State legislative session concludes; Lawmakers reject gun barrel sale bill; Denver mandates prevailing wages for affordable housing workers

Headlines Thursday, May 14, 2026

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    State legislative session concludes; Lawmakers reject gun barrel sale bill; Denver mandates prevailing wages for affordable housing workers KGNU News

State legislative session concludes

Colorado lawmakers wrapped up their legislative work for the year last night at the State Capitol in Denver. 

Colorado’s 2026 legislative session ended on a positive note, despite partisan clashes over the last few days. But it also included some emotional moments as key members of the General Assembly said their goodbyes. 

Lawmakers passed hundreds of bills this year on issues from housing and healthcare to immigration and AI. Some have already been signed into law. 

Governor Jared Polis will be signing or vetoing the rest over the next thirty days.

This story was reported by the Colorado Capital News Alliance.

 

Lawmakers reject gun barrel sale bill

State lawmakers rejected a proposal yesterday that would have created new rules around gun barrel sales. 

The bill would have required barrels to be sold or transferred in person, through federally licensed firearm dealers, to buyers who are at least 18 years old and legally allowed to own guns. 

Sellers would also have been required to keep records of the sales for at least five years. The measure was one of several gun-related bills lawmakers considered this year.

This story was reported by the Colorado Capital News Alliance.

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Denver mandates prevailing wages for affordable housing workers

Denver City Council is advancing a plan to require prevailing wages for all workers on city-funded affordable housing projects. The move aims to ensure that taxpayer-supported developments provide fair, market-rate pay.

Supporters argue the city must not solve the housing crisis by underpaying the laborers building the homes. However, critics warn that the increased labor costs could reduce the total number of units the city can afford to build.

The proposal has cleared its first committee hurdle and now heads to the full council for a final vote. If passed, the law will close long-standing loopholes that allowed wage exemptions for private-land developments.

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Longmont addresses drought response and new passenger rail station

The Longmont City Council met Tuesday to address a looming water shortage and the future of regional transit. Officials are moving the city into a mild drought response while simultaneously reviewing the first conceptual plans for a new passenger rail station.

Under the drought plan, the city will mandate internal water reductions for municipal operations while asking residents for voluntary cutbacks to protect reservoir levels. On the transit front, the council reviewed a proposed downtown station for the Colorado Connector.

Council members expressed optimism about the rail project’s progress but remained focused on the immediate need for water conservation. The drought measures take effect immediately, while the rail station plans will undergo further public review this summer.

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Museum of Boulder unveils ‘unofficial Boulder flag’

Artists submitted over 190 designs to the Museum of Boulder’s “Unofficial Boulder Flag Competition”. A panel of community judges narrowed it down to 10 designs, and voted from there. 

The Boulder Reporting Lab also conducted their own survey for the community to vote on which design they like best.

The winning design is called Flatiron Sunrise Flourish, and was announced last night at a short reception. It was created by Michael Stuart Trimmer, an artist from the United Kingdom.

The blue in the flag represents the sky, yellow represents the sunshine and red represents the flatirons.

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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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