Latest news with #ColoradoPolitics
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Coloradans Who Oppose Wolf Reintroduction Can't Agree on How to Try Ending It
A citizen initiative that sought to end Colorado's controversial wolf reintroduction program the same way it began — by ballot initiative — was rejected by the state's election officials Wednesday. The Title Board concluded that Initiative 35 will not be allowed to move forward into the signature-gathering phase due to a technicality; it violated the state's single-subject rule by trying to address too many issues in one go. Meanwhile, another initiative to halt wolf reintroduction in Colorado has been accepted by the Title Board. Initiative 13's supporters have until Aug. 27 to secure the 120,000 signatures necessary to get it on the November 2026 ballot. The ballot initiative would end the state's wolf reintroduction program by Dec. 31, 2026, but other Coloradans who also oppose the wolf program worry that reintroduction will be wrapped up by that date, anyways. The effort is likely to encounter additional stumbling blocks, as the group behind both initiatives faces pushback from Colorado's ranching and sportsmen's communities, as well as funding challenges. That group, Colorado Advocates for Smart Wolf Policy, released its first fundraising report Tuesday, and it showed the group had only raised about $29,000, falling well short of its $200,000 goal, according to Colorado Politics. Earlier that day, CASWP received a letter from a group of ranchers and county commissioners asking it to halt both initiatives. 'We share the underlying frustration with the administration's approach to implementing Proposition 114,' the letter reads. 'Unfortunately, the effort to end the gray wolf reintroduction was initiated without consulting the primary stakeholder groups and constituencies most affected by the wolf reintroduction. As a result, this approach is at odds with the strategy and policy outcomes that our coalition is working on.' Read Next: Colorado's Wolf Reintroduction Has Cost Taxpayers Double What They Expected When They Voted to Approve it The commissioners' letter followed a similar plea from a coalition of 22 hunting, fishing, and wildlife conservation groups. In its April 11 letter, the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project explained that while its member groups agreed with the sentiment behind the push to repeal, they could not support the policy changes included in Initiative 35. In addition to ending Colorado's wolf reintroduction program by Dec. 31 2026, Initiative 35 also called for: Removing the 'nongame' status of gray wolves Redefining livestock to include livestock guard docks and herding animals Prohibiting the importation of any wolves (not just gray wolves) from outside the state The group noted that, among their other policy concerns, the initiative wouldn't go into effect quickly enough to have a real impact on the ongoing reintroduction. Prop. 114, which initiated the program in , calls for a minimum of 50 wolves to be brought back into the state. CPW has already released 25 gray wolves so far, with more releases slated for the upcoming winter. 'It is our opinion that the state will achieve its desired reintroduction objectives prior to the proposed timeline in the initiative,' the letter reads. The sportsmen's group also said that with wolves already on the landscape, it would rather focus on 'proactive efforts' and policy changes that could make it easier for ranchers and sportsmen to coexist with the predators. 'As we continue to seek proactive engagement opportunities and efforts to advance science-based wildlife management in alternative ways, we are concerned that pursuing Initiative 35 will result in diverting community sweat equity and limited financial resources toward an endeavor that promises little return on investment at a time when aggressive, proactive policy and measure that address future conditions are needed.' Read Next: The Return of Wolves to Colorado Will Change Elk Hunting There. Here's How The group says it is similarly opposed to Initiative 13, which also calls for an end to wolf reintroduction by the end of 2026, but does not include the other policy changes that were included in Initiative 35. Patricks Davis, campaign manager for CASWP, told Colorado Politics Wednesday that his group stands behind Initiative 13 and has already begun the process of collecting signatures.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colorado has a state mushroom and it plays off the artist formerly known as Prince theme
Colorado has a state bird, animal, tree, fish, flower, fossil and now a state mushroom. Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill Monday proclaiming Agaricus julius, or the "Emperor formerly known as Prince" mushroom, as the state mushroom, according to a news release from the governor's office. Colorado becomes the eighth state to declare an official state mushroom. The bill's state fiscal impact shows the designation will cost the state $0, a meaningful number given legislators are wrestling with a $1.2 billion budget shortfall. According to a story in Colorado Politics, a civics teacher at Horizon High School (Thornton) and former president of the Colorado Mycological Society worked with students and a team of mycologists to select it as the top contender for the state's mushroom. The bill passed the House with 55 yes votes, eight no votes and two absentia. It passed the Senate 30-4. According to the bill, the edible mushroom Agaricus julius was originally mistaken for its close relative Agaricus augustus, or "The Prince mushroom." In 2016, scientists identified Agaricus julius as a distinct species. Get it? It can be found in the mountainous spruce-fir forests of Colorado growing scattered or in small groups and can be harvested in late summer and early fall. It is a saprobic mushroom, meaning it decomposes dead or decaying organic material, and has a large cap adorned with brown scales and an odor and taste reminiscent of almonds. "Our state mushroom has coloring similar to a portobello, a cherry-almond aroma and it's delicious," Polis said in the release. Agaricus julius is an edible mushroom prized by chefs for its taste and not for its psilocin, the chemical found in "magic mushrooms," a group of hallucinogen, or psychedelic, mushrooms. In 2022, Colorado was among the first states to legalize the use of medicinal and functional mushrooms. Jake Plummer, former Denver Broncos quarterback, was among the more famous supporters of the measure. He has co-founded a Colorado-based mushroom supplement company. These are in addition to the state flag, songs, seal and tartans: Amphibian: Western tiger salamander Animal: Bighorn sheep Bird: Lark bunting Cactus: Claret cup Dance: Folk/square Fish: Greenback cutthroat trout Flag: State flag Flower: Columbine Fossil: Stegosaurus Gemstone: Aquamarine Grass: Blue grama Insect: Colorado hairstreak Mineral: Rhodochrosite Pets (domestic): Cats and dogs Reptile: Western painted turtle Rock: Yule marble Summer sport: Pack burro racing Tree: Colorado blue spruce Winter sport: Skiing/snowboarding This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado new state mushroom has Prince, not Jake Plummer, theme to it
Axios
01-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Colorado budget tightens, but spares Medicaid and schools
Colorado lawmakers are preparing to vote on a $43.9 billion spending plan unveiled Monday that attempts to close a $1.2 billion shortfall without gutting core services. Why it matters: The annual state budget is the most consequential bill passed each legislative session. This year's edition arrives with outsized pressure — it's the first without pandemic-era federal funding in five years and requires painful belt-tightening across major programs. Colorado lawmakers are preparing to vote on a $43.9 billion spending plan unveiled yesterday that attempts to close a $1.2 billion shortfall without gutting core services. Why it matters: The annual state budget is the most consequential bill passed each legislative session. This year's edition arrives with outsized pressure — it's the first in years without pandemic-era federal funding and requires painful belt-tightening across major programs. Follow the money: Transportation is taking one of the hardest hits. More than $71 million is being cut from alternative transit projects, including on-demand rides, bike lanes and emissions-reduction initiatives. Another $64 million is being pulled from broader transportation funding backed by the general fund. The budget also slashes $34 million from the Healthy School Meals for All Program, leaving just $8 million to keep it running through December. Democratic lawmakers plan to ask voters to approve new taxes to sustain it, the Colorado Sun reports. Another $13 million is being trimmed from a fund that acts as a loan program for state employees. Lawmakers also plan to ask voters this November to raise tax revenue for the program, Colorado Politics reports. Yes, but: The budget proposal as is avoids the feared cuts to education and Medicaid, long seen as vulnerable targets. It includes $150 million in new K-12 spending, a win for education advocates. What they're saying:"I think that this is a budget that everyone will be upset by and that everyone can be proud of," said Sen. Jeff Bridges (D-Greenwood Village), chair of the budget committee, per the Denver Post. What's next: The Senate will spend this week weighing the legislation before sending it to the House. After it passes the House, it will head to Gov. Jared Polis' desk.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Goes After the Artist of His Least Favorite Presidential Portrait
President Donald Trump hated an obscure portrait of himself—so he shared it with the world. The president went on a Truth Social tantrum Sunday night over a five-year-old portrait of him on display at the Colorado State Capitol that he claimed was 'purposefully distorted' to a level 'never seen before.' The portrait was done by Sarah Boardman, a Colorado Springs artist who also produced the painting of former President Barack Obama that sits next to Trump's, according to Colorado Politics. 'Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves,' Trump said. 'The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst. She must have lost her talent as she got older. In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one.' Trump said 'many people' from Colorado had called and written to complain about the portrait, which he urged Governor Jared Polis to take down: 'Jared should be ashamed of himself!' A spokesperson for Polis told Denver-based 9NEWS that the governor was 'surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork.' 'The State Capitol was completed in 1901, and features Rose Onyx and White Yule Marble mined in Colorado, and includes portraits of former Presidents and former governors,' the spokesperson said. 'We appreciate the President and everyone's interest in our capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.' But it was the people of Colorado themselves who banded together to get the portrait up in the first place. The portrait of Trump at the Hall of Presidential Portraits on the third floor of the Colorado State Capitol was unveiled in August 2019, according to a CBS Colorado report at the time. The space for Trump's portrait was empty for a time until pranksters put in a photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was later revealed that an aide to then-Colorado House Speaker Crisanta Duran allowed an activist to gain access to the State Capitol through an entrance reserved for employees. This prompted former Colorado Senate President Kevin Grantham to set up a fundraiser for Trump's portrait. 'Within less than 36 hours, 216 contributions came in, totaling over the $10,000 necessary to put this portrait in its place,' Grantham said at the unveiling. The portrait was also supported by former Democratic State Rep. Dan Pabon. 'Whether we disagree with them, whether we didn't like how history treated them, whether we didn't think that their own present time treated them well, doesn't mean that those portraits don't belong here,' Pabon said at the time.
