Coal, gas clash has House race smoldering on Western Slope

The political ramifications of Gov. Bill Ritter’s “New Energy Economy” are likely to energize at least one state House race on the Western Slope, where coal mining and natural gas production are now at odds over the governor’s Clean Air Clean Jobs Act. In the south, sprawling House District 61 includes heavy coal mining along the North Fork of the Gunnison River, and in the north the district includes the eastern reaches of Garfield County’s mega gas patch.

Curry courts unaffiliated voters in high-profile write-in campaign

Kathleen Curry, a three-term state representative from Gunnison, hopes to spark an independent revolution on Colorado’s Western Slope with her write-in candidacy for House District 61 in November.

House Speaker hopeful Scanlan battles teacher-bill fallout and tea party wave

State Rep. Christine Scanlan, D-Dillon, a rising star on the Colorado political scene, says any talk of her becoming the next Speaker of the House is pointless if Democrats can’t hold onto their current 37-27 House majority in November.

Ritter touts rafting deal, sinks 24 competing ballot measures

Gov. Bill Ritter Tuesday announced an agreement to end the dispute between two commercial rafting outfitters and a private landowner along Colorado’s Taylor River that prompted a heated legislative battle this past session.

The accord between the Three Rivers and…

Landowner will allow rafting through property after bill sinks

The company that prompted one of the more hotly contested bills of the legislative session – House Bill 1188 dealing with commercial river rafting – announced Friday it would allow two outfitters to float the Taylor River through its property…

Boating bill swamped by controversy, may lead to summer of river conflict

A controversial commercial rafting bill – one of the most contentious issues of the just-completed legislative session – sank in choppy waters this week, launching an almost certain push for a citizen-driven ballot measure or two and giving rise to…

Payday holdout Rep. Curry might be swayed to back regulation

DENVER– Lawmakers and lobbyists here are doing informal math and developing strategy, asking “Who is for and who is against the payday loan regulation legislation introduced by Denver Democrat Mark Ferrandino?” Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, is against the legislation, as it stands, which doesn’t mean she can’t be swayed, she told the Colorado Independent today.

Colorado payday loan regulation battle moves backstage

DENVER– The war to regulate payday loans in Colorado continues behind the scenes at the capitol here. Lobbyists and lawmakers are working hard to shore up votes for and against legislation introduced by Denver Democrats Rep. Mark Ferrandino and Sen. Chris Romer weeks ago. The bill is stalled for now as negotiations over proposed amendments continue.

“We are working the bill hard,” Ferrandino told the Colorado Independent. “And, as you know, the other side is definitely working it hard, too.”

Major political players train sights on Curry rafting-rights bill

Former Democratic state Sen. Michael Feeley, a lawyer-lobbyist who spent seven years as Minority Leader, is behind an advertising campaign aimed at torpedoing a rafting rights bill floated in the House by Rep. Kathleen Curry.

Friends of Colorado’s Rivers…

GarCo board plays drilling-rules roulette; Houpt weighs run for Curry seat

Colorado oil and gas industry officials continue to fall back on new state drilling regulations to fend off more county or federal scrutiny, even as their trade association challenges the Colorado rules in court. The irony appears lost on the…