Purplish
125 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 204 ratingsPurplish is CPR News' podcast about state politics, state government, elections and political identity. Hosted by public affairs reporters Bente Birkeland and Andrew Kenney.
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Episodes
Is Colorado really about to commit to passenger rail?
April 05, 2024 11:00 - 35 minutes - 2.05 KBThe state has a “train guy” for governor, and the federal government is offering billions in funding.
Lawmakers’ $1.5B tax credit battle royale
March 22, 2024 09:00 - 28 minutes - 1.67 KBSpending limits make it hard for the legislature to put new priorities in the budget. But the tax code is another matter altogether.
Is Colorado’s medical aid in dying law too hard to use?
March 08, 2024 12:00 - 31 minutes - 1.83 KBEach year, hundreds of Coloradans with terminal illnesses use medication to aid their deaths. But guardrails put in to prevent abuse can turn into major roadblocks for patients. Now lawmakers are considering some changes to the policy.
What do all the new immigrant arrivals mean for Colorado?
February 23, 2024 11:00 - 31 minutes - 1.86 KBDenver is cutting its budget to keep up with the cost of sheltering the steady flow of arrivals from the southern border, and that's leading to strain between cities, and questions about what role the state should play.
The first month of session, down
February 08, 2024 11:00 - 28 minutes - 1.66 KBThe session started with a protest over the war in Gaza and the issue has continued to reverberate.
Inside the fight to keep Space Command in Colorado
January 29, 2024 11:00 - 34 minutes - 2.04 KBFrom fateful tarmac conversations to contentious committee hearings, Colorado leaders tell the inside of story of their years'-long fight to ensure the high tech command stays in the state permanently. And why it may not be over yet.
Tina Peters is headed to trial – how did we get here?
January 23, 2024 12:00 - 49 minutes - 2.89 KBThe Mesa County clerk is accused of breaching the security of her office's election computers in order to hunt for evidence of massive fraud. How did Peters, a political novice who ran on lowering DMV wait times, become such a pivotal figure in the ongoing campaign to prove false claims that American elections are rigged?
The legislature returns: what lies ahead?
January 10, 2024 05:03 - 17 minutes - 1.05 KBLawmakers start their annual session Wednesday, after an off-season that contained more than the usual number of bumps and bruises.
Could this Colorado case determine Trump’s political future?
November 16, 2023 22:57 - 27 minutes - 1.58 KBWe break down the electoral courtroom drama playing out in Denver right now.
What’s up with Prop. II?
October 20, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutes - 658 BytesThe state collected more money from new tobacco and nicotine taxes than it expected, and now voters must decide what to do.
What’s up with Prop. HH?
October 17, 2023 14:08 - 26 minutes - 1.53 KBWondering what this Prop. HH measure you see on your ballot is all about? We explain what this proposal would mean for your finances, and the state's.
Colorado Springs’ next mayor is a man few thought would win. What happened?
June 02, 2023 11:00 - 29 minutes - 1.71 KBYes, politics may be shifting in this conservative bulwark, but that's only one part of the story.
Land use, property taxes and party conflicts — how the legislature wrapped up
May 11, 2023 22:58 - 28 minutes - 1.67 KBThe end of session brought dramatic developments, bruising disagreements and a few goofy moments.
The legislature’s spending dance
May 04, 2023 21:12 - 32 minutes - 1.89 KBHere’s a math problem for you: how do you get hundreds of different bills to add up to one balanced budget?
The year that could change how Colorado grows
April 21, 2023 18:28 - 31 minutes - 1.82 KBSingle-family homes have ruled Colorado development for a century, but Gov. Jared Polis and his allies believe the future needs to look very different.
Colorado’s blockbuster filibuster (and why it matters)
April 06, 2023 23:18 - 29 minutes - 1.73 KBAs Republican lawmakers adapt to their ‘super-minority’ in the House, they’re grappling with a big question: is it better to negotiate when they can, or dig in on delays?
Xcel’s winter of discontent
March 24, 2023 10:00 - 34 minutes - 2 KBSky-high utility bills and record corporate profits have many Coloradans — and lawmakers — asking if it’s time to rethink Xcel’s business model.
Disability rights at center stage
March 11, 2023 01:50 - 31 minutes - 1.86 KBHousing, recreation, government -- advocates for people with disabilities say there are a lot of ways Colorado could be doing more to make those things accessible to all.
Rent control in Colorado?
March 03, 2023 20:32 - 33 minutes - 1.97 KBThe policy has been banned in Colorado for four decades, but that could all change this year.
How Colorado’s gun laws have changed from frontier days to today
February 10, 2023 18:35 - 44 minutes - 2.58 KBFrom the founding of the state to modern mass shootings, we look at the forces that have driven changes to Colorado law over the years, and what it means for this year's brewing debate.
The Polis Agenda
January 20, 2023 11:00 - 20 minutes - 1.22 KBIn the first State of the State speech of his second term, Gov. Polis picked a big fight with local governments, while saying little on a major priority for many in his party.
The legislature is back: what do they want to do?
January 13, 2023 23:46 - 29 minutes - 1.76 KBState lawmakers have returned to session in Denver. We cover a bit of DC-style drama on opening day, and hear from congressional reporter Caitlyn Kim how the actual DC drama went down with the many, many Speaker votes.
Is Colorado a blue state now?
November 11, 2022 02:15 - 25 minutes - 1.48 KBYes, we know what happened Tuesday, but we're still not changing the name of the podcast.
What we’re watching for on Election Day
November 04, 2022 12:00 - 30 minutes - 1.76 KBThe big day is almost here and our team looks at where the campaigns, the polling and the voters stand, as things come down to the wire.
What keeps our elections safe?
October 28, 2022 13:00 - 32 minutes - 1.89 KBColorado's election system has all sorts of checks built in to prevent fraud and subversion, but much of it happens out of public view. We go through some of the biggest security measures -- and some of the biggest conspiracy theories still circulating.
All your 2022 ballot measures explained (plus a few weird ones from history)
October 22, 2022 12:00 - 32 minutes - 1.88 KBThere are 11 statewide measures on the ballot this year, and we're here to give you the key points on each of them. Oh, and Andy plays stump-the-hosts with 140 years of initiative history.
Housing on your ballot
October 14, 2022 20:46 - 29 minutes - 1.73 KBColoradans are increasingly naming housing as a top issue, and it's one that will appear on ballots this fall in a couple of ways.
Colorado’s Latino voters and the 2022 races
September 29, 2022 05:49 - 22 minutes - 1.29 KBOne in six Colorado voters is Latino, a fact the campaigns are very, very aware of. But are candidates and parties forging meaningful connections, or just falling back on transactional habits?
Moderates in the Midterm
September 15, 2022 20:03 - 27 minutes - 1.64 KBSenate candidate Joe O'Dea is getting national attention for his views on abortion, Trump and other issues that set him apart from many in his party. But will his positions be enough to win over the moderate voters so crucial to winning Colorado's elections?
What did we learn from the primary?
June 30, 2022 23:21 - 23 minutes - 1.35 KBColorado's Republican establishment is celebrating a night of victories that they believe will give them a leg up on the general election, and could even be a turning point for their party.
Unaffiliated Voters — the big question mark
June 25, 2022 06:12 - 22 minutes - 1.31 KBthe primary approaches, one big question is what influence an influx of unaffiliated voters might have on the GOP selection contests.
The GOP Divide
June 17, 2022 06:36 - 31 minutes - 1.85 KBThe party is torn between its grassroots, with their concerns about the 2020 election and their hunger for a more combative tone from lawmakers, and its more traditional voters, who […]
What lawmakers did with their time
May 14, 2022 04:05 - 33 minutes - 1.96 KBOver the past 120 days, lawmakers have argued over justice reform, housing, behavioral health and so much more -- we'll wrap up everything they did -- and didn't -- get done.
With mental health, can Colorado achieve ‘transformative’ change?
May 05, 2022 23:53 - 27 minutes - 1.62 KBColorado ranks last in the nation, when it comes to mental health care available, compared to the number of people who need it. This year state lawmakers are hoping to make a big difference in the problem.
The fight to ban Menthols and flavored vapes
April 22, 2022 03:46 - 30 minutes - 1.81 KBLawmakers are debating whether to ban menthol cigarettes, flavored vapes and similar products. It's an issue that's pulled in tons of lobbying money and is causing some deep divisions between usual political allies.
Who’s on the primary ballot?
April 14, 2022 05:53 - 25 minutes - 1.51 KBAnd what do the choices made at the GOP state assembly say about the state of that party?
Colorado at the eye of an election conspiracy storm
April 07, 2022 23:52 - 36 minutes - 2.16 KBThe story of how one county clerk came to believe in false claims about her own voting equipment, what it reveals about the many ways in which our election system […]
The past, and future, of abortion in Colorado
March 24, 2022 10:00 - 28 minutes - 1.65 KBColorado has been a landmark state for both sides of the abortion debate: home to one of the earliest laws to liberalize access to the procedure, as well as the birthplace of the personhood movement. Now, with Roe v Wade in doubt at the federal level, state lawmakers are writing a new chapter Colorado's convoluted history on the issue.
Crime is rising in Colorado – is justice reform to blame?
March 11, 2022 14:16 - 40 minutes - 2.37 KBFor more than a decade, Colorado lawmakers have pursued a range of criminal justice reforms.
Lawmakers’ brewing labor battle
February 25, 2022 16:25 - 33 minutes - 1.99 KBSome legislative leaders want to give all local public worker unions the power to collectively bargain, but they're up against a lot of powerful opponents.
Serving in the statehouse while running for Congress
February 10, 2022 22:17 - 23 minutes - 1.4 KBSeven percent of the state legislature is currently running for Congress — that’s the largest number in recent years and it speaks to the many ways in which this is […]
The housing crisis comes home to the Capitol
January 27, 2022 11:00 - 20 minutes - 1.21 KBWith home values and rents rising at a dizzying rate, state lawmakers are rushing to try to address Colorado's housing crisis. They do have one ace up their sleeve: a whole lot of federal money.
Back to work at the Capitol
January 17, 2022 08:25 - 16 minutes - 977 BytesThe legislature has gaveled in its session. The governor has laid out his agenda. The cost of living and rising crime are high on the list of priorities on both sides of the aisle. What lies ahead for this year's policymaking?
Remembering the January 6th Capitol Riot
January 06, 2022 16:44 - 21 minutes - 1.24 KBWhen rioters broke into the U.S. Capitol a year ago, most members of the Colorado delegation were in the House and Senate chambers. A year later, the memories still haunt them.
What’s ahead when the legislature returns?
December 09, 2021 11:00 - 16 minutes - 989 BytesIt's beginning to look at lot like politics, at least for our public affairs team; everywhere they go they seem to be hearing about what's ahead at the legislature...
Hey, did you hear there was an election?
November 05, 2021 06:08 - 24 minutes - 1.42 KBAnd it gave us a lot to talk about.
Colorado Has A Map — If The Court Approves
September 30, 2021 05:04 - 16 minutes - 1017 BytesWith minutes left on the clock, the congressional redistricting commission approved a new map. We give you the lowdown on what it looks like, what it means, and how commissioners got there.
Redistricting Deadline Looms
September 24, 2021 13:55 - 14 minutes - 894 BytesMarathon Zoom sessions. Painstaking geographic descriptions. And the slow struggle toward something like consensus. We head inside the final days of the Congressional redistricting commission's work to see how they're trying to get it done.
Competition Vs Commonalities — A Conundrum For Redistricting
September 10, 2021 10:30 - 19 minutes - 1.17 KBColorado is one of the few states where the rules for redistricting encourage competitive districts. But is competition really all it's cracked up to be?
Colorado’s Got A Brand New Map (But It’s Not The Final Map – Yet)
September 08, 2021 10:30 - 14 minutes - 888 BytesRedistricting commission staff have released a new proposal that -- if adopted -- would make some dramatic changes to Colorado's congressional districts.