Most of the lawsuits Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has filed against the Trump administration have resulted in court orders pausing or permanently halting certain executive actions implemented by President Donald Trump.

Since Trump’s inauguration, Colorado has joined nearly two dozen lawsuits alongside other Democratic-led states challenging Trump’s actions. So far more than half of those cases have seen judges grant preliminary injunctions requested by Weiser and other attorneys general. That has led to court-mandated reversals of Trump executive actions that sought to change requirements for federal funding, cut federal agencies and their staff, and change citizenship and voter requirements, among other issues.

“In nearly every case that has had a ruling so far, we’re winning. That’s because these actions are plainly illegal and harmful, and the courts are taking notice,” Weiser said in a statement to Newsline. “One judge, in the case of the president’s clearly unconstitutional order to overturn birthright citizenship, said it was the most unconstitutional action he had seen in 40 years on the bench. More recently, the judge in the case challenging the administration’s termination of certain National Institute of Health grants said he had never seen such palpable racial discrimination.”

While some judges have issued permanent injunctions, others have issued partial or preliminary injunctions as the various lawsuits continue to make their way through the court system.

Other cases are waiting for a judge to issue a ruling while others still need to go through a preliminary injunction hearing.

Here are the court cases that have seen a judge rule partially or fully in favor of plaintiff Democratic states including Colorado.

Birthright citizenship

Multiple judges, including one overseeing a case Colorado is a party to, have blocked the Trump administration from enforcing an executive order to end birthright citizenship in the U.S. as cases challenging it are resolved.

Weiser and a coalition of other attorneys general filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts on Jan. 21 claiming that action violates 14th Amendment and a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The suit seeks to invalidate the executive order and stop any attempts to implement it.

Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, reads, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

Tariffs

A judge with the U.S. Court of International Trade granted a request from states to permanently block Trump’s move to implement tariffs through four executive orders without approval from Congress.

The lawsuit asked the court to declare that Trump acted beyond his legal authority and contrary to law when he issued orders implementing tariffs based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which does not grant the president the power to impose tariffs. It also asked the court to enjoin federal agencies from maintaining the tariffs.

“As the court explained, the law does not give the president unbounded power to impose vast tariffs on goods from nearly every country in the world,” Weiser said in a statement. “We brought this lawsuit because this was yet another example of the administration acting as though it’s above the law. And this lawless action harmed the State and Coloradans by creating economic chaos and driving up prices at a time when so many are stretching to meet budgets.”

The Federal Reserve projected tariffs Trump has initiated will lead to inflation.

Public health grants

A Rhode Island judge granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit Weiser and other Democratic-led states filed challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s move to abruptly terminate $11 billion in grant funding, citing the end of the COVID-19 pandemic as reason to stop the funding.

Colorado was at risk of losing up to $229 million in grant funding as a result of the cuts that would have affected public health programs such as immunization distribution, training for local public health agencies on infectious disease, lab services and replacing aging lab equipment.

“I’m pleased the court agreed with me and my fellow state attorneys general that HHS and Secretary Kennedy cannot arbitrarily defund public health and behavioral health programs,” Weiser said in a statement. “If allowed to stand, this inexplicable, illegal action will cause deep harm to Colorado’s ability to deal with challenges ranging from fighting infectious diseases to fighting substance abuse.”

Freeze on federal funds

The Office of Management and Budget issued a sweeping freeze on all federal funding on Jan. 27.

Colorado and over 20 other states filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island on Jan. 28 arguing the freeze is unlawful.

Weiser said in a statement that the action violates the separation of powers and is “causing massive harm” in Colorado, affecting health care, education and public safety.

A Rhode Island judge issued a preliminary injunction in states included in the lawsuit on March 6, and wrote in a 45-page decision that the proposed freeze undermined “the distinct constitutional roles of each branch of our government.”

A separate preliminary injunction a Washington, D.C., judge entered in late February applies nationwide.

DOGE data privacy

A New York judge extended a temporary order blocking the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, from accessing Department of Treasury systems.

Weiser joined a coalition of attorneys general in filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to stop DOGE from accessing private taxpayer data.

The suit followed news that a team of DOGE employees accessed sensitive Department of Treasury data through its payment infrastructure.

The attorneys general said Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent illegally provided DOGE access to the Department of Treasury’s central payment system and “Americans’ most sensitive personal information, including bank account details and Social Security numbers.”

The lawsuit seeks an injunction prohibiting expanded access to Treasury Department systems as well as a declaration that the administration’s actions were unlawful and unconstitutional.

In a separate case filed by another group of Democratic attorneys general, a judge in Washington, D.C., ordered that a restraining order prohibiting DOGE from accessing federal agency data is not warranted.

AmeriCorps

A June 5 order from a Maryland judge granted a request from 24 states, including Colorado, to reinstate AmeriCorps grant programs and National Civilian Community Corps members, but declined to reverse the Trump administration’s reduction of the program’s workforce.

AmeriCorps is an independent federal agency that supports community service programs throughout the U.S. A lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Maryland says the orders to reduce its workforce have effectively ended AmeriCorps’ ability to function, with 85% of its staff on administrative leave.

“The illegal cuts to AmeriCorps threaten Colorado communities that rely on program volunteers to provide services to military veterans, older Americans aging in place, people dealing with substance abuse, and wildfire mitigation support,” Weiser said in a statement. “As the judge says in the opinion, ‘these volunteers represent the best of us.’ The mass closure of AmeriCorps programs, removal of national service corps members from service, and the termination of federal funding makes no sense.”

Defunding medical research

The National Institutes of Health announced on Feb. 7 it would no longer pay research universities and medical schools a previously negotiated percentage for indirect costs. Weiser and 21 other attorneys general filed suit on Feb. 10 alleging those cuts were unlawful.

Filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the suit says the Trump administration’s proposed unilateral 15% reimbursement rate would lead to an inability to facilitate biomedical research. The NIH is the primary source of federal funding for medical research. The attorneys general said the cap violates the Administrative Procedures Act.

According to a news release from Weiser’s office, the move would cut nearly $90 million in research funding across three university campuses in Colorado.

A Massachusetts judge granted a preliminary injunction on the funding caps in a 76-page decision on March 5 after she extended a temporary block on Feb. 21.

The Association of American Medical Colleges and the Association of American Universities also filed lawsuits against NIH over the change.

Gender-affirming care

A federal judge temporarily blocked a Trump order that threatened the funding of any medical institution that provided gender-affirming care to minors, saying it “blatantly discriminated against trans youth.”

The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington intends to block federal agencies from enforcing the executive order, which also threatens criminal charges against medical providers who provide gender-affirming care. It argues the executive order violates the equal protection guaranteed by the 5th Amendment by singling out transgender individuals for mistreatment and discrimination.

Colorado hospitals that provided gender-affirming care to minors abruptly canceled scheduled appointments for transgender children, citing the order and the potential consequences for their funding.

Federal worker layoffs

A Maryland judge in April ordered the Trump administration to reinstate probationary federal employees across various agencies.

Weiser and a group of 20 attorneys general sued the Trump administration claiming mass layoffs of probationary federal employees are illegal and cause irreparable harm to their states.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Maryland, says the firing of approximately 24,000 probationary government employees who worked for various federal departments violated laws and regulations regarding “reductions in force.”

U.S. Department of Education

A Massachusetts judge ordered a preliminary injunction to prohibit the Trump administration from dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and must reinstate terminated employees.

Weiser and 20 other attorneys general filed a lawsuit looking to stop the “effective dismantling” of the government agency that supports students and schools across the country after the department announced it would cut about 50% of its workforce.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, says the cuts to the department’s workforce are illegal and unconstitutional, as the department is an executive agency authorized by Congress.

Colorado received over $1.2 billion from the federal government in 2024 for school programs, according to Weiser’s office.

Elections executive order

A Massachusetts judge issued a preliminary injunction to prevent certain provisions of Trump’s March elections executive order from being implemented.

The order requires proof of citizenship to register to vote and vote, requires all ballots be counted on Election Day, and threatens federal funding for states that don’t comply, among other changes.

The Constitution grants states the right to oversee their own elections, with Congress permitted to regulate certain aspects of voting.

Voting rights advocates and the Democratic National Committee have filed separate lawsuits challenging the legality of Trump’s order, too.

Dismantling federal agencies

A May order from a Rhode Island judge granted a preliminary injunction to prohibit DOGE from dismantling certain federal agencies.

Weiser and 20 other Democratic attorneys general filed a suit in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island challenging a Trump order attempting to dismantle federal agencies created by Congress.

While Trump has taken several actions attempting to cut down other federal agencies, the lawsuit is focused on the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The order Trump issued on March 14 orders the agencies “to eliminate every one of their programs and components not mandated by statute.”

Other case updates

While a Massachusetts judge granted a temporary restraining order reversing the U.S. Department of Education’s move to freeze $600 million in grant funding for K-12 teacher training programs, the Supreme Court issued an administrative stay to allow the freeze to continue as the case continues.

The judge who issued the restraining order said he saw “no reasoned explanation articulated” for the program terminations. The freeze threatens $2.8 million for a program that prepares teachers to work in rural Colorado communities that have a hard time hiring and retaining teachers.

Federal funding for the Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development grant programs goes to state universities and other teacher training programs around the country. On Feb. 7, the department immediately terminated the distribution of these grants, which were approved by Congress.

In a lawsuit Colorado joined that argues the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze wind energy development harms states’ efforts to diversify affordable, renewable energy sources, a Massachusetts judge ruled that the case can continue after the administration tried to get it dismissed.

A judge also issued a preliminary injunction from the bench in a lawsuit joined by Colorado that claims the National Institutes of Health has purposely delayed the review process for medical research grants that should have already been issued. A written order granting the injunction should be issued soon, according to Weiser’s office.

The agency has refused to pay for multi-year grants that were approved under previous administrations since Trump took office, citing disagreements over race and gender issues. Research institutions received letters alerting them that their grants were canceled in relation to “DEI,” “transgender issues” or “vaccine hesitancy.”

In a case joined by Colorado challenging the U.S. Department of Transportation’s move to require immigration enforcement as a condition for a state to receive funding, a Rhode Island judge issued a preliminary injunction to stop the requirement. The lawsuit says attaching immigration enforcement as a condition to receive federal funding is beyond the federal government’s authority and is unconstitutional.

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com.

A sweeping executive order from President Donald Trump would overhaul the administration of U.S. elections and upend how they’re run in Colorado, but election experts in the state say the measure is unconstitutional, and it already faces several legal challenges.

The order, issued late last month, requires proof of citizenship to register to vote and vote, requires all ballots be counted on Election Day, and threatens federal funding for states that don’t comply, among other changes. On Thursday, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a lawsuit alongside other Democratic states challenging the order, saying it will cause imminent and irreparable harm to states and voters.

“This elections executive order is an overreach by the White House and it threatens to undermine Colorado’s well-established gold standard for free and fair elections,” Weiser said in a statement. “That’s why we are challenging this illegal action and protecting our freedom to vote.”

Voting rights advocates and the Democratic National Committee have filed separate lawsuits challenging the legality of Trump’s order too. Doug Spencer, a professor at the University of Colorado who specializes in election law, said legal challenges to the order “will prevail.” He said the executive order is similar to others Trump has issued in that it attempts to take actions that are beyond the president’s authority.

“Some of the executive orders I think raise some interesting questions or novel questions, and some of them are just blatantly wrong, like if you’re born here, you’re not a citizen. That’s just blatantly wrong,” Spencer said, referring to Trump’s attempt to end the constitutional right to birthright citizenship. “That the president can dictate how states run their elections, even for federal offices, is just wrong. The Constitution has clear language: Congress has authority to do this, and Donald Trump is not Congress, so those lawsuits will be successful.”

Spencer said Colorado would have to change numerous aspects of how it conducts elections under Trump’s executive order, but he doesn’t see that becoming reality. He said the order may still have the political consequences Trump is looking for, though, in that it signals to Republicans in Congress and the states what he wants from them.

Aly Belknap, executive director of Colorado Common Cause, a nonprofit that works to defend democracy and voter rights, said Congress has already passed laws detailing what is required to register to vote in federal elections, and Trump cannot simply decide there are new requirements with an executive order.

“States really just need to resist these attempts to override state and federal law through the ongoing legal challenges, and we just really need states to reassert their right to control their own elections and the core of what our democracy is,” Belknap said.

Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said the order “goes well beyond” the constitutional powers of the presidency.

“Here in Colorado we’ve been very innovative and are one of the best states in the country in how we conduct our elections, and so federal overreach like this is not welcome,” Crane said.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said the order is unlawful and would prevent eligible voters from casting a ballot.

“The Trump administration is weaponizing the federal government and trying to make it harder for voters to fight back at the ballot box,” Griswold said in a statement when the order was first issued. “The United States has always led the world in conducting free and fair elections, and we cannot let Donald Trump end that legacy.”

Burden on voters

Spencer said verifying citizenship when registering to vote “has the potential to stop non-citizens from voting. The problem is, non-citizens aren’t voting, so there’s not really a problem to be solved.” He said it’s not easy to prove citizenship, and requiring everyone who wants to vote to do so could lead to citizens not being able to vote.

“There’s not really any evidence that there’s a problem in the first place, but you’re going to risk disfranchising people because of the challenges of the documents,” Spencer said.

Belknap said millions of Americans who are eligible to vote don’t have the proper form of ID the executive order would require from a voter, such as a passport or a birth certificate.

“This is just really scary because it basically takes the responsibility to verify a person’s citizenship status from election officials — who do that now to ensure that non-citizens aren’t voting — and puts it on American voters, making them have to convince the government that they’re eligible to exercise the right to vote,” Belknap said.

Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López said Colorado already has systems in place to ensure only eligible voters cast a ballot in an election, with many opportunities to catch anything suspicious. He said the state verifies a voter’s registration information with various state agencies using their ID number, and once verified within Colorado’s voter database, they’ll use the Electronic Registration Information Center to compare with other states around the country.

“It is really nothing more than an attempt to discourage and undermine voters of all stripes and of all backgrounds, especially people of color and naturalized citizens and even women, from engaging in the right to vote,” López said of the executive order. “This would dramatically impact folks whose name doesn’t match their original birth certificate because of marriage or divorce or anything else.”

López said instances of people who are not eligible to vote attempting to vote are very rare “because the system that we use works,” and if someone does try to vote illegally, they will be prosecuted. He also said undocumented immigrants are not trying to illegally participate in U.S. elections as Trump claims.

“On its face there’s really just this baseless claim of fraud, especially amongst undocumented immigrants who are somehow voting in these elections,” López said. “It’s a false narrative and frankly it only serves to turn Americans against each other.”

Crane said if the order were enacted, Colorado voters would have to show proof of citizenship when registering for the first time, as well as every time they update their registration. The process would also have to take place in person, removing online registration as an option, and lines to vote in person would take much longer as election workers would have to verify documentation.

Most Colorado voters already need to have their ballot to their county clerks office by 7 p.m. on Election Day to have it counted, but for military and overseas voters, their ballot can be counted up to eight days after Election Day so long as it’s postmarked on Election Day. Trump’s order would preclude ballots to be counted after Election Day.

“We believe our military voters deserve every opportunity to have their voice heard and so this executive order would walk that back, which seems insane,” Crane said.

Belknap said the order could also hinder Colorado’s automatic voter registration process, as Division of Motor Vehicles employees would have to “assess customer citizenship status” during every interaction they have.

“We’ve had this automatic motor registration at the DMV for many years now,” Belknap said. “It’s how so many Coloradans get registered to vote originally when they get their permit or their drivers license, or when they move and have to update.”

SAVE Act

Republicans in Congress reintroduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which would require proof of citizenship for anyone registering to vote nationwide. The bill poses a more substantial threat than Trump’s executive order because Congress actually has the power to legislate certain requirements for federal elections. Spencer said the SAVE Act includes some provisions Trump tried to address with his executive order related to citizenship and voting machine verification, but it’s not quite as far reaching.

Two Colorado Republicans in Congress, Reps. Lauren Boebert of Windsor and Jeff Crank of Colorado Springs, are sponsors of SAVE Act.

The CCCA has taken a formal position against the SAVE Act. Crane said the measure is “poorly written” and would increase costs of conducting elections without providing the funding for those costs.

With the potential for civil or criminal charges for election workers who unintentionally register an ineligible voter in the SAVE Act, Crane said it would also deter people from working as an election judge because they wouldn’t want to risk prosecution.

“Nobody is out there right now — no clerk, no election judge — purposefully registering somebody who shouldn’t be registered,” Crane said. “If it does happen, it’s certainly on a very, very small scale now. But if you make a mistake, you could face five years in prison and you could be sued civilly. Who in their right mind is going to want to work in that environment?”

Crane said while it is important to ensure only citizens are voting, the Trump administration is looking to do so in a way that isn’t efficient without seeking alternative means.

“They aren’t interested in having conversations with experts who do this work to figure out those better ways,” Crane said. “They’d much rather be informed by people who have been spreading disinformation for the last four years and spreading lies and legislating based on disinformation rather than fact, and that’s a very dangerous place to be.”

López said Trump intentionally spreads misinformation — particularly the false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen — to undermine voters and create distrust to the point that eligible voters won’t want to vote. Ultimately, López said he thinks that’s Trump’s main goal.

“He doesn’t like who’s coming out to vote, so let’s stifle it rather than fighting a fair fight in a fair election and talking about the facts,” López said.

Claims of widespread fraud in recent U.S. elections have been debunked by elections officials, experts, media investigations, law enforcement, and the courts.

López said “in the age of misinformation,” he encouraged all voters to go “straight to the source” and ask their local elections officials any questions they have about their voter registration or how their vote is counted.

“Our voters can expect the same level of excellence from their clerk and recorder’s office, from the elections division, as they are used to — the same fair, secure and accessible model that leads the nation,” López said.

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com.

Police escorted several people from a town hall with two Colorado Democrats Wednesday night after they shouted that the officials aren’t doing enough to protect the environment and push back against President Donald Trump’s administration.

A heated crowd in Golden heard U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Lakewood answer questions about Democratic leadership in Congress, the legality of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, preserving the integrity of the judicial branch, and concerns about a lack of tangible actions to hold the Trump administration accountable. Hundreds gathered for the town hall at the Bunker Auditorium at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, which sits in Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, represented by Pettersen.

Several people affiliated with activist group Climate Defiance Colorado handed fliers to town hall attendees as they entered the venue and stood at their seats holding signs during the event. They shouted out criticizing Bennet’s votes in support of several Trump cabinet nominees and for failing to push back against the president’s actions. Others accused Bennet of “killing the planet” and taking money from oil and gas, which Bennet denied.

Since Trump took office in January, he has fired thousands of federal employees, frozen federal funding approved by Congress and resisted court orders, among dozens of other extreme executive actions.

The auditorium erupted between people shouting at Bennet and people rebutting in defense of Bennet.

“You can’t compromise with fascists,” one person yelled.

“You’re attacking the wrong man,” a woman shouted back.

“We’re not going to do it this way,” Bennet said. He told one person, “What you’re saying is totally false. It’s not true.”

Later in the night, other attendees who were also removed from the venue called out to criticize continued U.S. support for Israel despite the thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza. “Stop spending more on bombs than you do on schools,” one attendee said.

Police escorted out just under 10 people throughout the night after Bennet’s staff attempted to talk them down.

“I know that these are intense times and that we can have disagreements, but I don’t think that engaging in that way is helpful,” Pettersen said.

Despite the interruptions, Bennet said he would still encourage his Republican colleagues to hold town halls and hear directly from constituents.

“This is a free country. People have the right to express themselves,” he said to reporters after the town hall. “There are always going to be instances like that, but we also were able to have the conversation that we needed to have tonight.”

Bennet also hosted a town hall in Greeley Tuesday night and will host one more in Colorado Springs on Thursday. Progressive groups are holding “people’s town halls” in Republican congressional districts around the country where Republicans are declining to engage directly with constituents.

‘I want to see obstruction’

The first constituent to ask a question Wednesday said “words are great” but that he wasn’t seeing any action, and attendees asking for more substantial answers and actions to oppose Trump policies continued throughout the night.

Amanda Arlington, a Parker resident who worked at Denver Public Schools when Bennet was the district’s superintendent, said she saw him show up for kids in classrooms at the schools regularly, but she hasn’t seen that translate to similar action during his time in the Senate, she said. Arlington said she hasn’t heard a plan for how Democrats are actually working against Trump, and she asked Bennet and Pettersen to share one.

“I feel like you’re talking pretty,” Arlington told Bennet while asking a question during the town hall. “I want to see obstruction.”

Bennet said that with Trump in the White House and majorities in both chambers of Congress, Democrats have to find other methods of pushing back.

“It doesn’t do anybody any good for us to pretend that that’s not real,” Bennet said of Republican control in Washington. “But it’s not an excuse for not continuing to push. It’s not an excuse to not continue to lift our voices.”

Democrats need to “obstruct everything,” Arlington told Newsline after the town hall, because Republican plans at the federal level “are terrifying.”

“We need leadership to say no, because we’re not in Washington,” she said. “I mean Republicans have been doing that for years. They have a lot of power and they stopped a lot of (President Barack) Obama’s agenda … I want to see that from the Democrats, and I’m not seeing it.”

She added that Republicans are “going to devastate the economy. They’re going to devastate kids. They’re going to devastate health care, and devastate rural America.”

Jake Kotula from Denver said Republican actions are “a huge departure from the norm,” and he hasn’t seen any different behavior from Democrats to react to the new political landscape.

“The question I was going to ask them was, ‘What distinctly are you going to do differently
now that the rules of engagement are different?’” Kotula said in an interview with Newsline after the town hall. “Give us actionable steps about how you are bucking the norm the way that the Republicans are bucking the norm, the way they are eroding democracy.”

Both Colorado Democrats at the town hall should “weaponize the bureaucratic foundations of legislative proceedings” like the Senate filibuster and encourage others in their chambers to do the same to support the judiciary, Kotula said. He got to tell Pettersen his thoughts after the town hall concluded. Both elected officials talked to people in the audience.

Ron Meehan from Lakewood said many people have “deeply rooted and valid concerns” about protecting federal assistance programs, democracy and the climate, and residents want to know what Democrats are doing to respond to those concerns, and how they can get involved.

“I am hopeful that they will have a more unified front, and they will be able to pull the public more in, because we know that the public right now is engaged,” Meehan said in an interview with Newsline after the town hall. “They are furious about the real impacts that these (decisions) are having on people’s lives and their ability to get by, and we have to have really meaningful action on that.”

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com.

U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, who is a few weeks away from giving birth to her second child, is leading an effort to allow new parents to vote remotely in Congress.

Pettersen, a Lakewood Democrat, is unable to fly to Washington, D.C., due to medical and travel restrictions toward the end of pregnancy, leaving her unable to vote on legislation. She will be the 14th member of Congress to give birth while in office, and the first from Colorado.

A bipartisan resolution she introduced would allow proxy voting for House members who are new parents, a measure she says is necessary to make Congress more accessible.

“I’m grateful for the bipartisan partnership on something that the American people and our constituents overwhelmingly believe is common sense, and that you shouldn’t be precluded from doing your job just because you’re having a baby,” Pettersen told Newsline on Wednesday. “There are ways that we can allow proxy voting with the guardrails necessary so it’s (for) rare circumstances like this, and this is an important step forward to modernizing Congress and addressing the needs of the workforce of today.”

Pettersen was in D.C. for the start of the 119th Congress, but flew back to Colorado last week, the last week she was able to fly. The House clerk marked her as “not voting” on eight pieces of legislation since Monday, including a measure that would bar transgender students from participating on women’s school sports teams consistent with their gender identity.

The resolution is co-sponsored by Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, Sara Jacobs, a California Democrat, and Mike Lawler, a New York Republican. House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat, also sponsored the measure.

“No parent should have to choose between caring for their child, or recovering from childbirth, and fulfilling their duties in Congress to represent their constituents,” Luna said in a statement. “Congress needs to get with the times. This bipartisan proposal is vital in promoting a pro-family Washington, where every American has a voice and the unwavering representation they deserve.”

During her first term, Jacobs froze her eggs and “delayed starting a family partly because of the demands of this job and the constant travel,” she said in a statement. Allowing voting by proxy for new parents is a small step to make the federal government more representative of the country, she said.

The representatives wrote a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson in December asking him to add a provision in the rules of the 119th Congress allowing for proxy voting.

“We have to modernize Congress to make sure that the life experiences and the backgrounds of the people we represent are actually represented at the federal level,” Pettersen said. “It’s just unacceptable that there are no accommodations, and completely unfair that I’m unable to vote and do my job just because I’m having a child … It just shouldn’t be this way, and there’s very obvious steps forward in addressing it.”

If leadership doesn’t bring the resolution to a vote, sponsors will force a vote on it through a discharge petition 30 legislative days after it was introduced, Pettersen said. That would require 218 signatures in support of the resolution.

As a state lawmaker, Pettersen, after she had her first child, led legislation to allow Colorado parents to take paid leave. Colorado law previously restricted legislator pay for extended absences, so Pettersen had to categorize her absence as a “chronic illness” in order to be paid. She was the first Colorado legislator to request parental leave.

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com.

U.S. Rep.-elect Jeff Hurd will soon take over representing Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District after four years of representation by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert.

While the 45-year-old Grand Junction Republican said he has “a different style” than Boebert, he said they will have similar priorities when it comes to the district’s needs. The district encompasses the Western Slope and the southwest corner of the state, sweeping east to include Pueblo, Otero and Las Animas counties. Hurd beat Democrat Adam Frisch in the November election with 50.8% of the district’s vote over Frisch’s 45.8%.

“When it comes to the issues, I think we’re going to be working together,” Hurd said of Boebert, a MAGA provocateur who is heading back to Congress from a new district. “I think a lot of the issues that mattered to the 3rd Congressional District when she was representing it will continue to matter to the 3rd Congressional District, and I think we’re going to fight to make sure that we advance sound economic policies that grow our economy, that create opportunities for families and for small businesses.”

Hurd said when he gets to Congress he will work to secure the border, grow the energy economy in the 3rd District, and protect Colorado’s water and agricultural resources. He’s “waiting to see” what President-elect Donald Trump’s immigration and deportation plans look like, he said, as he hasn’t yet seen plans that are specific enough to judge.

“Certainly, I am in support of bringing to justice and deporting criminals, violent criminals. I think that needs to be a priority first and foremost,” Hurd said. “Beyond that, I think we need to wait and see what exactly the Trump administration is proposing.”

The last Trump administration moved the national headquarters for the Bureau of Land Management and its senior officials from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, but the Biden administration reversed that move while keeping the agency’s “Western headquarters” in the town. Some Trump allies have called for the headquarters to be relocated to the West again.

Hurd said he would support moving the agency’s headquarters back to Grand Junction. While he isn’t sure when or how that move might happen, Hurd said he’s encouraged by the support for a return he’s heard from other elected officials in the 3rd District and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat.

“I think the decision makers should be here in the West where the lands are managed, and where they can be in closer contact with the people most affected by the decisions that this federal agency makes,” Hurd said. “I know this is an issue that is important for my district, it’s important for our state, and it has support across the aisle politically as well, which is encouraging.”

First and foremost: water

Hurd said he’ll also have to wait and see the details of what Trump has proposed in terms of tariffs, though he does have “some concerns about blanket tariffs and the impact that could have on our economy.” He said the U.S. can use tariffs “strategically and thoughtfully” to make sure the country has its own resources and doesn’t “become too reliant on other countries, particularly when it comes to some critical minerals and resources.”

“I think there’s definitely a role that we can have in deploying tariffs strategically to not only right trade imbalances, but also advance America’s national interest and national security priorities as well,” Hurd said.

Trump has said he will impose sweeping 25% tariffs on major American trade partners including Mexico, Canada and China as part of his efforts to bring down the cost of living. Economic experts say Trump’s proposals will hurt American families’ wallets with more expensive cars, appliances and technology.

Trump also said he will have tech billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, an effort to cut government spending and federal workforce. Hurd said the idea is encouraging and that he’s curious to see what the pair leading the effort proposes. Making government more efficient and cutting spending are “two very important priorities” in the coming years, he said.

Colorado’s new members of Congress spend the time between Election Day and Jan. 3, when they’re sworn in, transitioning constituent services and setting up offices in their districts and D.C. Hurd will serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, and the House Committee on Natural Resources alongside Boebert and U.S. Rep.-elect Jeff Crank, a Colorado Springs Republican.

Hurd is one of three freshman Republicans heading to Congress from Colorado in January. Of the four congressional Republicans from Colorado in the new term, Boebert is the only incumbent, though she will now represent the 4th District. Crank will represent Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, and U.S. Rep.-elect Gabe Evans will represent Colorado’s 8th Congressional District.

“I’m excited to work with all of them, and I think there’s a lot of opportunity for us to do good things for not only our districts, but for our state,” Hurd said. “I’m also encouraged by the opportunities to collaborate with our colleagues on the Democratic side of the aisle as well.”

Hurd said he has already met with U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat who serves as the assistant minority leader in the House, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jason Crow of Centennial, and Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, and he looks forward to working across the aisle with Colorado’s Democrats on issues important to the whole state.

“I think there’s an opportunity to work together as a Colorado delegation on issues that aren’t partisan, but that matter to all of us as Coloradans — first and foremost would be water and protecting that precious resource,” Hurd said.

Hurd said his constituents are concerned about issues that affect their lives daily, including the cost of food, housing and energy. He said they also want leaders to secure the border, protect social security and Medicare, and ensure veterans get quality care.

After Hurd’s election night watch party, the Grand Junction Sentinel reported members of the media were “sequestered” in a curtained area separate from other attendees and had to be escorted anytime they left the area. Hurd said he hopes “to be open and accessible and responsive” to the media, particularly local media outlets in the 3rd District, which he said are a great way to reach his constituents. He said he also plans to be accessible to his constituents, hosting town halls and answering their questions.

“Effective communication is at the heart of making sure that the citizens of the 3rd Congressional District know what their representative is doing on their behalf in Washington and how I will be working for them,” Hurd said. “I look forward to engaging with those I represent, whether or not they voted for me, and hearing what their concerns are, what their questions are, what their priorities are and how I can best help.”

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com.

On the two-year anniversary of the deadly Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs, survivors and family members of those killed announced a federal lawsuit claiming El Paso County officials and Club Q management could have prevented the shooting.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court of Colorado, claims the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners and former El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder are culpable in the shooting because they refused to enforce Colorado’s “red flag” law, and that Club Q owners did not implement sufficient security measures to keep its patrons safe.

Colorado’s 2019 red flag law allows law enforcement agencies, housemates or family members to ask the courts to issue an extreme risk protection order against an individual if there is evidence they could pose a threat to themselves or others by having a weapon.

Plaintiffs include Adriana Vance, whose son Raymond Green was killed, Tanya Beal, whose daughter Kelly Loving was killed, and Julia Rump, whose son Derrick Rump was killed. Survivors in the lawsuit include John Arcediano, Jancarlos Del Valle, Ashtin Gamblin, Jerecho Loveall, Anthony Malburg, Charlene Slaugh, James Slaugh, and Brianna Winningham.

Chicago-based law firm Romanucci & Blandin — which has represented victims of other mass shootings, including the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school shooting, the Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida, the July 4 Highland Park shooting in Illinois — is representing the Club Q victims. Bufkin & Schneider, a Colorado Springs-based law firm, is representing one victim, Barrett Hudson, who filed a separate claim. Hudson was shot seven times at Club Q, and three bullets will remain in his body for the rest of his life because they were not safe to remove, his lawyer said.

Patrick Huber, senior attorney with Romanucci & Blandin, said the shooter, Anderson Lee Aldrich, had stated plans to perpetrate a mass shooting and that government entities failed to act on “clear, credible warnings about the shooter’s violent intentions, choosing to prioritize political opposition to the red flag law over public safety.”

“The lawsuit seeks justice for the victims and their families, holding those responsible accountable for their failure to protect the community despite clear warning signs and foreseeable risk,” Huber said at a press conference announcing the lawsuit Tuesday in Denver. “The lawsuit underscores that this tragedy was not an unavoidable act of violence, but the result of systemic failures by those entrusted with safeguarding the public.”

County commissioners passed a resolution in 2019, which Elder supported, “showing support for the Second Amendment” and declared they would not enforce the red flag law. Huber said El Paso County’s “unconstitutional and reckless policy” refusing to enforce the red flag law enabled Aldrich’s attack.

The lawsuit highlights Aldrich’s previous interactions with law enforcement, including a call their grandmother made in June 2021 reporting that Aldrich was “making a bomb in the basement” and that they said they planned to be “the next mass killer.” Aldrich also threatened their grandparents while holding a loaded gun and said, “You guys die today, and I’m taking you with me. I’m loaded and ready. You’re not calling anyone,” the lawsuit says.

Defendants include the commissioners, Elder, various LLCs related to Club Q as well as its owners, Matthew Haynes, Kenneth Romines and Nicholas Grzecka. Club Q said in an unattributed statement emailed to Newsline that “we will address these matters in the appropriate venue” to respect the legal process.

“The tragic events of Club Q remain a devastating chapter in our lives and in the lives of our community. The pain of this tragedy is something we all carry with us every single day,” the statement said. “The accusations against Club Q and myself are false and completely inaccurate and will be rigorously defended. The blame for this tragedy does not lie with those who were impacted but with Anderson Aldrich, the shooter and a system that enables easy access to weapons of war.”

Newsline’s attempts to contact the El Paso BOCC and Elder were unsuccessful. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said it will not comment on pending litigation.

Sarah Raisch, also a senior attorney with Romanucci & Blandin, said Club Q “drastically reduced its security measures” despite increased risk to LGBTQ+ venues, particularly following the Pulse nightclub shooting. She said club ownership “consistently prioritized profits over people, leaving its patrons vulnerable to this horrific attack.”

When the Pulse shooting happened in 2016, Club Q had as many as five or more security guards, one of whom was armed. On the night of the Club Q shooting, only one security person was employed at the club and also worked as a barback and food runner, according to the lawsuit.

“Club Q advertised itself as a safe space, but that was a dangerous illusion,” Raisch said. “Rather than increasing safety and risk management measures after Pulse, Club Q ownership cut back security and cut corners on security measures.

The plaintiffs seek financial damages from the defendants named in the lawsuit, but they don’t say how much. Huber said this would be determined in court.

Aldrich was sentenced to 55 concurrent life sentences in prison in June after pleading guilty to 74 hate crimes and firearms charges.

Victims still recovering

Gamblin said she’s lucky to have found a job that understands her limitations. She was working the front door the night of the shooting and was shot nine times in both her arms, resulting in broken bones on both sides.

She can’t drive, cook for herself, or walk her dogs because of the injuries she sustained in the shooting. Recently, she went to a concert with her mother, and the sounds from pyrotechnics the artist used reminded her of gunshots.

“I struggle with doing things that I once found enjoyable,” Gamblin said. “I went from being a person who could hold her own while her spouse was gone to being absolutely terrified every time he leaves, because what if I can’t open my drinks, or get help cooking.”

Charlene Slaugh was shot multiple times, and said the pain and memories from the shooting two years ago “remain as vivid as if they were yesterday.” She’s had multiple surgeries and has gone through months of physical therapy. Her brother James was at the club with her the night of the shooting along with his husband, Del Valle.

“Physically, I’ve come a long way. But the emotional scars are much harder to heal,” Slaugh said. “There’s still many moments when the weight of it all becomes overwhelming.”

“There’s a profound loneliness that comes with carrying trauma like this,” she added. “I remember what it felt like to wonder if I’d survive. Those memories don’t just disappear. They’re woven into the fabric of my life now.”

James Slaugh said he’s now hypervigilant in a way he never was prior to the shooting, always checking for exits and watching other peoples’ behaviors for something “that might feel off.” He said survivors need “ongoing support, understanding, compassion and justice” as they try to navigate life after the shooting.

“It’s hard to feel fully comfortable or safe, and that feeling changes everything about how I move through this world now,” he said.

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com. Follow Colorado Newsline on Facebook and X.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley told a crowd of a couple hundred Colorado supporters Tuesday that she’s still running so younger generations can have hope for the future.

“Imagine a country where we can strongly disagree, but we don’t have to hate each other,” Haley said. “Imagine a country where our kids don’t have stress and anxiety, but they have hope for the future. That’s the country I want for your kids and mine.”

The former governor of South Carolina appeared at a rally that drew a crowd of voters to Wings over the Rockies Exploration of Flight in Centennial, where she focused on changes she’d push for if elected as well as the dangers the country would face if former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner in the race, returned to the presidency.

Haley said Trump put the U.S. into more debt in four years than any other president, adding $8 trillion to the country’s debts. She also decried Trump’s rhetoric around Russia and said the president should voice support for the nation’s allies, not those who threaten them.

“We need a president who understands the No. 1 job is to prevent war, period,” Haley said. “America needs to go back to understanding what it means to have peace through strength. We should never be so arrogant to think America doesn’t need friends.”

Haley mentioned states like Michigan and Minnesota that previously had Republican control, but have since seen Democrats take over the governorship and state legislatures after Trump came into the picture.

“Now I’m in Colorado, and I’m looking at the fact that no Republican has gotten over 45% statewide since Donald Trump was president,” Haley said.

At one point during the rally, members of the crowd started chanting “don’t quit” to show their support for Haley despite primary results so far. Haley just lost the primary in her home state, and in Nevada, she lost to the “none of these candidates” option on the ballot.

Suzanne Staiert, a former deputy secretary of state and former Republican candidate for Colorado state Senate, introduced Haley and said she couldn’t imagine “a better candidate to lead us out of this abyss” than Haley.

“I’m just so excited to have a candidate that is going to concentrate on actual issues instead of settling personal scores,” Staiert said. “A candidate who is not going to get caught up in all the drama and make this her family industry. A candidate that cares about our children and cares about our future and is running because she wants us to have a choice.”

Haley said she wants to bolster the middle class to stop the rich from getting richer and the poor from getting poorer. She also said she wants to make tax cuts for small businesses permanent and hold Congress accountable to create a balanced budget on time without risk of a government shutdown. Haley, who is married to a combat veteran, also said the federal government needs to improve its support for veterans.

Haley touted a South Carolina immigration policy she signed into law as governor that faced legal challenges from the federal government. Federal judges blocked certain parts of the policy, but Haley still considers the legislation a win and said she wants to grow the concept nationally. She also said she’d want to defund sanctuary cities.

“Denver has had more illegal immigrants come here, more than any other city in America per capita,” Haley said. “We can’t wait one more day to pass a strong immigration bill. We’ve got to get it done. Congress needs to do their job, and Trump needs to stay out of it, period.”

About 40,000 migrants have arrived in Denver since the end of 2022.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks at a rally on Feb. 27, 2024, in Centennial as she continues her campaign to take the Republican presidential nomination ahead of Super Tuesday. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline)

Gary Schnell drove about an hour and a half from Eaton to attend the rally. He wore a Haley-branded shirt that says “barred permanently,” which is a reference to a Trump comment saying anyone who donates to Haley’s team is “permanently barred from the MAGA camp.”

“I’ve been a Republican all my life until about two years ago when I quit the party because that lying, immoral a**hole got the nomination and now controls the Republican Party,” Schnell said. “So I have to do something else. I’d like to go back to the Republican Party someday, and if this woman is nominated by the Republicans, I’ll be first in line.”

Schnell said the GOP is no longer a political party, but is rather “a cult” devoted to supporting Trump. He said the Colorado Republican Party’s move to endorse Trump in the primary is “totally out of line” and “contrary to their own, fundamental beliefs.”

The state GOP endorsed Trump in early January.

While Schnell said he supports Haley and already voted for her, he said he’s “a realist” and doesn’t see her winning next week’s Colorado presidential primary election. He said he’s not looking forward to seeing the results of the primary.

“I think it’s great that somebody with her stamina, understanding, perseverance, will stick in there and call out Donald Trump for what he really is,” Schnell said.

Gretchen Anderson came to the rally from Parker to support Haley because she focuses on what she actually wants to get done in office, “not putting down other people,” Anderson said. She said Haley is polished and intelligent, and that she’s more impressed by Haley every time she hears her speak.

Anderson said she wished the Colorado Republican Party would be more open-minded instead of backing Trump. She said she’d go home after the rally and reach out to friends to encourage their participation in the primary.

“This was nowhere near a big enough crowd,” Anderson said. “Even though Colorado is generally a Democratic state, I know that the south Denver metro for sure has a lot of Republicans, and I don’t see them.”

Haley said Republican voters can’t complain about what happens in the general election if they don’t participate in the primary. She said she doesn’t see the country surviving another four years under Trump’s leadership, noting that all he does is talk about himself.

“This is not personal for me with Donald Trump. I voted for Donald Trump twice,” Haley said. “I was proud to serve America and his administration. But the truth of the matter is chaos follows him. Everywhere he goes, chaos follows him.”

The primary election in Colorado is March 5, known as Super Tuesday, when 15 states conduct their presidential primary elections.

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com. Follow Colorado Newsline on Facebook and Twitter.