Washington, D.C. — The text of H.R. 2976, the Deferment for Active Cancer Treatment Act, introduced by U.S. Reps. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), was successfully included in the bipartisan fiscal year 2019 Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The legislation would enable individuals who are diagnosed with cancer to defer payments on public student loans while actively receiving lifesaving treatment without interest a... Read more

For Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the August recess was all about November. After eight years in the minority, Democrats are in their best position to retake the House, and they’re trying not to mess it up. But the August recess was also about Democrats’ longtime leader: Nancy Pelosi. Aware of the threat to her 16-year reign, the Democrat from San Francisco made the media rounds, providing interviews to the New York Times, Associated Press and NPR. She blasted out op-eds and ar... Read more

Washington, D.C. – A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Reps. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) and Steve Pearce (R-NM) aimed at detecting and preventing terrorism and other illicit finance activity passed the U.S. House of Representatives today. The FinCEN Improvement Act would modernize the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) authorizing statute to ensure the law enforcement and intelligence communities work together to detect and stop criminals and terrorist networks. “Identifying and combatting... Read more

Julie Hlebik of Norristown was excited to go to college, but before she earned a degree, she got cancer. Her education journey turned into a nightmare of doctors' visits, chemotherapy, proton therapy — and student-loan debt piling up. "I just kept getting ill. After the first year of cancer, all of my savings from working before and during the first year were gone," Hlebik said. In six years, her balance ballooned from about $11,500 to $18,000 — just on interest. College students such as Hlebik... Read more

The preponderance of business owners in Colorado and three other western states believe the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund has been beneficial to their bottom lines, according to a recent survey. A poll of more than 800 mostly small-business owners in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Montana showed that the public lands that exist within those states, and the federal fund that helps secure more open lands, is not only good for the outdoor industry, but all others as well. The survey, ... Read more

Imagine an industry with $9 billion in sales — equivalent to the entire snack market — where only 30% of businesses had a bank account. That’s the situation we face today in the legal marijuana business. Hardworking commercial operators are struggling to find banks that will work with them, forcing these entrepreneurs to conduct most business with cash. Serious security concerns and a lack of funding to scale these businesses are just two of the unfortunate outcomes. While medical marijuana is l... Read more

The members of the "Oldest League Around" have been playing fantasy football for decades. They've been doing things, for the most part, the same way. Their draft is all paper - no apps or computers (well, maybe a computer or two for background info) - and to draft they set up a whiteboard, hand out large sheets of paper and enjoy a fair few drinks. The league's name isn't just a clever play on words. This is likely the longest-running fantasy football league in Colorado. It was started in 1973 a... Read more

Five call centers in Colorado Springs have either closed their doors or laid off employees since Dec. 31, resulting in the loss of 1,000 local jobs while the companies that operate those centers expand operations in low-wage countries. Centers operated in the Springs by Alorica and StarTek closed Dec. 31 and March 31, respectively, laying off all 547 employees. Conduent will close its center Oct. 12 and lay off all 410 employees. All three centers worked with multiple clients in multiple indust... Read more

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis of Boulder and three other members of Colorado’s House delegation have signed onto the latest effort to urge Congressional leaders to find a way to permanently reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. But missing from the letter: the only Republican in Colorado’s House delegation – U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman of Aurora – who has co-sponsored legislation that would do exactly what the letter asks. The fund, which largely draws on federal offshore drilling,... Read more

A Colorado coalition of 70 businesses sent a letter Thursday to the state’s congressional delegation asking the lawmakers to support permanently reauthorizing the 54-year-old Land and Water Conservation Fund, which will expire Sept. 30. The businesses, ranging from a mortgage company to outdoor equipment companies to retail stores, wrote to federal lawmakers that the fund has generated more than $268 million since its inception to help build trails in Colorado, protect fish and wildlife habitat ... Read more