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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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. -
The Colorado Caroling Company shares the joy of performing holiday favorites for appreciative audiences.
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Election officials are trying to win over voter trust that ballots are handled and counted securely. In Colorado, a clerk went so far as to invite one skeptic to work at his office to see for herself.
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Reports of psychosis associated with new cannabis concentrates have half a dozen states proposing new regulations They're also proposing more taxes to fund research about the unknowns in concentrates.
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Immediately following the shooting in Boulder that killed 10 people, some Colorado Democrats said they would push for a statewide ban on assault-style weapons. Now support for a ban is waning.
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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. -
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. -
Voting technology companies are using lawsuits to take on false claims that they were involved in stealing the 2020 election. They say the flood of election disinformation has hurt their bottom line.
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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. -
The 130-year-old Capitol building where Rep.-elect David Ortiz will work isn't totally accessible. We examine what his victory means for disability rights, and what changes have to be made.
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The Supreme Court vacancy is not at the top of the minds of the Colorado voters we spoke to this week, while health care and the pandemic are.
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While former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is still seen as having an edge in his state's Senate primary, recent and past comments about race have dampened enthusiasm for him among some voters.
