fbpx

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

Public Policy

Colorado residents unable to prove they are in the U.S. lawfully have been able to apply for special driver's licenses for almost five years. Appointments, already backfilled for months, may become harder to get this year. (Image of driver's license courtesy of Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles)

Guest post: Expand access to driver’s licenses for Colorado’s undocumented immigrants

Colorado is home to many undocumented immigrants. These individuals do not have the same opportunity to access a driver’s license as others Coloradans do...

Guest Post: Colorado’s David Bernhardt has already shown his true colors 'Bernhardt has been...

Former U.S. Sen. Tim Wirth penned a head-scratching piece in The Colorado Independent this week. In it, he paints the nomination of fellow Coloradan...

Decrying ‘political theater,’ state labor chief urges Denver district, union to find common ground

Criticizing the most recent teacher pay bargaining session as “political theater,” the head of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment urged the Denver...
Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt at signing of new Colorado River agreement between U.S. and Mexico on Sept. 27, 2017. (Photo from U.S. Bureau of Reclamation via Flickr: Creative Commons)

Trump nominates Colorado native and ex-lobbyist Bernhardt to head Interior department David Bernhardt takes...

President Trump on Monday announced that he’ll nominate David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist and George W. Bush administration official, to become the next Interior...

Colorado Democrats scrap plan to make Election Day a holiday, citing unintended consequences But...

Voting rights advocates across the country have long believed Election Day should be a legal holiday. Millions of non-voters say they’re too busy to...

When Colorado cops police themselves, the public can be left in the dark A...

Editor's note: This bill passed the state House and Senate and, as of March 28, just needs the governor's signature to become law. When...

‘We can’t nickle-dime this thing.’ Water Congress comes up dry on funds for Colorado...

When Gov. Jared Polis took office in January, he took responsibility for ensuring that Colorado doesn’t run out of water. Many in the water...

For Colorado citizens, a deal with prosecutors could mean a clean record. For non-citizens,...

Here’s a process that plays out hundreds of times every year in Colorado: A person is charged with a low-level crime such as simple...

Guest Post: Don’t jeopardize Colorado’s important outdoor recreation industry Urge Congress to permanently reauthorize...

The government shutdown that paralyzed Washington for five weeks wreaked havoc on our national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands. But beyond the...
Climate change. Silverton Mountain, March 2010. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Four seasons: Colorado water in a changing climate Part 1: The life and death...

Editor’s Note: Over the next year, The Colorado Independent will examine, season by season, the effects climate change is having on the state’s water...
Adjust Font Size