Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has joined a coalition of 23 Democrat-led states backing lawsuits filed by National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) aimed at blocking President Donald Trump’s executive order to cut federal funding to public media. The lawsuits argue that eliminating taxpayer support will harm emergency broadcasting services and educational programming, particularly in rural and tribal areas.
On May 1, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease funding for NPR, PBS, and their affiliates. The order cited political bias and an outdated need for federal support in today’s media-rich environment. “Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence,” the order stated.
In response, NPR and three Colorado radio affiliates filed a federal lawsuit on May 27. PBS and a Minnesota affiliate followed suit on May 30. The state coalition’s amicus brief was filed in support of both cases and argues public media serves critical roles, such as delivering Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages and supporting early childhood education.
Weiser, who is running in Colorado’s 2026 gubernatorial race, stated, “Cuts to public broadcasting won’t just rob us of programming… they will create real danger by reducing our ability to get critical emergency notifications to the public.” His office emphasized the importance of public broadcasters as primary or secondary stations for EAS alerts.
In addition to the lawsuits, public broadcasting faces another challenge from a Republican-led Recissions Package that would cut $1.1 billion from public media. That bill narrowly passed the House 214-212. Colorado’s Republican representatives supported it, while the state’s Democratic delegation opposed it.
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) defended the cuts, saying, “The federal government has no business funding media companies.” Most Republicans argue taxpayer dollars should not be used to support media outlets they view as ideologically biased.
The legal and legislative battles underscore deep divisions over the role of public media and taxpayer funding. Colorado has now joined or supported over 20 lawsuits against President Trump’s administration, reflecting ongoing opposition from Democrat-led states to conservative efforts aimed at government spending cuts and regulatory rollback.
