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.”
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.
Soper sits in on Hess-Koch sentencing
Rep. Matt Soper just wanted to see for himself if the victims involved in the Sunset Mesa Funeral Home case were being treated fairly by U.S. Judge Christine Arguello, who is overseeing the case.
That’s why the Delta Republican attended the sentencing hearing Tuesday for former funeral director Megan Hess and her mother Shirley Koch, who were convicted of mail fraud last year for selling bodies or parts of bodies for several years out of their Montrose funeral home.