Capitol Coverage

Gov. RitterIn his first 100 days in office, Governor Ritter has dealt with issues from school funding to water disputes, and union issues continue to simmer. Ritter vetoed a pro-union bill just days after taking office, and some union leaders are threatening to make a mess of next year’s Democratic National Convention in Denver. He [...]

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A bill to expand the commission that regulates Colorado’s Oil and Gas industry is moving smoothly through the senate after facing stiff opposition in the house. The industry and some Republicans previously fought expanding the regulatory body, and it’s mission, but negotiations appeared to have smoothed things over. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.
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State workers will have to think twice before they print documents, and throw paper into the trash. Governor Bill Ritter signed an executive order Monday that requires the state to use less paper and to use environmentally friendly products. The executive order is one of several new laws on energy efficiency. Bente Birkeland reports [...]

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Over the weekend thousands of people rallied across the country to raise awareness about climate change. In Colorado, there were at least 35 events across the state. Among them was a rally by religious groups in Denver. It’s part of an effort to create a moral dialogue around global warming and get more churches talking [...]

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High school students would face tougher graduation requirements under a bill that initially cleared the senate Wednesday. Colorado is one of a handful of states without minimum high school graduation standards. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.
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Howard Dean came to Denver Thursday to promote the Democratic National Convention in 2008 and meet with state and national labor leaders. It was Dean’s first trip to the city since Denver won the bid to host the convention. Some labor groups say Denver is a bad choice because Colorado is not union friendly. Bente [...]

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Governor Bill Ritter petitioned the federal government to protect 4 million acres of roadless areas in Colorado. Ritter made changes to a petition former Governor Bill Owens submitted last year. But some environmentalists say Ritter’s petition doesn’t go far enough. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.
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The blind would be stealing money from the deaf. So say opponents of a bill that would use money slated for the deaf community to create a commission for the blind. The commission would recommend changes to state services for the blind and visually impaired. The bill recently passed a senate committee on a party [...]

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A bill that would tell the army it can’t use eminent domain powers to expand its Piñon Canyon military training site in south-east Colorado just moved one step closer to becoming law. The bill passed a senate committee after a long hearing and in a surprising move, a Republican lawmaker from Colorado Springs voted against [...]

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A bill that would change the make up of the commission that regulates the oil and gas industry is on hold as lawmakers meet with industry leaders to try and negotiate a deal but neither side is optimistic. The legislation cleared the house and is scheduled for a senate hearing within the next two weeks. [...]

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