KUNC’s Government and You series is looking at how budget cuts and state and federal policies are impacting the lives of Coloradans. Click on the links below to hear past stories in our series.
Bente Birkeland is an award-winning journalist who joined Colorado Public Radio in August 2018 after a decade of reporting on the Colorado state capitol for the Rocky Mountain Community Radio collaborative and KUNC. In 2017, Bente was named Colorado Journalist of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and she was awarded with a National Investigative Reporting Award by SPJ a year later.
Governor John Hickenlooper has made it a priority to increase exports of Colorado products. He’s even challenged his new Commissioner of Agriculture, John…
For much of our Government and You series, we’ve discussed the potential impact of budget cuts as state lawmakers worked to fill a projected half-billion…
Wilderness conservation took a hit as part of this year’s federal budget compromise. A rider slipped into the bill at the last minute has put millions of…
If you want to see stimulus dollars at work, take a visit to the Denver-based nonprofit Veterans Green Jobs. Two and a half years ago, the organization…
Governor John Hickenlooper is proposing to cut more than $300 million from the state's education budget. This would hit Colorado's isolated, rural school…
Colorado lawmakers and officials with the Department of Natural Resources are meeting tomorrow to discuss consolidating two of its divisions: state parks…
As part of President Obama’s ambitious plan to have 80% of the country’s power come from renewable sources by 2035, the Administration wants to fast-track…
Governor Hickenlooper’s proposed closure of Fort Lyon Correctional Facility in southeastern Colorado could save the state millions. But residents say the…
As Colorado K-12 schools face an estimated $375 million cut in funding next year, some may be turning to companies like State Farm Insurance and First…
Colorado's public schools will likely bear the biggest brunt of the cuts if the Governor Hickenlooper's budget is approved by the legislature. Those cuts…
Colorado ranks near the bottom nationally for higher education funding. And colleges and universities are bracing for yet another round of deep budget…
Colorado’s Joint Budget Committee must fill an estimated $1.1 billion budget gap which will likely translate into deep cuts to many programs including…
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper will release his budget plans for the following year next week. And with an estimated $ 1.1 billion shortfall to fill…