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PODCAST

Purplish

Colorado Public Radio

Purplish is a podcast about politics and policy and how they shape Coloradans’ lives, hosted by Colorado Public Radio’s public affairs reporter Bente Birkeland and reporters from the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. They break down the latest developments at the statehouse, in Congress and in local communities, to find the bigger picture behind the political headlines.Purplish is produced by CPR News with support from the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News,

government

All Episodes

28:50

Colorado's budget hits crunch time with ‘painful’ cuts

Purplish ·

2025/03/28

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

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29:01

Some Colorado cities plan to ignore new housing...

Purplish ·

2025/03/21

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

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31:04

Colorado lawmakers hit halftime at the State Capitol

Purplish ·

2025/03/14

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

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22:42

The human toll of Colorado’s sexual assault evidence...

Purplish ·

2025/03/07

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

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26:07

Vacancy appointments get lots of lawmakers to the...

Purplish ·

2025/02/28

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

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35:10

Life as a new state lawmaker

Purplish ·

2025/02/21

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

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20:30

The billion-dollar budget hole

Purplish ·

2025/02/14

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

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21:30

An assault weapons ban by any other name...

Purplish ·

2025/02/07

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

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25:51

The embattled Labor Peace Act

Purplish ·

2025/01/31

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

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19:37

What are SMART Act hearings?

Purplish ·

2025/01/24

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

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31:09

New Congress, old normal (for now?)

Purplish ·

2025/01/17

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

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20:30

A bipartisan tradition fades in the CO House, while...

Purplish ·

2025/01/14

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

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28:03

Budget cuts on tap for Colorado

Purplish ·

2025/01/03

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

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31:12

How it all went down

Purplish ·

2024/11/08

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

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28:53

What will make the difference in this election?

Purplish ·

2024/11/01

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.

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21:18

How Colorado secures the vote

Purplish ·

2024/10/25

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

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32:25

All. The. Ballot. Questions. All of them.

Purplish ·

2024/10/18

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.

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35:21

The Colorado congressional races to know about

Purplish ·

2024/10/11

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

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29:33

Will ranked-choice voting rewrite Colorado's...

Purplish ·

2024/10/04

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

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03:09

Coming soon: Purplish's 2024 election season

Purplish ·

2024/09/27

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.

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173 results

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