Latest news with #JulieMcCluskie
Fox News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Colorado female staffers fear retaliation after filing bathroom complaint against transgender aide
Some female staffers in the Colorado Capitol reportedly disturbed by having to share the women's restroom with a biological male aide are allegedly being bullied into submission. A press conference held on the steps outside the Colorado Capitol on April 30 saw men and women alike coalescing against transgender ideology – both the argument at stake in a controversial bill touted as a threat to parental rights and in the case involving the staffers. "They are being squished, being told to be quiet, sit down, shut up and know your place. When did we go back to that? Women no longer have rights to this [privacy]?" State Rep. Scott Bottoms, a Republican representing the 15th district, said from the steps. "I'm telling you – from me personally – enough is enough," he said. Bottoms, now a state gubernatorial candidate with a history of opposing progressive transgender ideology, has been trusted to lead the effort on the staffers' behalf. He finished his speech with a rallying cry to "reclaim Colorado." The women involved in the case have chosen to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation but filed a complaint after having to share a restroom with the aide they accuse of making them feel uncomfortable. A copy of a formal three-page complaint letter addressed to Democratic Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie was provided to Fox News Digital. The document reads in part, "[This transgender aide] has created an environment that feels increasingly hostile and unsafe… this situation has escalated beyond a manageable level for us." The letter explains that witnessing the transgender aide entering the restroom left one of the females "deeply worried for her safety and that of others." "The layout of this restroom – where stall doors obscure who is present and anyone could enter after you – heightens this concern, as there's no way to know who is sharing the space. "This lack of privacy and predictability has made a routine part of our workday feel distressing," the document continued. Bottoms told Fox News Digital that state officials – particularly the Democratic-led state legislature – have failed to act on the staffers' behalf. "It's been something that's been building for a while," he said. "Our leadership in the house [holds] a very pro-transgender ideology, extremely. So now we've got some legislative aides that have stepped up and said, 'This is not okay… since then, that story has started evolving…" Bottoms claimed the transgender aide involved in the complaint followed the other aides around, "stalking" and "threatening" them through body language, something both the complaint and one of the female aides involved in the incident reaffirmed when speaking to Fox News Digital. "It's an intimidation tactic… it's being done to make us feel uncomfortable," the aide said. She explained that the legislative offices in a building located across from the Capitol are essentially divided – one side for Republicans and another side for Democrats. "But the only bathroom on our floor is on the Democrat side, so every time we have to go to the restroom, we have to walk over there," she added. Text messages provided to Fox News Digital show a conversation between an aide and the Office of Legislative Workplace Relations, who said the issue could be mitigated by entering the restroom in pairs, asking who is inside the bathroom before entering, walking across the street to the Capitol, or asking their bosses if they can work remotely. Fox News Digital reached out to the office for comment and to request further information surrounding any investigation but did not receive a response in time for publication. Rep. Bottoms also said the women at the center of the complaint risk losing their jobs should they decide to speak out without anonymity. "They are harassing them, they're bullying them," he said of what he branded as the "leftist Marxist" Democrats from the state. Right-wing social media account Libs of TikTok also posted about the incident in March, claiming multiple female staffers had reached out, complaining about having to share a bathroom with the aide. "They have tried asking legislators to do something but the Democrat-controlled legislature has failed to act," the post read in part. "This is a disgusting violation of female-only private spaces." The aide who spoke to Fox News Digital claims the retaliation worsened after the Libs of TikTok post went public, a point reiterated in the official complaint letter. The letter states that "none of the female staffers/aides have any knowledge of who" shared the information with Libs of TikTok, but the transgender aide approached one of the females and pressured her to reveal who had leaked the information, leaving her distraught. As the situation escalated, the female staffers met with the Office of Legislative Workplace Relations, where, according to the complaint, they were soon offered some avenues to address their complaints, including that they find a different restroom to use. "These solutions place the burden on us to adapt, rather than addressing the root issue," the letter states. Those with contrary opinions point to state law to support their claims, arguing that transgender individuals have an enshrined right to use whichever sex-segregated space corresponds with their gender identity. The ACLU Colorado, for instance, writes that the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) – which prohibits discrimination in public spaces based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression – legally enables transgender individuals to use public restrooms and other sex-segregated spaces that align with their gender identity. Fox News Digital reached out to the Colorado House Speaker's office and the office of the Democratic official whose aide is involved in this matter for comment, but did not receive a reply in time for publication.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Colorado Democrats cite efforts to protect freedoms, core services as 2025 legislative wins
Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie laughs while overseeing House floor work on the last day of the 2025 legislative session on May 7, 2025 at the Colorado Capitol. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) Colorado Democratic lawmakers on Thursday touted their successes during the 2025 state legislative session, which ended Wednesday, but they warned of a need to come back to the Capitol for a special lawmaking term if Congress passes a federal spending plan with significant funding cuts for programs like Medicaid. 'Federal funding freezes and mounting threats from Washington required us to take action to protect our freedoms, our core services, our public education funding and Medicaid,' House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, said during a press conference, referring to the attitude of legislative leaders as the session began in January. 'The road ahead is uncertain. We are fearful that with the Trump administration continuing to cut services in rural parts of our state, cuts to public safety, cuts to agriculture and water infrastructure, there is more work to be done,' she said. She highlighted the $4 million legal defense fund the Legislature approved to pay for any legal challenges the state may need to make against the federal government to access obligated funding. Colorado is already a party to more than a dozen lawsuits over Trump policies. That money will allow the state to be nimble in its response to potential Trump actions during the summer and fall. 'This isn't about partisan politics, to be very clear. This is about making sure that the dollars that Coloradans are paying in tax dollars to the feds are coming back and they're not taken away from us illegally,' McCluskie said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX But Republicans faulted the Democrats' approach. 'To try to be confrontational, to be prepared to sue on a moment's notice — that, to me, is irresponsible. It's much better to collaborate,' said Rep. Rick Taggart, a Grand Junction Republican. Democrats enjoyed a 43-22 majority in the House of Representatives and 23-12 majority in the Senate this year. That means they could pass nearly all of their priority bills and have them approved by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, who will spend the next month signing bills at ceremonies around the state. This year, Democrats also sought to codify certain rights and practices into state statute given the uncertain federal climate. That includes Senate Bill 25-130, which has provisions that are similar to the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, House Bill 25-1309, which concerned health insurance coverage for gender-affirming care, and Senate Bill 25-1, which codified the right of equal access to the voting process across racial and language minority groups. Democrats also, implementing the will of voters in November, removed language against same-sex marriage in the state's constitution. This isn't about partisan politics, to be very clear. This is about making sure that the dollars that Coloradans are paying in tax dollars to the feds are coming back and they're not taken away from us illegally. – Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie Polis praised the Legislature's work on housing policy Thursday as he stood with legislative leaders in front of a newly-built modular apartment building in Denver's Sun Valley neighborhood. He signed a bill that streamlines the process of constructing factory-built houses and apartment buildings. 'On housing, we're making it easier for innovative solutions to build housing faster and at lower cost,' he said. The Legislature also passed a bill that aims to reduce construction defect litigation in the state, a multi-year effort that lawmakers hope will spur more condominium construction and open homeownership to younger people who cannot afford a single-family home. Other bills, if signed by Polis, would regulate so-called 'junk fees' in rental leases, set more protections over when a landlord can keep a security deposit, and ban rent-setting algorithms that some say drive up rent prices. Polis did not mention any of those bills on Thursday. Polis also all but confirmed that he plans to veto Senate Bill 25-5, which would repeal a second election requirement for union formation. That bill passed both chambers with Democratic support but did not have the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto. From the start of the session, Polis said he would not be comfortable signing a bill that didn't have the support of both labor and business interests, and monthslong talks between the two sides did not result in such a plan. 'We are still seeking a sustainable way to update the Labor Peace Act that fundamentally acknowledges the rights of workers to organize and has enough buy-in to be a stable way that our state can do business and workers can organize for decades to come,' he said. 'I truly believe a bill that I could sign would be better for workers and better for business.' His office could be involved in continuing negotiations. Polis said the Legislature could come back for a special session depending on what Congress passes in the coming weeks in its budget reconciliation legislation that would affect the federal fiscal year starting in October. The Republican-led Congress is seeking trillions of dollars in spending cuts, possibly through reducing federal funding to states for Medicaid. That would all but require the Legislature to reconvene to figure out a way to preserve health care for a large portion of Coloradans. Special sessions have followed the previous two legislative sessions, both of which dealt with property taxes. Republican lawmakers criticized Democrats' defeat of bills they claim would have saved money for everyday Coloradans. That includes bills on delivery fees and single-use bag fees that pay for various state programs, as well as bills around government efficiency and deregulation. 'We just finished the legislative session that put perspectives starkly and clearly visibly on display — one perspective of expansive and expensive government and another perspective of free people and an affordable life,' Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Monument Republican, said. He stood in the Capitol next to a fish tank of shredded dollar bills —fake — to represent the caucus's defeated money-saving legislation. 'We were disappointed that things like the grocery bag fee or the retail delivery fee, which we consistently hear at the doors, was not taken seriously by the Democrats,' House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, a Colorado Springs Republican, said. Republicans did, however, lead on several successful pieces of bipartisan legislation. That includes bills to change how the legislative vacancy process is conducted, to exempt agricultural buildings from some energy use requirements, and to define nuclear energy as a source of clean energy. There are no nuclear power plants in Colorado, but legislators want the state to be ready for an industry presence. 'Thanks to a multi-year effort from the Colorado Senate Republicans, the development of safe, efficient and emission-free micro nuclear energy will soon be coming to our state,' said Sen. Mark Baisley, a Woodland Park Republican. Both Republicans and Democrats addressed the need to amend the state's artificial intelligence law passed in 2024, which Polis and some lawmakers fear could stifle innovation. The sweeping measure on potential discrimination due to AI is set to go into effect in February 2026, and a late bill this session to tweak some parts of the law died in its first committee at bill sponsor Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez's request. That prompted a call from Polis and other powerful Democrats to find a way to push back the 2024 law's implementation date. The Legislature did not do that in its final days. 'We need to deal with it as soon as we can deal with it. Certainly, if we're called for a special session, it must be part of that goal,' Lundeen said. Rodriguez said that extending the implementation date would not have changed the policy disagreements between tech companies, consumer protection groups and other stakeholders. He oversaw a task force on the issue that began meeting right after the 2024 session ended. 'We will get working, and whether we go into a special session or go into next year, I think we'll be in a much better place with the policy and have more consensus,' he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Axios
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Colorado lawmakers build blue wall to protect state from Trump
This year's legislative session ended the same way it began — with an eye on the Trump administration. State of play: The Democratic-led General Assembly pushed through roughly a dozen bills designed to build a wall around Colorado for protection from federal mandates. The legislation included additional safeguards for immigrants in the country illegally, doctors who offer abortion services, same-sex couples and transgender individuals. Lawmakers also set aside $4 million to defend the state in court against federal overreach. What they're saying: "We had to step up to protect our state," House Speaker Julie McCluskie (D-Dillon) told reporters at a briefing Thursday, the day after the legislature adjourned. "Mounting threats from Washington required us to take action to protect our freedoms, our core services, our public education funding and Medicaid." The legislative approach is "a statement of values," Gov. Jared Polis added. "We want to make sure that people can contribute to make our state safer and stronger and more prosperous, regardless of what people's genders are, who they love," he said. The other side: State Rep. Rick Taggart (R-Grand Junction) said Democrats are taking the wrong approach. "To try to be confrontational, to be ready to sue on a moment's notice, that to me is irresponsible," he said. Context: The potential cuts to Medicaid — the health insurance program for lower-income families, seniors and children — is drawing the most concern from lawmakers. The White House and Republican members of Congress are considering a massive overhaul of the Medicaid system, one that could put a $12 billion hole in the state's budget, according to one analysis. What we're watching: Trump's shadow on Colorado's lawmaking is poised to continue. Any significant cuts to the Medicaid safety-net program would "almost certainly" require lawmakers to return for a special session to reconfigure the state budget, the governor said. If lawmakers come back for a special session, pressure is mounting to revisit the state's artificial intelligence law to delay implementation amid fierce opposition from tech companies. An overhaul bill failed in the final days of the session. Sen. Robert Rodriguez (D-Denver) said he plans to resume talks on the topic in coming days. "If we do, at some point, have a special session … we'll have a much better product that we can put together for the state of Colorado and get that stuff done," he said.
E&E News
08-05-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Colorado legislators nix plan to tame property insurance costs
Colorado lawmakers this week rejected a proposal by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis to backstop the state's property insurance market, sending the state back to the drawing board as it contends with rising premiums, canceled policies and a growing wildfire threat. H.B. 1302 sought to create a state-operated reinsurance program for wildfires. Reinsurance functions as insurance for insurance companies, hedging against massive losses by paying out after disaster costs surpass a certain threshold. To access the state's reinsurance pool, the bill would have required insurers to offer policies in Colorado's high-risk fire areas. It would have been financed with a half-percent fee on homeowners insurance — along with another half-percent fee for a hail damage program. Homeowners with 'wildfire prepared' properties would have been exempt from the fee. Advertisement The measure encountered resistance in the Democratic-controlled state Senate after its April passage in the state House, where Speaker Julie McCluskie (D) had been a sponsor. The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday voted down the measure 2-6, with three Democrats joining three Republicans, after lawmakers balked at adding more costs to homeownership.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed legal fund would help Colorado defend against Trump cuts
House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, is pictured here speaking at the Colorado Capitol on Nov. 20, 2023. (Sara Wilson/Colorado Newsline) Colorado lawmakers began debate on Tuesday over a bill that would set aside $4 million for the office of Gov. Jared Polis to defend the state against actions — including legal proceedings, funding freezes and investigations — from the Trump administration. 'This is a special circumstance where this state needs flexibility to do everything we can and be able to fight, to defend our state and to draw down federal tax dollars that our good citizens have paid into the coffers of Washington, D.C,. and pull those funds back into Colorado,' said bill sponsor Rep. Shannon Bird, a Westminster Democrat. Bird is running the bill with House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat. There are no Senate sponsors yet. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The money would be appropriated from the state's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act cash fund, which was created in 2022 to bank state money to match federal dollars available through that Biden-era law, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The governor's office would also be able to accept grants and donations for the legal fund. The chamber gave preliminary approval to House Bill 25-1321, which needs to pass on a final recorded vote before heading to the Senate. Specifically, the money could be used to pay for staff and contractors to defend against threats to obligated federal funding owed to the state, or reimburse the Colorado attorney general's office for the work. The money could also be used to defend state employees in criminal proceedings if that need arises. The bill comes after President Donald Trump issued a sweeping federal funding freeze in January in order to evaluate if the spending aligned with White House policy goals, which sowed confusion in how the state could pay for programs like Medicaid, early childhood education and grant-reliant services absent federal dollars. A federal court later blocked the freeze and that decision was upheld by an appeals court, but the administration is still undertaking a broad effort to slash government spending and grant funding, especially for institutions that don't bow to administration demands. About one-third of the state's annual budget comes from federal funding, and there is uncertainty about future cuts or other adverse actions by the federal government. 'We know there are going to be unlawful attempts to withhold money from our state. The only way we can defend against those unlawful attempts is to go to court. That costs money,' Rep. Bob Marshall, a Highlands Ranch Democrat, said. Attorney General Phil Weiser signed on to the lawsuit challenging the federal funding freeze. He also joined a lawsuit earlier this month challenging the cancellation of about $230 million in public health cuts to the state. 'We are in uncharted territory, where federal funding has been frozen, and we have examples of that with Medicaid, (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and numerous independent grants. We need to have the flexibility to respond to protect the state's interests. It is very concerning and should be to all of us,' McCluskie said. House Republicans have repeatedly offered amendments on bills this session to invalidate a policy if it results in loss of federal funding. All of those amendments have been defeated. 'This is our own doing that we're losing federal funding because of the bills that we're passing here. We have tried to run amendments on these bills that say if they impact our federal funding, it will be null. This body has voted those down,' said Rep. Carlos Barron, a Fort Lupton Republican. The state has not lost federal funding as a direct result of any bill this year, but Republicans argue that some bills involving firearm restrictions, immigration and gender affirming care protections could jeopardize that. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
