State

Mayor Phil Rico of Trinidad, Colorado, said he expects his community to lose revenue from marijuana sales due to neighboring New Mexico’s legalization of selling recreational cannabis, which started April 1.

In February, SB 22-099 was introduced to the senate and it could help Colorado residents with non-violent criminal backgrounds secure jobs and housing. The bill was originally drafted to help ease some of the impacts certain people and businesses have faced after the pandemic.

In 2020, my husband and I took a concealed carry course at Magnum Shooting Center in Colorado Springs. The class itself was approximately four hours and covered a number of topics related to gun ownership and safety. After the classroom instruction, we spent an hour on the range.

What do you think of when you hear the words "nuclear energy?" Does it conjure images of Chernobyl or Fukushima? Perhaps you think of nuclear weapons and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

On January 19, Senator Bob Rankin (R-District 8) and Representative Hugh McKean (R-District 51) introduced Senate Bill 22-073, "Alternative Energy Sources," in the Colorado General Assembly. And after its introduction, SB22-073 moved to the senate's State, Veterans and Military Affairs committee.

On Jan. 19, Rep. Dave Williams (R-District 15) introduced House Bill 22-1079, "Abolishing Abortion In Colorado," to the House, and it was then assigned to the Health & Insurance committee.

In 2020, 1,477 Coloradans died of drug overdoses. That's an increase of 38 percent from 2019. Final 2021 drug overdose data has yet to be released, but preliminary data shows that 2021 was worse than 2020 — the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment estimates that over 1,800 Coloradoans died of drug overdoses in 2021.

In 1973, two cases decided by the Supreme Court made abortion available on-demand and for almost any reason. In Roe v. Wade, the Court found that a fetus is not a person and is instead a "potential life," and a woman's right to privacy means the state can't regulate abortion for any reason during the first trimester.

It might be early in the 2022 state legislation session, but one proposed bill has already failed once it was presented to the committee. Once bill SB 22-031 made it to the committee it was voted down after around 100 people showed up to speak against it.

On Nov. 8, 2022, Coloradoans get to decide if they want to give Governor Jared Polis four more years in office. For some, this decision will come down to their political affiliation — some Democrats will vote for Polis simply because he has a "D" in front of his name. Many Republicans will vote for their candidate for the same reason.