colorado politics

When Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic allies sought to overhaul land use rules in the state last year in hopes of spurring more housing development they faced immediate blowback from municipalities intent on protecting their local control. Seeking housing solutions From the mountains to the prairies, Colorado’s housing crisis is squeezing state residents in ways that make drastic choices an all-too-common part of their cost-of-living calculus. Click here to read more from this series. But one Front Range city publicly…

Colorado’s legal psychedelic therapy industry is beginning to take shape as regulators recently unveiled the first rules regarding facilitator education, training and licensure. In late February, the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) released a draft of these rules, which was informed by recommendations from the 15-member Natural Medicine Advisory Board, The board spent the better part of a year researching and discussing what they think are best practices for facilitators — the people who guide or advise people…

The studs of Jennifer Miller’s Erie dream home carry in them her family’s hopes for the future, with messages literally inked with permanent marker onto the bedroom beams while the two-story house was under construction in 2019. But the dream home turned into a money pit for the family of four as they tapped savings and equity from their down payment to fix problems she said were caused by rushed construction. The soil under the foundation wasn’t properly prepared, Miller said, causing the house to twist and stretch as…

Homeowners associations’ foreclosure filings on thousands of Coloradans’ houses over unpaid fines and fees have spurred fresh attempts by lawmakers to better regulate HOAs and metropolitan districts with the hope of preventing more people from losing their homes. Lawmakers have introduced several reform bills that would restrict foreclosures from delinquent fees and require HOAs and metro districts to adopt written policies, enhance notifications to homeowners and add licensing requirements for professional managers. The…

U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Colorado unveiled a package of migrant-related bills in the House Thursday that aim to break a partisan logjam on immigration reform and would assist cities like Denver that have shouldered unforeseen costs. The congresswoman, who represents Colorado’s most heavily Latino congressional district, said her aim is to help interior cities deal with sheltering and other costs in one of two bills she’s leading. Other bills she’s joined as a co-sponsor would shorten the time migrants must wait for…

Annie Valentina Castanon knows the endless scroll of social media well — one short video on an app like Instagram or TikTok turns into another, she said, and soon a minute turns into hours. The quick rush from flashy entertainment gives way to anxiety as she worries about losing time that should have been spent on her Advanced Placement classes. And then depression sets in over the sense that she’s setting her future self up for failure. The senior at DSST: Montview High School in Denver has joined a push at the Colorado…

Douglas County this week sued a state board in charge of evaluating property assessments, claiming officials overstepped their authority and wrongfully stopped the county from providing substantial tax relief to thousands of homeowners. Last month’s board decision and the appeal to a judge to step in come amid a fierce statewide debate over how to blunt the impact of ballooning property tax bills across Colorado this year. The affluent suburban county filed its lawsuit against the state Board of Equalization late Tuesday…

Colorado workers who need to take time off from work to care for a new baby or family member — or to deal with their own serious health condition — can now receive pay for that time away from their job. But there are limitations on both the length of paid time available and how much is paid under the state’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance program, known as FAMLI. Colorado voters created the program in 2020 when Proposition 118 passed with nearly 58% support. Employers and employees began paying into the program last…

Colorado construction contractors could face civil liability for wage theft under a bill previewed by Democratic lawmakers Friday. Details of the proposal are still being finalized ahead of the legislative session that begins Wednesday. House Majority Leader Monica Duran, a Wheat Ridge Democrat, said it is one of the bills she plans to introduce on the first day, and classified it as part of the party’s priority of economic justice. Colorado sees an estimated $728 million in wage theft annually, according to a 2022…

It’s been 10 years since Colorado launched the first legal recreational marijuana market in the world and became a pioneer in drug reform. But when it came to the nascent industry, the first sales on Jan. 1, 2014, were more a starting block than a finish line. In the decade since legalization, Colorado has refined laws, catalyzed new ones and served as a litmus test for the rest of the country as states followed its lead. Today, cannabis is recreationally available for sale in 24 states — where more than half of Americans…