Colorado Politics

 Bill allowing THC beverages to be sold at grocery stores, restaurants pulled by sponsor

A Denver Democrat decided on Tuesday to pull a proposal that would have allowed beverages with tetrahydrocannabinol or THC to be sold at locations like grocery stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues. THC is the psychoactive substance in cannabis, the chemical...

 Corrections officials may be sued for employee’s alleged abuse of detainee, federal judge rules

High-level corrections officials may be sued for their own alleged failures to prevent or respond to an employee’s sexual misconduct toward a detainee, a federal judge decided last month. Rajae Bouhamidi was incarcerated at the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility. In...

 Supreme Court justices to hear arguments on ending legal protections for Haitian, Syrian migrants

The Supreme Court will weigh arguments Wednesday over the Trump administration’s push to end legal protections for Haitians and Syrians as migrants fleeing war and natural disaster. Haitians and Syrians were among those from 17 countries with Temporary Protected Status, which allows migrants already...

 Proposal exempting some IT equipment from Colorado’s ‘right to repair’ law fails

A bill proposing an exemption to Colorado’s “right to repair” laws for “critical infrastructure” failed to pass its first committee in the House after clearing the Senate. Senate Bill 090 would have exempted information technology equipment considered “critical infrastructure” —...

 Colorado GOP request to block unaffiliated voters from receiving Republican primary ballots denied by judge

A federal judge on Tuesday denied the Colorado Republican Party’s request for an emergency injunction barring unaffiliated voters from participating in the state’s upcoming Republican primary election. U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer said that preventing unaffiliated voters from...

 Aurora not liable for suspended officer’s attack on woman, federal court rules

The Denver-based federal appeals court decided on Monday that the city of Aurora cannot be held liable for an officer’s attack on a woman while he was serving a suspension for shooting a different person. Wyoma Martinez filed suit against...

 Colorado’s unprecedented AI law can’t be enforced yet, judge rules

A federal judge on Monday issued a delay in enforcing Colorado’s artificial intelligence law, touted by backers as a tool to protect consumers and residents from algorithmic discrimination but which critics called heavy-handed and unworkable. The lawsuit against Senate Bill...

 Colorado bill dealing with administration lobbyists garners support but faces potential veto from Polis

A bill that would require lobbyists who work for the state government to abide by the same rules that govern their peers representing for-profit companies and organizations is winning support in both chambers of the Colorado legislature. Gov. Jared Polis,...

 Colorado’s $46.8 billion budget nears finish line. Here’s what changed

Colorado legislators on Tuesday adopted a $46.8 billion plan to pay for state operations and programs next year after a joint panel reconciled differences between the House and Senate versions. A small group of lawmakers had resolved those differences. Lawmakers...

 Colorado lawmakers propose security overhaul after rise in political attacks nationwide

Colorado legislators unveiled a 60‑page bill that would expand protections for elected officials, staff, and judicial employees, responding to a string of high‑profile attacks nationwide and growing safety concerns inside courthouses and the state Capitol. Part of their effort is...

 Lauren Boebert’s private financial records sought by Biden’s DOJ, U.S. House committee says

A U.S. House committee is seeking documents from a Colorado bank, saying new information shows that the Biden administration might have sought the private financial records of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert. This comes as part of a congressional investigation into...

 Colorado Democrats eye new state requirements for ICE facilities

Colorado state representatives voted along party lines to pass a bill establishing additional inspection requirements for immigration detention centers and expanding civil liabilities related to sharing information with federal immigration authorities. It’s the latest proposal to come out of the...

 Lawsuit from men wrongly arrested for Denver shooting dismissed by federal appeals court

The Colorado-based federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit last week from two men who were arrested as suspects in a downtown Denver shooting when they instead appeared to be the targets. Trevor Puller and Deandre Hutchinson alleged that they were...

 Johnson delays votes on major bills as GOP infighting derails agenda

Strife within the House Republican conference is once again on public display, derailing Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) plans to pass three major pieces of legislation this week. The House Rules Committee was set to meet at 8 a.m. after having...

 Trump claims Iran is in ‘State of Collapse’ and begging US to open Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that Iranian officials have requested the United States drop its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as ceasefire negotiations have failed to yield substantive progress in recent weeks. Trump posted on Truth Social, just...

 King Charles III will meet Trump and address Congress in a bid to spotlight UK-US ties

WASHINGTON (AP) — King Charles III will embrace some of Washington’s most formal ceremonial trappings on Tuesday as he tries to emphasize a bond between the United Kingdom and the United States that is so strong it can withstand the...

 City service, housing, safety top Denver budget proposals for 2027

Denver’s 2027 budget season got underway Monday, with City Council members presenting a handful of proposed new budget policies and funding proposals. With eight budget priorities outlined for 2027, council members used this week’s Budget and Policy Committee meeting to...

 Colorado Supreme Court narrows consumer protection law for insurance claims

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the legislature’s consumer protections requiring insurance companies to take certain steps before they allege a policyholder failed to cooperate do not apply to any obligation specifically laid out in the policy. In...

 Car rental companies are not ‘insurers,’ Colorado Supreme Court rules

The Colorado Supreme Court decided on Monday that car rental companies offering insurance policies are not also “insurers” under state law, who may be sued for their failure to pay out benefits on claims. By 4-3, the justices further concluded...

 Lifetime sex offender registration not ‘punishment,’ Colorado justices say

The Colorado Supreme Court concluded on Monday that lifetime sex offender registration is not cruel and unusual punishment because it is not “punishment.” At the same time, two members urged lawmakers to heed the advice of the Sex Offender Management...

 Colorado declares April 27 ‘Denver Summit FC Day’

Gov. Jared Polis signed a proclamation declaring April 27 Denver Summit FC Day in Colorado in celebration of the state’s first professional women’s sports team. “Colorado is a sports state and Denver Summit has hit the field running, breaking NWSL...

 DOD budget proposes new $250 million space operations center on Schriever

The expansive $1.5 trillion Department of Defense budget proposal for next year features $250 million for a new space operations center on Schriever Space Force Base.  The center is one of four in the budget, which also proposes a building...

 Melania Trump slams ‘coward’ Jimmy Kimmel for WHCD parody skit about first family

First lady Melania Trump called on ABC to remove late-night host Jimmy Kimmel from the airwaves, after a controversial monologue delivered on the network before a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner occured Saturday.  “Enough is enough,” Trump...

 Colorado Supreme Court oral arguments, chief appeals judge to retire | COURT CRAWL

Welcome to Court Crawl, Colorado Politics’ roundup of news from the third branch of government. The state Supreme Court held oral arguments in multiple cases and traveled to the Eastern Plains to visit with students, plus the chief judge of...

 Supreme Court punts on school secret gender transition cases

The Supreme Court declined to take up a case over the constitutionality of a school’s policy hiding student gender transitions from parents on Monday, a week after the justices passed on taking up a similar case for its next term....

 Gazette newspapers win 51 awards at Top of the Rockies

The Gazette family of newspapers won more than 50 awards at the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2026 Top of the Rockies Excellence in Journalism contest.  The Gazette family, which includes The Denver Gazette, The Colorado Springs Gazette and Colorado Politics, collectively...

 King Charles III to US will ‘proceed as planned’ despite WHCA dinner shooting 

King Charles III of the United Kingdom will continue his trip to the United States as planned on Monday, despite the shooting that occurred Saturday night at the White House Correspondents Association dinner.  President Donald Trump and administration officials were...

 Boebert and Sheehy prepping bills to approve Trump ballroom after dinner shooting

Congressional Republicans are preparing bills to grant approval for President Donald Trump‘s ballroom after the correspondents’ dinner shooting sparked serious security concerns for him and his Cabinet. Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) both announced on Sunday...

 Assisted-living facility in Colorado faced minimal fine after death of 73-year-old man

On Jan. 6, just after 8:30 p.m., Robert Dutkevitch rolled his wheelchair onto the smoking patio outside The Argyle assisted-living facility in Denver. Minutes later, the 73-year-old suddenly slumped in his chair, his head lolling to the side. He then...

 Denver City Council: Scooters, syringes, fancy airport lawyers

The Denver City Council returns this week with a 24-page agenda packed with a variety of interesting items for consideration. From the Community Planning and Housing Committee comes a $3.4 million contract between the City and Jewish Family Service of...