⚖️ Gov. Polis cuts Tina Peters’ sentence

🇺🇲 Republican Race for Governor Heats Up

Statewide budget concerns and pedophilia rings were just a few topics tossed between two of the three Republican gubernatorial candidates in their most recent televised debate. State Rep. Scott Bottoms and state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer discussed key issues concerning the Republican party, including unaffiliated voters, state spending, and alliances with President Trump. [Denver Post]

• Where the candidates stand: Kirkmeyer and Bottoms clashed over multiple issues. While Bottoms is currently backing a lawsuit to block unaffiliated voters from participating in the primaries, Kirkmeyer said she wants to keep unaffiliated voters, saying the state’s voting system is “secure.” [Colorado Public Radio]
• They also disagreed on state spending. Kirkmeyer, who played a role in writing the most recent budget, said she’d protect safety nets and education spending. Bottoms, who voted against the most recent budget, said he’d cut $10 million in additional state spending by creating a plan inspired by DOGE. [Axios]
• Where was Victor Marx? The third gubernatorial candidate on the ballot, Victor Marx, was notably absent from the debate. Marx is a Christian ministry leader who declined involvement in the on-screen debate.
• What comes next? Despite Marx’s lack of participation in the most recent debate, he plans to join the next two Republican debates — the last to occur before the primary election. These debates will be held on May 26 and June 2. The winner of the GOP primary election on June 30 will go to face the Democratic primary winner, which will be either Scott Bennet or Phil Weiser. [Colorado Public Radio]

Tina Peters’ Prison Time Cut in Half

Gov. Jared Polis is reducing Peters’ state prison sentence to 4.5 years, allowing her to be eligible for parole on June 1, despite opposition from Democrats and election officials. Peters was sentenced to nearly nine years for helping breach Mesa County voting machines during her term as clerk and recorder in an effort to prove debunked election conspiracies during the 2020 election. Polis, who is in his last term as governor, has been under pressure from the Trump administration to release Peters. [NPR]

• The crux of the issue: Gov. Polis defended his clemency decision on Friday by quoting a recent appeals court decision that said Peters was punished unfairly due to her beliefs of election conspiracies, which are protected under the First Amendment. [Denver Post 🔒]

🍻 Growth on Tap for Craft Beer

Colorado breweries of all sizes increased production by more than 10% in 2025. This is a lot better than what happened on a national scale last year, where breweries faced an average 5.7% decrease in operations. Experts attribute part of the growth in our state to breweries like Tivoli seeing outsized success; at the same time, 33 breweries closed in Colorado last year. [Colorado Public Radio]

🍎 Scandal Roils School Choice Signatures

A pair of individuals were indicted on three felony charges for using illegal means to get a school choice amendment on the ballot in 2024. Although voters ultimately rejected the measure, the individuals are charged with forging signatures of multiple individuals, including those who were already deceased. [Denver Post🔒]

🚗 The Wash Park Fight Over an Unhoused Neighbor

A woman has been living in her car on Marion Parkway for more than a decade — but now, some of her Washington Park neighbors want her gone. Meanwhile, Mutual Aid Monday and the city are clashing over the group’s weekly gathering in front of the City and County Building. Denverite’s Kyle Harris joins host Bree Davies to discuss his reporting and what these stories say about the state of homelessness in 2026. [City Cast Denver 🎧]