Purplish

In his first seven years in office, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis had a lot of challenges and tragedies to contend with: the COVID-19 pandemic; the 2021 Marshall Fire and other climate disasters; shootings in Boulder, Highlands Ranch, Colorado Springs and Evergreen. These events defined his governorship, as did, what he’s heralded as, some big-ticket policy wins: free full-day kindergarten and universal preschool, cutting the income tax, and wooing the Sundance Film Festival to Boulder. But during his final State of the State address this month, Polis made it clear there’s still work to be done in his lame-duck year. 
CPR’s Bente Birkeland, KUNC’s Lucas Brady Woods and The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul discuss what’s on the governor’s to-do list, how policy clashes with his own party could play out this session and the pressures from a White House that seems bent on punishing Colorado. 
Catch up on our latest coverage:

Purplish: Get ready for a new legislative session under Colorado’s Gold Dome

Colorado Matters: Polis talks advancements on Colorado agenda amid federal pressure

The Colorado Sun: Colorado’s governor gave his 8th and final State of the State speech. We analyzed everything he said.

The Colorado Sun: House declines to override Trump veto of bill to complete water pipeline in southeastern Colorado

Tina Peters from CPR, KUNC and The Colorado Sun

Purplish: A rare veto showdown at the State Capitol

Purplish: The embattled Labor Peace Act 

Purplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Purplish’s producer is Stephanie Wolf. Megan Verlee is CPR News’ executive producer of podcasts. Sound design and engineering by Shane Rumsey. The theme music is by Brad Turner.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this episode erroneously stated that Gov. Polis wants Colorado to reach 100% renewable energy by 2030. The governor's desired target is actually 2040, while the state's current target is 2050. The audio has been corrected.

From another big budget shortfall to unsettled business over artificial intelligence to other pressing policy issues, like housing, the environment and surveillance, the 2026 legislative session kicks off in less than a week and Colorado lawmakers already have a lot on their to-do lists. 
Plus, while Democrats continue to hold a wide majority in both legislative chambers, tensions between the more progressive and more moderate factions of the party threaten to bubble over. On top of all of that, a big election year that will deliver new leaders for the state. 
CPR’s Bente Birkeland, KUNC’s Lucas Brady Woods and The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul dig into the politics, the policy and the pressures expected to shape a new session. 
Catch up on our latest coverage:

Purplish: Budget balanced (for now), AI decisions punted, relationships ruptured: What went down during special session

Purplish: Crude Signal chats, social media attacks, mistreated aides: lawmaker conduct is back in the headlines

CPR: Trump cites Colorado in new executive order banning states from creating ‘cumbersome’ AI laws

The Colorado Sun: How Medicaid became such a drag on Colorado’s state budget

KUNC: Democrats, local governments are gearing up for another round of battles over housing in Colorado

The Colorado Sun: Colorado Ethics Commission advances complaints against Democrats who attended dark money-funded retreat

The Colorado Sun: Colorado state Sen. Faith Winter was legally drunk when she caused car crash that killed her, authorities say

Purplish: Drinking at the Colorado Capitol 

CPR: Democratic Sen. Faith Winter changed State Capitol culture in the #MeToo era

Purplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Purplish’s producer is Stephanie Wolf. Megan Verlee is CPR News’ executive producer of podcasting. Sound design and engineering by Shane Rumsey. Purplish’s theme music is by Brad Turner. Additional reporting for this episode from Taylor Dolven of The Colorado Sun and CPR’s John Daley.

Colorado, like the rest of the country, is experiencing more, and worse, climate disasters, wreaking havoc on people’s homes — and their homeowner’s insurance rates. 
In the wake of devastating hail storms and massive wildfires, Coloradans face rising premiums, less choice and availability, and in some cases, getting dropped by insurers altogether. The state is now one of the top ten most expensive in the country for homeowners insurance. And escalating the issue is climate change. 
CPR’s Bente Birkeland and Rocky Mountain PBS’ Andrea Kramar look at what’s happening with the home insurance market in Colorado, and what state lawmakers are trying to do to make sure that, when the flames approach or the hail falls, Coloradans don’t lose everything.
Plus stay tuned for a full-length documentary on this reporting. “Undercovered” airs on Rocky Mountain PBS Thursday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. MST, and will be available to stream on the free RMPBS+ app and Youtube.
Purplish is produced by listener-supported CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Purplish’s producer is Stephanie Wolf. Sound designed and engineered by Shane Rumsey. Theme music is by Brad Turner. CPR’s executive producer of podcasts is Megan Verlee.

In statehouses across the country, the political playing field is being redrawn, as states wade into the murky waters of midcycle redistricting. 
President Donald Trump kicked off this effort, when he urged Republicans in Texas to draw new Congressional maps, years ahead of schedule. Then came Missouri and North Carolina, and earlier this month, California voters agreed to put aside their independently drawn map and give Democrats more seats. 
Colorado — a blue state with its congressional seats split evenly between the parties — is a tempting target as Democrats look to further offset Republican gains.
But not so fast. 
CPR's Bente Birkeland and Caitlyn Kim dive into the guardrails Colorado voters put in place years ago to keep politics out of the state’s redistricting process — and why changes to the process could be slow and costly. They’re joined by NPR’s Larry Kaplow, who has been covering this issue on the national level. 
Read and listen to our redistricting coverage:

As state after state weighs partisan redistricting, the people who drew Colorado’s map hope it stays out of the fray

Should Colorado join the gerrymandering war? Attorney General Phil Weiser thinks so

The man who helped Colorado and California take politics out of redistricting calls the race toward partisan gerrymanders a living ‘nightmare’

Colorado officially has new state legislative maps

Purplish’s 2021 redistricting miniseries: The Great Redraw 

Purplish is produced by listener-supported CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Purplish’s producer is Stephanie Wolf. This episode was edited by Megan Verlee , and sound designed and engineered by Shane Rumsey. Theme music is by Brad Turner. Big shout out to Rachel Estabrook, who has led the audio projects team this past year and is leaving CPR at the end of the month. Thanks for your leadership!
Editor's note: This episode has been updated to remove an inaccuracy about the current partisan split in the U.S. House of Representatives.

On Purplish, our focus is usually on exploring the politics of the moment. But for Veterans Day, we're offering something different -- a chance to experience a defining moment in World War II from one of the last remaining veterans to live through it.
The battle of Iwo Jima was one of the toughest in Marine Corps history. Nearly 7,000 Marines lost their lives taking the volcanic island from its Japanese defenders.
80 years on, few remain who served in that grueling conflict. One of them is Jim Blane of Denver.
It took Blane decades after the war ended to begin to talk about his time in combat. But as he prepares to celebrate his 101st birthday this month – just as the U.S. Marine Corps marks its 250th anniversary – the veteran says when it comes to the war and Iwo Jima, he’s now wide open. Blane recently shared his story with CPR’s Bente Birkeland.
Purplish is a production of member-supported Colorado Public Radio and the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. The CCNA is a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS and the Colorado Sun, with support from news outlets throughout the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. I’m Bente Birkeland.
Purplish’s producer is Stephanie Wolf and the story editor is Megan Verlee. Sound design and engineering by Shane Rumsey – with additional sound design support on this episode from Stephanie Wolf and Megan Verlee. Our theme music is by Brad Turner. CPR News’ executive producer of podcasting is Rachel Estabrook. 
Special thanks to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans for assisting with archival sound used in this episode, and the Library of Congress for its archive of images.