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Americans are exhausted with high-stakes election described in apocalyptic terms, experts say
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coloradopolitics.com, State

Americans are exhausted with high-stakes election described in apocalyptic terms, experts say

By Thelma Grimes | Colorado Politics “Exhausted.” That's how Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly summed up how he believes voters are feeling about how politics is affecting society.  The Republican sheriff said his deputies have not really dealt with many calls arising out of political disputes. But the tension exists, he said. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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PERA needs $13 billion in cash or wide-ranging cuts for solvency, state policymakers are told
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State, The Colorado Sun

PERA needs $13 billion in cash or wide-ranging cuts for solvency, state policymakers are told

By Brian Eason | The Colorado Sun Six years and billions of dollars into Colorado’s 30-year pension rescue plan, the Public Employees’ Retirement Association has less than a 50-50 chance of reaching its goal of full funding by 2048. PERA officials on Monday are expected to report back to the legislature’s Pension Review Subcommittee on what it would take to increase those odds to 67%. The answer: $13 billion in up-front cash, or a wide-ranging package of “draconian” cuts, according to PERA’s actuaries. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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DEA forecasting record-breaking fentanyl seizures in Rocky Mountain region, including in Colorado, Utah
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Cowboy State Daily, State

DEA forecasting record-breaking fentanyl seizures in Rocky Mountain region, including in Colorado, Utah

By Jen Kocher | Cowboy State Daily While fentanyl arrests may be down so far in Wyoming this year, seizures are skyrocketing in adjacent southern border states while a more deadly form of meth takes hold across the state. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency saw record seizures of fentanyl in Utah in June, surpassing the prior year by nearly 17%. The arrests were part of DEA’s Operation Cash Out efforts to increase its ground game while simultaneously going after drug profits leaving the country. READ THE FULL STORY AT COWBOY STATE DAILY
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‘Billboards are effective’: Wyoming sheriff laughs at “Venezuela Ahead” billboard at Colorado border
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Cowboy State Daily, State

‘Billboards are effective’: Wyoming sheriff laughs at “Venezuela Ahead” billboard at Colorado border

By Leo Wolfson | Cowboy State Daily A large billboard warns drivers along southbound Interstate 25 at the Wyoming-Colorado border: “Venezuela Ahead, Be Prepared!” on a color scheme that mimics the Venezuelan flag. This is in reference to recent reports of a Venezuelan gang named Tren de Aragua taking over an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, a large suburb of Denver. Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak said he burst out laughing when he saw the billboard for the first time. READ THE FULL STORY AT COWBOY STATE DAILY
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Department of Homeland Security adds sniffing device to AI tools helping fight wildfires in Colorado
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State, The Colorado Sun

Department of Homeland Security adds sniffing device to AI tools helping fight wildfires in Colorado

By Tracy Ross | The Colorado Sun New technology allowing firefighters to “smell” points of origin and locate hot spots or new fires even before smoke can be seen is among the next generation of safety measures the Department of Homeland Security says will help communities and first responders facing longer, more destructive fire seasons in Colorado.  Headlining an event this week at the Boulder County Regional Fire Training Center, the sensor can detect fire-born particulates, volatile organic compounds, chemicals and gases and then send the data to a cloud-based system that updates every 18 seconds and issues geographically targeted notifications to disaster management officials and first responders. Although the sweet spot for detection is a half-mile to a mile away, developer...
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Coloradans to decide 14 statewide questions on jampacked November ballot
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completecolorado.com, State

Coloradans to decide 14 statewide questions on jampacked November ballot

By Sherrie Peif | Complete Colorado Colorado voters will see a much longer ballot than usual for this November’s election, with questions ranging from embedding abortion rights in the state Constitution to upending the primary elections system. In addition to hundreds of local measures, there are 14 statewide ballot measures his year, with an equal number split between constitutional amendments and propositions that are written into state statute. Some of the measures were put on the ballot via citizens’ initiative while others came referred by the legislature, with several highly controversial matters to be decided. READ THE FULL STORY AT COMPLETE COLORADO
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Ballot-box biology is once again before Colorado voters in November with Prop. 127
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Ballot-box biology is once again before Colorado voters in November with Prop. 127

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Although Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) does not take a position on Proposition 127, all it takes is a cursory look at their website to see that Prop. 127 is in direct conflict with science based and biologists’ expertise in mountain lion and bobcat management efforts for a healthy and robust population in Colorado.  Prop. 127 is the result of an animal rights activist group, Cats aren’t Trophies (CATs) , a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, gathering enough signatures to place the issue on the November ballot. This is the same process that led to the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado. Scott Summers, owner of Canyon Rim Outfitters in western Colorado worries about how he is going to make a living for his family if Proposi...
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Gov. Polis signs four gun-control bills destined for legal challenges by pro-gun advocates
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CBS Colorado, State

Gov. Polis signs four gun-control bills destined for legal challenges by pro-gun advocates

By CBS 11 News Colorado's governor signed four gun control bills Friday, following the lead of other states struggling to confront a nationwide surge in violent crime and mass shootings, despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that expanded Second Amendment rights. Before the ink was even dry on Gov. Jared Polis' signature, gun rights groups sued to reverse two of the measures: raising the buying age for any gun from 18 to 21, and establishing a three-day waiting period between the purchase and receipt of a gun. The courts are already weighing lawsuits over such restrictions in other states. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS 11 NEWS
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Frisch and Hurd, the leading candidates for Colorado’s 3rd District, talk border security
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KKCO-TV Grand Junction, State

Frisch and Hurd, the leading candidates for Colorado’s 3rd District, talk border security

By Ivonne Olivas | CBS 11 News (KKCO) Democrat Adam Frisch and Republican Jeff Hurd agree on one issue. “We need to figure out a way to secure the border”, said Frisch. “We need to secure the border, first and foremost,” echoed Hurd. The candidates are running for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District and border security is a pressing topic as the November election nears. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS 11 NEWS (KKCO)
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State budget faces $900M shortfall as tax cuts, Medicaid and economic slowdown take toll
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State, The Colorado Sun

State budget faces $900M shortfall as tax cuts, Medicaid and economic slowdown take toll

By Brian Eason | The Colorado Sun After Colorado lawmakers passed four rounds of tax cuts in 10 months, the state now faces a $900 million budget hole. The tax cuts are kicking in as inflation, wage growth and consumer spending cool off and unemployment ticks up — all factors that will reduce state tax collections and how much it can spend under the state’s revenue cap even as demands on the state budget are growing. State economists Thursday briefed the Joint Budget Committee on their quarterly revenue forecasts, the first since lawmakers passed a new round of property tax cuts during an August special legislative session. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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