Investigation reveals recent Boulder fires likely human-caused; Ride share safety bill introduced; Bill seeks to hold state agencies to lobbying rules

Headlines Tuesday, April 28, 2026

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    Investigation reveals recent Boulder fires likely human-caused; Ride share safety bill introduced; Bill seeks to hold state agencies to lobbying rules KGNU News

Investigation reveals recent Boulder fires likely caused by people

All three recent wildfires near Boulder are now believed to have been caused by humans, per an ongoing investigation by city fire officials.

The Bluebell Fire, the Goat Trail Fire and a vegetation fire near Enchanted Mesa have all ignited in western Boulder since the end of February. The exact causes of ignition have not been identified, and they may never be, but officials have ruled out natural and electrical starts. 

Early Spring blazes may be somewhat normal in Colorado, but the frequency and severity of these fires are telling. 

Rob Kaplan is a Boulder City Councilmember and former Boulder Rural Fire Rescue captain. He said, “This is kind of like three strikes. It’s a big warning sign.”

As dry conditions worsen and temperatures rise, new “Don’t Spark a Disaster” signs are being installed at popular trails. Fuel mitigation projects, including thinning, grazing and juniper removal, are underway along Boulder’s western perimeter. 

Patrols are operating through daily morning shifts, increased trail staff and volunteers, and coordination with Boulder’s wildland firefighters on high-risk days.

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Ride share safety bill introduced

Colorado lawmakers are trying again to expand safety regulations for ride share companies after Governor Polis vetoed a bipartisan bill last year concerned about privacy and implementation.

The bills are similar with some notable changes. Last year’s bill would have banned drivers from offering food and beverages to passengers, under this latest version those freebies would just have to be factory sealed. 

Another difference is that people would be banned from driving if they have a conviction for domestic violence, stalking, menacing, or fraud, but it has to be a felony, not just a misdemeanor. 

Democratic Representative Jenny Willford has been spearheading this safety effort after she publicly told her story of being sexually assaulted by a Lyft driver in 2024. She hopes this bill can make rideshares safer for passengers and for drivers.

This story was reported by the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.

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Bill seeks to hold state agencies to lobbying rules

Agencies within the governor’s administration that try to influence legislators would have the same rules as other lobbyists, under a bipartisan bill now advancing at the state capitol.

State agencies, from public health to the judicial branch, often have employees who work to sway lawmakers and shape legislation. They’re essentially lobbyists that are not held to the same rules.

For instance, an outside group hiring a lobbyist must register its stance with the Secretary of State. Government departments doing the same type of work don’t have to do that.

Republican Representative Dusty Johnson of Fort Morgan is one of the bill’s sponsors and says state agencies can avoid accountability.

Johnson said, “It just holds them to the same standard because they are meddling a lot in legislation. And then the people can go and look saying, well, this department says they’re opposed or in support. We want to know why.”

The bill would prevent former lawmakers from jumping directly into using their influence on behalf of the governor’s administration when they leave office.

For web: This story was reported by the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.

 

Colorado Republicans clash over primary access

On Thursday night, four Colorado Republicans in Congress (from Windsor, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, and Fort Lupton) — along with the National Republican Congressional Committee, NRCC — asked a federal judge to let them intervene in a lawsuit so that they can fight an effort to block unaffiliated voters from participating in the party’s primaries this year.

The Colorado GOP is opposing the intervention effort.

The Colorado GOP chairwoman resigned on April 17 and a few days later, attorneys filed an emergency request in federal court to block county clerks from mailing Republican primary ballots to unaffiliated voters this year.

Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer found that a Colorado law requiring 75% of the party’s central committee to support opting out of the primaries was unconstitutional.

Unaffiliated voters, who now make up a majority of the state’s active and registered voters, have been able to cast ballots in either the state’s Democratic or Republican primaries since 2018.

In 2016, voters passed Proposition 108, opening up the primaries to unaffiliated voters.

The anti-Proposition 108 group of Republicans has repeatedly tried to opt out of Colorado’s primaries.

When the committee voted last year, 44.57% of the total central committee membership (507 people) voted to opt out, not meeting the 75% threshold to do so.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office is the defendant in the GOP’s lawsuit.

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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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