Penry email strategy garners increased scrutiny

Building from reports last month on a possible breach of campaign-finance regulations, Colorado Ethics Watch has filed a Colorado Opens Record Act request to determine whether the government-funded Colorado Senate Minority Office provided the gubernatorial campaign of Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry (R-Grand Junction) with email contact lists. Colorado law prohibits state agencies from providing contributions to a campaign. Ethics Watch contends the email lists are valuable and would amount to a campaign contribution.

Colorado’s legislative leadership picks could include some surprises

And you thought the election was over? Colorado lawmakers are meeting today to pick new leaders charged with keeping the Capitol running smoothly, and, with Democrat Bernie Buescher unexpectedly out of the picture, a couple of surprises are in store for the donkeys. Over on the Republican side, a reported coup may be in the works.

Colorado Political Corruption Report Names Rogues’ Gallery

Perennial media favorite State Rep. Douglas Bruce and Secretary of State Mike Coffman vie for “Miss December” honors in Colorado Ethics Watch’s 2008 round up of Colorado’s most corrupt public officials.

Lawmakers Celebrated For 25-Cent Cap; Prices For Public Info Still Rising

The Colorado Press Association has awarded state Sen. Minority Leader Andy McElhany and Rep. Anne McGihon with “Friend of the First” [Amendment] awards for sponsoring a bill last year reducing the costs of copying public documents to 25 cents a…

Onetime Rising GOP Star Back To Prison For Sex Assaults

Randal D. “Randy” Ankeney, the prominent onetime appointee in former Gov. Bill Owens’ administration who was being groomed as a future GOP leader in Colorado, is back behind bars. Today, Jan. 28, Ankeney is expected to plead guilty to sex…

When It Comes To Bruce, GOP Leaders Grin And Bear It

In case you were wondering what Republican leaders in Colorado’s Senate and House of Representatives are thinking about the probability of TABOR author, head-thumper and all-around name-caller Douglas Bruce representing their cause come January …

Keith King’s Running, But Not Without A Fight

Sen. Andy McElhany has extended his blessing to Keith King to succeed him in Colorado Senate District 12. But, even with his newfound We-Can-All-Get-Along theme, King’s got some hurdles ahead – including a likely face-off with the first Democrat to…

Balancing Access And Security At The People’s Building

Gov. Bill Ritter, along with House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald and Senate President Pro-Tem Peter Groff, released official statements this afternoon related to today’s deadly shooting at the state Capitol. All four vowed to seek a balance…

Ritter Crosses The Six-Month Mark

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter started out governing largely from the middle, and six months in, is still jogging up the center aisle.

That means he has been accused by some on the right of loving taxes,…

Move Over, Rupert Murdoch

There’s a new publisher in town. The name of Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany’s online ColoradoSenateNews.com suggests a balanced daily dose of online news coming out of the state capitol. Even the Colorado Springs Republican proclaims – with a broad…