Latest news with #ColoradoSenate
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Colorado Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen announces resignation
MONUMENT, Colo. (KREX) — On Monday morning, Senator Paul Lundeen announced that he will resign from the Colorado Senate as the Senate Minority Leader to pursue a new position as the next president and CEO of American Excellence Foundation. The American Excellence Foundation is a national investment nonprofit that focuses on supporting conservative causes. His resignation will be effective on Monday, June 9. Lundeen has served over a decade of public service in Colorado, including seven sessions in the Colorado Senate and has been the Senate Minority Leader since 2022. In addition, he has served in the Colorado House of Representatives and on the Colorado State Board of Education. 'Serving Colorado has been an honor and blessing,' said Lundeen. 'I am grateful to the people of Senate District 9 for the opportunity to fight for policies that empower individuals, protect our communities, and promote prosperity. As I transition to a national platform, I am eager to continue advocating for personal freedom, economic opportunity, and common-sense conservative values.' Following the Republican leader's resignation announcement, Governor Polis, House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese and Senate Republicans made statements in response. 'I want to thank Paul Lundeen for his years of service to Colorado. Paul has always found ways to work across the aisle, and do what is best for the people he has served. We've often found common ground on the issues that matter most to Coloradans, like education, public safety and growing our economy. Senator Lundeen has spent decades in public service, in addition to his time leading small businesses, and his presence and leadership will be missed at the Capitol,' said Governor Jared Polis. 'Senator Lundeen has been a principled, thoughtful leader whose dedication to education, economic opportunity, and conservative values has left a lasting impact on Colorado. His voice will be missed at the Capitol, but we are confident he will continue to serve our country well in this next chapter. We thank him for his service and look forward to seeing how he uses this new platform to further the principles we share,' said House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese. 'The Senate Republican Caucus congratulates Minority Leader Lundeen on taking the next steps in his professional career,' said the Colorado Senate Republicans. 'We are grateful for his many years of dedicated public service and thank him for his leadership over the years fighting for students, economic freedom, and safety for all Coloradans. We wish him well and are excited to see him succeed in his next endeavor.' On Thursday, June 12, at 5:30 p.m., the Senate Republican Caucus will hold an online caucus meeting to elect its next Minority Leader. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Colorado Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen resigns to take national position
DNEVER (KDVR) — Colorado Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen has resigned from the Colorado Senate, the senator's office announced Monday morning. His resignation was effective Monday, June 9, as he heads to the American Excellence Foundation, a national investment nonprofit focused on supporting conservative causes where he will be the next president and CEO. The organization's board unanimously approved of Lundeen in the position. 11 Colorado companies named among top workplaces in nation: US News The Republican leader has been in Colorado's Senate for seven sessions and served as minority leader since 2022. He also served in the Colorado House of Representatives four sessions and four years on the Colorado State Board of Education. 'Serving Colorado has been an honor and blessing,' Lundeen said in a press release. 'I am grateful to the people of Senate District 9 for the opportunity to fight for policies that empower individuals, protect our communities, and promote prosperity. As I transition to a national platform, I am eager to continue advocating for personal freedom, economic opportunity, and common-sense conservative values.' According to a press release, Lundeen's achievements in Colorado's General Assembly include co-leading an effort to rewrite Colorado's public education funding formula, playing a key role in successfully cutting the state income tax rate, and sponsoring bills that have since become law to combat human trafficking. Colorado Senate Republicans in a statement congratulated Lundeen for his next steps. 'We are grateful for his many years of dedicated public service and thank him for his leadership over the years fighting for students, economic freedom, and safety for all Coloradans,' the statement read. 'We wish him well and are excited to see him succeed in his next endeavor.' The Senate Republican Caucus will hold a meeting on Thursday to elect its new minority leader. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colorado governor vetoes Uber, Lyft passenger safety bill
Sen. Jessie Danielson, right, hugs Rep. Jenny Willford after a ride-sharing safety bill passed the Colorado Senate during the last day of the 2025 legislative session on May 7, 2025 at the Colorado Capitol. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) Colorado Gov. Jared Polis vetoed a bill on Friday afternoon that would have required more safety features in ride-hailing services, writing that the legislation would risk the future of companies like Uber and Lyft in the state. The bill would 'would jeopardize these services in Colorado to an untenable degree, and could very well lead to companies that Coloradans rely on exiting the market, raising prices, or reducing the number of drivers. This in turn would create economic hardship for the thousands of people who rely on the platforms for income and to go to medical appointments, as well as potentially add more drunk drivers to the road,' he wrote in his veto letter. House Bill 25-1291 aimed to increase safety for passengers, including optional audio and visual recording during rides and a ban on drivers offering their passengers food and drink. It would have also added some new background check requirements and allowed a person to sue, instead of going to arbitration, a company or driver in the case of death, sexual assault, personal injury or kidnapping. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Jenny Willford, a Northglenn Democrat who said she was sexually assaulted by a Lyft driver last year. Prosecutors charged the man who allegedly attacked her earlier this month. Willford is also suing Lyft over the incident. She did not immediately respond to a request for a comment on the veto. Lawmakers narrowed the scope of the bill throughout the legislative process, most significantly in the final days of the session, to respond to concerns from ride-hailing companies. It passed the House on a 56-9 vote and the Senate on a 22-13 vote. Still, Uber said they would leave the state if the bill became law, and Uber and Lyft both encouraged a veto after the legislative session wrapped up. Polis wrote that he was concerned the audio and visual recording provisions were in conflict with state privacy laws, and that banning arbitration clauses in rider agreements on the platforms in question could be preempted by federal law. 'I fear victims attempting to bring a claim in court in reliance of this bill will have their claims dismissed based on federal law and the arbitration clauses in the user terms and agreements, causing substantial delay in victims achieving relief,' he wrote. At the same time, Polis directed the state's Department of Regulatory Agencies to work with bill sponsors to come up with policy ideas that could be implemented through executive orders or legislation next year. Specifically, he wants the department and the Public Utilities Commission to strengthen rules against driver impersonation and enhance existing audits on the companies' background check processes. He also requested recommendations about how to update and potentially expand the regulatory structure for ride-hailing companies 'with a specific focus on passenger safety and enhanced transparency.' 'HB 25-1291 should not represent the end of this conversation on ride share safety,' he wrote. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colorado Legislature approves measure to make family visitation a right for incarcerated people
Colorado state senators listen as Colorado Senate President James Coleman, a Denver Democrat, delivers opening remarks on the first day of the 2025 session of the Colorado Legislature on Jan. 8, 2025, at the Colorado Capitol. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) Both chambers of the Colorado Legislature approved a bill that would give incarcerated people the right to see their families and community, ending the current policy under which visitation can be withheld as a form of punishment. Current Colorado Department of Corrections policy says 'inmate social visiting' is a privilege that can be 'approved, denied, suspended, or revoked' by the head of a facility. House Bill 25-1013 would still allow the department to 'adopt rules to govern the administration of social visitation,' but it cannot restrict visitation beyond 'what is necessary for routine facility operations' or safety purposes. In-person visits, phone calls and video visits would become a right that cannot be taken away as punishment for an incarcerated person's actions. The Colorado Senate gave final approval to an amended version of the bill Friday in a 22-12 vote along party lines, with Democrats in support of the measure. The House later voted 43-19 to accept the Senate's amendments, sending the bill to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' desk to be signed into law. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Families are where we find strength, healing, and support. But for too many families, the criminal justice system creates barriers that fracture these bonds,' Senate President James Coleman, who sponsored the bill, said in a statement. 'Regular visits, phone calls, and moments of connection empower families to support their loved ones' journey toward rehabilitation. This bill helps to make our justice system a tool for repair and recovery, not a weapon of division.' Coleman sponsored the measure alongside fellow Denver Democrat House Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, as well as Rep. Regina English and Sen. Tony Exum, both Colorado Springs Democrats. Colorado bill would establish right to family visitation for incarcerated people All visitors and incarcerated people must still comply with department rules related to visitation. People in CDOC custody could file a grievance with the department if they are prevented from visitation under the requirements of the bill. Bill sponsors offered an amendment in the Senate on Thursday to make changes negotiated with CDOC, clarifying that the department can limit visitation for people confined in restrictive housing with certain high-level violations. CDOC will be able to limit visitation to comply with court orders related to victim safety and to prevent communication between co-defendants. The amendment also said the department will take 'reasonable measures' to increase access to telephone calls and non-contact visits for people in restrictive housing. Those in support of the measure have said it will help incarcerated people maintain relationships with loved ones and ensure they have a better chance of stability once they are released. 'Ensuring that people who are incarcerated have the right to connect with their loved ones makes all Coloradans safer,' Exum said in a statement. 'It reduces recidivism, supports rehabilitation, and eases the transition back into our communities after incarceration.' Democrats control strong majorities in both chambers of the Legislature. The 2025 legislative session ends on May 7. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colorado bill on transgender protections advances with stripped down provisions
Sen. Faith Winter, a Broomfield Democrat, speaks at the Colorado Capitol last week. She sponsored a bill that would add protections for transgender people in Colorado. (Sara Wilson/Colorado Newsline) An amended version of a bill that intends to add legal protections for transgender people in Colorado passed its first vote in the Colorado Senate after eight hours of testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday evening into early Thursday. House Bill 25-1312, dubbed the Kelly Loving Act in honor of a transgender woman killed during the 2022 Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, initially proposed various new legal protections for transgender people in education, family legal matters and public accommodation. Sponsors amended out a provision that concerned child custody decisions — which drew intense opposition from parental advocates — and a stripped down version of the bill passed the committee. The bill defines deadnaming — when someone calls a transgender person by their previous name — and misgendering as discriminatory acts in the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. It would also shield parents who help their child obtain gender-affirming care from laws in other states that outlaw the practice. The amended version removed references to 'chosen' names in a section requiring school policies be 'inclusive of all reasons' that a student changes their name, and it removed language around gender in the section that says schools must allow students to choose from any variation contained in dress code policies. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The committee removed a section of the bill that would have made judges in child custody cases consider deadnaming, misgendering or threatening to publish information related to an individual or child's gender-affirming care as a form of 'coercive control' in custody proceedings. Much of the testimony against the bill focused on that section, with many witnesses sharing concerns about the government involving itself in family matters. Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Frisco Democrat on the committee, said 95% to 99% of the concerns he heard related to the cut section. 'If Section 2 were still in the bill, I would have been opposed. I think it was an intrusion into the parent-child relationship that would have had some negative consequences,' Roberts said. 'And while I understand the intent maybe of the original inclusion, I think the policy implications were challenging at best.' The committee voted 5-2 to move the bill forward along party lines, with Democrats in support and Republicans against it. Some committee members who voted in support of the bill said they still want to see more changes to reflect concerns from certain LGBTQ+ groups and around the shield law provision of the bill, but they said the amended version was better than how the bill started. 'I think they're bringing up some valid legal concerns, not questioning their support for trans Coloradans,' Roberts said. ' I think they're bringing up valid legal concerns about the firmness of what's on the paper here if it were to get challenged all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court.' One Colorado, one of the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy groups in Colorado, initially supported the legislation but has changed course and has since taken an 'amend' position on the bill with concerns that it could jeopardize current protections. After it passed the House with Democratic support, it stalled in the Senate as stakeholder conversations continued. One Colorado has not shared any details on what it wants to see change in the bill, and nobody with the organization testified at the bill hearing. 'One Colorado is not testifying today because we want to continue our work with the proponents of this bill and community to make it stronger,' One Colorado spokesperson Cal Solverson said in a statement. Legislative staff said 726 people signed up to testify on the measure. Committee leadership limited debate to eight hours, four in favor of the bill and four against the bill, and asked those still in the room after witness testimony ended to stand to show if they were for, against, or seeking amendments on the bill. Does this bill do enough? No, and honestly legislation never will, but it does something ... It gives trans folks harmed across the state more access to legal protections than we have today. – Anaya Robinson, senior policy strategist with the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado Those in support of the bill said it will save transgender peoples' lives and make them safer. Anaya Robinson, senior policy strategist with the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, said his organization has had concerns with how the bill could be challenged at the federal level, but continued engagement with bill sponsors and stakeholders have led to changes addressing concerns as they come up. As a trans man, Robinson said his community needs 'robust and clear protections that do not rely on federal law,' and the bill is a step in the right direction. 'Does this bill do enough? No, and honestly legislation never will, but it does something,' Robinson said. 'It gives trans folks harmed across the state more access to legal protections than we have today, and in a time where our literal existence is being questioned, our history being erased, the legality of our bodies and our autonomy is being decided by people who do not believe we have a right to live, we need our elected officials and our community organizations to step up and do something.' Since President Donald Trump took office in January, his administration has issued orders to recognize only two unchangeable genders, stop offering non-binary passport gender markers, and attempted to stop funding care for transgender people under age 19. Sybil Vane, a transgender woman from Brighton, described herself as an ordinary person who has led 'a typical American life,' and she said 'none of that has changed since I transitioned.' She said despite this, transgender people are not afforded the same respect as others. 'I hope that the members of the committee and all those in opposition to the Kelly Loving Act can see me not as transgender, but as a fellow American, deserving the same dignity we afford to all,' Vane said. 'Until such a day comes when we can see each other as humans first and transgender second, we need the Kelly Loving Act.' The bill is sponsored by Rep. Lorena García, an Adams County Democrat, Rep. Rebekah Stewart, a Lakewood Democrat, Sen. Faith Winter, a Westminster Democrat, and Sen. Chris Kolker, a Littleton Democrat. The committee voted to strike a portion of the bill that said Colorado courts 'shall not give any force or effect' to laws in other states connected to taking children away from parents or caregivers who allowed the child access to gender-affirming care. Winter said that change reflects concerns around the Constitution's full faith and credit clause and respecting laws of other states. But the shield provision retains other language that protects people in Colorado from other states' gender-affirming care restrictions. The amendment also clarified how a court should consider intentional, persistent deadnaming or misgendering as evidence of someone discriminating based on gender identity or expression, and it removed a provision around deadnaming and misgendering in a place of public accommodation. 'The language around this is not if you call someone the wrong name by accident,' Winter said. 'This isn't if someone shows up at your workplace and you call them the wrong name or misgender them. There has to be intentionality to cause harm, and so this is about the action to the individual and not just speech.' New additions to the bill include a provision that says someone does not need a court order if they want to change their gender marker on the driver's license or identification a second or third time. Winter said Colorado allows an 'X' gender marker on state IDs, but that has led to some people having trouble with student loans and passport applications, so some people may want to change their gender markers back. The bill now makes it so that a county clerk can issue a new marriage license to someone who has legally changed their name. Many who testified against the bill showed skepticism of gender-affirming care and denied that people can be transgender. Others questioned whether provisions of the bill would constitute compelled speech and violate the First Amendment. Wayne Williams, a former Republican secretary of state and attorney in Colorado Springs, expressed concerns with the shield law provisions of the bill and said it can create a 'coercive' situation if states 'do not give authority to the laws of others.' 'There are a number of issues remaining in the bill that need to be fixed before it could be passed, and it should therefore be killed,' Williams said. Sen. John Carson, a Highlands Ranch Republican on the committee, said 'it's pretty clear' that Colorado already has the laws it needs to prohibit discrimination. 'Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, extending protections beyond federal law, protects individuals from discrimination based on disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, religion, age, national origin and ancestry,' Carson said. 'My belief is when we have adequate laws, we should focus on enforcing those.' The bill will go through the Senate Appropriations Committee before it will be up for debate on the Senate floor. The House will have to approve Senate amendments to the bill before it could be signed into law. Democrats control strong majorities in both chambers of the Legislature. The 2025 legislative session ends on May 7. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
