Today on Colorado Edition: we’ll learn about the potential impact of the federal Public Charge rule in our state. We'll also look at what the sale of The Greleey Tribune will mean for local news coverage in northern Colorado. Plus, an investigation into the practices of restraint and seclusion in Colorado schools, and a conversation with the co-hosts of the “Latino Northern Colorado” podcast.
Public Charge in Colorado
A new federal rule went into effect on Monday - and it could cause a significant drop in federal benefits enrollment in our state.
The "public charge" rule is a change in U.S. immigration policy that makes it harder for legal immigrants to get U.S. citizenship if they receive certain federal benefits, like SNAP and Medicaid. In late January, the Supreme Court cleared an injunction that was blocking this rule from being enforced as it moves through the appeals process in the lower courts.
The Colorado Fiscal Institute and the Colorado Health Institute both published studies last year detailing the projected impact of the new rule in Colorado. Emily Johnson, the Director of Policy Analysis at the Colorado Health Institute, joined us to discuss their study.
Sale of The Greeley Tribune
The Greeley Tribune is getting a new owner. Prairie Mountain Media is set to acquire the Tribune from Swift Communications, which has owned the Greeley paper for more than 40 years. Prairie Mountain Media also owns newspapers in Boulder, Longmont, and Loveland. The sale comes right after the Tribune eliminated its entire local sports section due to declining subscription and ad revenue. The deal, which is expected to close on March 1, will also put the Tribune under the same corporate umbrella as the Denver Post.
CoreyHutchins, a journalism instructor at Colorado College, and a correspondent for The Columbia Journalism Review and The Colorado Independent, joined us to discuss the impacts of the move.
Restraint and Seclusion in Colorado Schools
In the state of Colorado, the practices of seclusion and restraint are allowed in schools, if students are displaying violent or dangerous behaviors. And though state rules say they should only be used in emergencies, a new investigation from Chalkbeat Colorado found that Colorado’s ten largest school districts use these two methods in a variety of different ways.
Chalkbeat reporter Melanie Asmar joined us to walk us through the findings.
“Latino Northern Colorado”
A podcast recorded right here in our area explores issues that impact the Latino population living and working and growing here.
The co-hosts of “Latino Northern Colorado,” Rhonda Solis and Chris Garcia, joined us to discuss the podcast.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1) and Henry Zimmerman (@HWZimmerman), and produced by Lily Tyson. The web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. Managing editor Brian Larson contributed to this episode.
KUNC's Colorado Edition is a news magazine taking an in-depth look at the issues and culture of Northern Colorado. It's available on our website, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can hear the show on KUNC's air, Monday through Thursday at 6:30 p.m.