Last year, Buc-ee’s opened its first Colorado location, an expansive 74,000 square-foot outpost in Weld County filled with beaver-branded merch, brisket sandwiches and sweets. Not too long after that, the company began plans for a second store, landing at a parcel of land about a two-hours drive away in northern El Paso County. But the prospect of a Buc-ee’s arriving on the edge of the small town of Palmer Lake quickly became a larger-than-life controversy. CPR’s Bente Birkeland, KRCC’s Andrea Chalfin and KRCC’s Briana Heaney dig into the story behind this big development proposal -- and its big opposition. It's a tale which raises questions around growth, representative government and how communities navigate bitter political divides.Read their coverage: Colorado’s governor and senators sign letter asking Buc-ee’s to reconsider Monument Hill location In debate over new Buc-ee’s, early results show Palmer Lake residents want a public vote and recall of two trustees Buc-ee’s gets a thumb’s down from the Palmer Lake Planning Commission Here’s what the agreement between Palmer Lake and Buc-ee’s looks like, mostly. The annexation still needs approval Mayor of Palmer Lake resigns with town divided over possible Buc-ee’s 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.You can also help support Purplish, with a gift at cpr.org.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.

The giant tax-cuts-and-spending package passed by Congressional Republicans will have major ramifications for every state in the country, but Colorado is one of the first place it's really being felt. Thanks to the state's unusual way of handling its finances, the federal tax cuts immediately threw Colorado's finances way out of whack.That was the main reason lawmakers recently came back to the Capitol in August for a high temperature, high stakes special session. But grueling fights over AI regulations and a painful public confrontation between House leaders at times made the budget debates feel like a secondary concern.CPR’s Bente Birkeland, The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul and KUNC’s Lucas Brady Woods discuss the bills that did, and did not, make it past the finish line over the six-day special legislative session. They also dig into the growing chasm between the two caucuses in the House, and what it could mean for  the regular session in the new year. Read CCNA special session coverage: From CPR News: Colorado House condemns former GOP lawmaker for unprofessional behavior From The Colorado Sun: What the Colorado legislature did during its special session to tackle a $750M budget hole From KUNC News: Colorado Democrats move to protect SNAP benefits and Planned Parenthood care From The Colorado Sun: Colorado lawmakers abandon special session effort to tweak AI law, will push back start date to June 2026 From CPR News: Are legislative special sessions even special any more? 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

State lawmakers have bid adieu to the Colorado State Capitol — for now. But lots of questions remain. For example, what’s next for Colorado’s controversial artificial intelligence law? What about federal spending cuts? Will state lawmakers have to return to Denver before next January to absorb changes from Washington? And the big question: where is Governor Jared Polis on all of this?After so much Polis talk on Purplish this year, this is a chance to hear from the governor himself. Polis spoke with The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul during the the Sun’s 2025 Legislative Session Recap, a live event held at The University of Denver on May 15, 2025. This episode, hosted by CPR’s Bente Birkeland, includes excerpts from that conversation, as well as a discussion about the hot issues of the session with Senate President James Coleman, a Democrat from Denver, and House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Democrat from Dillon. They address the moments of tension between the legislature and governor this session, TABOR reform, the potential impacts of proposed federal Medicaid cuts and more.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. Special thanks to The Colorado Sun for partnering on this episode and the technical crew at DU for recording it.

State lawmakers took it right down to the wire on some of the biggest issues of the 2025 legislative session, including immigration, artificial intelligence, labor unions, rights for transgender Coloradans and rideshare safety. While some are poised to become law, others crashed and burned in the final stretch. And a few made it over the finish line, but are likely headed to a veto at the hand of the governor. CPR’s Bente Birkeland, KUNC’s Lucas Brady Woods and The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul come full circle on the various issues they discussed all session long, including policies that got settled earlier in the year, like the gun bills. We also check back in with the first-time lawmakers we met early in the session, and learn how things went for them, on the path from day one to day 120.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. Special thanks to CCNA editor Chas Sisk, who helped get the Alliance up and running and heads back home now that the regular legislative session has wrapped.

Lawmakers got behind a bill this session that would have required social media companies like Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram to do more about illegal activity on their platforms. It was a significant policy change, and it seemed poised for success, passing the legislature with broad bipartisan support in both chambers. But then the bill hit the governor’s desk, where Polis, concerned about its potential impacts on privacy and free speech, pulled out his veto stamp.What happened next was a rare -- and somewhat surprising -- showdown between two branches of government, and a window into the complex politics that surround the power of the veto.CPR’s Bente Birkeland and The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul examine how it all went down and what this moment could mean looking ahead, as Colorado’s Democratic majority at the statehouse appears to be increasingly willing to challenge Polis during his waning time in office.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.

From tariffs to immigration, the Department of Government Efficiency, and an avalanche of executive actions and policies, President Donald Trump's first 100 days have been a whirlwind.In a special episode of Purplish, recorded before a live audience at the Buell Public Media Center in Denver, two lawmakers — from different parties, different chambers and different capitols — share their perspectives and insights on this moment in American politics. CPR’s Bente Birkeland and CPR’s Caitlyn Kim interview U.S. Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse, who represents Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, and Republican state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, whose seat is in Weld and Larimer counties. They dive into the many ripple effects of Trump’s first 100 days on Colorado, covering topics like federal funding cuts, trade policy, state's rights, Trump’s immigration crackdown, and, of course, the country’s rapidly evolving political climate.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. Rocky Mountain PBS partnered on this episode and hosted the live event.

Colorado already has numerous laws in place to protect the rights of immigrants. But as President Donald Trump takes unprecedented steps to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations, Democratic state lawmakers believe those protections might no longer be enough. They’ve introduced an immigration bill that expands and hones numerous policies in direct response to the White House’s crackdown. But state Republicans say their colleagues are overstepping and risk straining state resources further. CPR’s Bente Birkeland and KUNC’s Lucas Brady Woods dig into what the proposal would do and what it means to potentially pass something like this in the midst of strong sentiments among voters and politicians, both for and against immigrant protections. They’re later joined by CPR’s Allison Sherry to learn what she’s seen happening on the ground in Colorado while reporting on ICE raids and arrests.  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.  Additional reporting for this episode came from Denverite's Kevin Beaty. Our theme music is by Brad Turner.

At a time when the federal government is rolling back rights and recognition for transgender Americans, Colorado is moving to expand its protections in a number of areas, including medical care, harassment, death certificates and more. Democratic state lawmakers and proponents say they want to ensure certain rights for the state’s transgender community get the protection of law. But opponents, including GOP lawmakers, argue the proposals go beyond equality. CPR’s Bente Birkeland and KUNC’s Lucas Brady Woods look at the various legislative efforts before Colorado lawmakers this session, how the debates are shaping up at the statehouse and what this could mean for trans Coloradans, against the backdrop of anti-trans rhetoric and actions increasing on the federal level.  And if you've ever wanted to see the Purplish team in action, here is your chance: we're hosting a live taping of the show, the evening of Tuesday, April 22, in Denver. Find all the details, and get your tickets, 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.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.

American politics are in a moment of major upheaval: a Republican president and GOP-controlled Congress are reshaping the federal government and expanding the limits of executive power. At the same time, federal Democrats are struggling with how to win back voters who feel their party has failed to deliver. And even as Republicans have this moment on the national stage, Colorado’s GOP party is trying to catch up, hoping a new leader can bring some unity — and less havoc — for Republicans in the state.CPR’s Bente Birkeland and The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul examine what new leadership could mean for the future of Colorado’s Republican party. Then CPR’s Caitlyn Kim joins to dig into how Colorado’s Democratic members of Congress are looking to redirect the party ahead of the midterms.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.

A variety of factors have strained the state’s finances as of late, and that meant state lawmakers had to find more than a billion dollars in savings in order to balance the state budget this session. Many legislators described the process as painful, with big-ticket items up for cuts, including Medicaid and K-12 education. And the hand wringing over the toughest decisions, in the end, led to delays on finalizing the spending package, aka “the long bill.”CPR’s Bente Birkeland and The Colorado Sun’s Brian Eason discuss the powerful body tasked with deciding where to pull back spending, the Joint Budget Committee; what were the most difficult choices before them in this tight budget year; and what it all could mean for Coloradans.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.

Cities of a certain size in Colorado have to allow more density, because of a suite of new state development mandates. But several cities, like Westminster, Colorado Springs and Arvada, are pushing back. In some cases, they have said, flat out, that they do not intend to comply with some of the laws. Historically, local governments in Colorado and across the nation have had domain over the rules that shape their growth, so at the heart of this conflict are objections over the loss of local control.CPR’s Bente Birkeland and Nathaniel Minor explain what these new laws, some of which take effect as soon as this summer, do; what the rub is for some Colorado cities; and what a potential legal standoff could mean for how Coloradans live and move through the state.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. Special thanks to KDNK in Glenwood Springs, which made its studios available for the recording of this episode.

Colorado lawmakers are just past the halfway point of this year’s legislative session. That means it’s crunch time, with plenty of big, controversial bills still in play on guns, labor, housing and other topics. And on top of all that — the biggest task before lawmakers is finding more than $1 billion in budget savings in order to keep state spending in balance.It’s been a busy few months at the statehouse, and CPR’s Bente Birkeland, KUNC’s Lucas Brady Woods and The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul have been there for all of it. From people to policy, the three reporters sum up what’s happened thus far. They also dig into the current going ons under the Gold Dome, and look ahead at what big fights and legislation lay ahead in the not-too-distant future.Catch up of past episodes that delve deeper into some of the legislation discussed in our mid-session check in: An assault weapons ban by any other name… The billion-dollar budget hole Vacancy appointments get lots of lawmakers to the capitol. Is it time for a change? Life as a new state lawmaker 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.

As of late February, 1,407 people in Colorado are waiting for DNA results from their sexual assault cases -- some of them for more than a year. Without those results, criminal investigations can stall out and victims are left in a difficult state of limbo. Colorado lawmakers have taken up the issue this legislative session — and one of their own is a part of this backlog.CPR’s Bente Birkeland and RMPBS’ Andrea Kramar examine the factors that have bogged down testing, how lawmakers and officials are trying to fix it, and the human toll of it all.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.

A lot of Colorado lawmakers got their foot in the door at the statehouse not through the ballot box, but through a side door, a vacancy committee. State lawmakers leave office early for all sorts of reasons — some get new jobs or retire, occasionally people resign amidst scandal. This session, roughly 25% landed their House and Senate jobs that way. But in recent years, there’s been grumbling about the vacancy committee process, with many calling it “undemocratic” and saying it’s time for reform.CPR’s Bente Birkeland, KUNC’s Lucas Brady Woods and The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul dig into how the process works, why it’s firing up people on both sides of the aisle and what kinds of changes are being considered.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.

Nearly a third of Colorado's 65 House members are new to the statehouse this year. They come from all walks of life and bring a variety of experiences to their new jobs, which, in the end, will likely shape the policy proposals they bring to the chamber floor. It’s a demanding job, with a steep learning curve.On this episode, CPR’s Bente Birkeland and KUNC’s Lucas Brady Woods introduce us to two new legislators, from very different backgrounds — Rep. Dusty Johnson, a Republican from Fort Morgan, and Rep. Yara Zokaie, a Democrat from Fort Collins. They share what drove them to public service, how they are adjusting to their new jobs and titles, and how their personal experiences influence their legislative priorities. And here's something to add to your calendar: CPR is about to launch a new podcast designed to keep you up to date on the state each weekday -- and you can already get a sneak peek! Join us at a listening event at CPR's future headquarters in Denver on February 25 by signing up at this link.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.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.

Here's a mystery: Colorado's economy is healthy. It's unemployment rate is low and its tax collections are healthy. So why are lawmakers looking at a recession-sized budget gap? And just as importantly: where are they going to find the savings to close it?CPR's Bente Birkeland and The Colorado Sun's Brian Eason explore the colliding circumstances that got Colorado into this situation, and talk about the hard choices lawmakers must face as they craft next year's spending plan.CPR is about to launch a new podcast designed to keep you up to date each weekday -- and you can get a sneak peek! Join us at a listening event at CPR's future headquarters in Denver on February 25 by signing up at this link.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 of Purplish was edited by Stephanie Wolf and Megan Verlee and produced by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music was composed by Brad Turner.

Democratic lawmakers say they're getting serious about enforcing Colorado's ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines. But their solution would take a wide range of firearms off the shelves of gun stores statewide, including some of the most popular varieties of semi-automatics.Past efforts to ban so-called assault rifles have failed, but this year's bill debuted with an unprecedented level of support. Still, it's future is far from certain.CPR's Bente Birkeland, KUNC's Lucas Brady Woods and The Colorado Sun's Jesse Paul explain what the bill would do, and why -- if it ultimately becomes law -- it would be one of the most sweeping gun restrictions in the nation.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 of Purplish was edited by Stephanie Wolf and Megan Verlee and produced by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music was composed by Brad Turner.

Colorado was once the scene of guerilla warfare over labor organizing. This year's fight at the State Capitol isn't as bloody, but it could have far-reaching consequences for Colorado workers.At issue is an 1943 law that makes it harder for workplaces to fully unionize. The last attempt to repeal it died in a surprise veto from a Democratic governor. Is this year's effort headed for the same fate?Hosts Bente Birkeland from CPR News and Jesse Paul of the Colorado Sun dive into the Labor Peace Act: how it works,  where it came from and why labor thinks this is the year to have this fight.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 of Purplish was edited by Megan Verlee and produced by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music was composed by Brad Turner.

Before they can get to the fun stuff -- passing laws and debating policy -- Colorado's legislators spend the start of each session sitting through hours (and hours, and hours) of presentations from all the departments and agencies they oversee, going into exhaustive detail on the work they do. A lot of times, these hearings are long on slide decks and short on answers. but lawmakers say, when done right, they can be a powerful tool for transparency and accountability.Hosts Bente Birkeland from CPR News and Lucas Brady Woods from KUNC explore how these hearings got started, and what it takes for them to live up to their full potential.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 of Purplish was edited by Jo Erickson and Megan Verlee and produced by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music was composed by Brad Turner.

From cute kids and ceremonial photos to the peaceful democratic transfer of power, the opening weeks of the 119th Congress have managed to avoid the drama that marked the start of the 117th and the 118th. But that's not to say there's not a lot going on. Colorado has three new congressmen trying to settle in, at the same time one of its congresswomen is working to change how the House operates.Host Bente Birkeland talks with CPR News' D.C. reporter Caitlyn Kim about what she's seen and heard around the Capitol as the new Congress gets to work.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 of Purplish was edited by Jo Erickson and Megan Verlee and produced by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music was composed by Brad Turner.

Before state lawmakers hit the gas on their new session, we look over its opening days. In the House, strains of national politics wove themselves into long-standing traditions in new ways, while in the Senate, the first few bills illuminate an ambitious Democratic agenda on guns and voting. Plus, why some Democrats left the State of the State address upset with Gov. Jared Polis.Hosts Bente Birkeland, of CPR News, and KUNC's state capital reporter Lucas Brady Woods are your guides through all the dramatic moments as the session gets underway. 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 of Purplish was edited by Jo Erickson and Megan Verlee and produced by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music was composed by Brad Turner.

Colorado's General Assembly gavels in on Jan. 8 with one big issue hanging over its head: the state budget. With painful cuts looming, lawmakers have some hard choices to make. They'll also be navigating the start of the second Trump administration as "an island of blue in a sea of red."The new legislature also marks a new beginning for Purplish. Joining Bente Birkeland in the studio is KUNC state capital reporter Lucas Brady Woods. CPR and KUNC, along with the Colorado Sun and Rocky Mountain PBS, are partnering to form the Capitol News Alliance with the goal of deepening coverage of Colorado's lawmakers and state government. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.Going forward you'll see Purplish in your podcast feed weekly, and encounter new voices and stories from the Alliance on the show.This episode of Purplish was edited by Jo Erickson and Megan Verlee and produced by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music was composed by Brad Turner.

Election night has come and gone, but when we went to the mics, there was still one race too close to call. Hosts Bente Birkeland and Caitlyn Kim talk about what happened there, plus what the results in Lauren Boebert's districts -- old and new -- say about the future of Republican representation in the state. Plus, editor Megan Verlee joins to go through all the ballot measures (she couldn't stay away!) and news fellow Kiara DeMare takes us to the 'bittersweet and boozy' Democratic Party's party.This episode was produced by Shane Rumsey and edited by Jo Erickson and Megan Verlee.

On the eve of the election, hosts Bente Birkeland and Caitlyn Kim discuss what they've heard from voters, volunteers and campaigns about the top races on Coloradans' ballots. From Pueblo County to Mesa and Weld, we look at how voters' feelings about the presidential race mirror, and diverge from some of the state's most consequential congressional contests.This episode was edited and produced by Jo Erickson, Shane Rumsey and Megan Verlee.

Once again, conspiracy theories about voting fraud are front and center ahead of a presidential election. Led by their nominee, Republican voters in particular are worried about things like non-citizens voting en masse and bad actors rigging voting machines.Hosts Caitlyn Kim and Bente Birkeland -- with special guest, news fellow Kiara DeMare -- walk through the safeguards in place that keep those things from happening. The tools are as simple as database searches and double-checking results, but the implications are profound for trust in our democracy.This episode was produced by Shane Rumsey and edited by Megan Verlee.

Grab your ballot and follow along as hosts Bente Birkeland and Megan Verlee introduce you to the dozen-plus questions on the state ballot this fall. From protecting abortion and school choice to banning big cat hunting and taxing guns, they'll provide essential context on all the measures, big and small.If you're left with any questions, more information awaits you at our voter guide: www.cpr.org/voterguide2024This episode was produced by Shane Rumsey and Jo Erickson.

For this episode, we're doing something we never have before: recording the show in front of a live studio audience. Hosts Caitlyn Kim, Bente Birkeland and Megan Verlee discuss what's at stake for congress in the upcoming congressional races.Which party controls the U.S. House could have a lot to do with how voters in Colorado's newest district are feeling about their first term congresswoman, and her law-and-order challenger. Plus, Rep. Lauren Boebert's district-hopping gamble has scrambled the races in two of the state's Republican seats. And, what could a new congress hold for other members of the Colorado delegation?

Voters this fall will decide whether to change how Colorado selects its leaders in the future, by doing away with partisan primaries and ranking candidates in general elections. These reforms are part of a national effort backers say could help push politics back toward the center, and that opponents warn could further erode trust in elections.Hosts Andrew Kenney and Bente Birkeland explain how Prop. 131 would work, introduce you to the multi-millionaire behind it, and break down how these reforms have worked in other states.This episode was produced by Shane Rumsey and edited by Megan Verlee.

Purplish is coming back to help you prepare for Colorado's 2024 election, including contentious congressional races and 14 statewide ballot measures.Tune in for the stories behind those initiatives, and to hear arguments for and against them. Also, why Coloradans will choose new representatives in all the congressional seats Republicans hold. Episodes start October 4.Plus, you can participate in the first Purplish live taping on October 8 in Denver. Get tickets here: cpr.org/purplishlive.

Our hosts discuss the big themes that emerged from Republican primary results and what they mean for the future of the party, and for the general election.

How a pair of two-man races in El Paso County and along the northern Front Range are illustrating the increasingly bitter divisions in Colorado's Republican Party.

With Rep. Lauren Boebert out of the running, which of the half dozen Republicans trying for the seat is likely to win the primary and take on Democrat Adam Frisch?

What to make of the nine major party candidates -- including Rep. Lauren Boebert -- all running in Colorado's fourth congressional district? And how does the vacancy race to fill out Ken Buck's term factor into it all?

From the future of our democracy to the state of their bank accounts, Colorado voters have been telling us about their top concerns for the upcoming election.

Lawmakers were in an usually good mood as they wrapped up their session this week, a marked change from recent years.

Lawmakers say sharing an occasional drink can build camaraderie and release stress during long days under the golden dome, but the legislature’s long tradition of social drinking comes with risks […]

Battles over air quality and the future of drilling are threatening to spill out of the state capitol and onto your ballot.

The state has a “train guy” for governor, and the federal government is offering billions in funding.

Spending limits make it hard for the legislature to put new priorities in the budget. But the tax code is another matter altogether.

Each 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.

Denver 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 session started with a protest over the war in Gaza and the issue has continued to reverberate.

From 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.

The 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?

Lawmakers start their annual session Wednesday, after an off-season that contained more than the usual number of bumps and bruises.

We break down the electoral courtroom drama playing out in Denver right now.

The state collected more money from new tobacco and nicotine taxes than it expected, and now voters must decide what to do.

Wondering 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.

Yes, politics may be shifting in this conservative bulwark, but that's only one part of the story.

The end of session brought dramatic developments, bruising disagreements and a few goofy moments.

Here’s a math problem for you: how do you get hundreds of different bills to add up to one balanced budget?

Single-family homes have ruled Colorado development for a century, but Gov. Jared Polis and his allies believe the future needs to look very different.

As 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?

Sky-high utility bills and record corporate profits have many Coloradans — and lawmakers — asking if it’s time to rethink Xcel’s business model.

Housing, 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.

The policy has been banned in Colorado for four decades, but that could all change this year.

From 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.

In 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.

State 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.

Yes, we know what happened Tuesday, but we're still not changing the name of the podcast.

The 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.

Colorado'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.

There 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.

Coloradans are increasingly naming housing as a top issue, and it's one that will appear on ballots this fall in a couple of ways.

One 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?

Senate 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?

Colorado'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.

the primary approaches, one big question is what influence an influx of unaffiliated voters might have on the GOP selection contests.

The 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 […]

Over 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.

Colorado 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.

Lawmakers 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.

And what do the choices made at the GOP state assembly say about the state of that party?

The 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 […]

Colorado 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.

For more than a decade, Colorado lawmakers have pursued a range of criminal justice reforms.

Some 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.

Seven 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 […]

With 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.

The 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?

When 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.

It'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...

And it gave us a lot to talk about.

With 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.

Marathon 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.

Colorado 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?

Redistricting commission staff have released a new proposal that -- if adopted -- would make some dramatic changes to Colorado's congressional districts.

Two stories in this episode about different communities that are hoping to persuade the commissions to take their concerns into account as they draw their maps.

The first draft of the Congressional map puts the state's newest district north and east of Denver. We hit the road to hear what residents think of that idea.

Denver's Northside, historic home of the Chicano movement, has been getting whiter over the last decade. At the same time, some suburbs, like Commerce City, have seen their Latino populations increase. How Colorado's new political maps reflect these changes could have a big impact on the state's Latino representation.

Republican relief, a bit of Democratic chagrin, and a whole lot of thumbs hoping to sneak onto all sorts of scales -- we look at the political side of Colorado's new approach to redistricting.

Colorado's redistricting is in the hands of new independent commissions -- we explain what led up to the change and how the process is works.

Redistricting: that once-in-a-decade process with huge implications for representation and the balance of power, in Colorado and nationwide. In a special season of Purplish, we look deep into how the state's new process is working and what may come of it.

Everything you need to know about the end of session, from 11th hour bill failures to last minute filibusters to post-session caucus infighting, all brought to you by two hosts who really, really need to get some sleep.

Several mysteries unfold at the Capitol as the final days of the legislative session approach.

We're down to the last two weeks of session and that means two things: rush, rush rush, and stall, stall, stall.

Through new fees and tweaks to the tax code, Democrats are moving forward with policies that could bring in a lot of new money to state coffers, all without having to ask voters' permission.

Issues of race and systemic racism have boiled over repeatedly during this legislative session, in policy discussions and public comments, exposing deep divisions in lawmakers' views, and their lived experiences.

Transportation. Guns. The public option. Climate change. We check back in on how four of the biggest policy areas of the session are shaping up.

Some state lawmakers want to make even more changes to how police do their jobs, but their ideas face stiff opposition amid rising crime and changing politics.

Renters and undocumented immigrants are two groups that could see their situations change significantly, under a slate of progressive policies at the statehouse.

Look, we know it's complicated. It could also be the biggest thing the state does on health care since the Affordable Care Act.

Congressional redistricting is a one-in-a-decade political dogfight like no other, and this go-round in Colorado is starting off with some extra challenges.

You've heard a lot about health care, guns and transportation. But lawmakers are working on a ton of other ideas that will affect your life in ways you might not expect.

The mass shooting at a Boulder grocery store has Colorado Democrats rethinking how far they might be willing to push for more restrictive gun laws.

How did the Jared Polis of 1918 handle *his* deadly pandemic? After a year of living through COVID we decided it would be interesting to look back and tell the tale of Colorado politics during the Spanish flu. One big difference? A lot more moustaches.

Statehouse Democrats want to go big on climate change this year. Is Gov. Jared Polis ready to go along with them?

Congress signed off on spending an out-of-this-world number of Benjamins this week. The Purplish crew looks at what all that money means for Colorado.

This episode of Purplish is brought to you by the letter P: For Polis, pandemic, policies, persuasion, piñata, and proposal.

It could be THE big issue at the state legislature this year, and we have all the details.

How would YOU finish that sentence, after the year we've all had?

This week, two Coloradans took center stage at the second impeachment trial of former president Trump, while back at the state capitol, state lawmakers are warming up for the restart of the legislative session, with plenty of big policies and political drama waiting in the wings.

Caitlyn Kim gives us the scene from DC, recording from the same room she had to hide from rioters in just over a week ago. Bente Birkeland has been back in the Colorado Capitol for the start of a legislative session unlike any other. And Andy Kenney, stuck at home with a baby, has a lot of questions for both of them.

Yes, that's actually what it's called.

Every election is a time of reckoning -- a chance for the state to look at its choices and divisions and consider where things go from here. To begin that conversation, this final episode of the season turns to two guests with a deep understanding of the state's politics and voters.

You know Colorado voted for Joe Biden, and chose John Hickenlooper over Cory Gardner. But what about all those ballot measures voters said yes to -- what will that mean for your life here? And hey, spare a thought for your state legislature; the balance of power came out basically static, and that's actually rather interesting. Intrigued? Good.

Obviously the big headlines on election night will be who wins and who loses, which ballot measures pass and which fail. But elections also tell a story -- about where the state is now, and where it might be headed. And that's what our Purplish team looks ahead to in this, our last episode before the election!

More than a million people have already cast ballots in Colorado. The Purplish team digs into who they are and what's motivating them to get it done so early. At the same time that lots of people are voting, there are also a lot of rumors flying about alleged attempts to prevent that from happening. A special guest joins to help separate fact from fiction.

You know we’re getting close — the whole Purplish team is finally together in the studio for the first time.

Eleven, to be precise. Do we manage to talk about all of them in a half hour? Heck no. But our team does dive deep on a few, while also talking about the larger dynamics at play on the ballot.

What happens when two candidates who are both running as the "nice guy" in the race meet on stage? This week we look ahead to the upcoming run of Senate debates. What's at stake for Cory Gardner and John Hickenlooper? And what about that presidential debate, huh?

It's political gospel that to win a campaign, you've got to reach individual voters, the more directly the better. So how are campaigns adapting their techniques to meet the challenges of the pandemic? Plus, there's about to be a giant Supreme Court nomination fight in Washington. Do Colorado voters care?

Some people worry the rapid move to mail ballots nationally is inviting massive fraud. Others fear postal slowdowns could sabotage the whole system. The Purplish team takes a local look at the reality behind the fears here in Colorado, a state with a long-running tradition of universal mail ballots.

CPR's Public Affairs team is back with your weekly dive into the upcoming election: the big races and the big issues, what we're hearing from candidates — and voters, and the moments that make us go wait... what? It's all here in the new season of Purplish.

In this bonus episode, we talk to voters about the primary race for Colorado's U.S. Senate seat, between John Hickenlooper and Andrew Romanoff, and review the candidates' records.

The legislature is on its final sprint to adjournment and we'll catch you up on everything they've done, and are still trying to do.

Last week lawmakers were laying aside even the most popular bills to make room to focus on the pandemic. But the past week of protests have pushed a new issue to the top of the agenda: police reform.

Lawmakers returned to work Tuesday in a changed world. The first order of business was to start laying aside most of their bills from the first half of session. The second order of business was to argue passionately about how they'll work from here on out. And the third was to set a new, pandemic-driven agenda. We discuss it all on this week's Purplish.

…But that doesn’t mean candidates won’t try it in this, the most unusual of election seasons.

Lawmakers have a lot of decisions to make before they return to work at the end of May. Those are as big as cutting three billion dollars from the budget, and as small as where people will sit to achieve social distancing.

Remember the start of the legislative session, when all talk was about paid family leave, the public option, and how Jared Polis might use his power as governor in the […]

What happens to the right to a speedy trial when the court system is shut down during a pandemic? Can testing every last person in a small Western Colorado county yield new insights into the spread of coronavirus? What will life in Colorado look like the day after the "stay home" order lifts? And how much, really, will lawmakers actually try to push through once they're allowed back in the state capitol? Hosts Bente Birkeland and Andrew Kenney tackle those questions and more with CPR's Justice reporter, Allison Sherry.

Times of crisis generally bring people together, but even in the depths of the coronavirus pandemic, politicians can only sing kumbaya for so long.

Our hosts locked themselves in their bedrooms, or hid under blankets in their closets, to record this week's episode, which is all about the politics and practicalities of Gov. Jared Polis' statewide "stay at home" order.

The legislative session is on hiatus, but politics, governing, and Purplish all definitely go on. In fact, policy-making is going on at warp speed, as Gov.

Lawmakers aren't getting ready for 100 years of solitude. Just two weeks or so.

When is an election like a bad night of speed dating? When you’ve gone through five candidates and still aren’t so sure about the one you’re finally matched with.

Democrats in the state legislature say they’re ready to step into two big areas where they don’t think Coloradans are being well served: with the cost of their health insurance, […]

With presidential candidates -- and the president himself -- flocking to Colorado, we take a look at the state of the race here, and its implication for Cory Gardner's hotly contested Senate seat.

It's one of the most passionate fault-lines in state politics: how to balance the authority of parents with the need to protect children and advance society's interests. And people at the Capitol have a LOT to say about it.

We're a month into session, and Capitol newbie Andrew Kenney is starting to realize it's not all pithy quotes and snappy debates. Lawmakers are getting to wrestle with some of the session's most contested proposals.

Should Colorado keep the death penalty? As lawmakers once again debate abolition, it's a question that divides parties, and friends, at the state capitol.

This week we're talking about some of the ways things can get personal -- very personal -- at the state capitol.

Colorado’s capitol is current firmly in the hands of the Democrats, so that means smooth sailing for all their policies right? Yeah, not so much.

A lot has happened, dear podcast listener, since Sam, Bente, and Megan chatted in our final episode last year.

Colorado’s 2019 legislative session is over. The last four months of frantic lawmaking were a test for Democrats, who took complete control of the state Capitol last November. This episode, we look back at everything they were able to achieve — and why arguments over process at times got in the way of their biggest goals. And how Republicans, who lacked the votes to block legislation, found other ways to make their voices heard. The result was a session that showed passing bills isn’t as simple as just having a majority.

Ken Crumb’s story likely sounds familiar. A Front Range resident sees oil and gas drilling in his community. He doesn’t like it and organizes his neighbors to pass a local drilling ban. The thing is, in Ken’s case, this all happened more than 30 years ago. And that community he rallied was Greeley -- not exactly a hotbed of anti-fracking sentiment today. This episode, we look back at perhaps Colorado’s first fractivist. What Ken did ended up limiting local control of oil and gas development. Now, Democratic lawmakers have passed a bill to tilt the scales back in the other direction.

Colorado is on the verge of becoming the 12th state to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The plan could someday commit all of Colorado’s electoral votes to the presidential candidate who gets the most votes nationwide -- no matter who wins the state.

The last couple months have shown the depths of congressional dysfunction. Many think the problem isn’t so much the people who serve there. It’s a process that funnels all power to party leaders, stifling debate among the ranks. In 1988, Colorado voters recognized a similar issue in their state legislature. The remedy was something called the GAVEL Amendment -- an acronym for Give A Vote To Every Legislator.

After eight years as Colorado’s governor, John Hickenlooper appears to be gearing up for a presidential run. On the campaign trail, he’s almost certain to emphasize gun control laws he signed in 2013. He led a purple state as it beat back the gun lobby to pass two controversial measures. But what did he do -- or not do -- to make that happen? And what does the story of those laws say about how Hickenlooper leads? CPR Public Affairs Reporter Bente Birkeland breaks it down. And keep an eye on this podcast feed! It’s where we’ll tell you more about the return of Purplish for the imminent legislative session.

Now that ballots have been cast and counted, CPR is trying to figure out what the future holds for Purplish.

The midterm election has come and gone. In Colorado, what occurred wasn't a blue wave, it was a blue avalanche. It was a signal so strong that you could wonder if this is even a purple state anymore.

Colorado boasts some of the highest voter turnout in the country. Seventy percent of eligible adults submitted a ballot in the 2016 election, putting the state fourth in the country for voter turnout. But that still means 30 percent of eligible adults sat it out. Why? Many of the common barriers to voting don’t exist in Colorado. The process is easy. The elections are competitive. So we’re turning to one group that can help with some answers: nonvoters themselves.

Security experts say Colorado is one of the most reliable places to cast a ballot. That’s largely because of an old technology: good, old-fashioned wood pulp.

Unlike in other states, convicted felons in Colorado who have completed parole are allowed to vote. New laws require people leaving the criminal justice system to learn about their voting rights and give parolees the chance to pre-register. A bipartisan coalition is behind those changes, but how far is it willing to go toward re-enfranchising people within the criminal justice system?

Democratic presidential candidates are on a winning streak in Colorado. The state voted for Barack Obama twice and for Hillary Clinton in 2016. It’s been even longer since Colorado elected a Republican governor. Those results have led some to wonder if the state shouldn’t be considered purple anymore. On the electoral map, it might now be more of a light blue. One expert says not so fast.

Gerrymandering is on the Colorado ballot this November. Amendments Y and Z promise to take the politics out of the drawing of congressional and legislative boundaries. To do it, they would hand the responsibility to a pair of commissions made up of heavily screened citizens -- not politicians or their hand-picked representatives. This week on Purplish, we look back at the troubled 2011 redistricting process and how it led to the current calls for reform. And we discover the amendments aren’t just about putting politicians in line. They also try to balance voters' dueling desires for electoral power and community.

Neglect can be a powerful political force. Southern Colorado spent a century mostly voting for Democrats, but in 2016 many countries in the region voted for President Trump. It was the first time some had supported a Republican in decades. The reason many voters cited was a sense of feeling forgotten by state and national politicians too focused on urban and suburban corridors. Reporters Nathaniel Minor and Allison Sherry recently visited Southern Colorado as a part of CPR’s election road trip series. They talked to voters about whether they feel like politicians are listening now--and what that could mean for November and beyond.

A name can be a tricky thing for a politician. For Walker Stapleton, the Republican nominee for governor, his name does double duty, tying him to both a controversial Denver mayor and the Bush dynasty. Stapleton trumpeted both those ties at the beginning of his political career. Today, he’s running more as his own man. CPR’s Ann Marie Awad dives into both the legacies embodied in Walker Stapleton’s name--and examines whether either might matter on Election Day.

Congressman Jared Polis has spent an unprecedented amount money on his campaign for governor. By the latest count, he’s donated $18.3 million of his own money. That’s more than the total candidate spending in the 2014 gubernatorial race. The Democratic nominee says self-financing buys him political independence. Unlike his opponent, he refuses donations from corporations and special interests, which he argues frees him to push bold proposals. Meanwhile, Republican nominee Walker Stapleton accuses Polis of trying to buy the election. These opposing talking points raise bigger questions. What does it mean for democracy when someone is ready, and able, to spend whatever it takes on a campaign? How does that change the dynamics of a race? And where does it leave voters? This episode looks back at the origin of the candidate’s fortune and how it’s long been a potent force in Colorado politics. And we’ll explore why he’s likely to be far from the last wealthy candidate in the state or the country.

In Colorado, voters have incredible power to pass laws at the ballot. The initiative process was born out of the Progressive Era. Reformers hoped that by giving people a say in state government, they could check special interests and their influence over lawmakers. Things haven't gone exactly as planned. Today, the initiative process is often Colorado's highest-stakes political poker game, attracting a wide range of corporations and wealthy donors. So has direct democracy made Colorado voters into scientists in the laboratory of democracy? Or the test subjects?

“Purplish” is a show about Colorado's democracy ahead of the 2018 election. The podcast, hosted by Colorado Public Radio reporter Sam Brasch, goes behind the headlines to ask big questions about state government. Each episode hones in on a puzzling piece of news around the election. Explanations come from CPR reporters, experts and voters. The goal is to provide the context that’s often left out of election coverage. Rather than cover the horse race, it tells stories about how democracy works in Colorado and where it might be headed next.