Plan to cut Medicaid rates for families with disabilities; Boulder activist pleads not guilty; Johnston Announces 2026 Admin Goals

Headlines Tuesday, January 27, 2026

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    Plan to cut Medicaid rates for families with disabilities; Boulder activist pleads not guilty; Johnston Announces 2026 Admin Goals Jack Armstrong

 

Plan to cut Medicaid rates for Coloradans with disabilities gets no support from governing board, moves ahead anyway. 

After hearing from impacted families, the Colorado Medical Services Board refused to vote on the 10% pay cut for Colorado families requested by Medicaid officials.  The most controversial cuts were surrounding moving family caregivers into the same rate category as host homes that can care for up to three people at a time.

Despite the board refusing to vote on the cut, Medicaid officials said case managers should attend training this month to learn how to reclassify family caregivers and that the new rates would begin Apr. 1.

The cut is supported by an August executive order from Gov. Jared Polis directing the suspension of $1.45 million for adults with severe mental and physical disabilities living in their own homes and cared for by their parents.

About 8,600 people with developmental disabilities in Colorado are receiving Medicaid funds to support residential care. Depending on the severity of needs, families receive from $30,000 to $100,000 per year to provide care for their adult children, with a middle man, called a Program Approved Service Agency, taking a cut of about 20%. Medicaid officials explained the state is dealing with a funding deficit of more than $800 million.

Regarding the 10% pay cut, Medicaid said they will bring a revised version of the rule change to the CO Medical Services Board in February, saying the changes are about “good stewardship and fairness” and will help prevent across-the-board reductions that would impact everyone.” 

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Boulder activist pleads not guilty to charges involving city council member

A Boulder-area activist, Laura Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to three charges related to two separate incidents surrounding her treatment of a city council member. Two charges, felony retaliation against an elected official and a misdemeanor physical harassment charge, stem from an incident on Sep. 3 of last year where Gonzalez is accused of yelling at council member Matt Benjamin and pushing another person at him at the Boulder county farmer’s market. The third charge, verbal harassment, occurred in August when Gonzalez yelled targeted profanities at a Jewish woman outside the Penfield Tate II Building. 

Before the incidents, Gonzalez was banned from city council meetings, before her ban she was vocal in meetings – accusing city council of being complicit in Israel’s actions in Gaza after not signing a council-acknowledged ceasefire pact.

The Daily Camera reports (the motion hearing for) Gonzalez’s motion hearing is set for Apr. 9, with a likely trial date set Jun. 8.

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Johnston announces 2026 admin goals

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced his administration’s 2026 goals yesterday. Decreasing street homelessness and creating more housing remain top priorities. Another focus this year will be public safety. Johnston said he plans to reduce gun-related homicides by 10% city-wide and by double that in high risk neighborhoods. Other goals include filling downtown office space, expanding childcare options and developing more green space like adding more trees and native plants. 

This story was reported by the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.

 

Democratic bills introduced in CO legislature aim to ease consumer pricing 

Consumer affordability is top of the agenda for Democratic lawmakers at the statehouse this year.

Yesterday, Democrats unveiled three proposals at the capitol that aim to reduce costs for consumers. One bill would ban so-called “surveillance pricing,” when tech companies use consumers’ personal online data to change prices they see online. Another bill would try to make wholesale pricing more fair for small businesses.

The third bill aims to make online pricing more transparent and it would try to end price gouging for so-called captive consumers. Democratic Representative Yara Zokai of Fort Collins is a main sponsor.

“ Everyone has experienced the $20 beer at a nuggets game, the $10 water at the airport, or the $80 Tylenol in the emergency room,” said Zokai. “When people are forced to pay more simply because they’re trapped. That isn’t a free market. It’s exploitation.”

House Republicans are vowing to oppose the agenda, calling it government overreach that will ultimately hurt consumers.

This story was reported by the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.

 

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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