celebrity under the gold dome. “I just love it. I crave it,” Will says. "I'm not your garden-variety legislator, but I work across the ai...
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Three takeaways from Colorado’s 2024 legislative session
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Three takeaways from Colorado’s 2024 legislative session

By Colorado Politics Colorado policymakers wrapped up this year's legislative session on Wednesday night, following a hectic pace that saw them passing major proposals on housing, taxes and guns. Here are three takeaways: Lawmakers find agreement on difficult subjects  Hot-button proposals from Democrats' progressive wing fail  Property tax fight is far from over READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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101 bills debated by the Colorado legislature in 2024 that you need to know about
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State, The Colorado Sun

101 bills debated by the Colorado legislature in 2024 that you need to know about

By Jesse Paul and Brian Eason | The Colorado Sun The Colorado legislature debated more than 700 bills in the lawmaking term that ended Wednesday.  The Colorado Sun pored through the measures to highlight the ones that passed — and some that failed — that you need to know about. Gov. Jared Polis has a June 7 deadline to sign or veto bills, or let them become law without his signature. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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