Proposed legislation seeks to modify second-degree assault penalties
Elected officials in Douglas County are working together on a piece of legislation that would modify assault in the second degree and bring more protection to domestic violence victims as well as first responders and medical professionals.
“The cost to society, domestic (violence) victims, the court system and corrections increases dramatically if the assault results in homicide,” Rep. Anthony Hartsook (R-Parker) said. “This legislation is designed to get those threats off the streets before they result in a homicide.”
Colorado House GOP announces committee assignments for 2026 session
The Colorado House’s Republican leadership has announced its members’ committee assignments for the 2026 legislative session, which begins Jan. 14.
“These committee assignments showcase our readiness to bring accountability and common sense back into the legislative process,” said Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell, R-Colorado Springs. “The members chosen for these committees understand the challenges families are facing, and they are prepared to scrutinize every proposal through the lens of affordability, safety, and responsible government. House Republicans will be an active and effective voice for the millions of Coloradans who expect better results from their state government.”
“Even worse than we thought”: Colorado is stuck in a cycle of annual, $1B state budget shortfalls
Colorado lawmakers are stuck in a cycle of annual budget shortfalls of roughly $1 billion, predominantly caused by the skyrocketing cost of Medicaid.
That was the warning last week from the top nonpartisan staffer for the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, which is tasked with drafting the state budget. JBC Staff Director Craig Harper called the trend “alarming.”
The shortfalls come from how much money lawmakers have to spend each year growing more slowly than the cost of maintaining existing state programs and services.
JBC: Budget plan underfunds Medicaid, adds to government
In two months, the second regular session of the 75th Colorado General Assembly will open, and Joint Budget Committee (JBC) director Craig Harper said the conditions won’t be much unlike the prior session a year ago.
The state is expected to be facing an $850 million shortfall.
Members of the JBC organized Wednesday and heard a $50.7 billion budget proposal from Gov. Jared Polis, which cuts from Medicaid but not from what some criticized as an inflated state government.
“At a time where we’re making cuts, we’re adding 355 new employees,” said Rep. Rick Taggart, R-Grand Junction. “I wonder when are we going to get serious about looking at our own internal efficiencies, department by department.”
EDITORIAL: A Colorado campus relents on free speech
The student government at Fort Lewis College in Durango made national news the other day when it voted to block a conservative group from organizing a campus chapter. Then, just last Friday, the Associated Students of Fort Lewis College reversed itself and voted unanimously to let Turning Point USA set up shop after all.
“It was strange,” chapter organizer Jonah Flynn, a Fort Lewis senior, told Fox News over the weekend. “They put us in a tiny room, with at least 100 people being forced to wait outside. Tons of local conservatives, students and community members. Inside the meeting, we got to speak briefly, and they immediately voted and unanimously approved it.”
The one-eighty was fast if inevitable. Given the drama preceding the original vote to bar Turning Point — an hours-long public hearing; sobbing campus activists; denunciations of “hateful” remarks by the group’s slain co-founder, Charlie Kirk — you might expect a bit more grandstanding before the elected student leaders caved.
Gov. Jared Polis seeks $12M to house suspects declared incompetent
Colorado is planning to invest up to $12 million to fund additional commitment beds for individuals declared incompetent to proceed to trial, Gov. Jared Polis has announced.
In a recent news conference on the state budget, Polis announced plans to request $8 million to $12 million in general fund dollars for additional civil commitment beds in mental health facilities statewide to accommodate individuals who are declared incompetent to stand trial by a judge.
The funding request will be outlined in legislation sponsored by Sen. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, possibly alongside House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, Rep. Jarvis Caldwell, R-Colorado Springs, and Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa.
Fort Lewis College faces backlash from Republicans after denying Turning Point USA chapter
Republican legislators criticized the student government at Durango’s Fort Lewis College for rejecting a proposal to establish a Turning Point USA chapter on campus.
Turning Point USA is a nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative issues on high school and college campuses. Its founder, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated during a campus event in Utah in September.
According to the
Durango Herald, more than 30 students spoke on the matter during a four-hour-long meeting last week, with most expressing opposition to the proposal.
Fund It or Fix It: Where government meets the people
When lawmakers pass a new bill, there’s one question we should all ask before we vote: Who’s going to pay for it?
Too often, that question goes unanswered. Across Colorado, local governments are being asked to carry out new state laws — on everything from wildfire codes to building standards — without the funding to make them possible. These are called unfunded mandates, and they’ve quietly become one of the biggest threats to local budgets and the essential services people depend on.
In Mesa County alone, these mandates now cost nearly $10 million each year. Statewide, the total is estimated at more than $360 million — money that could otherwise fund deputies, road repairs, or mental health programs. Instead, it covers the cost of laws the state created but didn’t fund.
'Remembering October 7th' candlelight vigil to be held in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — October 7 is Tuesday, marking two years since the October 7th attacks that left 1,139 dead in Israel and kicked off a war that has killed tens of thousands in its wake in the Middle East.
Locally, First Amendment Media, along with community leaders, will be hosting a "Remember October 7th" candlelight vigil in Acacia Park to remember and honor the lives lost on October 7th.
Colorado House Republicans elect Jarvis Caldwell as new minority leader
(COLORADO) — Colorado House Republicans elected State Representative Jarvis Caldwell from Monument as their new leader on Saturday, Sept. 20, following the resignation of former leader Rose Pugliese of Colorado Springs.
The election took place remotely on Saturday at 8 a.m., marking a significant change in leadership for the Colorado House Republicans. Caldwell, who is in his first year in the House, will step into the role after Pugliese resigned last week, citing a toxic environment at the Capitol as her reason for stepping down.