Colorado lawmakers finalize budget cuts to tackle major shortfall; Individual detained by ICE in Arvada; City of Boulder enters drought watch

Headlines Thursday, April 2, 2026

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    Colorado lawmakers finalize budget cuts to tackle major shortfall; Individual detained by ICE in Arvada; City of Boulder enters drought watch KGNU News

Colorado lawmakers finalize budget cuts to tackle major shortfall

Lawmakers are making the final edits to the state budget draft this week, amid a $1.5 billion budget shortfall. Medicaid is taking some of the biggest hits. Reimbursement rates for most healthcare providers will see a 2% cut. Programs for immigrants and those with disabilities will also see cuts.

Democratic Representative Emily Sirota, who chairs the joint budget committee, says all Coloradans will feel the impact.

Sirota said in a statement, “It’s been a really difficult process. I feel very sad for the people of Colorado, for the loss that I think they’re going to experience in so many different ways.”

Committee members have been scouring state spending, from education and housing to military and veterans affairs, in an attempt to balance the budget. Across the board, raises for state employees were rejected. 

Committee members also agreed to lower the state’s reserve fund. The full legislature still needs to debate and pass the budget.

This story was reported by Colorado Capitol News Alliance.

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Individual detained by ICE in Arvada

An individual was detained on Tuesday on a jobsite near West 80th Ave and Club Crest Drive in Arvada, the Colorado Rapid Response Network, or CORNN, reports. 

CORRN volunteers accompanied workers who were with the individual to safety, and have been in contact with their loved ones, per a post shared on Instagram. 

If you think you see ICE, call CORRN immediately at 1(844) 864-8341.

 

City of Boulder enters drought watch

The city of Boulder announced yesterday that dry conditions and record temperatures have put the city into a “drought watch”. 

The city is asking residents to voluntarily reduce their water usage. This includes waiting to water lawns until May and watering plants early in the morning. This is a warning sign: if conditions do not improve and water usage does not decline, more restrictions will be put into place. 

Any elevation to drought restrictions, which come in three stages, depends on the city’s water supply. Boulder says it’s monitoring snowpack, streamflow and water supply projections. Those factors will inform future decisions, and the city says it will reassess the situation on May 1.

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Bill prohibiting the sale of dogs & cats at pet stores advances

House Bill 26-1011 has advanced, and it would prohibit pet stores from selling dogs and cats. Seven other states have passed similar statewide bans on retail pet sales, along with over two dozen cities in Colorado, including Aurora, Fort Collins and Denver.

The proposed ban comes as animal shelters across Colorado are experiencing overcrowding and record rates of owner surrenders.

Over 2,800 pets were left at the Denver Animal Shelter by their owners last year, a 236% increase from 2021. If approved by the House, the measure will then go to Governor Jared Polis for final consideration, and take effect January 1, 2028, if signed into law.

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Denver Alamo Drafthouse employees strike over ordering system changes

Unionized employees of Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake are planning to strike this Friday, April 3. 

They are protesting a new digital ordering system that some workers say has ruined the job and atmosphere at the moviehouse, which prides itself on serving food directly to patrons’ seats. 

Sony has implemented a new phone-based ordering system, a stark difference from the theater’s well-known handwritten orders and technology-free environment.

A spokesperson for the union, Communications Workers of America Local 7777, said the strike would last an “undetermined amount of time.” It’s unclear exactly what impact the strike will have on the theater’s operations.

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You can hear daily headlines on the Morning Magazine, KGNU’s weekday morning show, with coverage of local and regional public affairs and news with headlines and commentary. Click here to listen to full episodes of the Morning Magazine.

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