sandra fish
Verified
As seen in:
Medium,
ESPN,
Substack,
The Daily Beast,
Flipboard,
Patch,
The Denver Post,
Yahoo,
Orlando Sentinel,
RealClear Politics
and
independent data journo; past prez @womenjournos; fishnette@bsky.social RTs = Hey, look over there! she/her
Articles by sandra fish
Think Balancing Colorado’s Budget is Easy? Try it.
Colorado voters face some big decisions about taxes and spending this election. A new digital tool lets them see how three big ballot measures would affect the state budget—and whether they can close the state’s $1.6 billion budget gap.
Think balancing Colorado’s budget is easy? Try it. Original
Colorado voters face some big decisions about taxes and spending this election. A new digital tool lets them see how three big ballot measures would affect the state budget — and whether they can close the state’s $1.6 billion budget gap.
Think balancing Colorado’s budget is easy? Try it.
Colorado voters face some big decisions about taxes and spending this election. A new digital tool lets them see how three big ballot measures would affect the state budget — and whether they can close the state’s $1.6 billion budget gap.
Think balancing Colorado’s budget is easy? Give it a try using this digital tool
The gold dome of the Colorado state Capitol on a stormy day in May 2023. (Ryan Warner/CPR News) Colorado voters face some big decisions about taxes and spending this election. A new digital tool lets them see how three big ballot measures would affect the state budget – and whether they can close the state’s $1.6 billion budget gap.
Turnout surged in Colorado’s primary election
This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at rmpbs.org. Nearly 36% of Colorado’s 4 million active registered voters turned out for last month’s primary election. That may not seem like a lot, but it’s the second highest primary turnout since 2010. In 2020, when Coloradans were mostly stuck at home because of the coronavirus pandemic, turnout was 45%.
Turnout surged in Colorado’s primary election
DENVER — Nearly 36% of Colorado’s 4 million active registered voters turned out for last month’s primary election. That may not seem like a lot, but it’s the second highest primary turnout since 2010. In 2020, when Coloradans were mostly stuck at home because of the coronavirus pandemic, turnout was 45%. The Secretary of State’s Office finalized the numbers Friday confirming that 1.4 million of the state’s 4 million active registered voters cast valid ballots. Of those, 98% voted using mail ballots.
Dark money groups that spent $2.5M backing more moderate Democrats in statehouse primaries won in just 2 of 8 races
Six of the eight Democratic statehouse candidates that were backed by $2.5 million spent by dark money groups this year lost their primaries Tuesday night against their more liberal opponents. The defeats will shift the balance of power to the left at the Colorado Capitol next year and mark a stinging rebuke of a yearslong — and until now often successful — effort to push back on liberal influence in the legislature.
How is your Colorado ballot counted?
This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at rmpbs.org. So you’ve mailed or dropped off your ballot or maybe even voted in real life at a voting center. What happens next? The process is a set of careful steps, designed to keep your vote confidential and accurately tracking ballots all along the way. Some of the work is done by hand, but much is done by machine. In Colorado, only San Juan County, with 723 active voters, counts votes entirely by hand.
How is your Colorado ballot counted?
Broadcast Outage: We’re investigating a broadcast transmission failure affecting the San Luis Valley from Antonito in the south to Salida in the north. We’re working to resolve this issue. You can stream our live broadcast online or via the RMPBS+ App. Stream live and on-demand content now on our new app: A TV screen in the clerk’s office shows Morgan County’s drop boxes and election judging. Photo: Sandra Fish, Rocky Mountain PBS FORT MORGAN, Colo.
Colorado women face financial inequality and worry most over high costs, survey reveals
“It’s like you have to work twice as hard to be in the same exact place,” said Johnitta Medina, who owns a vegan soul food business called Momma Jah’s. This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at rmpbs.org.
Poll: Economic inequality tops Colorado women voters' concerns ahead of midterms
This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at rmpbs.org. DENVER — Johnitta Medina started her vegan soul food business, Momma Jah’s, during the pandemic, expanding to catering a couple of years later. She aims to buy food locally, preferably from farms owned by women or people of color. But rising prices are taking their toll. “A case of cauliflower that was once $32 was $54 today,” she said Tuesday.
Full transcript: 'Women Decide" governor's candidate forum
Gabriela Resto-Montero Good evening, and welcome to Women Decide, the Colorado Governors Forum. I'm Gabriela Resto- Montero, senior journalism director here at Rocky Mountain PBS, and I will be moderating our conversation tonight. I'd like to welcome Colorado state Attorney General Phil Weiser, State Representative Scott Bottoms, Senator Michael Bennet, and State Senator Barb Kirkmeyer for joining us tonight and participating in this conversation. Thank you all for being here tonight.
What you need to know about Colorado's June 30 primary election
DENVER — The primary ballot is in your mailbox — or maybe already on your dining room table. Don’t set it aside, figuring the real election — the national general election — happens in November. Although the number of primary contests voters have to select from isn’t huge, in many instances the Colorado candidates elected on June 30 will glide to victory in November. That means making a choice now definitely makes a difference in who will represent you come 2027.
Colorado women cite cost of living and inequality as top election issues
DENVER — Johnitta Medina started her vegan soul food business, Momma Jah’s, during the pandemic, expanding to catering a couple of years later. She aims to buy food locally, preferably from farms owned by women or people of color. But rising prices are taking their toll. “A case of cauliflower that was once $32 was $54 today,” she said.
Colorado candidates for governor outline plans at 'Women Decide' forum
DENVER — Two Republicans blamed Democrats for the state’s high cost of living and budgetary issues, while two Democrats blamed GOP President Donald Trump for problems around immigration and federal budget cuts. The two Democrats — Sen. Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser — and two Republicans — state Rep. Scott Bottoms and state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer — participated in “Women Decide: A Governor’s Forum” Sunday evening. Republican Victor Marx declined to participate.
Poll: Economic inequality tops Colorado women voters' concerns ahead of midterms
Broadcast Outage: We’re investigating a broadcast transmission failure affecting the San Luis Valley from Antonito in the south to Salida in the north. We’re working to resolve this issue. You can stream our live broadcast online or via the RMPBS+ App. Stream live and on-demand content now on our new app: “It's like you have to work twice as hard to be in the same exact place,” said Johnitta Medina, who owns a vegan soul food business called Momma Jah’s.
Commentary: Congress must fund immigrant defenders, not detention and deportation
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... In recent weeks, Congress passed a budget proposal seeking additional billions to fund federal immigration operations. Despite widespread public opposition to the lawless actions of the Trump administration’s immigration agencies, Congress is moving forward with budget plans that would further harm the stability and well-being of Florida’s families and immigrant communities. As the budget reconciliation process continues, Sens.
ICE arrestó a más de 3,500 personas en Colorado en 2025, incluyendo a bebés y ancianos – el Sol del Valle
Tan solo en un domingo de abril, los agentes de inmigración arrestaron al menos a 72 personas en Colorado, según datos de la Oficina de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE por sus siglas en inglés) de Estados Unidos, el día más activo para un operativo de inmigración en el estado desde que el presidente Donald Trump asumió la presidencia en enero.
ICE arrested more than 3,500 people in Colorado in 2025 — including babies and the elderly
On just one Sunday in April, immigration officers arrested at least 72 people in Colorado, data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows, the busiest day for immigration enforcement in the state so far since President Donald Trump took office in January. That day, federal agents from several agencies raided a Colorado Springs nightclub, arresting dozens of people they suspected of being in the country illegally.
ICE arrested more than 3,500 people in Colorado in 2025 — including babies and the elderly | Flipboard
A New Destination Brings Aspen to Another Level Chalet Alpina ushers in a new era at the base of Lift One. The area around Aspen’s historic Lift One, the original gateway to the west side of Aspen …
Most people arrested by ICE in Colorado and Wyoming this year did not have criminal history
This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at coloradosun.com. Immigration arrests have quadrupled in Colorado and almost tripled in Wyoming since President Donald Trump took office in January with a significant shift in who is being targeted, new data from the federal government shows. Most people arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents between Jan.
La mayoría de las personas arrestadas por ICE este año en Colorado y Wyoming no tenían condenas penales
Read this article in English | Traducción por Rossana Longo-Better Los arrestos por inmigración se han cuadruplicado en Colorado y casi triplicado en Wyoming desde que el presidente Donald Trump asumió el cargo en enero, con un cambio significativo en quiénes son los objetivos de los agentes migratorios, según nuevos datos del gobierno federal.
Most people arrested by ICE in Colorado and Wyoming this year did not have criminal history Original
Lea este artículo en español. Immigration arrests have quadrupled in Colorado and almost tripled in Wyoming since President Donald Trump took office in January with a significant shift in who is being targeted, new data from the federal government shows. Most people arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents between Jan. 20 and June 26 of this year in Colorado and Wyoming did not have any criminal convictions, according to ICE data released over the last few weeks.
The Unaffiliated | The JBC won’t rule out breaking the state’s union contract
While legislative Democrats look to bolster collective bargaining rights for all workers, Colorado budget writers say they won’t rule out eliminating pay raises owed to state employees under the current union contract. “Literally EVERYTHING is on the table,” Joint Budget Committee Chair Jeff Bridges, a Greenwood Village Democrat, told The Colorado Sun in a text message.
How will Donald Trump’s presidency affect abortion rights in Colorado?
During the presidential campaign, Trump said he would veto a national abortion ban from Congress because the issue was sent back to the states when Roe v. Wade was overturned Nearly 62% of Colorado voters agreed to guarantee access to abortion and other reproductive rights such as birth control in the state Constitution. Coloradans have consistently rejected ballot measures to curb abortion.
How will Donald Trump’s presidency affect abortion rights in Colorado?
Democrats made abortion and reproductive health care access central to the 2024 elections, and voters in seven states, including Colorado, approved constitutional amendments to guarantee the right to abortion. Colorado’s abortion rights advocates are hoping the issue will be low on President-elect Donald Trump’s priority list.
How will Donald Trump’s presidency affect abortion rights in Colorado
Democrats made abortion and reproductive health care access central to the 2024 elections, and voters in seven states, including Colorado, approved constitutional amendments to guarantee the right to abortion. Colorado’s abortion rights advocates are hoping the issue will be low on President-elect Donald Trump’s priority list. The Colorado Sun is looking at how Donald Trump’s presidency may affect the issues Coloradans care about.
Race between Yadira Caraveo, Gabe Evans in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District is too close to call
BRIGHTON — The race between Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo and Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans in Colorado’s highly competitive 8th Congressional District was too close to call Tuesday night, with the candidates separated by about 4,000 votes at 11 p.m. Caraveo was leading Evans by less than 2 percentage points. The Associated Press estimated that about 67% of votes had been counted. “We absolutely have a path,” Evans told his supporters at a watch party in Brighton on Tuesday.
Business Happenings
Posted inNews Posted inBusiness Posted inBusiness Posted inNews Posted inNews Posted inNews
Pizza Alley slated to make a comeback after extensive renovations
New York-style pizzas and spaghetti and meatballs will again be on the menu when Pizza Alley reopens in West Highland later this month or in early October. The pizza joint, which has operated at the corner of West 32nd Avenue and Irving Street since 1976, closed suddenly in late December with a handwritten sign on the door citing mechanical issues. That was followed by notices demanding back rent and taxes owed.
5 Questions with Denver City Council President Amanda P. Sandoval
Council President Sandoval and Mayor Mike Johnston will host a community conversation on affordable housing at 5 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Scheitler Recreation Center, 5031 W. 46th Ave. Participants must RSVP to attend. Denver City Council President Amanda P. Sandoval has represented northwest Denver’s District 1 since 2019 and began serving as council president in July. The Denver North Star recently talked with her about her new role and responsibilities.
Republicans air grievances against Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams
More than 100 Colorado Republicans hoping to ultimately remove Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams gathered Saturday to hear from candidates seeking to replace him. The event was originally billed as a state GOP central committee meeting to vote on removing Williams. But an Arapahoe County District Court judge issued a restraining order Friday preventing the committee from taking action. kAm%@55 (2E<:?D[ E96 t= !2D@ r@F?EJ v~! G:46 492:C>2? H9@ 42==65 E96 @C:8:?2= >66E:?8[ D2:5 96 2?5 y6776CD@?
Bipartisan support high, party-line voting rare in Colorado’s 2024 legislative session
All but three of the 519 bills that became law in the 2024 legislative session passed with bipartisan support, a Colorado Sun analysis of House and Senate votes shows. That’s the highest rate of bipartisanship — 99.4% — in the five years The Sun has analyzed votes by lawmakers.
Republicans air grievances against Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams
BRIGHTON — More than 100 Colorado Republicans hoping to ultimately remove Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams gathered Saturday to hear from candidates seeking to replace him. The event was originally billed as a state GOP central committee meeting to vote on removing Williams. But an Arapahoe County District Court judge issued a restraining order Friday preventing the committee from taking action.
Judge bars GOP from meeting targeting Dave Williams
A judge Friday blocked plans for a Colorado GOP meeting where critics of embattled state Chairman Dave Williams intended to vote on his ouster. Arapahoe County District Court Judge Thomas W. Henderson issued a temporary restraining order barring a meeting scheduled for today at a church in Brighton from taking place. Henderson said in his ruling “the leadership of the Colorado Republican Party would be called into question, leaving the party in disarray roughly 100 days before election day on Nov.
Lauren Boebert, Colorado congressional candidates tell GOP Chairman Dave Williams to step down
Six of the state’s Republican congressional candidates said embattled Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams should step down as party leader, and U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in a Facebook post suggested that Williams should go. The letter and Facebook post come a day before a meeting aimed at removing Williams 16 months into his controversial tenure. “We urge you to resign from your chairmanship, today.
Longtime Colorado Journalist Sanda Fish Retires
July 26, 2024 11:39 AM UTC 0 Comments by: Colorado Pols A fixture in Colorado political journalism is calling it a career. Sandra Fish, Data Journalist for The Colorado Sun (and many other outlets, including the Boulder Daily Camera), announced today in her own understated way that she was swimming off into the sunset.
Why the Colorado Democratic Party chairman loathes Kent Thiry’s election overhaul plan
Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Shad Murib has been one of the loudest critics of the state election overhaul being pursued by Kent Thiry, the former CEO of the Denver-based dialysis giant DaVita. Murib has made his opposition clear on social media and during gatherings with Democrats across the state. But why is he so against the change?
Colorado campaign donation limits case to be decided later this year
A federal court judge will decide after the Nov. 5 general election whether Colorado’s state political donation limits for candidates are legal. In a trial that concluded Tuesday, three Republicans are challenging the limits enacted by voters in 2002 claiming they violate the First Amendment by limiting donors’ freedom of speech.
Colorado campaign donation limits case to be decided later this year
A federal court judge will decide after the Nov. 5 general election whether Colorado’s state political donation limits for candidates are legal. In a trial that concluded Tuesday, three Republicans are challenging the limits enacted by voters in 2002 claiming they violate the First Amendment by limiting donors’ freedom of speech.
Report: State GOP spent big money on Williams' campaign
The Colorado GOP spent $39,000 on two mailers in June supporting Chairman Dave Williams’ failed 5th District congressional bid, pushing the party’s overall spending on his campaign to nearly $60,000, a report filed early Sunday morning shows. The party also paid Williams’ company $16,000 for “chairman consulting” in June and July, payments he receives in lieu of a salary for his official party work.
Colorado GOP reports spending another $39,000 on mailers for Chairman Dave Williams
The Colorado GOP spent $39,000 on two mailers in June supporting Chairman Dave Williams’ failed 5th District congressional bid, pushing the party’s overall spending on his campaign to nearly $60,000, a report filed early Sunday morning shows. The party also paid Williams’ company $16,000 for “chairman consulting” in June and July, payments he receives in lieu of a salary for his official party work.
As President Joe Biden bows out, Colorado DNC delegates start rallying around Kamala Harris
Colorado’s delegates to the Democratic National Convention on Sunday began rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden announced he would end his reelection bid and endorsed Harris to replace him on the ticket. The Colorado Sun on Sunday afternoon immediately began polling the state’s 87 delegates, which include the state’s two U.S. senators and five U.S. House members, to the convention in Chicago next month.
Democratic state rep drops reelection bid, may make it harder for party to keep Colorado House supermajority
Democratic state representative who was running for reelection in a toss-up district dropped out of the race Friday, which may make it that much harder for her party to maintain its supermajority in the Colorado House of Representative in the November election. State Rep. Jennifer Parenti, an Erie Democrat who is in her first term, said she is dropping her bid because she “cannot continue to serve while maintaining my own sense of integrity.” kAm“%96 EH@ 2C6 D:>A=J :?4@>A2E:3=6[” D96 HC@E6 :?
Democratic state representative drops reelection bid, which may make it harder for her party to keep Colorado House supermajority
A Democratic state representative who was running for reelection in a toss-up district dropped out of the race Friday, which may make it that much harder for her party to maintain its supermajority in the Colorado House of Representative in the November election. State Rep.
The debate over who should qualify for subsidized housing in Colorado
When Colorado politicians and advocacy groups talk about the need for affordable housing, there are three professions that come up again and again: teachers, nurses and firefighters. It’s a potent line in a politically fraught debate, aimed at overcoming the stigma of low-income housing at the local level. After all, who doesn’t support having a place in their community for the people who teach their kids, treat their sick and keep their neighborhoods safe?
Democrats in Colorado’s two most competitive congressional districts have big cash advantages
The Democratic candidates in Colorado’s two most competitive congressional districts have big fundraising advantages over their Republican opponents heading into the November general election. The races in the 3rd and 8th congressional districts may decide which party controls Congress next year, and the lopsided financial situation could force national Republican groups to pour money into the state. U.S. Rep.
Dave Williams sent the Colorado GOP $60,000. The party says it’s not reimbursement for campaign help.
A new batch of federal campaign finance reports this week are raising more questions about how the Colorado GOP spent money to help party Chairman Dave Williams’ unsuccessful run for Congress. Williams’ campaign in the 5th Congressional District donated $60,000 to the party on June 20. That was the campaign’s largest single expense between June 6-30, the latest period for which federal candidates had to report their financial activity to the Federal Election Commission.
Two-week trial begins in lawsuit challenging Colorado’s campaign contribution limits
A two-week trial began Monday in the federal lawsuit seeking to overturn Colorado’s voter-approved state campaign contribution limits, which are among the lowest in the country. The case was brought by three Republicans, who, backed by lawyers from a conservative political nonprofit, argue Colorado’s limits benefit self-funding candidates who can bankroll their campaigns.
How Colorado’s delegates to the Democratic National Convention are feeling about Joe Biden
They’re still ridin’ with Biden. For now. The Colorado Sun on Thursday polled nearly 20 of the state’s delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month, and none said they planned on not backing Joe Biden to be the Democratic nominee for president. However, some said they didn’t think Biden is the best option amid questions about his mental fitness and ability to beat Donald Trump, while others declined to comment. Colorado will have 87 delegates to the Aug.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with sandra
Contact sandra, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack