logo
From immigration to gun control and transgender rights, Colorado state lawmakers debated long list of controversial issues this session

From immigration to gun control and transgender rights, Colorado state lawmakers debated long list of controversial issues this session

CBS News08-05-2025

Colorado 75th General Assembly adjourns after debate on more than 650 bills over 120 days
Colorado 75th General Assembly adjourns after debate on more than 650 bills over 120 days
Colorado 75th General Assembly adjourns after debate on more than 650 bills over 120 days
The 75th General Assembly adjourned Wednesday after debating more than 650 bills over the last 120 days in Colorado.
Efforts to close a $1 billion budget shortfall consumed much of the session and a plan to spend $4 million on new furniture for lawmakers became a flashpoint.
The furniture budget was ultimately cut in half. Budget writers slashed funding for dozens of programs -- ranging from food banks to workforce development -- while increasing funding for K-12 schools, higher ed and Medicaid. They also found more funding for safety net providers, especially rural health care clinics.
With money tight, Democrats floated new fees on auto, homeowners and health insurance. All of them failed, along with Republicans' efforts to repeal the retail delivery and plastic bag fees. But a bill banning hidden or junk fees - including in rental contracts - passed.
Lawmakers also passed bills to increase affordable housing, including measures to expedite manufactured housing by creating regional building codes, and incentivize condo development by limiting lawsuits over construction defects.
While legislators approved warning labels for gas stoves, they nixed them for gas pumps. And while they killed a bill to require age verification for online porn sites, they passed a measure that criminalizes deep fake porn -- or digitally altering pictures of real people to create fake nudes.
Maybe no bill generated more debate than a measure expanding transgender rights. It makes mis-gendering -- or using a name other than a transgender person's chosen name -- a form of discrimination.
A measure expanding protections for undocumented immigrants also drew fire. It passed the house the day after the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state over what it called sanctuary policies.
A spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis says Colorado is not a sanctuary state and says the governor's office worked with bill sponsors to ensure their measure doesn't interfere with federal law enforcement partnerships.
A scandal at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation prompted the biggest criminal justice bill of the session. It ensures defendants and victims are notified if DNA evidence in their case may have been tampered with. It passed both chambers unanimously.
Colorado also now has one of the most restrictive gun bills in the country. It prohibits the sale of most semi-automatic firearms without additional background checks and training.
And thanks to a bill offering millions of dollars in tax credits, Boulder will be the new home of the Sundance Film Festival in 2027.
The session ended with drama over an artificial intelligence law.
The governor, attorney general and even some members of Congress urged lawmakers to delay implementation of the nation's first artificial intelligence law, but an effort to move implementation from January of 2026 to January 2027 failed in the waning hours.
Among the final bills to get approval were a measure that regulates rideshare companies and a bill that makes it easier to unionize. Polis has expressed concerns about both bills. He's already vetoed bills regarding social media regulations and open records requests, and lawmakers were unable to override those vetoes.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

CNN correspondent detained by LAPD during live shot
CNN correspondent detained by LAPD during live shot

The Hill

time24 minutes ago

  • The Hill

CNN correspondent detained by LAPD during live shot

A reporter for CNN was briefly detained by police on Monday while covering the widespread protests in Los Angeles following federal immigration enforcement operations in the area over the weekend. CNN cameras caught correspondent Jason Carroll being told by police he needed to leave the area he was reporting from and placing his hands behind his back as he and members of the network's crew were escorted away. 'I asked. 'Am I being arrested?' ' Carroll said of the incident on the network after he was escorted away. 'He said, 'No … you're being detained.' You take a lot of risks as press, this is low on that scale of risks, but it is something I wasn't expecting.' CNN, in a statement to The Hill, said it was 'pleased the situation resolved quickly once the reporting team presented law enforcement with their CNN credentials.' 'CNN will continue to report out the news unfolding in Los Angeles,' the outlet said. The protests in Los Angeles have sparked intense reaction from the White House, with President Trump mobilizing hundreds of Marines and thousands of National Guard troops, a move that has sparked criticism from Democrats and the state's governor.

Fetterman rips ‘anarchy and true chaos' in LA, warns Dems not to cede ‘moral high ground'
Fetterman rips ‘anarchy and true chaos' in LA, warns Dems not to cede ‘moral high ground'

New York Post

time25 minutes ago

  • New York Post

Fetterman rips ‘anarchy and true chaos' in LA, warns Dems not to cede ‘moral high ground'

Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has denounced the riots in Los Angeles and warned his party about the pitfalls of failing to adequately condemn the 'anarchy and true chaos. 'I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration—but this is not that,' Fetterman (D-Pa.) wrote on X on Monday evening. 'This is anarchy and true chaos. My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement.' Advertisement The Keystone State Dem included a photo of cars being scorched in a fiery blaze with a shirtless masked man waving a Mexican flag in the background. 3 President Trump has deployed several thousand National Guard troops to Los Angeles to try to help quell the violent protests over his illegal-immigration crackdown. Toby Canham for NY Post Advertisement 3 Sen. John Fetterman, a Dem from Pennsylvania, isn't mincing words about his condemnation of the riots in Los Angeles. Getty Images Around the time of his post, Fetterman was spotted at Butterworth's, a top MAGA hangout in Washington, DC — dining with Trump ally Steve Bannon and Breitbart's Matt Boyle, Politico Playbook reported. Tech mogul Elon Musk commended Fetterman's condemnation of the 'anarchy and true chaos' unfolding in LA, replying with an American flag emoji. Fetterman's post came amid a feud between President Trump and top California Democrats over the prez's decision to federalize the California National Guard and bring in troops to tame the unrest in Los Angeles. Advertisement Protesters had flooded the streets in droves Friday to demonstrate against the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts in the city. The ICE agents' targets have included a Home Depot in Paramount. 3 Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has stressed that the violent destructive rioting has largely been limited to downtown. Toby Canham for NY Post By Saturday, some of the demonstrations devolved into violent clashes with federal authorities in Compton and Paramount. The Trump administration mobilized another 2,000 troops to respond to the mayhem, after previously ordering an initial 2,000 troops to the region over the weekend. Trump's secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, said Monday he also was deploying 700 Marines to the area to help try to contain the chaos. Advertisement Top leadership in California, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — both Democrats — slammed the GOP White House for the troop mobilization and pleaded with the public not to turn to violence to protest Trump's immigration policies. Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, also a Dem, filed a lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration seeking to void the president's memo to federalize the state's National Guard. Fetterman hasn't been afraid to punch the left in his own party, particularly when it comes to Israel. Near the end of the Biden administration, he had also favored measures to strengthen border security.

Los Angeles mayor slams vandalism during protests
Los Angeles mayor slams vandalism during protests

CNN

time25 minutes ago

  • CNN

Los Angeles mayor slams vandalism during protests

Los Angeles mayor slams vandalism during protests Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized people who are vandalizing the city amid widespread protests. CNN correspondent Stephanie Elam gets a closer look at some of the looting and vandalism in downtown LA. 01:08 - Source: CNN Vertical Top News 14 videos Los Angeles mayor slams vandalism during protests Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized people who are vandalizing the city amid widespread protests. CNN correspondent Stephanie Elam gets a closer look at some of the looting and vandalism in downtown LA. 01:08 - Source: CNN Tanks arrive in DC ahead of US Army parade As the 250th anniversary celebration for the US Army approaches, a freight train of tanks was seen making its way into the nation's capital. The long-planned celebration in Washington will coincide with Trump's 79th birthday and include thousands of troops. The Army had said it has no plans to recognize the president's birthday. 00:40 - Source: CNN Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe shot in Bogota A Colombian senator and presidential hopeful is in a critical condition after being shot twice at an event in Bogota, according to national police and prosecutors. Police arrested a 15-year-old carrying a Glock pistol, according to the Attorney General's Office. Miguel Uribe expressed intentions to run in the 2026 presidential election for the country's largest opposition party, the center-right Centro Democrático, or Democratic Center. 01:05 - Source: CNN Immigration protests break out in Los Angeles President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to disperse the protests that began in the Los Angeles area in response to immigration raids. Law enforcement authorities and demonstrators have clashed for two days. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones reports. 01:34 - Source: CNN Coco Gauff reacts to winning the French Open Coco Gauff claimed her second career grand slam singles title, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open women's final. 00:46 - Source: CNN Protesters confront authorities following ICE raids in Los Angeles Federal immigration operations in Los Angeles were met by protests. ICE declined to discuss the details of its operations. 00:43 - Source: CNN Attorney for mistakenly deported man talks to Erin Burnett CNN's Erin Burnett talks with Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, attorney for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, who has been returned to the United States to face federal criminal charges. 02:37 - Source: CNN Trump Admin targets LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month CNN's Ben Hunte breaks down how the Trump Administration has targeted the LGBTQ+ community with its policies in just the first few days of Pride Month. 02:09 - Source: CNN Former 'Diddy' girlfriend reveals 'love contract' A former romantic partner for Sean 'Diddy' Combs using the pseudonym 'Jane' described feeling financially coerced and revealed Combs is still paying for her rent, even as she testified against him at trial. Prosecutors hope the testimony by 'Jane' will drive home charges that include sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges. 01:30 - Source: CNN Trump's border czar on 3 US children leaving the country with their deported mothers White House border czar Tom Homan defended the Trump administration's move to deport three US citizen children last week. Homan told CNN's Priscilla Alvarez the children's parents, who were in the US illegally, made a "parental decision" to leave the country together. Gracie Willis, an attorney with the National Immigration Project, denies that the mothers were given a choice whether their children could remain in the US. 01:07 - Source: CNN Trump on Musk: 'The poor guy's got a problem' In a phone call with CNN's Dana Bash, President Donald Trump said he is 'not even thinking about' billionaire Elon Musk and won't be speaking to him in the near future. The comments come a day after Trump and Musk traded barbs on social media as their relationship deteriorated in spectacular public fashion. 00:43 - Source: CNN No aliens here: Research disputes possible 'signs of life' on another planet In response to hints of "biosignatures" found on a world called K2-18b, new research suggests there's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the exoplanet. CNN's Ashley Strickland reports on the ongoing scientific discourse around the search for extraterrestrial life. 00:43 - Source: CNN Reporter: Trump made $1 billion in crypto in 9 months CNN's Erin Burnett talks with Forbes Magazine's Dan Alexander about President Donald Trump's stunning ownership of billions of dollars worth of crypto. 02:19 - Source: CNN Russia launches strikes across Ukraine Russia launched waves of drones and ballistic missiles at multiple targets across a broad swath of Ukraine overnight killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv and wounding around 40 across the country. 00:32 - Source: CNN

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store