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• Lawmakers aim for tighter restrictions on oil and gas industry Play Video

  April 12, 2013 10:22 AM

  Some state lawmakers want tighter regulations on the oil and gas industry in Colorado. There are several bills being considered in the legislature. One of those proposals is to increase fine minimums from $1,000 to $15,000 for everyday a violation exists. The fines have been in place since the 1950's.... more »

• Oregon lawmakers advance teen tanning ban

  March 7, 2013 3:24 PM

  SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Oregon lawmakers have advanced a bill that would ban minors from using indoor tanning beds. The House voted 38-18 in favor of the bill Thursday. The measure now heads to the state Senate. Supporters include medical professionals who point to research that shows a link between... more »

• Ga. lawmakers debate easing gun carrying rules

  March 6, 2013 4:36 PM

  ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia lawmakers will debate rules Thursday that could allow more mentally ill people to carry firearms, though hasty changes may blunt some of the impact. The issue arose as House Republicans make a last-minute push on legislation permitting school districts to arm their employees and allowing those... more »

• Lawmakers get violent emails over gun control

  March 1, 2013 3:49 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Lawmakers are becoming the target of aggressive and sometimes threatening emails and phone calls as the debate over stricter gun laws escalates in state capitols. In one Colorado case, emails and a letter to state Rep. Rhonda Fields were so charged with profanity and references to violence... more »

• Colo. bill makes it harder to plead insanity

  February 6, 2013 11:02 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado lawmakers are considering whether to make it tougher for defendants to be found not guilty by reason of insanity, prompted in part by the mass killings at a movie theater last summer. A bill up for debate in a legislative committee Wednesday would require defense lawyers... more »

• CO lawmakers want to make sure kids eat breakfast

  January 25, 2013 2:51 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado Democratic lawmakers say they want to ensure children are eating breakfast by requiring schools to serve the meal for free after the first bell of the day. Schools that have 70 percent of more students who qualify for free or reduced lunch would be required to... more »

• Sex offender residing at lawmakers home

  June 18, 2012 8:12 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Court records show a state lawmaker who voted against a comprehensive rewrite of Colorado's sex-offender registration laws has a convicted sex offender living at his house. The Denver Post reports 32-year-old Michael Frierson lives at Republican Rep. Randy Baumgardner's address in Hot Sulphur Springs. Frierson pleaded guilty... more »

• Co lawmakers pay could be in trouble

  March 7, 2012 6:21 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado lawmakers would have to forgo their pay and benefits if they don't agree on a budget on time under a proposal that gets its first hearing in the state Senate. Democratic Senate President Brandon Shaffer, the bill sponsor, says the idea is a popular one with... more »

• Employers could get to check credit before hiring

  February 13, 2012 7:17 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Lawmakers will hear testimony on a bill to prohibit employers from using consumer credit information against potential employees unless they're applying for a job that involves financial decisions. Democrats sponsoring the proposal say the use of credit information creates barriers for people who have recently lost... more »

• Teacher tenure rules could see changes

  January 10, 2012 6:43 AM

  DENVER (AP) - A new statewide teacher rating system in Colorado could be among the first measures awaiting state lawmakers Wednesday. The new four-tier rating system was approved by the state Board of Education after two years of work crafting new rules related to giving teachers job protections called... more »

• Lawmakers willing to change military benefits

  October 22, 2011 9:14 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The government's promise of lifetime health care for the military's men and women is suddenly a little less sacrosanct as Congress looks for ways to slash trillion-dollar-plus deficits. Republicans and Democrats are signaling a willingness to make military retirees pay more for coverage. It's a reflection... more »

• Unused sick time pay for state workers targeted

  October 16, 2011 2:48 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - A state lawmakers is considering introducing a bill that would eliminate paying state workers for unused leave and sick time, which could mean a savings of about $367 million. State workers want the benefit to remain as it is, saying it's one of the... more »

• After accidents, tougher pipeline rules proposed

  August 4, 2011 5:31 PM

  Republican and Democratic lawmakers are considering plans that could spur major upgrades to the nation's aging energy pipelines, driven by a string of recent oil spills, deadly natural gas blasts and what they call federal regulators' inaction. Since last summer, major pipeline accidents have destroyed neighborhoods in California and... more »

• Deficit panel members shouldn't fundraise

  August 4, 2011 12:39 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A campaign finance watchdog group suggests that the lawmakers eventually picked for a congressional deficit-reduction panel abstain from all political fundraising. The group Public Campaign says the panel's 12 yet-to-be-named embers will come under intense pressure by corporate interests to maintain special tax loopholes, unwarranted subsidies and... more »

• SC lawmakers take credit for shift in Boehner plan

  July 29, 2011 7:06 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The five Republicans in South Carolina's congressional delegation collectively are taking credit for pushing House Speaker John Boehner to take a more conservative approach to finding a debt deal. The lawmakers, four of them freshmen, have bonded for months over their conservative ideals, shared religious devotion and... more »

• State lawmakers telling schools to play

  March 29, 2011 10:59 PM

  Colorado lawmakers from the House and Senate have reached an agreement on a bill that would require 30 minutes of exercise in elementary schools every day to help combat childhood obesity. "It's a shame that there would need to be legislation requiring something that is so valuable and that... more »

• Colorado Dems hitting the road for spending ideas

  March 19, 2011 9:46 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Next year's state budget isn't going to be pretty - and Democratic lawmakers are branching out this weekend looking for constituent ideas on how to cut spending. Democratic legislators planned town hall-style meetings in a dozen different Colorado towns Saturday looking for ideas on next year's... more »

• Pot docs face new rules in Colorado

  March 12, 2011 12:14 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado's dispute over which doctors can recommend medical marijuana could become more confusing this week when state health authorities consider tighter limits at the same time lawmakers debate conflicting rules. One question is whether doctors with conditions on their medical licenses - such as a surgeon... more »

• Colorado bill aims to stop low-flying AF flights

  February 3, 2011 3:40 PM

  DURANGO (AP)-Two Colorado lawmakers are sponsoring a bill aimed at preventing low-altitude military flights over a large portion of the state. The bill from Reps. Wes McKinley and Edward Vigil tries to do that by reinforcing property rights of people affected by the flights. The Durango Herald reports... more »

• Are medical marijuana laws in Colorado tough enough

  January 16, 2011 1:42 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Medical marijuana laws in Colorado are more extensive than in any other state - and state lawmakers aren't done yet. Among the measures before the Legislature is one that would change the rules for commercial pot sales. Colorado officials will also consider new standards for safe driving... more »

• Colorado lawmakers looking at steep budget cuts

  October 7, 2010 3:06 PM

  State prisons, funding for colleges, gambling grants and severance tax grants will all be on the agenda when lawmakers sit down next month to consider up to $1.1 billion in budget cuts. Rep. Mark Ferrandino is a Democrat who chairs the Joint Budget Committee that sets state spending priorities.... more »

• Children's groups rally against tax measures

  October 5, 2010 12:40 PM

  Colorado lawmakers, firefighters, school officials and children's organizations are gathering to speak out against three tax-limiting initiatives on the November ballot. Tuesday's rally at the state Capitol is being organized by opponents from Every Child Matters and Tennyson Center for Children. They say the initiatives will be harmful to... more »

• Auditors say Colorado pension plan recovering

  August 17, 2010 8:35 AM

  Colorado's state pension fund is back on track toward solvency after state lawmakers became the first in the nation to cut retiree benefits to prevent its pension system from going broke. Thomas Cavanaugh, an actuary for Cavanaugh Macdonald Consulting, told lawmakers Monday that they would have to spend 40... more »

• PERA solvency review due today

  August 16, 2010 9:13 AM

  Colorado lawmakers are getting an update on the health of the state employee retirement plan. The legislature cut benefits this year to keep the plan from going broke. Under the new law retirees got no cost of living increase this year instead of the normal 3.5 percent increase. ... more »

• Pueblo council split on immigration reform vote

  July 28, 2010 5:40 PM

  On Monday, Pueblo city council has passed a resolution urging Colorado lawmakers to support comprehensive federal immigration reform. The resolution passed 5 to 2, with council members Vera Ortegon and Judy Weaver voting against it. The resolution reads as follows: The Pueblo City Council urges our United States Senators for... more »

• Lawmakers head back to work after July 4 break

  July 12, 2010 9:08 AM

  Congress gets back to work today after the Fourth of July break and the White House hopes the Senate can move quickly on a top legislative priority -- the financial overhaul. As senators began their weeklong break, Democrats left town without the 60 votes needed to push through the... more »

• Hard times for Illinois, but not for governor's staff

  July 6, 2010 2:04 PM

  Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has handed out raises topping 20 percent to his staff even as he calls for $1.4 billion in spending cuts because of the state's budget crisis. An Associated Press analysis of documents shows Quinn has given his staff 43 raises averaging 11.4 percent since he... more »

• Missed teacher conferences could land parents in pokey

  July 6, 2010 11:06 AM

  A Detroit-area prosecutor wants lawmakers to pass an ordinance that could jail parents for up to three days for repeatedly missing scheduled parent-teacher conferences. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy says such an ordinance is aimed at making parents responsible for their children's education, which may keep more young people... more »

• Lawmakers agree to extend unemployment benefits

  May 20, 2010 10:02 AM

  Lawmakers have agreed on legislation to extend expanded unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed through the end of the year. Laid off workers would also continue to get subsidies to buy health insurance through the COBRA program. House and Senate leaders announced the deal Thursday morning on a bill... more »

• Congress to hold hearings on Gulf oil leak

  May 10, 2010 8:35 AM

  Several hearings on the still-gushing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico are set for this week. Lawmakers who flew over the Gulf on Friday came away shocked at the magnitude of the problem. Now they want straight answers not only from the oil industry but also the relevant... more »

• Colorado lawmakers to tone down teacher tenure bill

  May 5, 2010 6:43 PM

  Colorado teachers have won some concessions in a bill that would hold them accountable for the performance of their students. Democratic sponsors said Wednesday they agreed to amend the bill to give teachers more of a say in their careers. Effective teachers who have been laid off would also... more »

• Tuition hike? Try $300 million!

  April 21, 2010 5:23 PM

  Cash-strapped Colorado families trying to put their kids through college are about to get a real shocker from the state legislature--lawmakers unveiled a major overhaul Wednesday of the state's college tuition program that seeks to raise an additional $300 million by requiring parents and students to pay more. If... more »

• Poll: 4 out of 5 Americans don't trust Washington

  April 19, 2010 12:08 PM

  A new survey finds that public confidence in government is at one of the lowest points in a half century. The poll from the Pew Research Center says that nearly 8 in 10 Americans say they don't trust the federal government and have little faith it can solve the... more »

• State lawmakers consider abolishing all tax breaks

  April 8, 2010 6:03 PM

  DENVER (AP) - House Democratic Leader Paul Weissmann says lawmakers didn't go far enough when they voted this year to abolish nearly a dozen tax breaks on candy, soda, online sales and other items to balance the state budget. Weissmann wants lawmakers to consider abolishing more than 100 remaining... more »

• Colorado lawmakers reviewing workers' comp

  March 31, 2010 9:01 AM

  A Senate committee is holding hearings on plans to keep a tighter rein on Colorado's workers' compensation program. The Senate Judiciary Committee is hearing legislation Wednesday that would change the makeup of the board of directors, cap the company's surplus and limit surveillance. Lawmakers say the company needs tighter regulation... more »

• Colorado lawmakers call for reform in budget debate

  March 31, 2010 8:41 AM

  A bipartisan pair of Colorado legislators nearing the end of their terms are offering budget fixes for future lawmakers. House Majority Leader Paul Weissmann and Minority Leader Mike May say their package of bills would help ease recurring budget crises. May says none of the ideas is new, but this... more »