- Colorado’s Amtrak rail line in southeastern Colorado is in need of major repairs.
- Colorado lawmakers learned today that the state’s economy is stronger than expected and they’ll have more money to spend in next year’s budget. For the past few weeks, the grumblings around the state capitol were that the revenue forecast would be lower than anticipated. Instead, it’s $61 million higher.
- A number of controversial healthcare bills are up for debate at the statehouse this legislative session. For this week’s Capitol Conversation, statehouse reporter Bente Birkeland talks to reporters about some of them, and also talks about one of the biggest budget fights going forward.
- A bill to ban talking on cell phones while driving failed in the House Transportation Committee on Wednesday. Two Democrats joined Republicans in defeating the measure. The hearing was emotional at times and lawmakers were brought to tears after Shelly Forney from Fort Collins testified about her 9 year old daughter Erica’s death.
- Originally published on March 13, 2014 6:50 pm The annual legislative session is typically marked with plenty of partisanship – but this year lawmakers in both parties are working together on flood relief bills.
- Colorado’s 2014 legislative session is already halfway over. So far lawmakers have tackled a whole host of issues – everything from gun law repeals to wildfire and flood related measures. By all accounts this year’s session has been much less contentious compared to the previous year.
- News last week that Republican Congressman Cory Gardner is entering the U.S.
- Originally published on February 26, 2014 10:29 am The market for legal recreational marijuana in Colorado is booming, and the state is expecting millions of dollars more in tax revenues that initially projected. That has lawmakers grappling with the best way to spend all of that additional cash.
- Lawmakers are rolling out a new bi-partisan funding plan for K through 12 schools, but many in the education community are not board with it.
- School superintendents in Colorado are concerned about the state’s legislative agenda this session. Nearly every school district in the state wrote a letter asking lawmakers to focus exclusively on restoring budget cuts to schools and drop bills they’re calling unnecessary. Bente Birkeland has more from the state capitol.
- Four of the six Republican candidates seeking to replace Governor John Hickenlooper in the fall faced off in their first formal debate last night at the Denver Post.
- Colorado is embarking into uncharted territory as the Department of Transportation creates its first public private partnership along U.S. Highway 36. CDOT officials say they don’t have the money to repair and maintain all the state’s roads and bridges and this agreement is necessary.
- Last summer Colorado officials rolled out a new state brand and logo. It’s popular among some groups but received mixed support at the state capitol. A Republican bill to send the branding question to a vote of the people failed at the statehouse.
- A bill to study how to upgrade the state’s emergency radio communication system is moving through the statehouse. Lawmakers say the bill is important in the wake of recent wildfires and floods.
- The gun debate that riveted the state capitol last session once again took center stage yesterday. As Bente Birkeland reports, emotions were strong, but compared to last year, fewer people came to the capitol to testify on a key gun bill.
- After dominating last year’s legislative session, state lawmakers are once again beginning to debate the issue of guns.
