Income Tax Change Headed to Ballot

Colorado voters will decide in November whether to replace the state’s flat 4.4% income tax with a graduated system after Initiative 195 qualified for the ballot on Tuesday.

Rates would start at 3.7% on income up to $25,000 and top out at 8.4% on earnings above $1 million. Income between $101,000 and $500,000 would stay at 4.4%.

Supporters say the roughly $2 billion a year in new revenue would go toward K-12 schools, healthcare, and early childhood programs.

A competing measure, Initiative 232, would cap the income tax rate at 4.4%. Opponents of the graduated plan warn it could push businesses and high earners out of the state.

Medicaid Work Requirements Change

Colorado is sending letters, emails, and texts to Medicaid members warning that new federal work requirements take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

The rules could affect 377,000 of the state’s 1.1 million Health First Colorado members, who would also renew coverage every six months instead of once a year.

Those who must comply will report 80 hours a month of work, school, or volunteering, or at least $580 in monthly earnings, or document an exemption.

People who are pregnant, 18 and younger, or 65 and older are exempt, as are many parents and caregivers. The state expects about 175,000 members will actually need to act.

Denver Museum Opens Revamped Wing

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science held a grand opening for its renovated Sturm Family Wing on Tuesday.

The renovation, begun in April 2025, includes upgrades to the museum’s theater and the east-side plaza. The project also brought new accessibility ramps, an upgraded elevator, and a new connecting sidewalk.

The plaza is free daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., with no admission required. It offers outdoor seating plus access to the T.REX Cafe.

A $20 million gift from the Sturm Family Foundation—the largest private donation in museum history—funded the project.

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➤ Park County: Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday firing county manager Lucas Meyer, effective Aug. 31, and gave no reason for the termination. (More)

➤ Boulder: An amended lawsuit from the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s university consortium alleges the Trump administration is dismantling the lab as political retaliation against Colorado. (More)

➤ Denver: A local commercial truck-driving school was among the roughly 270 programs federal agencies shut down Monday as part of a nationwide crackdown targeting fraud. (More)

➤ Fort Collins: The county coroner identified Joshua Robert Douglass, 33, of Denver, as the pedestrian killed when a truck drove onto an Old Town sidewalk during the Tour de Fat bicycle parade Saturday. (More)

➤ Boulder: A Subaru hit a median on 34th Street at high speed, went airborne, and landed on parked cars at CU Boulder early Tuesday, damaging 10 to 12 vehicles. (More)

➤ Mesa County: Former clerk Tina Peters said she has not accepted any position with Shasta County, California, after reports that its clerk intended to hire her. (More)

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➤ Colorado opens its season tonight at Georgia Tech on ESPN, with sophomore Julian Lewis taking over at quarterback for a team coming off a 3-9 year. (More)

➤ Kroenke Sports & Entertainment has agreed to buy the Los Angeles Angels from Arte Moreno, adding to a portfolio that already includes the Nuggets, Avalanche, and Rapids. (More)

➤ CU will debut a redesigned video board show and a new in-game host, CU graduate and Rockies host Gianna Girardi, when Weber State visits Folsom Field on Sept. 12. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: US Open | MLB | Soccer

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➤ The Colorado Supreme Court declined to fast-track Xcel Energy’s bid to condemn a 550-foot right of way in Cheyenne County, sending the utility back to the Court of Appeals. (More)

➤ FNBO has agreed to buy Denver-based InBankshares in a cash deal valued at up to $204 million, adding nine Colorado branches and lifting its statewide network to 30. (More)

➤ Grand Junction Regional Airport unveiled its first covered parking structure, topped with a 668-kilowatt solar array designed to offset the passenger terminal’s power use. (More)

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➤ CU Boulder landed at No. 25 on Niche’s 2027 ranking of America’s top party schools, a list of more than 600 colleges topped by Florida State University. (More)

➤ A Colorado-themed sand sculpture is among the attractions marking 150 years of statehood at the Colorado State Fair, which runs in Pueblo through Labor Day. (More)

➤ A fawn stuck between deck railings in Morrison ran back to its mother after two animal control officers successfully freed the young deer. (See Video)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ Five after-dinner rituals every American once knew have gotten lost over a single generation. (See Rituals)

➤ The Lindsay Clancy murder trial has hit another wall, leaving jurors deadlocked and a mistrial looming. (Hear Details)

➤ Meanwhile, in the Charlie Kirk assassination trial, Tyler Robinson has pleaded not guilty and now faces a possible death penalty. (Listen Now)

How often do you visit the Denver Museum of Nature & Science?

1. Several times a year
2. Once or twice a year
3. Once a year or less
4. Never

Yesterday’s Results:

What’s your favorite season?

1. Fall: 57%
2. Spring: 21%
3. Summer: 14%
4. Winter: 8%

What 19th-century naturalist is credited with collecting the founding exhibit of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science?

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