Thank you to the loyal readers and supporters of The Colorado Independent (2013-2020). The Indy has merged with the new nonprofit Colorado News Collaborative (COLab) on a new mission to strengthen local news in Colorado. We hope you will join us!

Visit COLab

2020 Legislative Session

In wake of oil and gas tax audit, advocates seek penalties and reform Colorado...

An anti-fracking group is calling on state regulators to impose fines on oil and gas companies that have failed to report well production data...

Effort to repeal Colorado’s death penalty reaches new milestone Lawmakers have tried to abolish...

Update: This story was originally published on Jan. 30. On Friday, Jan. 31, the Senate gave final approval to the bill by a vote...

Some Colorado teachers could earn more waiting tables. Lawmakers hope to change that. Traditionally,...

Charles Cody Childers could make more money teaching in his native West Virginia. He could make more money by driving 45 minutes to teach...

Colorado health officials want better monitoring and cleanup of toxic PFAS chemicals in state’s...

In the summer of 2018, Lucy Molina, a 45-year-old mother of two who lives in Commerce City near the Suncor oil refinery, said a...
Photo of smoggy downtown Denver skyline via the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Air Pollution Control Division, Technical Services Program, Wednesday, March 6, 2019.

Colorado’s goal to rein in ozone misses federal deadline by two years The state...

Colorado health officials have set a goal to reduce toxic ground-level ozone along the Front Range by 2023 — roughly two years beyond a...

The Polis administration wants to open a state prison ASAP. Here’s why lawmakers haven’t...

Colorado lawmakers are scrambling to nail down a plan to create space in the state’s prison system after the prison company GEO Group announced...
Gov. Jared Polis delivered the state of the state speech on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. (Photo by John Herrick)

GOP lawmakers seek to roll back police transparency reforms A proposed bill would limit...

Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it harder for the public to access completed police internal affairs investigations into officer misconduct...

In the annual Colorado budget tug-of-war, lawmakers are finding Gov. Polis a heavyweight Polis...

Gov. Jared Polis stood before cameras and a packed House chamber last week to deliver his State of the State address. He began by...

Gov. Polis puts health care, tax cuts at top of priority list in 2020...

Gov. Jared Polis delivered his State of the State address on Thursday, laying out priorities for the 2020 session that include cutting the costs...
The state Capitol on Jan. 8, 2020, the opening day of the session. (Photo by John Herrick)

Scenes from the opening day of the 2020 legislative session Democrats begin the 2020...

Colorado lawmakers returned to the statehouse Wednesday for the opening of the 2020 legislative session. It's a largely ceremonial day marked by speeches laying...