VOL. 01 NO. 198 | DECEMBER 5, 2016 | COLORADOSTATESMAN.COM/THE-HOT-SHEET | © 2016

DENVER – Start of a new week! We can’t decide whether to hum “Monday, Monday” or “Let it Snow.” Thoughts? Discuss …

For political junkies, you could attend a Christmas party this weekend without discussions (speculation) shifting to the 2018 governor’s race or who might run for the state chairmanships. Amazing how frank those conversations get the lower the punchbowl becomes. We do a little speculating for you here … (Which Salazar do you like for governor?)

With 45 days until the inauguration of Donald Trump, there’s still lots of media speculation concerning appointments, Tweets and new policies. We’ve included a few here. Boulder may have reacted the most dramatically creating “safe zones” for those fearful of new policies coming down from on high in D.C. We’ll let you judge for yourself if the measures are appropriate, too far or not enough.

Here we go!

The First Shot

“The writing is on the wall. We need a leader to rise to the top to heal the fracture that’s going on in the party.”

– State Rep. Joe Salazar (D) of Thornton

Dems guv race: “Free for All”

As both the Colorado Democratic and Republican Parties look toward the governor’s race (yes, the one in 2018) Democrats may have an internal feud on their hands. Early speculation from the left put both Ken and Joe Salazar on a (growing) short list.

Former Interior Secretary and U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar and his inner circle have been quiet about what the San Luis Valley Democrat’s intentions are – as reported by ColoradoPolitics.com – though many say he is first considering the impact a run would have on his family.

Joining the two Salazars on the potential Colorado Democrats to toss their hats into the governor’s race – as presented by reporter Peter Marcus – also include: U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Golden, former state Treasurer Cary Kennedy, state Sen. Michael Merrifield, state Sen. Mike Johnston and ???

The field of Republican candidates is also crowded with early frontrunners: State Treasurer Walker Stapleton, Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler, Secretary of State Wayne Williams, state Sen. Ray Scott of Grand Junction and Attorney General Cynthia Coffman.

Boulder reacts to Trump with “Safe Zones”

Citing an “outpouring of concern,” Boulder County has begun hanging “Safe Zone” posters in all government buildings. The effort, according to the Daily Camera is in reaction to “a real climate of uncertainty” among members of the community about whether they’ll be threatened because of being Latino, undocumented immigrants or members of the LGBT community … and concerns about “what big changes” might result from Donald Trump winning the presidential election.

The installation of Boulder County’s safe-zone posters comes about one year after county commissioners adopted a resolution formally affirming the county’s “commitment to being an inclusive community.”

CBS4 spoke to several in Boulder who claim they are fearful following the election of Donald Trump and seemed to find some comfort in the newly designated “safe zones.”

Colorado businesses call for immigration reform

Giving a nod to the significant role that legal and sometimes illegal immigrants play in the U.S. economy, Coloradans for Immigration Reform are asking the feds to come to some rational solution to immigration issues … Now.

Among the coalition’s members – according to the reporting in the Denver Business Journal – are the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the South Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Associated Builders and Contractors/Rocky Mountain, Colorado Restaurant Association and the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association.

Ah, reform, that magical word; it’s more or less the political equivalent of “abracadabra,” reports Dan Njegomir in ColoradoPolitics.com. It can be used to pull just about anything out of a hat on any issue, depending on which audience one is trying to dazzle.

At a time when Colorado’s immigrant population says it’s concerned following a Trump election, the business community may be the loudest voice – and possibly the most significant – in the room for reform.

The House Republicans assign committees

Late Friday afternoon, the House Republicans released their list of new committee members. The first big show of power by the newly elected House Minority Leader Patrick Neville (R-Castle Rock).

Republicans on the powerful House Appropriations Committee are: Rep. Jon Becker, Rep-elect Susan Beckman, Rep. Justin Everett, House Minority Leader Patrick Neville and Rep. Bob Rankin. Check out the full committee list at ColoradoPolitics.com.

Colorado’s attorney general makes a case AGAINST open records reform

You might have paid for state documents generated by our government, but that doesn’t mean you necessarily own them. Unlike many other states, there is little the public or media can do once a government agency denies access to a public record … The requester’s only current recourse is take our government agencies to court. A lengthy and expensive process.

On Friday, after months of work by stakeholders, proposed 2017 legislation is taking shape that would modernize the Colorado Open Records Act and provide an alternative to litigation for resolving CORA disputes. Chief Deputy AG David Blake told the group that the AG would not support the groups work.

The bill – as cited by Colorado Freedom of Information Office – would incentivize records requesters to try mediation before heading to court. If the AG’s office doesn’t like THIS bill … We all look forward to their alternative.

Just for Laughs

Calendar

12/15/2016      ACDP Executive Board Regular Meeting

12/19/2016      ACDP Executive Board Regular Meeting

Today in History

2007 – Westroads Mall shooting: A gunman opens fire with a semi-automatic rifle at an Omaha, Nebraska, mall, killing eight people before taking his own life.

1955 – E. D. Nixon and Rosa Parks lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

1936 – The Soviet Union adopts a new constitution and the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic is established as a full Union Republic of the USSR.

1933 – Prohibition in the United States ends: Utah becomes the 36th U.S. state to ratify the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution, thus establishing the required 75% of states needed to enact the amendment.

1848 – California Gold Rush: In a message to the United States Congress, U.S. President James K. Polk confirms that large amounts of gold had been discovered in California.

1831 – Former U.S. President John Quincy Adams takes his seat in the House of Representatives.

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