Politics

Gov. Jared Polis signed a $5.4 billion transportation package on Thursday, one he said will benefit the very stretch of road the outdoor signing ceremony took place under

Nearly 30 years ago, Tracy Stone-Manning testified in federal court against eco-saboteurs. Now Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso is calling the BLM nominee an environmental extremist.

Colorado lawmakers ended a tumultuous, impactful session Tuesday night after passing dozens of new laws that are poised to change everything from how the state pays for roads to who can purchase guns.

Senate Bill 247, which has bipartisan support, was meant to head off potentially map-killing lawsuits later. In a 5-2 decision, justices say the bill would be legislative overreach. The constitution, they argue, leaves this kind of decision-making in the commissions’ hands and already allows them to use estimated data.

Even some Democrats who voted to send the bill to Gov. Jared Polis are questioning whether the bill will actually do what supporters say it will.

You may be familiar with the TV show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” Colorado has launched its own version, and all residents who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are eligible to win. The state announced it will give away $1 million weekly between June 4 and July 7, using federal CARES Act money that would have gone to vaccine advertising. But how well vaccine incentives actually work remains a bit of an open question.

Is it possible to know how your state representative will vote on a bill before it gets debated? What started off as a casual bet between two reporters has shed light on a little-known tool that can pretty accurately predict such outcomes.

Tired of waiting for federal action to reduce prescription drug costs, Colorado is acting on its own — even if it must do so with one arm tied behind its back. Unable to set prices or change patent protections, the state is exploring creative legislative and administrative approaches to lower out-of-pocket costs on medications.

The visible signs of a deadly pandemic are fading quickly inside the state Capitol. Staff have removed the yellow caution tape that blocked the basement cafeteria for many months. Swarms of lobbyists and tourists are back. And people like Brett Frizzell are even taking off their masks deep inside the poorly ventilated building that historians once labeled a “disease breeding ground.”

Colorado's independent redistricting commissions are off to a rocky start, as local census population data needed to draw voting districts has been delayed. State lawmakers have proposed a bill to help them continue their work, but commissioners don’t want the legislature’s help.