Owners of short-term rentals like properties listed on Airbnb or Vrbo could have to pay increased property taxes if a bill moving through Colorado's state legislature becomes law. SB24-033 would require short-term rentals that are leased for 90 days or more be classified as lodging properties. Colorado has had a huge increase in the number of short term rentals that are being offered, we're at about 80,000 units right now. And it's a big part of the tourist economy in the state," State Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver, who is sponsoring the bill said. You're getting a big difference now between hot ..read more

DENVER Democrats in the Colorado House of Representatives passed a bill on Sunday that would ban so-called assault weapons. House Bill 1292 passed largely along party lines on a 35-27 vote. It now heads to the state Senate. HB24-1292, which is sponsored by State Reps. Elisabeth Epps and Tim Hernandez, would define assault weapon and ban the manufacture, import, sale, or purchase of such weapons in Colorado. The bill would also ban the possession of rapid-fire trigger activators, which are devices that can be attached to a gun to increase the speed at which it fires. Hernandez said Friday his b ..read more

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. Its been just over a month since 13-year-old Alex Mackiewicz was hit and killed by a driver while he was riding his one-wheel electric scooter to school in Highlands Ranch. It happened just before 7 a.m. on March 6 when a driver struck and killed him as he was crossing the intersection of Venneford Ranch Road and Highlands Ranch Parkway. Now, Alexs mother, Victoria Cegielski, is working with state legislators to make a difference in her sons honor. "I can't change anything in my life, in my son's life, but I think it's going to save somebody in the long run, she told Den ..read more

DENVER The Democratically-controlled Colorado House of Representatives preliminary approved a bill dealing with housing near transit centers on Sunday. House Bill 1313 passed in the House on a 37-24 vote. It's now heading to the state Senate, where some lawmakers hope a compromise can be reached. HB 1313 would allow the state to enforce housing density plans around public transit, which supporters say would encourage more housing development and lower costs. One of the sponsors of the bill, Rep. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora, said in a statement that HB 1313 would also reduce traffic and water use. Our ..read more

The Colorado House of Representatives began debating a bill on Friday that would ban so-called assault weapons. HB24-1292, which is sponsored by State Reps. Elisabeth Epps and Tim Hernandez, would define assault weapon and ban the manufacture, import, sale, or purchase of such weapons in Colorado. The bill would also ban the possession of rapid-fire trigger activators, which are devices that can be attached to a gun to increase the speed at which it fires. The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee last month in a party-line vote of 7-3. Hernandez said his background as a teacher and as the ..read more

DENVER (AP) On a brisk day at a restaurant outside Chicago, Deb Robertson sat with her teenage grandson to talk about her death. Shell probably miss his high school graduation. She declined the extended warranty on her car. Sometimes she wonders who will be at her funeral. Those things dont frighten her much. She didnt cry when she learned two months ago that the cancerous tumors in her liver were spreading, portending a tormented death. But later, she received a call. A bill moving through the Illinois Legislature to allow certain terminally ill patients to end their own lives with a doctors ..read more

DENVER State Rep. Don Wilson is apologizing after leaving a loaded gun in a public bathroom of the Colorado State Capitol Tuesday night. The incident was first made public Thursday afternoon by Democratic House leadership, who said in a joint statement the incident was very serious as well as frustrating and disappointing. Rep. Wilsons gun was discovered by a janitor on a shelf inside a single occupancy unisex bathroom at 9:21 p.m. Tuesday, according to a news release from the Colorado State Patrol. The janitor then informed the State Patrol, which is in charge of security for the building, an ..read more

DENVER After five hours in the House Judiciary Committee, a resolution aimed at impeaching Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold failed an expected outcome with a Democratic majority in the committee. The 3-8 vote was split along party lines. House Resolution 24-1006 was introduced Thursday by State Representatives Rose Pugliese (R - El Paso County) and Ryan Armagost (R - Larimer and Weld Counties). The resolution argued that Griswold should be removed from her position for agreeing with efforts to keep former President Donald Trump off of the Colorado ballot because of his role in the Jan ..read more

In a first-in-the-nation step, a Colorado board is considering setting maximum costs for unaffordable medications. But some caregivers and patients with rare illnesses are raising concerns the price caps could have unintended consequences like taking away access altogether. Everybody wants things to be affordable. But if you just take away the access, that's not okay, said Jennifer Reinhardt, whose daughter has a rare disease. With cystic fibrosis, Reinhardt said her daughter experiences constant lung infections until they can't be treated anymore, and then you either have a lung transplant or ..read more

A reporter from The Colorado Sun was kicked out of the Colorado GOP state assembly in Pueblo on Saturday, after she was informed her work was considered "unfair" by the party chair. Despite all the national attention Sandra Fish received this weekend, the political data journalist took some time for herself on Sunday. She walked around a Denver park, guided by her phone while playing Pokmon GO. I'm kind of an amateur. I'm not very good at this really, but I like to do it," Fish said about the game. I made a Pokmon friend at the assembly the other day. I won't go into who it might have been. Fi ..read more