Four members of Colorado’s congressional delegation talked to state lawmakers about the federal economic stimulus package. Bente Birkeland discusses what they said with fellow statehouse reporters.

Republican state lawmakers are circulating a petition criticizing Governor Bill Ritter for saying he would support Guantanamo Bay prisoners being housed in Colorado. The state is home to Supermax, one of four federal prisons the Obama administration is considering moving Guantanamo detainees to. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.

Colorado cat owners beware. State law could soon require you to put an ID tag on your pet. Licensing and tags are already widespread for dogs. The measure passed out of a house committee on Thursday and proponents say it’ll save money and protect animals. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.

In the sagging economy, many media outlets are cutting jobs and laying off reporters, and Colorado’s not immune. The most recent newspaper casualty happened on Tuesday when the Pueblo Chieftain told its veteran state capitol reporter that he would be out of a job at the end of the current legislative session. Bente Birkeland reports [...]

While most state lawmakers had to settle for watching President Barack Obama’s inauguration on TV, a handful of legislators and Governor Bill Ritter traveled to Washington DC to witness it firsthand. Ritter says the ceremony was phenomenal and that he had a fantastic view. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.

It’s not every day that state lawmakers watch CNN on the house floor. But on Tuesday morning legislators took a break from their daily business to see President Barack Obama’s inaugural speech. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.

The Governor’s office announced millions of dollars in proposed budget cuts to a broad range of key programs. It’s in response to a projected 600 million dollar budget shortfall Colorado is facing this year. Bente Birkeland discusses the cuts with statehouse reporters at the capitol as part of our weekly capitol conversation series.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama takes on a greater significance for Colorado’s top two legislative leaders at the statehouse. And these two lawmakers have achieved a political milestone of their own. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.

The state’s public university system is bracing for thirty million dollars in budget cuts this year. That’s according to a budget proposal released today by Governor Bill Ritter’s office that includes some two hundred million dollars in across the board cuts for state services. From KUNC, Kirk Siegler reports.

The Governor’s budget and planning office announced millions of dollars of proposed budget cuts on Friday. Among other things the proposal calls for cuts to a host of programs including K through 12 education, higher education, new construction projects and tourism. Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.