Colorado
Deadline looms for Colorado lawmakers to finish work
DENVER — As this year’s legislative session winds down, Colorado state lawmakers are rushing to beat the clock.
“It’s always hectic the last couple of days,” said State Rep. Stephanie Vigil, D-Colorado Springs.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives gave final approval to a bill aimed at increasing ridership on public transit. Senate Bill 24-032 — “Methods to Increase the Use of Transit” — would extend the Ozone Season Free Transit Grant Program, which provides free transit services during ozone season. It would also create a grant program to help young people ride fare-free year-round and extend a tax credit for the use of alternative transportation.
Deadline looms for Colorado lawmakers to finish work before end of 2024 legislative session
Vigil is one of the prime sponsors of the legislation.
“I’m just a big fan of transportation choice,” Vigil said. “Everybody needs to get around. Not everybody can, will or wants to have a car and drive a car.”
The bill will also create a committee to study the creation of a statewide transit pass.
Increasing ridership is also one of the goals of House Bill 24-1313, a major land-use bill. Titled “Housing in Transit-Oriented Communities,” the bill requires certain local governments along the Front Range to develop goals to build more affordable housing near transit.
“Coloradans are begging for more housing, and there is no better place to build housing and increase density than near transit,” said State Sen. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, one of the bill’s Senate sponsors. “This bill is important in multiple ways: It will increase housing options, reduce costs, and help our state reach its climate goals, all while protecting vulnerable communities from displacement. I am proud to champion this legislation, and I look forward to the benefits it will bring to our state.”
Colorado lawmakers consider bill aimed at increasing housing near transit
The bill provides communities with financial incentives to help them meet those goals.
“This bill will help along transit corridors in our state — replicate what the Asians and Europeans have been doing for a century,” said State Sen. Kevin Priola, D-Henderson. “People will benefit with affordable housing, cleaner air, and less dependence on automobiles.”
The bill originally included a provision to allow the state to withhold transportation funding from communities that didn’t meet their goals, but it was taken out after widespread criticism from local governments.
The bill also underwent several other changes over the last few days.
Despite that, some lawmakers remain opposed to the legislation.
“There’s very little in here about affordable housing,” said State Sen. Joann Ginal, D-Fort Collins. “1313 is really a developer’s dream. It was written by, of and for developers, not Colorado residents.”
After passing in the House in mid-April, the bill won final passage in the Senate on Tuesday and is on its way to the governor.

Lawmakers advanced House Bill 24-1152 that would require certain communities to allow homeowners to build accessory dwelling units, called ADUs.
“Everyone deserves a safe and comfortable place to live, but too many families are struggling to afford the cost of housing in our state,” said State Sen. Tony Exum, D-Colorado Springs. “By giving folks the flexibility to build ADUs on their property, as well as providing grant funding to help cover construction costs, we can bring down housing prices and keep more Coloradans in the communities they call home.”

Guns were also a big topic this year.
A bill that would have banned “assault” weapons — certain high-powered semi-automatic weapons — was tabled.
House Bill 24-1292, titled “Prohibit Certain Weapons Used in Mass Shootings,” was sponsored in the Senate by State Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver. She said there wasn’t enough time to give it the consideration it deserved.
Politics
Colorado’s ‘assault’ weapons ban to be killed in committee Tuesday, sponsor says
6:08 PM, May 06, 2024
“After thoughtful conversations with my Senate colleagues, I decided that more conversations need to take place outside of the pressure cooker of the Capitol during the last weeks of the legislative session,” Gonzales said. “In that spirit, I look forward to renewing and continuing those discussions over the interim. It is clear that survivors of devastating gun violence, responsible gun owners, and local and national policy advocates remain committed to doing the work necessary to save lives — and an assault weapons ban will do just that.”
Gun rights groups celebrated the bill being shelved.
“This was a huge victory for Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and honestly, not just for Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, but for gun owners across the state of Colorado,” said Ian Escalante, the director of operations with Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. “This bill was even more extreme than the assault weapons ban from last year.”
Escalante said the bill would have banned 95% of firearms in common use right now.
The proposed ban made it further than previous efforts, passing the House of Representatives.
Watch the House begin debating the bill in mid-April in the video below.
Colorado House begins debate on ‘assault weapons’ ban bil
Lawmakers are still considering several other pieces of gun legislation, including a measure requiring gun dealers to obtain a permit and a bill that would ask voters to approve a tax on gun and ammunition sales.

Lawmakers also advanced a last-minute bipartisan proposal to reduce property taxes in the years ahead.
The deal was announced by Gov. Jared Polis in a press conference Monday morning.
“This is huge. We’re talking about a huge property tax cut for property owners without crippling our state budget,” said State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton. “I think we have a very solid property tax relief bill.”
Colorado lawmakers to consider major property tax plan as session nears end
Lawmakers have until the end of Wednesday to finish their work.

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Colorado
Colorado-based coffee shop opening new West Michigan location soon
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI – A new coffee shop is planned for a Hudsonville neighborhood this month.
Ziggi’s Coffee is set to open a new location at 3830 32nd St., Suite 100, starting Dec. 30, just before locals pencil in their New Year’s Eve plans.
A Colorado-based chain, local franchisees operate locations across Michigan. There’s one in Zeeland, which opened in 2022, and another near Ann Arbor, which opened in 2024.
Each coffeehouse offers a wide range of coffee and other beverages, from cold brews and lattes to energy infusions and smoothies. Ziggi’s also offers sandwiches, breakfast items and pastries.
For the new Hudsonville location, customers can expect the same offerings, right down to the decor.
The 1,500-square-foot space will mimic the franchise’s other spaces, complete with an urban industrial decor and a cozy rustic atmosphere.
The solid dark wood tables and padded vinyl seats set the tone for an in-house lunch, combined with pops of earthy tones and black-and-white photos for a retro touch.
As for the menu, the top orders across the company’s 100-plus locations are the dirty sodas.
The customizable beverage features a soda base, such as Mountain Dew or Coke, mixed with flavored syrups such as coconut milk, and toppings including gummy candies or cold foam.
The seasonal feature is the “Sleighin’ Dirty” soda. It comes with Dr. Pepper mixed with a splash of eggnog and cinnamon syrup, finished with a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Prices start at $4.29 for a 20-ounce drink.
Another favorite is the “kidZone” for children too young for coffee or Ziggi’s Red Bull infusions. This part of the menu offers blenders, which are similar to milkshakes, along with fizzy drinks with customizable flavors.
The store hours for Hudsonville will be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Customers can sign up online for rewards to receive a free drink. To learn more, visit the coffeehouse’s Facebook page.
Colorado
Colorado mom accused of killing 2 kids, fleeing to UK arrives back in US to face murder charges: ‘Momentous day’
A Colorado mom who is accused of stabbing her two young children to death and then fleeing the country after trying to frame her ex-husband finally arrived back in the US on Tuesday — almost two years after she was arrested in the UK.
Colorado District Attorney Michael Allen announced Kimberlee Singler’s return to the US during a somber press conference Tuesday afternoon. The 36-year-old faces two counts of first-degree murder and life behind bars if convicted.
“It’s a momentous day today,” Allen said, adding that her return “marks the first step in the criminal justice process.”
Singler is accused of killing her 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son and slashing her 11-year-old daughter amidst a bitter custody battle with her ex-husband on Dec. 18, 2023.
Her ex had recently been awarded more parenting time and his sister had been due to pick the three children up for the holidays two days before the slayings — but Singler refused to hand the kids over.
The husband’s lawyer then got a court order on Dec. 18, the day of the gruesome stabbings, for her to exchange the children two days later.
The mom called cops just after midnight on Dec. 19, claiming someone had burglarized the family’s Colorado Springs apartment. When police arrived, they said they found her two youngest children dead and her eldest injured.
Singler then told police that her ex-husband “had previously dreamt about killing his family” and that he was “always trying to ‘frame her’ and ‘get her arrested’ and to have the kids taken away from her,” Judge John Zani at Westminster Magistrates’ Court said in his January ruling when he rejected the challenge to her extradition to face murder charges.
A warrant was issued for her arrest mere days after the slaying, but she’d fled the country by then.
Singler’s extradition from the UK had repeatedly been stalled due to challenges ever since she was arrested in London on Dec. 30, 2023, less than two weeks after she allegedly killed her 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son.
She tried to argue that her extradition would violate the European human rights protections on the basis that a potential first-degree murder conviction would slap her with an automatic life-without-parole sentence, per Colorado law.
An eleventh-hour appeal was rejected in November, clearing her long-awaited extradition.
Allen, meanwhile, reiterated the importance of granting her eldest daughter, now 13, and her distraught family the privacy they desperately need.
The sole survivor previously recounted the moment her disturbed mother led her and her siblings to their bedrooms while muttering that “God was telling her to do it or their father was going to take them away.”
Singler faces seven first-degree charges for murder, attempted murder, and first-degree assault, Allen said.
Colorado
Where did Colorado’s wolves spend time in December?
While some of the wolves are part of Colorado’s four packs establishing territories in Pitkin, Jackson, Routt and Rio Blanco counties, others continue to search the landscape for mates and suitable food sources and habitat.
Largely, however, wolf exploration of Colorado remains within similar northern counties in December, according to the latest wolf activity map shared by Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Dec. 23.
The map — which shows the watersheds where the state’s collared gray wolves were located between Nov. 25 and Dec. 19 — shows that wolves continue to be most active in the northwest, while also pushing into watersheds to the south and east.
While the map continues to show activity in some Front Range area watersheds within Larimer, Denver, Boulder and Jefferson counties, the agency reported that “no wolves have crossed I-25 or spent time near urban centers.”
If a watershed is highlighted, it means that at least one GPS point from one wolf was recorded in that watershed during the 30 days. GPS points are recorded every four hours or so. The latest map also shows activity in Routt, Rio Blanco, Eagle, Jackson, Larimer, Grand, Summit, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Park, Lake, Chaffee, Gunnison, Garfield, Saguache, Rio Grande and Conejos counties.
While wolves have been exploring southern watersheds for months, Colorado saw its first wolf enter New Mexico and be returned by the southwestern state’s wildlife agency in December. Colorado has an agreement with Utah, New Mexico and Arizona in which any gray wolves from Colorado that enter these three states can be captured and returned to Parks and Wildlife.
According to Parks and Wildlife, the male gray wolf was among those born to the Copper Creek pack in 2024 and dispersed from the pack in the fall. Dispersal is common for young wolves as they leave their birth pack, attempt to make it on their own and search for a mate. The animal was released in Grand County — a decision that sparked concerns from state and local elected officials as well as some wildlife advocates — in a location reportedly distanced from livestock and near to an unpaired female wolf as well as prey populations.
The watershed map shows that there was wolf activity in Conejos County along the New Mexico state border. It also shows wolf activity brushing up against the Wyoming border. Parks and Wildlife does not have an agreement with its northern neighbor. Instead, wolves that enter Wyoming lose their protections as an endangered species and can be hunted in the vast majority of the state. Three of Colorado’s reintroduced wolves have died after going north.
Colorado is nearly two years into its reintroduction of gray wolves, releasing a total of 25 wolves. Four packs had pups this year, but Parks and Wildlife has not released minimum counts of new wolf pups for all the packs. It says it will release the count in its annual wolf report, released each spring. Eleven wolf deaths have been confirmed.
While the agency was looking to conduct its third year of wolf releases in the southwest this winter, Parks and Wildlife has yet to secure a source of wolves. The agency had planned to return to British Columbia; however, the federal government, under a new director, said it could no longer import the wolves from outside the country.
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