Purplish: Why is Douglas County so worked up about home rule?

Vote NO on Home Rule sign with volunteers ahead a voter canvassing effort, May 31, 2025. From CPR

From Purplish Podcast By Stephanie Wolf and Bente Birkeland, June 20, 2025

Voters in Douglas County are deciding whether to become a home rule county. With ballots due June 24, the issue is stirring up a lot of strong feelings, amidst competing claims about what it would mean for this fast-growing part of Colorado. County commissioners say home rule status would give Douglas County more legal standing to fight back against Democratic policies coming out of the State Capitol. But the experience of Colorado's only two existing home rule counties shows that home rule is more complicated, and less far reaching than they may hope. On this episode of Purplish, CPR's Stephanie Wolf joins CPR's Bente Birkeland to break down home rule: from how the idea got its start in an armed conflict on the steps of Denver's city hall, to the role it's playing today in the fight over housing policy. You can read the full story here. Purplish is produced by CPR News and the 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. This episode was edited by Megan Verlee and sound designed and engineered by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music was composed by Brad Turner. 

Read the article here or listen to the Purplish Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or NPR (30-min listen.)