Bente Birkeland
Bente Birkeland has been reporting on state legislative issues for KUNC and Rocky Mountain Community Radio since 2006. Originally, from Minnesota, Bente likes to hike and ski in her spare time. She keeps track of state politics throughout the year but is especially busy during the annual legislative session from January through early May.
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State lawmakers had to find more than $1 billion in savings in order to balance the state budget this session. -
A local-versus-state battle has taken hold over how Colorado will grow. It’s a fight about local control and who gets to decide what’s best for Coloradans. -
Colorado's popular black plates are bringing in big bucks for people with disabilities. But that money could get swept up in the scramble to balance the budget. -
With less than 60 days left to go and plenty of big, controversial bills still in play, it’s crunch time for state lawmakers. -
Supporters are targeting state officials with an email campaign, while also calling on the Trump administration to take action. -
It can take over a year to get DNA results in a sexual assault case. Lawmakers want that to change. -
Victims of sexual assault discussed the human toll behind the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s one-and-a-half year backlog in processing evidence. -
Companies like Lyft and Uber would have to track and report violent incidents, and do more to ensure the person behind the wheel is really the registered driver.
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Colorado takes a relatively cheap and fast approach for filling statehouse vacancies. What it's not, is democratic. -
The proposal has broad legislative support, but is dividing the Indigenous community.
