Bente Birkeland
Bente Birkeland has covered Colorado politics and government since spring of 2006. She loves the variety and challenge of the state capitol beat and talking to people from all walks of life. Bente's work has aired on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, American PublicMedia's Marketplace, and she was a contributor for WNYC's The Next Big Thing. She has won numerous local and national awards, including best beat reporting from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors. Bente grew up in Minnesota and England, and loves skiing, hiking, and is an aspiring cello player. She lives in Lakewood with her husband.
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Even though it wasn't a swing state in 2020, Colorado has been at the forefront of false claims that the election was stolen. -
In Colorado, canvassers have been knocking on doors in some communities to determine whether people actually voted. The effort is raising concerns about voter intimidation.
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State Rep. David Ortiz was paralyzed from the waist down while serving in Afghanistan. To give him access to the House podium, legislative staff say they have built the first lift of its kind.
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Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, who in 2018 became the first openly gay man ever elected governor in the U.S., wed his longtime partner on Wednesday.
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Weeks after the mass shooting in Boulder, Colo., the push for a statewide ban on assault-style weapons is losing steam, even among prominent Democrats who say it is the wrong strategy.
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After 10 people were killed at a grocery store in Boulder, Colo., state Democrats say they're considering joining seven other states and D.C. by banning "assault-style" weapons.
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No governor expects they'll have to lead their state through a global pandemic when they take office, but the last year has thrust them all into the spotlight, including Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado.
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As the GOP split reverberates across the U.S., the head of one Colorado county Republican Party insinuates that COVID-19 is a hoax, calls on militia group for security and faces calls to resign.
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During the coronavirus pandemic, states have struggled with staggering revenue losses and budget shortfalls. Here's what is happening in Colorado.
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The coronavirus is forcing governors to ask how to balance public safety with the financial welfare of their states. We spent the day with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis as the pandemic tested his mettle.
