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
Rivalry Week Winners and Losers as Ohio State Soars And Colorado Flops
The final full weekend of the college football regular season delivered everything the sport promises in late November—rivalry drama, playoff-shifting results, and, for some programs, a harsh reminder of how far they still have to climb.
For the Colorado Buffaloes, the script remained painfully familiar. A snowy road loss to Kansas State capped a frustrating 3–9 campaign in year 3 under Deion Sanders. In contrast, Ohio State strengthened its claim as the nation’s best team with a massive win in The Big House. Meanwhile, Texas A&M squandered a golden chance at the SEC Championship.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from Week 14 of the college football season.
Another Game, Another Loss — But a Few Signs of Hope
For the fifth straight week, the Colorado Buffaloes land on the wrong side of the ledger. Their 24–14 loss at Kansas State was a microcosm of the entire season: flashes of potential drowned out by inconsistency and key absences.
Colorado’s defense opened the game with resilience, holding K-State in check after an early touchdown drive and keeping the Buffs within striking distance well into the fourth quarter. But missing multiple starters — including All-American left tackle Jordan Seaton, who missed the final three games with a foot injury — placed even more pressure on the offense, which struggled to sustain momentum.
Kansas State’s Joe Jackson ultimately took over, erupting for 188 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats punched their bowl ticket. Colorado, meanwhile, finishes the year 3–9, a sharp decline from the program’s 2024 breakthrough that featured a bowl appearance, a near Big 12 title berth, and Travis Hunter becoming the first two-way Heisman winner in a generation.
But there is a silver lining.
This season wasn’t about hardware — it was about experience. Colorado’s young core, headlined by freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis, logged meaningful snaps against Big 12 competition. Those reps should make a big difference in how Lewis and the Buffs look next season. With “Coach Prime” expected to overhaul both the roster and coaching staff, the offseason becomes a crucial reset point — one that will shape whether Colorado’s growing foundation can finally translate potential into wins.
A Rivalry Win Sets the Stage for a Historic Matchup
When the pressure and the stakes are highest, the great teams rise to the occasion, and that’s exactly what the No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes did, delivering a clean, dominant performance against their bitter rivals, the Michigan Wolverines.
The Buckeyes walked into Ann Arbor and delivered one of their most complete performances of the year, beating rival Michigan 27-9 to remain undefeated and stake their claim as the nation’s top team.
In a rivalry often defined by razor-thin margins, Ohio State weathered Michigan’s early momentum by controlling the trenches and smothering Michigan’s run game, forcing the Wolverines’ freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood into mistake-filled moments, including a late fourth-quarter interception that sealed the win for the Buckeyes.
The win preserved Ohio State’s perfect record and sets up a historic Big Ten Championship matchup against No. 2 Indiana — the first time the conference’s title game will feature undefeated teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2. The winner will not only claim the Big Ten crown but the No. 1 seed in the expanded College Football Playoff.
MORE: What Colorado Quarterback Julian Lewis Said After Impressing In First College Start
MORE: Three Big Takeaways From the Colorado Buffaloes’ Loss to West Virginia
MORE: What Deion Sanders Said After Colorado Buffaloes’ Loss to West Virginia
A Rivalry Collapse — But a Playoff Lifeline Remains
The stage was set for Texas A&M to make a national statement.
Beat Texas in Austin, and the Aggies were headed to the SEC Championship Game. Instead, Arch Manning and the Longhorns flipped the script on the maroon and white. Manning’s late touchdown run sealed a 27–17 win over the No. 3 Aggies, handing coach Mike Elko and A&M a painful loss to close the regular season.
The defeat ended the Aggies’ hopes of playing for an SEC title — something the program hasn’t done in over a decade — and denied them the satisfaction of beating their archrival on the biggest stage since the rivalry was renewed.
Still, the Aggies are expected to reach the College Football Playoff thanks to their strong overall record and big road wins over Notre Dame, and Missouri. A&M star linebacker Taurean York put things bluntly after the loss:
“Hurts a lot,” York said after the game. “But you got to regroup and get ready for the playoffs.”
The Aggies may have lost the battle in Austin — but the war that matters most is just ahead.
Colorado
CSPD: Westbound Fillmore closed after multiple crashes
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Colorado Springs Police are urged drivers to be careful on the roads as snow fell across Southern Colorado on Sunday night.
Just before 8:00 p.m., police posted on social media that all lanes of westbound Fillmore at I-25 were closed due to multiple crashes. They asked drivers to be careful and avoid the area.
All of westbound Fillmore is closed at I25 due to multiple crashes. Please use alternate routes and avoid the area. And please drive safe! Roads are extremely slick right now with multiple crashes throughout the city.
— CSPD Communications (@CSPDComCenter) December 1, 2025
Copyright 2025 KKTV. All rights reserved.
Colorado
Jewish Family Service of Colorado marks 153 years of providing food aid and housing support
Jewish Family Service of Colorado is rarely quiet these days. In the two-story brick building at the corner of Eastman Avenue and Tamarac Drive, people rush up the stairs toward reception, passing others who step into the food pantry to select groceries.
Nearby, visitors pause, flipping through pamphlets and reading signs plastered across the wall, taking in the full scope of the nonprofit’s work.
For Linda Foster, president and CEO of JFS, the steady stream of people seeking help is both a sign of unprecedented need and a reminder of why the nonprofit exists in the first place.
“We are an organization that has Jewish values, but we serve everybody. We don’t discriminate in any way,” Foster said.
Today, the nonprofit serves more than 26,000 people annually through over 30 programs and services, including food security, housing stability, mental health counseling, aging care, employment support, refugee resettlement, chaplaincy and Jewish life, disability services and aeroponic farming.
JFS, which receives funding from The Denver Post Community Foundation’s Season to Share program, is now in its 153rd year and has grown far beyond its origins as the Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society.
As Colorado faces a housing crisis, rising food prices and growing community vulnerability, Foster said JFS continues to adapt while staying true to its mission of improving the lives of individuals and families in need across the state.
At the center of that response is a staff driven by purpose, Foster said. JFS has nearly 200 employees and over 700 volunteers of all types of backgrounds, and is what drew Foster to take on the role.
“Every day I’m doing something that makes a difference, and I have the most incredible staff who care about each other, but also care about our community and our clients. So, I wanted to be part of that,” Foster said.
The nonprofit is expanding its food pantry support, community partnerships and focusing efforts on preventing homelessness through its Emergency Housing Assistance program and Rapid Rehousing program.

More recently, JFS has worked to fill the gaps left by SNAP cuts that occurred during the government shutdown by increasing the amount of produce and protein it offers and ordering thousands of dollars’ worth of gift cards.
While the pantry can only provide so much, these gift cards allow families to purchase additional essentials that JFS can’t supply. However, even though the nonprofit has the flexibility to adapt to problems the community faces, it can sometimes add up.
“The support of the community around those are just so critical,” she said as the nonprofit receives hundreds of calls every day from people who need assistance.
“We’re really dependent on a committed community of donors — we wouldn’t be able to survive if we didn’t get that kind of support. We’re a nonprofit, so we have to find ways to be sustainable, and that’s when we depend on grants and we depend on donors.”
Foster sat at a big table in the middle of her office on a Tuesday afternoon, hands clasped together, staring off at the wall as she recalled meeting a client.
“Oftentimes I’ll go down just to hear someone’s story,” she said. “It reminds me why I’m here and what I’m doing.”
“I care so much about our organization and the people we serve, and there’s so much good we’re doing,” Foster said.

She said she wants to make sure this organization can continue in a good place, though it’s a challenge that requires raising more money and diversifying its funding sources. Yet, Foster said the nonprofit is exploring new strategies and remains optimistic as they strive to make the world a better place.
Jewish Family Service of Colorado
Address: 3201 S. Tamarac Dr., Denver, CO 80231
In operation since: 1872
Number of employees: 191
Number of volunteers: over 700
Annual budget: $22 million
Number of clients served: over 26,000 unique clients annually
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