Proposed bill would allow Coloradans subjected to conversion therapy to sue for damages; Vote furthers BNSF agreement for Denver/Fort Collins passenger train; Lawmakers shoot down right-to-repair exemptions

Headlines Thursday, April 30, 2026

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    Proposed bill would allow Coloradans subjected to conversion therapy to sue for damages; Vote furthers BNSF agreement for Denver/Fort Collins passenger train; Lawmakers shoot down right-to-repair exemptions KGNU News

Proposed bill would allow Coloradans subjected to conversion therapy to sue for damages

A bill co-sponsored by Longmont Rep. Karen McCormick would allow Coloradans who were subjected to conversion therapy to pursue civil action against their former practitioners.

The bill, titled Civil Actions for Conversion Therapy Survivors, passed the House of Representatives earlier this month and cleared its first reading in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. 

McCormick said legislators began working on the bill last year, anticipating a decision on Chiles v. Salazar, the case that struck down Colorado’s conversion therapy ban.

The bill will now go to the Senate floor for second and third readings. The second reading is scheduled today. If passed there, it will continue to Governor Jared Polis’ desk for approval. 

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Vote furthers BNSF agreement for Denver/Fort Collins passenger train

The Front Range Passenger Rail District and other Colorado transit authorities voted yesterday to move forward with a key agreement with BNSF Railway, one of the largest rail companies in the country. 

The deal outlines a twenty-five-year contract with BNSF to provide three round trips a day between the two cities. 

The vote is preliminary, and an agreement will be finalized in June. Train service on the Denver-Fort Collins line is expected to start in 2029.

This story was reported by the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.

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Lawmakers shoot down right-to-repair exemptions

Colorado’s landmark Right to Repair laws will remain intact after lawmakers killed a bill that would have weakened them.

Colorado lawmakers passed several laws in the last few years to give consumers the ability to fix everything from farm equipment and electronics to wheelchairs without having to go through the manufacturer. It’s made Colorado a national leader in consumer protections.

But some are concerned that those laws create a cybersecurity risk. They pushed a bipartisan proposal to carve out an exception for IT equipment deemed critical for national security or public health and safety.

Democratic Representative Brianna Titone is a longtime champion of right-to-repair laws.

She said the proposal boiled down to profitable repair contracts and corporate greed.

Titone said, “They don’t want to break that cycle of them making millions and millions of extra money off of these products, and they don’t want these small businesses to have any control over their devices.”

The bill failed in a House committee meeting on a 7 to 4 vote.

This story was reported by the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.

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Polis signs bill into law preventing sale of dogs & cats at pet stores

Governor Polis signed a bill into law yesterday that supporters say will put an end to puppy mills in Colorado.

Puppy mills are commercial dog breeding operations where animals are often kept in crowded, unsanitary conditions. Many of these animals end up in pet stores. 

House Majority Leader Monica Duran has been working for years to shut down such operations and is a sponsor of the new law. The measure is named in part after her late pomeranian, who was a puppy mill survivor. She says the goal is to end animal suffering.

Duran said, “Pet stores can still thrive. Communities can still connect with animals, but the pipeline that brought suffering into our state ends here and ends today.”

Starting in 2028, pet stores and brokers will no longer be allowed to sell dogs and cats. Stores will only be able to display animals up for adoption, as long as they don’t receive a fee for doing so. The law includes exceptions, including some for private breeders.

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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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