Crude Signal chats, social media attacks, mistreated aides: lawmaker conduct is back in the headlines
House Republicans sharing locker room jokes about a Democratic colleague's outfit in a group chat. A former Democratic senator charged with a felony for allegedly forging letters of defense in an ethics probe. A representative accused of bullying and harassing women before taking office.Workplace misconduct at the Colorado State Capitol isn’t new. But this year has contained more allegations and revelations than usual.Nearly a decade since the #MeToo movement led lawmakers to adopt new policies and protections for those who serve in, and work with, the legislature, some are questioning whether those efforts are due for an update.CPR’s Bente Birkeland, The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul and The Denver Post’s Seth Klamann have all covered various aspects of workplace conditions at the State Capitol. They discuss the efforts the legislature has taken in recent years to improve circumstances and what lawmaker misconduct means for governance, especially now, on the cusp of a special session.Read their reporting:
In private group chat, GOP lawmakers made crude jokes about a Democratic colleague’s clothing
A Colorado lawmaker charged gas to his campaign. Then he asked taxpayers to reimburse his mileage
Two women accuse Republican state lawmaker of making unwanted sexual advances. He denies the allegations
A Colorado lawmaker charged gas to his campaign. Then he asked taxpayers to reimburse his mileage
Colorado House member faced investigation over ignored harassment complaint, aide mistreatment
Colorado lawmaker faces ‘bullying’ claims from past Larimer County post, complaint from fellow legislator
Democratic lawmaker apologizes for Trump tweet, while others debate role of rhetoric in inflaming violence
Lawmakers and lobbyists accuse Steve Lebsock of sexual harassment; speaker calls for his resignation
Purplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.Purplish’s producer is Stephanie Wolf and its editor is Megan Verlee, sound designed and engineered by Shane Rumsey. The theme music is by Brad Turner.
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Why lawmakers have been eyeing Colorado's $2B in ‘unclaimed property’
There’s a secure room in the State Capitol filled with the lost treasures of generations of Coloradans: baseball cards, war medals, even a large yellow diamond ring. Unclaimed property that has come into the custody of the state over the decades. All told, Colorado holds around $2 billion in unclaimed assets, some physical, but even more in the form of abandoned accounts, uncashed checks and overlooked tax refunds. Colorado’s Treasury Department is tasked with returning assets to their rightful owners. But the fund is also an attractive target for lawmakers looking to pay programs in the face of a cash-strapped state budget.CPR’s Bente Birkeland and CPR's Stephanie Wolf look at how the fund is intended to work, what it takes to reclaim property and why lawmakers dipping into it can be a messy situation. Purplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.This episode was edited by Megan Verlee and sound designed and engineered by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music is by Brad Turner.
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What Republicans' ‘One Big Beautiful Bill' means for Colorado
After a lot of back and forth, Republicans in Congress have passed President Trump’s mega tax and spending package, aka the “One, Big Beautiful Bill.” At almost a thousand pages, the law fulfills a range of Republican campaign promises, from protecting tax cuts to turbo charging immigration enforcement. But many Democrats have called its cuts to programs like Medicaid and food aid 'cruel.' And now, state lawmakers will have to grapple with what the new reality means for Colorado's safety net.CPR’s Bente Birkeland and CPR’s Caitlyn Kim bring this all home, diving into the many ways the law represents a shift in direction for U.S. policy and priorities and how people will feel it in Colorado. CPR health reporter John Daley joins to discuss the implications on healthcare, in particular the cuts to Medicaid and the more immediate effects on the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplace.Further reading:
Congressional Republicans defy expectations and send megabill to Trump
The federal government temporarily cut taxes on tips and overtime. What does that mean for Colorado state taxes?
One big beautiful special session? Colorado lawmakers still aren’t sure
Colorado health insurance rates expected to skyrocket after budget bill slashes health spending
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains resumes scheduling for patients enrolled in Medicaid, for now
Purplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.Purplish’s producer is Stephanie Wolf. This episode was edited by Megan Verlee and sound designed and engineered by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music is by Brad Turner.
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Why is Douglas County so worked up about home rule?
Voters in Douglas County are deciding whether to become a home rule county. With ballots due June 24, the issue is stirring up a lot of strong feelings, amidst competing claims about what it would mean for this fast-growing part of Colorado. County commissioners say home rule status would give Douglas County more legal standing to fight back against Democratic policies coming out of the State Capitol. But the experience of Colorado's only two existing home rule counties shows that home rule is more complicated, and less far reaching than they may hope.On this episode of Purplish, CPR's Stephanie Wolf joins CPR's Bente Birkeland to break down home rule: from how the idea got its start in an armed conflict on the steps of Denver's city hall, to the role it's playing today in the fight over housing policy.You can read the full story here.Purplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.This episode was edited by Megan Verlee and sound designed and engineered by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music was composed by Brad Turner.
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When Colorado rewrote the rules for policing
2020 was an extraordinary year for the Colorado legislature. COVID-19 forced lawmakers to break halfway through session. They returned to work in May with a short list of priorities: balance the budget and respond to the pandemic. But almost immediately, the Capitol became the epicenter of protests over the killings of George Floyd and other Black people at the hands of police. The chants of “Black lives matter” outside the statehouse walls pushed lawmakers to take up the issue of police reform that summer. They ultimately wrote and passed an ambitious bipartisan bill, which included body camera requirements and deadly force use limits. The governor signed into law within weeks.CPR’s Bente Birkeland looks at what made this major piece of police accountability legislation possible and, along with CPR’s Ben Markus, examines the law’s impact in the five years since.Read more: How protests over George Floyd’s death led Colorado to rewrite its rules for policingPurplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.Purplish’s producer is Stephanie Wolf. This episode was edited by Megan Verlee and sound designed and engineered by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music is by Brad Turner. Additional reporting in this episode from Allison Sherry and broadcast tape came from NPR and CBS News Colorado. Special thanks to KDUR at Fort Lewis College for allowing us to record in their studio.
Purplish is CPR News' weekly podcast about state politics, state government, Colorado policy, and political identity. This season the show is hosted by public affairs reporters Bente Birkeland and Andrew Kenney. Each week while the legislature is in session, they'll break down the latest developments, look ahead to what's next, and dive into the bigger picture of what it all means.
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