[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6277157,"mediaKeyId","2657034-c270001d6d3041b70edd0be6bbf30fd0","parentId",2657034,"title","Chief Justice says ombudsman set up stalled; judicial branch has launched alternative supports","audioSeconds",293,"startMs",6038000,"endMs",6331000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2657034-c270001d6d3041b70edd0be6bbf30fd0&start=6038&end=6331","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2657034-c270001d6d3041b70edd0be6bbf30fd0/thumbnail_6038000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6277157/Colorado/Chief-Justice-says-ombudsman-set-up-stalled-judicial-branch-has-launched-alternative-supports","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277157-74f0199abe4c4e2222b36c200f280aa2/orig.mp4?Expires=1773584246&Signature=CindjAOzXGy0BgYZdPBNfZ9TXSjm~db2R0mgS-BUEvWPWPcSA-cdEAd0hu3rPosh95yD4pTAt9ap9-oMifTEnsPXz4~6wXnFPh7A37BxjOPaT9ny1TLDT1q6R6dxo~TqkYO~sjlBGRstGeFQlpRXpyUUL3E1r7u4~nO7jMVG0LQsFeVyc-mC-AJwuEfP4jcRQItbzzhELdaOaMTMaSoOJclYD5Ydf7QndtTZ6lBw1mTRFvn-aRDTQEOlgBiOK8dTB4Ylx65c2~DUnOuJ3C2Ar~H8HauY1XVSmQUuX0tHAKjgMFx2HR-2FTjBeotRnfR9nQpf2f7QJvHH~uj4Mx1dJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Colorado State Legislature","date","2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","article","Chief Justice and the State Court Administrator appeared before the Joint Budget Committee to explain the status of the newly created judicial discipline ombudsman office and to outline related judicial branch comeback requests.

Chief Justice told the committee that House Bill 23‑1205 created an independent office of the judicial discipline ombudsman with a selection board and separate oversight from the judicial branch by design. She said the selection board was appointed in late 2023 or early 2024 but has not met, and the statutory deadline for appointing an ombuds passed more than a year earlier. Because the law places selection outside the Supreme Court’s control, the Supreme Court and State Court Administrator have not been able to stand up the ombuds office directly.

While the ombuds selection process remains stalled, Chief Justice said the judicial branch has pursued its own workplace culture initiatives, including leadership training, revisions to reporting obligations, and an anonymous reporting platform that lets employees communicate concerns to human resources confidentially. The chief justice emphasized that anonymous reporting is not the same as an independent, non‑mandatory‑reporting ombuds because mandatory reporters still must escalate some reports to HR; an ombuds would serve as a neutral, non‑reporting resource allowing employees to explore options before triggering mandatory reports.

Committee members asked about scope and the appointment process. The chief justice said under the statute the selection board would hire and provide oversight for the ombuds, and that the court cannot unilaterally implement the independent office while the statutory board remains inactive. She offered to follow up with a plan and additional cost commentary and to meet with committee members to answer more detailed questions about how an internal ombuds would be structured, how costs compare, and whether the judicial branch could provide a limited internal alternative that preserves independence.

The judicial branch also requested comeback funding for a case‑management replacement for a thirty‑year system, and for probation officers to handle filings shifted into state court due to municipal court changes; the committee asked about the scope and timeline of IT projects and the supervised probation ramp‑up. The chief justice and administrator said they were trying to honor the committee’s request to slow the case‑management project while still making progress and that probation staff would be phased in starting July 1 to match the filings schedule.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Budget Committee [Mar 13, 2025]","oneSentenceSummary","Chief Justice told the Joint Budget Committee that the independent judicial discipline ombudsman called for in last year’s law has not been stood up because the statutorily‑created selection board has not met; while the independent office remains inactive, the judicial branch has rolled out internal workplace improvements, including anonymous reporting.","taxTitle","Joint Budget Committee, YEAR-ROUND COMMITTEES, Committees, Legislative, Colorado","taxId",45208,"location","Colorado","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277161,"CBI DNA backlog: agency says new hires and outsourcing will halve turnaround, full recovery by early 2027",615,9285000,9900000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2657034-c270001d6d3041b70edd0be6bbf30fd0&start=9285&end=9900","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2657034-c270001d6d3041b70edd0be6bbf30fd0/thumbnail_9285000.jpg","/articles/6277161/Colorado/CBI-DNA-backlog-agency-says-new-hires-and-outsourcing-will-halve-turnaround-full-recovery-by-early-2027","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277161-466cea9262a709d3afe9a81fe95f098b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773584246&Signature=PVx26aWMDvPja5KWMnbNiKD4Ytp~sbFJ82s3W5Krmzb-3P5lDUy~iAO94v7q~bJS-FnGTcasRj5wZ7jlN3bgmnA1FBqFqK6eOxr-mujF10-Ssq5QwCdLiuubiHnM3uZmGuYoG3c8e3DzSupiexh8fGWHe7yladZL6MRR3jcd7wADpRYCU9w59JoovGphJkHLDILMiyOpKanHMEhB2TYumENtaU2uNUSmLlpl~jt7cpVyyHRGFTMJO4a6biBwJ6GBjKbcEMRYyCeI~BHG8lZ67qcpr2F7AR4SM8JZDiR1KVoq3CFaNM1vWStZR0t5mQ5uf11HpcD~DPhcFnxLcuOlyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) leadership told the Joint Budget Committee the agency expects to reduce its DNA testing backlog and turnaround times significantly after recent funding and hiring but that the work will take time.

CBI deputy director told the committee the department has completed work to hire and train additional forensic scientists and that, with the recently funded positions and an outsourcing plan with partner labs, the backlog of unprocessed DNA cases currently on the books should be completed by the end of the calendar year. He said that, with the new staff and contracted support, CBI would cut overall turnaround times in half by February 2026 and reach an average turnaround time of about 90 days by early 2027.

Committee members pressed for faster outcomes. Several asked whether additional funding targeted at signing bonuses, hiring experienced staff from the private sector or federal agencies, or expanded outsourcing could accelerate the timeline. CBI officials said experienced forensic scientists are scarce nationwide, that training a new DNA scientist typically takes up to two years, and that while hiring experienced staff would help, available experienced candidates are limited. CBI said it has about 16 scientists working cases and 15 in training; seven of the trainees’ schedules were delayed by work on a high‑profile review, which slowed training progress but is now resolved.

Lawmakers and CBI agreed that longer‑term solutions include building bench strength through training pipelines, increasing pay where feasible, and exploring sign‑on incentives or other hiring tools. CBI also described a mix of contractors, case assistants and social‑worker roles it uses to reduce per‑case attorney hours and to increase throughput. The committee requested costings for accelerated hiring options and asked for follow‑up information to assess whether a larger investment now could shorten the recovery timeline.

CBI representatives noted continuing efforts to improve transparency and metrics; staff said they would provide the committee with a more detailed schedule for the phased reductions in backlog and the annualized cost for options to accelerate the timeline.","Colorado Bureau of Investigation told the JBC it will cut DNA case backlog and turnaround times in half by early 2026 with hires and contractor help; it estimates reaching a 90‑day turnaround by early 2027 but said faster progress would require more staffing, training time and possibly sign‑on incentives.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277166,"Department of Law asks JBC for staff and spending as federal directives increase legal workload",154,2897000,3051000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2657034-c270001d6d3041b70edd0be6bbf30fd0&start=2897&end=3051","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2657034-c270001d6d3041b70edd0be6bbf30fd0/thumbnail_2897000.jpg","/articles/6277166/Colorado/Department-of-Law-asks-JBC-for-staff-and-spending-as-federal-directives-increase-legal-workload","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277166-5776e8df621c7f10d64cdce15e32cb12/orig.mp4?Expires=1773584246&Signature=BIJDqH5omCW7QgHnxBoGZnVe6w~DF4~O0-WCnA0-~g7JjawfMdtyLvCSujGid7q~BSVX6T7UR2yqRTmnPxv7MOIJXt8zscAT6ZVHs-G6mqTQuRzzArq95QjDgt1R4WlTDBEMjrcOoAYpPb5yodgXyc1mhO1yfkwlsEBvb9svfAtJOAUdjWPu8JTnthSOeZ8lblz05ZaCT2Y072gfhKKxS5rylsEa8~Jl3lCzBo4J8wmKcO8p4IDvByaAT4RAsNoIXwBj8B7H64Z6oD8ApH1VY2klwSIrWmdUuEx72N7dBUZKmgRbSo5qmeTpH09Y4cugmfxqEFb5lLMXdcCySUMLOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Colorado Department of Law deputy leaders told the Joint Budget Committee that federal executive actions and shifting federal agency directives after a recent change in administration increased the department’s workload and legal risk and justified new staff and spending.

Deputy Attorney General Kurt Morrison explained the department submitted a budget amendment for three attorneys (a mix of deputy solicitors general and assistant attorneys general) after learning of the volume and character of post‑election legal work that fell outside the department’s November budget submission. He told the committee the request is intended to absorb part of a large increase in legal services tied to legal advice to state agencies and higher‑education institutions as well as new litigation.

Morrison said the new workload breaks into two buckets: direct litigation and daily legal counsel for state agencies responding to rapidly changing federal directives and executive orders, some of which include penalties tied to federal funding. “That part of the request isn’t just that we’re going to fight these in court,” Morrison told the committee. “A big chunk is legal advice: we’re advising agencies how to comply with new directives that change nearly daily.” He estimated roughly 60% of the new workload is legal counsel to client agencies and the remainder is litigation.

Committee members asked whether agencies can bill for the work under existing common‑policy mechanisms. Morrison said much of the work cannot be billed to a single client because the state at large — rather than a single agency — is the plaintiff, or because some lawsuits arise from statewide policy decisions. He added that the three‑attorney request is a modest investment compared with the scale of potential risk, including the potential loss or pause of federal funding across many programs.

Morrison summarized the workload: since a recent change in federal administration the department has joined multiple new lawsuits, filed and joined amicus briefs, and faced new intervenor matters; the department also manages a growing flow of federal guidance and executive orders that sometimes include funding penalties and recurring changes. He estimated the department’s dedicated team (originally about 30 lawyers) is effectively delivering the work of roughly 45 FTE.

Deputy leaders told the committee that the department is billing client agencies where appropriate and that some litigation is undertaken on behalf of specific agencies, but other matters are necessarily the state’s responsibility and can’t be billed to a single client. They urged the committee to consider funding the request as a way to reduce litigation risk and protect state federal funding streams.","Deputy attorneys briefed the Joint Budget Committee on a comeback request for three FTE and related spending to manage sharply rising legal advice and litigation workloads tied to new federal executive orders and agency directives.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277171,"Treasury urges JBC to sustain property-tax deferral program, defends CoreLogic contract",306,462000,768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2657034-c270001d6d3041b70edd0be6bbf30fd0&start=462&end=768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2657034-c270001d6d3041b70edd0be6bbf30fd0/thumbnail_462000.jpg","/articles/6277171/Colorado/Treasury-urges-JBC-to-sustain-property-tax-deferral-program-defends-CoreLogic-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277171-db9e0e180c2bf7111eab20e4ba5bc754/orig.mp4?Expires=1773584246&Signature=iq3ErrNjD3tiYyrciQkAUZY~TtjxhGI~0AUngdrNTf8gUm1Gw6A99g1Xe7AaelIl1P4o4VW4xbjo1DnlI8dj6RaRGBh6px3siIjgR92LOTDvl6YCUstpzvOOm68n6EZMLY4GhPebG4HVnbfb~HAVG3VBP7dyjzV1D5n-NRt5CNtvR4Yup7deDLNlN1T7ZjVnpo6GcfuuS1FZUHNIyc5CCrY4Td3RrkvecVJtcXHWhA5Ey2GOigYOCocE~JDGmz2NmF9HsMLJkaUIbGowh6DRiedElTlKFR7utUbYMJg~5MnVyZDqrv1X3NfK0vREHg0gOGn34VmS8dAxMBdktqmLgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Colorado Treasurer presented the Department of the Treasury’s comeback requests and defended the property-tax deferral program and its tech contract before the Joint Budget Committee on March 20. He told the committee the deferral program is a 41‑year state program that provides low‑interest loans to eligible homeowners, is not an exemption, and is repaid with interest. He said the Treasury currently administers about $21.4 million in active loans to roughly 1,300 participants and that hundreds of loans have already been paid off with interest revenue returned to the state.

Treasury staff emphasized the program’s concentration among seniors. “About 80% of the beneficiaries are seniors on fixed incomes,” Treasury staff director Vanda Howell told the committee; Treasurer Young echoed that the program is a “safety valve option for people” and said it keeps households housed. The department noted that, while counties earlier resisted administering deferrals, the General Assembly centralized the program and tasked Treasury to modernize it in 2022.

Committee members pressed Treasury on the cost and structure of a contract with CoreLogic, which Treasury said it renegotiated to an annual charge of $1,800,000 from a prior $2,500,000 figure. Treasury described the CoreLogic agreement as covering more than software: the portal, e‑recording of tax‑deferral certificates, 24/7 maintenance, and a staffed call center that fields hundreds of inquiries per day during the application season; Treasury said the Joint Technology Committee unanimously recommended proceeding. Treasury and department budget analyst Nicholas Welch told members the CoreLogic call center helps applicants who lack online access and assists with application completion. Treasury said the call volume spikes from January 1 to April 1 when the application window is open.

Several legislators said they support the program’s goal but questioned the CoreLogic cost per participant: in committee discussion, members estimated the contract cost at several hundred dollars per participant and urged Treasury to explore lower‑cost processing alternatives or cost‑share models with counties. Treasury offered a preliminary cost‑sharing model with counties to distribute administrative burden if the legislature wished to pursue it.

Treasury also requested funding to support accounting staff, cash‑management positions and a debt‑management tracking tool, and to add two FTE for the unclaimed‑property program Great Colorado Payback to speed claims and increase automatic payments. On the deferral program, Treasury cautioned against terminating applications without a clear plan, saying doing so would still leave a long tail of loans to service and would increase administrative burden and risk for counties if the program were returned to them without automation.

Treasury closed by urging the committee to consider the program as an investment that returns funds with interest rather than a simple general‑fund expense.","State Treasurer and department staff told the Joint Budget Committee the property-tax deferral is a longstanding loan program that returns principal and interest, highlighted senior use, and defended a renegotiated CoreLogic contract that Treasury says is essential to operate a modern portal and call center.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Chief Justice says ombudsman set up stalled; judicial branch has launched alternative supports

CBI DNA backlog: agency says new hires and outsourcing will halve turnaround, full recovery by early 2027

Department of Law asks JBC for staff and spending as federal directives increase legal workload

Treasury urges JBC to sustain property-tax deferral program, defends CoreLogic contract