Purplish
Colorado Public Radio
Purplish is a podcast about politics and policy and how they shape Coloradans’ lives, hosted by Colorado Public Radio’s public affairs reporter Bente Birkeland and reporters from the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. They break down the latest developments at the statehouse, in Congress and in local communities, to find the bigger picture behind the political headlines.Purplish is produced by CPR News with support from the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 11, 2020 • 2min
Trailer: Purplish Reborn
A lot has happened, dear podcast listener, since Sam, Bente, and Megan chatted in our final episode last year.
May 9, 2019 • 26min
ALL OF THE BILLS!!!!
Colorado’s 2019 legislative session is over. The last four months of frantic lawmaking were a test for Democrats, who took complete control of the state Capitol last November. This episode, we look back at everything they were able to achieve — and why arguments over process at times got in the way of their biggest goals. And how Republicans, who lacked the votes to block legislation, found other ways to make their voices heard. The result was a session that showed passing bills isn’t as simple as just having a majority.
Apr 6, 2019 • 24min
The First Fractivist
Ken Crumb’s story likely sounds familiar. A Front Range resident sees oil and gas drilling in his community. He doesn’t like it and organizes his neighbors to pass a local drilling ban. The thing is, in Ken’s case, this all happened more than 30 years ago. And that community he rallied was Greeley -- not exactly a hotbed of anti-fracking sentiment today.
This episode, we look back at perhaps Colorado’s first fractivist. What Ken did ended up limiting local control of oil and gas development. Now, Democratic lawmakers have passed a bill to tilt the scales back in the other direction.
Mar 2, 2019 • 28min
Electoral College Dropouts
Colorado is on the verge of becoming the 12th state to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The plan could someday commit all of Colorado’s electoral votes to the presidential candidate who gets the most votes nationwide -- no matter who wins the state.
Feb 2, 2019 • 26min
Could Colorado Fix Congress?
The last couple months have shown the depths of congressional dysfunction. Many think the problem isn’t so much the people who serve there. It’s a process that funnels all power to party leaders, stifling debate among the ranks. In 1988, Colorado voters recognized a similar issue in their state legislature. The remedy was something called the GAVEL Amendment -- an acronym for Give A Vote To Every Legislator.
Jan 4, 2019 • 15min
BONUS: Hick At High Noon
After eight years as Colorado’s governor, John Hickenlooper appears to be gearing up for a presidential run. On the campaign trail, he’s almost certain to emphasize gun control laws he signed in 2013. He led a purple state as it beat back the gun lobby to pass two controversial measures. But what did he do -- or not do -- to make that happen? And what does the story of those laws say about how Hickenlooper leads?
CPR Public Affairs Reporter Bente Birkeland breaks it down. And keep an eye on this podcast feed! It’s where we’ll tell you more about the return of Purplish for the imminent legislative session.
Dec 6, 2018 • 5min
BONUS: What’s Next for Pur-plish?
Now that ballots have been cast and counted, CPR is trying to figure out what the future holds for Purplish.
Nov 10, 2018 • 36min
Blue Avalanche
The midterm election has come and gone. In Colorado, what occurred wasn't a blue wave, it was a blue avalanche. It was a signal so strong that you could wonder if this is even a purple state anymore.
Nov 2, 2018 • 26min
The Holdouts
Colorado boasts some of the highest voter turnout in the country. Seventy percent of eligible adults submitted a ballot in the 2016 election, putting the state fourth in the country for voter turnout.
But that still means 30 percent of eligible adults sat it out. Why? Many of the common barriers to voting don’t exist in Colorado. The process is easy. The elections are competitive. So we’re turning to one group that can help with some answers: nonvoters themselves.
Oct 27, 2018 • 26min
You Can’t Hack Paper
Security experts say Colorado is one of the most reliable places to cast a ballot. That’s largely because of an old technology: good, old-fashioned wood pulp.
