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:

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.