By Quentin Young | editor
A lot of items will appear on your ballot this year. In addition to all the statewide and congressional races, Colorado voters will be asked to decide 14 statewide ballot measures. Then there’s all the local items. We’re trying to help you get ahead of the voting decisions you’ll make by offering a build-your-own-ballot tool. Just enter your address, and the tool shows you the races and measures that will appear on your ballot. Used in conjunction with our voter guide (coming soon), the tool will equip you to vote with confidence in November.
Denver District Attorney John Walsh speaks against Amendment 81 at the Colorado Capitol on Sept. 10, 2026. (Photo by Sara Wilson/Colorado Newsline)
By Sara Wilson
Colorado voters will weigh in on a constitutional amendment this fall that would require law enforcement to more closely cooperate with federal immigration authorities. If passed, Amendment 81 would compel law enforcement to figure out if a person charged with a crime is “lawfully present” in the country, and tell the U.S. Department of Homeland Security within three days if someone in their custody lacks proper legal status or if they are unsure after attempting to find out. It would apply to people charged with violent crimes or if the person has a previous felony conviction.
Hay bales lie in pastures near Stagecoach Reservoir in Routt County on Aug. 17, 2026. (Photo by Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline)
By Chase Woodruff
As the clock winds down on a historically dry year in the Colorado River Basin, Colorado water officials Wednesday said they’re willing to launch a new state-run conservation program that would chip in to address system-wide shortages — but not without more certainty from the federal government, and possibly the state Legislature, about how the program would work.
Construction on a data center expansion at the QTS site in Aurora is pictured last month. (Photo by Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline)
By Sara Wilson
Two-thirds of Coloradans have an unfavorable opinion of artificial intelligence, with younger people the most strongly opposed to it, as global AI leaders call for a development slowdown and push for safety controls. A newly-released survey found that 81% of people between 18 and 44 years old do not like AI, compared to 55% of people between 45 and 64 years old and 49% of people over the age of 65. Sixty percent said they had used AI tools in the previous year. Release of the survey immediately follows a shakeup in attitudes of global leaders on AI.
TIMELINE 1876
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
States like Colorado fight to inspect federal immigrant detention facilities | By Shalina Chatlani
| By Nada Hassanein
Commentary: This secretive group warps democracy in Colorado | By Quentin Young
Thanks for reading Newsliner. Did you know our daily morning newsletter is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.