Bente Birkeland
Bente Birkeland has covered Colorado politics and government since spring of 2006. She loves the variety and challenge of the state capitol beat and talking to people from all walks of life. Bente's work has aired on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, American PublicMedia'sMarketplace, and she was a contributor for WNYC's The Next Big Thing. She has won numerous local and national awards, including best beat reporting from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors. Bente grew up in Minnesota and England, and loves skiing, hiking, and is an aspiring cello player. She lives in Lakewood with her husband.
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Several state legislatures have called off their 2020 sessions due to the coronavirus outbreak, leaving necessary lawmaking in question.
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The city of Pueblo, Colo. went for Donald Trump in 2016, but a diverse population and an activated base of working-class voters could flip it in 2020.
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Nineteen states allow voters to try to recall elected state officials for a number of reasons, and those efforts have increased exponentially. Including in Colorado where there were six in 2019.
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Democratic Gov. Jared Polis is expected to sign the bill this week, allowing guns to be temporarily taken from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others.
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There's a political fight brewing in the Colorado legislature. Republicans are pulling out all the stops to slow down Democrats who are pushing forward with their ambitious progressive agenda.
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This year, two legislative chambers across the country have a majority of women, but in Colorado that's been in the making long before 2018.
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Sexual misconduct allegations dominated the Colorado statehouse session this year. Now, many are asking whether the state's #MeToo movement actually changed Colorado's political environment.
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In Colorado, a group is exploiting voter dissatisfaction with the two major political parties in an effort to elect unaffiliated candidates.
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Tensions are high in the Colorado Capitol with gun violence, sexual harassment complaints and an election coming, so lawmakers are wary of a bill to allow visitors to bypass normal security screening.
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The Democratic senators were targeted by gun rights activists after sweeping gun control laws were passed. The elections have attracted donations from major players across the country.