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• Colorado Springs marks 9-11 anniversary with morning ceremony Play Video

  September 11, 2011 5:42 PM

  The Colorado Springs community observed the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks with a solemn and respectful ceremony at America the Beautiful Park Sunday. Serving as master of ceremonies, former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter called on the audience to remember not the horror of the attacks... more »

• Gov. approves controversial jail fingerprint program

  January 4, 2011 11:33 PM

  A controversial program is taking root in Colorado's jails. It's called Secure Communities and it's designed to check a person's immigration status. On Tuesday Governor Bill Ritter announced that Colorado will join 35 other states in the federal program aimed at identifying illegal immigrants when they're booked into jails. ... more »

• Colorado gubernatorial hopefuls favor tax exemptions

  October 15, 2010 8:20 AM

  Colorado's top three gubernatorial candidates tell business leaders they will restore tax exemptions eliminated by Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter earlier this year. Ritter ended or suspended tax exemptions on things like online sales, takeout food containers and industrial energy bills to raise an estimated $130 million a year to... more »

• Gov. Ritter to visit Vestas European headquarters

  September 29, 2010 8:40 AM

  Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter is heading to Denmark and Finland this week. His office says he will promote Colorado clean-tech jobs. Among his destinations is the world headquarters of Vestas Wind Systems in Denmark. Vestas is building four production plants in Colorado, including one in Pueblo, that will employ... more »

• Gov. Bill Ritter in Pueblo today

  September 2, 2010 8:49 AM

  Gov. Bill Ritter will visit Vestas Towers plant in Pueblo this morning, where he'll discuss Colorado's leadership in the New Energy Economy. Vestas, maker of wind generators, is hosting more than 100 international investors and journalists for the company's bi-annual Capital Markets Day. more »

• Governor to slash state budget today

  August 23, 2010 8:41 AM

  It just keeps getting worse. Gov. Bill Ritter will announce another round of budget cuts on Monday as the state's fiscal emergency continues. The governor has the power to cut up to $75 million from this year's $18.2 billion budget because the state failed to meet a 2... more »

• Aid offered to western Colorado counties with crop losses

  June 9, 2010 8:20 AM

  Gov. Bill Ritter says six western Colorado counties have been declared federal disaster areas because of cold weather that damaged vinyards. The counties are Mesa, Delta, Garfield, Gunnison, Montrose and Pitkin. The damage occurred during severe cold weather between December and February. Half of Mesa County's vinyards were affected.... more »

• Governor Ritter signs radioactive waste bill

  June 8, 2010 5:07 PM

  Governor Bill Ritter signed a bill in Canon City Tuesday afternoon to tighten regulations on radioactive waste in Colorado. It requires uranium mills to clean up radioactive waste before accepting more radioactive material. Uranium mills are now allowed to postpone cleanup until they finish production and decommission their facilities.... more »

• Ritter to sign new Colorado laws on health care

  May 26, 2010 9:48 AM

  Gov. Bill Ritter is signing bills that will improve health care and help prevent injuries. Bills being signed into law Wednesday include a requirement that children be placed in booster seats while riding in cars. Others track down Medicaid fraud and require that insurance companies cover reproductive services. ... more »

• Gov. Ritter vetoes sex offender bill

  May 21, 2010 5:43 PM

  Gov. Bill Ritter has vetoed a bill regulating the sex offender management board, saying the legislation went too far by allowing convicts to choose their own treatment programs. Ritter says the bill did not have an adequate hearing before it was adopted and would weaken the program. The governor says... more »

• State leaders predict "average" fire season

  May 21, 2010 5:28 PM

  With all the moisture we've had lately, state leaders are predicting a average fire season in Colorado. "The 2010 fire season outlook is better than we've seen in recent years," Gov. Bill Ritter (D) Colorado. "Overall, we're looking at average fire potential for the entire Rocky Mountain area. But we... more »

• Gov. Ritter praises legislators for tough session

  May 14, 2010 8:22 AM

  Gov. Bill Ritter says his decision not to run for re-election and the lame-duck status of some legislative leaders helped lawmakers get difficult legislation passed this year. Ritter said Thursday that bills that were helped by the lack of election year politics included teacher tenure reform, cuts to state... more »

• Colorado, New Mexico governors endorse wildlife report

  May 13, 2010 8:13 AM

  Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson are endorsing a new report that recommends that companies be mindful of the impacts of development and climate change on wildlife. The governors spoke Wednesday at the Denver Zoo to coincide with the release of the report by Denver-based... more »

• Ritter vetoes registration bill

  May 10, 2010 5:54 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter has vetoed a measure that would have eased restrictions on registering a farm vehicle. The bill would have barred issuers of farm truck license plates from requiring owners to show proof of eligibility for those agricultural license plates. Under current law,... more »

• Colorado governor to sign health care legislation

  April 20, 2010 9:44 AM

  Gov. Bill Ritter is announcing his plans to implement national health care reform in Colorado. Ritter plans to sign four bills Tuesday that he says will advance the state's ongoing initiatives to contain health care costs, improve quality and make care and coverage more available. He will be joined by... more »

• Ritter to sign power plant bill

  April 19, 2010 10:10 AM

  Colorado is about to require its largest utility to cut emissions at some of its coal-fired power plants to help head off new federal emissions rules. Gov. Bill Ritter plans to sign a bill Monday targeted at Xcel Energy's power plants along the northern Front Range. Xcel would have to... more »

• Governor to sign bill protecting farmland

  April 14, 2010 12:52 PM

  Gov. Bill Ritter is signing a bill that would limit the use of urban renewal authority to take agricultural land. Lawmakers say Colorado is rapidly losing farmland and they believe urban renewal was never intended for taking more land away from farmers and ranchers. The bill also requires county assessors... more »

• Gov. signs bill sending medicine to Haiti

  April 14, 2010 9:21 AM

  Gov. Bill Ritter has signed legislation that will help deliver medication to Haiti. The bill will make it easier for nursing homes and hospitals to use or donate discarded medication. Lawmakers hope the change will lead to unused medications being sent to medical clinics in Haiti, which suffered a devastating... more »

• Gov. Ritter in Colorado Springs Tuesday

  March 29, 2010 5:29 PM

  Gov. Bill Ritter attend an industry conference in Colorado Springs Tuesday. He'll make the keynote address at the 52nd Annual Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)-IAS/Portland Cement Association Industry Conference. The conference is being held at The Broadmoor. more »

• Backers of power plant bill rally at the Capitol

  March 29, 2010 8:42 AM

  Backers of legislation requiring Xcel Energy to reduce emissions at some of its Front Range coal-fired power plants plan to rally at the Capitol on Monday. Gov. Bill Ritter plans to join lawmakers, Xcel, natural gas companies and environmentalists for the event ahead of Senate debate on the bill. It... more »

• Governor to sign health legislation

  March 29, 2010 8:05 AM

  Gov. Bill Ritter is set to sign a bill that prohibits gender discrimination in setting health insurance rates. The bill will be signed on Monday, the annual Health Care Day of Action at the Capitol. Lawmakers say rates for women are often higher than rates for men and they believe... more »

• Colorado governor restores gaming impact funds

  March 27, 2010 9:54 AM

  Gov. Bill Ritter is giving $5 million in funding for the Local Government Limited Gaming Impact Program back to gaming communities. The funding was taken away temporarily to help cover budget shortfalls and will now be made available to communities impacted by gaming activity. The program was created by the... more »

• Colorado poised to raise renewable energy standard

  March 22, 2010 9:29 AM

  A bill requiring Colorado utilities to use more renewable energy, including smaller-scale solar projects, is on its way to becoming law. Gov. Bill Ritter plans to sign it at a solar installation company based in Denver on Monday. Utilities must now get 20 percent of their power from renewable sources... more »

• Colorado governor released from hospital

  March 7, 2010 9:04 AM

  Gov. Bill Ritter is out of the hospital and at home recovering from six broken ribs he suffered in a bicycle accident. Aides to the governor said Ritter was released from Denver Health Medical Center and was at home resting Saturday. The governor was hurt Tuesday on an early morning... more »