Bente Birkeland is a reporter for Rocky Mountain News Radio.
Bente Birkeland appears in the following:
Colorado Democrats look to crack down on insider election threats and misinformation
Tuesday, March 22, 2022
One controversial provision would ban anyone overseeing elections from knowingly or recklessly making false statements about the process. That's raised First Amendment concerns.
Colorado clerk is indicted for election tampering and misconduct
Wednesday, March 09, 2022
The indictment of Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters and her deputy on a laundry list of felony and misdemeanor charges is related to an election security breach in her office last year.
Colorado's first lawmaker to use a wheelchair will finally get to wield the gavel
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
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.
This Denver Christmas caroling quartet has been singing together for nearly 4 decades
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
The Colorado Caroling Company shares the joy of performing holiday favorites for appreciative audiences.
To try to convert an election skeptic, a county clerk invited her to help the process
Friday, November 12, 2021
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.
The committees intended to combat gerrymandering can look very different per state
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
More states have adopted redistricting commissions as an antidote to gerrymandering over the past decade. Depending on the state, commissions look and function very differently. Are they working?
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' Wedding Marks 1st Same-Sex Marriage Of Sitting Governor
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
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.
Voting Data From A Colorado County Was Leaked Online. Now The Clerk Is In Hiding
Friday, September 03, 2021
A county clerk in Colorado is under investigation after sensitive information about the county's voting machines appeared on conspiracy websites.
After Data Is Posted On Conspiracy Site, Colorado County's Voting Machines Are Banned
Thursday, August 12, 2021
Colorado officials are pointing the finger at the Mesa County clerk, who's currently attending a conference promoting claims that the 2020 election was rigged.
Concerns Persist As Independent Commissions Redraw Voting Districts In Some States
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Independent redistricting commissions are more popular than ever, but some states in which Democrats have political control — like Colorado — are starting to regret giving up map-making power.
Lawmakers Push For Protest Restrictions In The Year Since George Floyd's Killing
Monday, May 24, 2021
Republicans in more than 30 states have introduced bills to criminalize or limit the rights of protesters. Simultaneously, some Democratic-led states are working to better protect protesters.
Coloradans Worry About Mental Health Effects Of Some Pot Products
Wednesday, May 05, 2021
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.
Newsmax Issues Retraction And Apology To Dominion Employee Over Election Stories
Friday, April 30, 2021
Voting machine engineer Eric Coomer was falsely accused of rigging the election against former President Donald Trump by the conservative cable network. He faced death threats and has been in hiding.
Colorado Assault-Style Weapons Ban Doesn't Look Likely
Saturday, April 10, 2021
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.
Support For More Restrictive Firearms Laws Wanes In Colorado, Weeks After Shooting
Friday, April 09, 2021
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.
Election Defamation Lawsuits Open New Front In Fight Against Disinformation
Saturday, March 27, 2021
Some see these legal fights as another way to take on viral misinformation, one that's already starting to show some results.
Colorado Democrats Consider Ban On Assault Weapons After Mass Shooting
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
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.
Behind The Scenes Of Pandemic Governing: Colorado's Polis On Tests Of Leadership
Friday, March 19, 2021
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 Firms Turn To Defamation Lawsuits To Counter False Claims
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
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.
GOP Divide Not Just A D.C. Drama: Post-Trump Reckoning Splits Colorado County
Friday, February 05, 2021
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.