The Colorado Legislature approved a variety of bills changing the state’s criminal justice system relating to law enforcement, jails, and protections for those convicted of crimes.  Here are some of the key pieces of criminal justice-related legislation that passed this session, which ended Wednesday. House Bill 24-1004: Removing barriers to jobs A Colorado bill would […] The post Here’s what the Colorado Legislature did for criminal justice reform during 2024 session appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

The matriarchy runs deep in my family. My mother — one of five daughters raised by a single mother — came of age during the second wave of the women’s liberation movement and raised me to be an activist, feminist, and proud supporter of reproductive rights. This Mother’s Day, as I think about my mother’s […] The post Forget the flowers. This Mother’s Day, pledge to support the right to abortion appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

Predictably, lawmakers entered the 2024 legislative session with a focus on affordability for Coloradans as average costs rise for housing, groceries and other living expenses. They did so by passing a series of tax credits and tax-related fiscal measures that seek to keep more money in people’s pockets or find a way to return it […] The post Here’s what the Colorado Legislature did for taxes this year appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

This commentary originally appeared in Big Pivots. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis gets summoned almost daily to deliver remarks. On a recent Friday, for example, he donned an orange jersey to honor former Bronco Randy Gradishar on the west steps of the Capitol. Earlier that day, Polis had been on the Capitol’s east steps. There, he […] The post Polis has kind words, but is that enough for Tri-State? appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

The Cobalt Abortion Fund is on track to spend over $2 million this year to support people seeking abortion care, the most in a year by far since the U.S. Supreme Court decision that reversed Roe v. Wade. In a press conference Thursday announcing data from the first quarter of 2024, leaders with Cobalt highlighted […] The post Abortion access fund in Colorado on track to spend much more in 2024 appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

Colorado legislative leaders characterized the recently ended session as a “breakthrough” four months that laid crucial policy groundwork for transformation of the state’s housing, transportation and environmental situations. “In my State of the State address to the Legislature this year, I laid out a vision for the future of the state — a vision where […] The post Legislative leaders praise bipartisanship, consensus building after Colorado legislative session appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Thursday it’s proposing changes to the asylum system that would allow immigration officials to reject asylum seekers who have a criminal record that poses a threat to national security or public safety and quickly remove them. Those changes will occur during the initial screening stages, a senior U.S. Department […] The post Asylum seekers with criminal records would be more quickly removed under Biden proposal appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

Colorado lawmakers Wednesday, the final day of the state legislative session, created an Office of Rail Safety within the Public Utilities Commission to study and implement state rail regulations in the wake of deadly, toxic train derailments from Pueblo to East Palestine, Ohio. If House Bill 24-1030 is signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis, […] The post New rail safety office could add protections for Colorado residents and environment appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

When the Colorado Legislature adjourned Wednesday, the bang of the gavel marked the end of regular work by the 74th General Assembly, which first convened after the 2022 election delivered huge Democratic majorities in the state House and Senate. The Democrats, particularly several freshman progressive lawmakers, came to the Capitol with big ambitions, while Republicans […] The post The Colorado legislative session is over. What happened? appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level — but that doesn’t mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the government’s list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to […] The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

A little over 56 hours after state lawmakers made it public for the first time, a sweeping overhaul of Colorado’s property tax code was given final approval by the General Assembly on Wednesday, signaling the end of the 2024 legislative session and potentially shaping the financial future of school districts and local governments across the […] The post Bipartisan property tax reform passed by Colorado lawmakers ahead of 2024 ballot showdown appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration […] The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

WASHINGTON — The commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said at a congressional hearing Wednesday the agency is preparing for the possibility the strain of avian influenza affecting dairy cattle could jump to humans, though he cautioned the probability is low. Robert Califf told senators on the panel in charge of his agency’s […] The post FDA chief says feds are preparing for low probability of bird flu moving to humans appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson Wednesday unveiled a bill that would require states to verify proof of citizenship to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections, something already barred under the law. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who played a key role through legal challenges in defending the former president’s efforts to overturn the […] The post U.S. House GOP targets noncitizen voting, even though it’s rare appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

WASHINGTON — Efforts by a small group of far-right U.S. House Republicans to remove Speaker Mike Johnson from his leadership role failed Wednesday night, ending weeks of infighting about whether the Louisianan should remain the head of that chamber. Republican lawmakers joined by Democrats voted 359-43 to table, or set aside, the so-called motion to […] The post U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene fails in attempt to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a measure Wednesday at the state Capitol that will ask voters whether language banning same-sex marriage should be removed from the state Constitution.    Even though civil unions for same-sex marriage became legal in the state in 2013 — and same-sex marriages became legal nationwide in 2015 with a U.S. Supreme […] The post Repeal of state Constitution’s same-sex marriage ban heads to voters with Gov. Polis’ signature appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

The Colorado Legislature passed two firearm-related bills in the final days of session, wrapping up a lawmaking term that saw further requirements for gun storage, concealed carry permits and where guns are prohibited, among other bills on their way to becoming law.  Colorado voters will be asked this November to weigh in on a proposed […] The post Guns and ammo excise tax ballot measure approved by Colorado Legislature appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

WASHINGTON — Minnesota Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar could face a censure vote as soon as next week, after a Nebraska Republican filed a resolution condemning comments she made during a visit to protests at Columbia University last month. Rep. Don Bacon’s four-page resolution says during the visit Omar “referred to Jewish students as ‘pro-genocide’” […] The post Nebraska U.S. Rep. Bacon seeks to censure Minnesota Rep. Omar over ‘antisemitic rhetoric’ appeared first on Colorado Newsline.

Colorado’s new fees on oil and gas production will substantially increase the amount of money the state collects from fossil-fuel producers, but they will do little to offset its exceptionally low rates of conventional taxes on the industry, a Newsline analysis found. Senate Bill 24-230 was given final approval by the state House of Representatives […] The post How Colorado’s new oil and gas production fees stack up against other states appeared first on Colorado Newsline.