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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How are voters in Colorado, where a major Senate race is underway, reacting to President Trump's impeachment trial?
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As the House's public impeachment hearings start Wednesday, voters' reactions are all over the map. Some say the hearings are vital, others see a social media-driven partisan quest.
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Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner has to be more careful than most Republicans talking about impeachment, as he's seeking reelection in a very purple state. GOP voters are split on Gardner's position.
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Colorado is expected to have one of the most closely watched 2020 Senate races. The entry of former governor John Hickenlooper into a crowded Senate primary field is dividing the party in the state.
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Nineteen states allow voters to try to recall elected state officials for a number of reasons, and those efforts have increased exponentially. Including in Colorado where there were six in 2019.
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Democratic Gov. Jared Polis is expected to sign the bill this week, allowing guns to be temporarily taken from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others.
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Bills to abolish the death penalty are being debated in state legislatures across the country. In Colorado, a couple of lawmakers have a very personal connection to this political lightning rod. -
The 67-year-old former geologist, beer brewer and mayor of Denver points to accomplishments such as Medicaid expansion and increased spending on infrastructure and public education. -
Monday, Nevada's Legislature becomes the first in U.S. history to have a majority of female lawmakers. In Colorado, also a first, women hold the majority in the House of Representatives. -
This year, two legislative chambers across the country have a majority of women, but in Colorado that's been in the making long before 2018.
