VOL. 01 NO. 212 | DECEMBER 23, 2016 | COLORADOSTATESMAN.COM/THE-HOT-SHEET | © 2016

Reminder: There will be no more Hot Sheet emails until Jan. 2. Your credit card will not be charged for your recurring subscription. We will see you next year! Happy Holidays!

DENVER – As we put a shiny red bow onto a YUUUUGE political year, it’s still unclear what – if anything – might be learned. No matter what side of the political struggle you sat on, it’s understandable if you’re just a smidgen anxious about what’s coming down the turnpike for Colorado and the country. Probably the one and only thing we all can agree on in 2016: change may most certainly be coming … (“No, it’s not, the swamp just got filled with different gators, that’s all,” say all you curmudgeons out their).

The First Shot

“We will always grieve. But knowing that losing his life wasn’t in vain, knowing that four families are still celebrating their loved ones, it gives me comfort.”

–  Kate Geer, widow of Mesa County Sheriff’s Deputy Derek Geer

More peeps … More House seats

It’s never too early to look ahead in politics … what else would we talk about standing around the party punch bowl, after all? New topic of consideration – outside of the 2018 governor’s race, the 2017 Legislature or party politics – is the possibility that Colorado could score an additional U.S. House seat in 2020.

All those additional cars on I-25 could translate to more political power (voices at least) for Colorado. Again, EARLY but according to the number-crunching of Real Clear Politics, Colorado is on course to pick up one seat in Congress’s lower chamber, bringing the total to eight.

The addition of one House seat for Colorado would possibly affect the state in other ways, like adding seats to the state Board of Education – according to Chalkbeat‘s Nick Garcia – and also adding powerful electors (hopefully no more faithless ones) to Colorado’s Electoral College basket.

As noted by the conservative leaning blog Colorado Peak Politics, however, it’s important to keep this news all in perspective. Colorado was supposed to get an eighth Congressional seat in 2011. As it turns out, despite Coloradans’ clamorous kvetching about population growth, other states have population growth, too.  Nooooo? Who knew?

FRACKING: Science or commerce?

This headline kinda says it all: “Weld County oil and gas policy: Sensible or scary?” – the Fort Collins Coloradoan trying to make sense of the community wrangling and legal battle over the Fort Collins fracking moratorium.

The new regulations, adopted late last month and taking effect in February, create a county permit for oil and gas projects in unincorporated Weld County.

As contentious as fracking – and the confusion surrounding the science – has been, the new county permit doesn’t require landowner sign-off or, in most cases, public hearings, even if the project is near homes or schools. Not popular among those anti-fracking loyalists.

Nixing the unnecessary traffic gauntlet

We understand it’s not a popular idea in health conscious – often extremely green – Colorado, but the fact is, roads were primarily built for cars. Really? City governments removing much-needed traffic lanes to create false – often confusing – bike lanes can cause congestion and can also be dangerous.

(Insert rant here)

Colorado Springs is ending a ill-received bike lane experiment after the city released findings Thursday showing the lane did nothing to reduce traffic speeds or accidents. Also. according to officials, the lane did not increase biking in the corridor as expected, according to the Gazette.

The confusing traffic gauntlet (looking very similar to Broadway in Denver) consisted of posts and painted stripes on the six-lane corridor …

A HEROES story

We close out the year with a compelling (dare we say heartwarming) story concerning a young Colorado man who lived his life as hero. After his death – in the service of our communities – he continues to put others first.

Make no mistake, there are super heroes and many of them wear a badge.

Mesa County Sheriff’s Deputy Derek Geer was shot and killed in February. Geer was trying to stop a 17-year-old wanted for violation of his probation on a sex offender charge when the teen ran. Authorities say – as reported in the Denver Post – Geer was attempting to use his stun gun to stop the teen from fleeing when he was shot and killed.

Even after his tragic death, Greer became a hero again by donating his organs to four people waiting on donor lists. His heart, liver and kidneys all went to others in need.  The Denver Post Editorial Board is absolutely correct (how often can we say that). Deputy Derek Geer deserves our respect and honor for his service. Amen!

Just for Laughs

Today in History

1986 – Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world without aerial or ground refueling.

1979 – Soviet war in Afghanistan: Soviet Union forces occupy Kabul, the Afghan capital.

1972 – The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, having reportedly survived by cannibalism.

1970 – The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York, NY is topped out at 1,368 feet (417 m), making it the tallest building in the world.

1954 – First successful kidney transplant is performed by J. Hartwell Harrison and Joseph Murray.

1947 – The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.

1913 – The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve System.

Don’t miss any of the hot political scuttlebutt going on with Colorado’s politicos on the presidential campaign trail, in Congress, inside the state Capitol and from around the state. Sign up for The Hot Sheet? today. The Hot Sheet? is Colorado’s premier political insider newsletter, delivered to your inbox daily.

NEWS TIPS WELCOME: Tell us what you know! – To submit a tip, event, happening, gossuping, chattering or other interesting tidbit to The Hot Sheet, click here to send us your wealth of knowledge … yes, even anonymous tips are welcome if you’re feeling all cloak and dagger