Colorado lawmakers want to charge new fees on beer, wine and spirits to fund addiction services
A similar proposal failed two years ago following pushback from Gov. Jared Polis and the alcohol industry.
Sundance says goodbye to Park City ahead of move to Colorado
As the storied independent film festival prepares to leave its longtime home, attendees and film industry insiders look back.
Fiery speeches and calls for compromise: What Colorado River negotiators are saying on eve of DC summit
On the eve of the high-stakes summit, negotiators from both the upper and lower river basins are not sounding confident they can reach an agreement with less than three weeks to go before a Feb. 14 deadline.
Colorado Democrats want to expand the state’s red flag gun law, add new regulations on gun barrels
The proposals would add to the list of who can petition to have someone’s guns removed under the state’s red flag law and add new rules for selling and tracking gun barrels.
As deal deadline approaches, Colorado River stewards debate a broad range of options
Four days of negotiations in a Salt Lake City conference room earlier this month did not appear to have sparked a breakthrough.
Rep. Jason Crow calls DOJ investigation an attempt to intimidate critics
The Colorado congressman is pushing back as federal prosecutors open an inquiry tied to a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders.
Feds publish possible playbook for managing dwindling Colorado River supply
The proposals range from taking “no action” to a scenario that might result in water cuts to the lower basin states of California, Nevada and Arizona.
Public lands budgets largely skirt major cuts in bipartisan proposals
Congress’ budget proposal for the National Park Service rejects the major slashes requested by the Trump Administration last year.
Colorado Democrats, labor unions revive push to ease unionization rules
Their proposal would repeal Colorado’s unique requirement that labor unions hold a second election before they can fully negotiate with businesses. Gov. Polis vetoed it last year.
December water forecast a sobering backdrop to Colorado River conference
At a key meeting to discuss the river’s future management, federal officials lay out tools for dealing with falling reservoir levels.
Barbed wire fences dot the West. There’s a growing movement to take them down — for wildlife
Every two and a half miles of barbed wire is responsible for killing one deer, elk or pronghorn a year, one study estimated.
New report calls for policy changes with Colorado River ‘on the cusp of failure’
A group of nonprofits is calling for reductions to water demand, changes at Glen Canyon Dam and more transparent negotiations.
Nominee for top federal water role withdraws amid pushback from some Colorado River states
Ted Cooke had been tapped to run the Bureau of Reclamation, but withdrew as some Upper Basin states worried about potential bias.
Teens pitch policy priorities to state lawmakers focused on education equity, substance abuse
The state legislature’s Youth Advisory Council presented more than a dozen policy proposals to lawmakers this week.
A deadline looms for a new Colorado River plan. What happens if there isn’t one?
States that use Colorado River water need to agree on new rules for sharing it by 2026. If they don’t, they will likely end up in messy court battles.
Ted Cooke tapped to run Bureau of Reclamation amid pivotal Colorado River talks
Cooke is the former manager of the Central Arizona Project. The region’s water experts regard him as a qualified expert.
