Colorado Senate passes bill to close loophole allowing spread of 3D-printed guns; Boulder County under Stage 1 fire restrictions; Former Griswold staffer releases a statement against her

Headlines Tuesday, March 31, 2026

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    Colorado Senate passes bill to close loophole allowing spread of 3D-printed guns; Boulder County under Stage 1 fire restrictions; Former Griswold staffer releases a statement against her KGNU News

Colorado Senate passes bill to close loophole allowing spread of 3D-printed guns

Last Friday, March 27, the Colorado Senate passed House Bill 1144 to expand Colorado’s existing laws regarding the spread and production of ‘ghost-guns’ and accessories.

The origin of the bill traces back to a 2023 shooting at Denver East High School involving a 3D-printed gun.

Norah Krause, a volunteer leader with Denver East Students Demand Action, said, “Our generation has grown up practicing active shooter drills and watching lawmakers debate whether protecting us is politically convenient. We know the consequences of inaction — and we refuse to accept a future where anyone can download a file and 3D-print a gunfirearm designed to kill.”

The bill will now head back to the House for concurrence.

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Boulder County under Stage 1 fire restrictions

Effective yesterday, March 30TH, at noon, all unincorporated Boulder County is now under Stage 1 fire restrictions.

Tristan: The eastern part of unincorporated Boulder County has been under Stage 1 fire restrictions since December 22, 2025, and unseasonably hot and dry weather has resulted in the need for restrictions throughout the county.

These restrictions include, but are not limited to: no campfires or open flames on public land, fireworks, recreational shooting, and outdoor smoking unless you’re in a cleared area.

Allowed under the restrictions are gas stoves and enclosed grills in cleared areas, fires in approved campground fire pits and some uses on private property, including agricultural and permitted ceremonial fires.

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Former Griswold staffer releases a statement against her

Reese Edwards, former Director of Government and Public Affairs for Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, released a statement Saturday morning on behalf of himself and six fellow former staffers. This comes as Griswold is running for the democratic Attorney General nomination.

Edwards said in the statement, “I am speaking on behalf of those who were abused, bullied, and ultimately discarded by Secretary Griswold. I am speaking for them because they fear retaliation and retribution for their jobs and their careers. They fear what she might try to do to them if she gets her hands on the most powerful judicial position in Colorado.”

The release outlined their gravest concerns about Griswold: a volatile workplace environment and climate of fear, prioritization of persona over governance, institutional risks in her future governance, plus questions of her fitness and ethics.

The statement ends by saying, “Those of us who were in the room have a responsibility to share the truth. Jena Griswold’s leadership has proven to be defined by self-interest and administrative neglect rather than a commitment to the public good.”

 

Hickenlooper investments raise questions

Surrounding the push to ban congressional stock trading, Senator Hickenlooper’s investments raise questions.  

Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper has investments raising conflict-of-interest questions as part of the current look at stronger investment rules for members of Congress.

Hickenlooper’s blind trust purchased stock that could be affected by his sitting on both the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Decisions he makes on these committees could be influenced by personal financial interests.

Blind trusts are used to create separation between a public official and their financial assets to avoid conflict between personal interests and public duty. Hickenlooper’s team declined to share details about who specifically manages his trust and what type of blind trust it is.

Andrew Barton, program manager at Colorado Common Cause said, “Having a blind trust doesn’t really get rid of the fundamental concern around using your power and influence …”. Adding, “I still think the best course of action would just be the actual congressional stock trading ban.”

Both the New York Times and CNN found that members of Congress traded stock in companies affected by their committee assignments. Ethics organizations oppose congressional stock trading because members of Congress have access to information not available to the public.

Colorado’s Democrats in the House, as well as Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert sponsor a measure that would ban any stock ownership for members of Congress. Another measure under consideration would require the same of executive branch officials, too.

Several U.S. senators faced scrutiny in 2020 after selling stock holdings right before a major stock market crash at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some who made those sales were included in a briefing about the virus and how it would impact the economy. Many said their stocks were managed by a blind trust. No charges were filed following a U.S. Department of Justice investigation.

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow said in a statement. “Coloradans deserve elected officials who work for them, not their own interests.”

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