The Hot Sheet – And so it begins, education $ will be “Rearranging chairs on Titanic,” Hick looks to legacy, Trump looms over the dome and … MORE!
VOL. 02 NO. 004 | JANUARY 12, 2017 | COLORADOSTATESMAN.COM/THE-HOT-SHEET | © 2017
DENVER – Good morning, and happy Thursday – Colorado’s second day with state legislators inside the state Capitol working – yikes! A couple of things of note for you this a.m.: First, Gov. John Hickenlooper prepares this morning to take to the House of Representatives dais to deliver his second-from-last State of the State speech to the burgeoning 2017 Legislature.
Second, we at The Colorado Statesman remind you that – as the state Capitol’s publication of record for the last 119 years – we are excited to continue improving your readership experience and the news we bring to you from under the Gold Dome this year. So here’s a quick breakdown:
– We have two veteran reporters, John Tomasic and Mike McKibbin, working full-time at the Capitol covering news as it breaks each day and writing in-depth analysis features and stories for you during the 120 legislative session.
– While some of our analysis and invaluable feature stories and profiles will remain accessible only to our much-appreciated Statesman subscribers, all of our stories from the Legislature will be free and open to the public. Awesome, right!?
– In addition, The Hot Sheet is free! If you are receiving this email as a forward and would like to sign up or know someone else who would, here’s the link to do so: https://www.coloradostatesman.com/sign-hot-sheet/
You can’t beat free! Now onward to today’s news briefing:
State Senate strikes positive notes on opening day, with hints of toxic national politics
Newbie state Senators Fenberg, Smallwood step into the ring
Duran hits ground running as House speaker
Hickenlooper won’t issue clean-air executive order

The First Shot
“If we do anything with the School Finance Act, it’s just rearranging the chairs on the Titanic for the same amount of money, and there will be winners and losers.”
– Rep. Jim Wilson, R-Salida
The General Assembly
Opening day at the Colorado Capitol: Roads, housing, energy, health are big themes
Just Some of the Bills Introduced on First Day Of Session
Legislative session begins, as Christmas and Mardi Gras for politicos
http://coloradopolitics.com/colorado-legisatlative-session-starts/
FIRST DAY OF #COLEG: Mardi Gras, Burrito Diplomacy, and Flowers
Partisanship in the Donald Trump era overshadows first day of Colorado legislative session
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/11/donald-trump-colorado-legislative-session/
Opening Day at the Colorado General Assembly: One day down, 119 to go
https://www.coloradoindependent.com/163334/opening-day-colorado-general-assembly
Colorado legislature opens with calls for bipartisanship, but fault lines already visible
TEXT: Opening day speech by Colorado House Speaker Crisanta Duran
TEXT: Opening day speech by Colorado Senate President Kevin Grantham
https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2017/01/11/text-opening-day-speech-by-colorado-senate.html
TEXT: Opening day speech by Colorado Senate Minority Leader Lucia Guzman
https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2017/01/11/text-opening-day-speech-guzman.html
TEXT: Opening day speech by Colorado House Minority Leader Patrick Neville
Media roundup: Researcher says CO’s legislature is the most polarized in the nation
https://www.coloradoindependent.com/163329/colorado-local-news-media-5
New Issues Brought Up on First Day Of Colorado’s 2017 Legislative Session
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2017/01/11/colorado-2017-legislative-session/
Updates from the first day of the Colorado Legislature
Education funding debate a top priority for Colorado lawmakers, but bipartisan solutions elusive as session starts
Aurora lawmaker warns of ‘one size fits all’ approach to education
https://www.aurorasentinel.com/news/aurora-lawmaker-warns-one-size-fits-approach-education-panel/
Grantham on health exchange: time to ‘shed…dead weight of failed government policy
http://coloradopolitics.com/grantham-health-exchange-time-shed-dead-weight-failed-government-policy/
GOP legislative ace says voters would fund education, if they’re convinced
http://coloradopolitics.com/jim-wilson-education-funding/
The 9NEWS guide to citizen-lobbying in Colorado
https://www.9news.com/news/politics/the-9news-guide-to-citizen-lobbying-in-colorado/385202904
Colorado lawmakers return to work to tackle transportation, health care, other issues
EDITORIAL: Legislature must fix transportation
http://gazette.com/editorial-legislature-must-fix-transportation/article/1594106
Colorado House vows fixes on roads, affordable housing
http://coloradopolitics.com/colorado-house-vows-roads-construction-defects/
Conservation Colorado issues legislative playbook for the environment
http://coloradopolitics.com/colorado-legislative-environment/
New Colorado legislative session brings new hope for regulatory reform
VIDEO: Behind the scenes at #coleg with Colorado Politics’s Joey Bunch
http://coloradopolitics.com/video-behind-the-scenes-at-coleg-with-colorado-politicss-joey-bunch/
Real bill to ban fake urine is no fake news, just a sign of the times
http://coloradopolitics.com/real-bill-ban-fake-urine-no-fake-news-just-sign-times/
Bill would protect Colorado residents and immigrants, not provide “sanctuary”
New Colorado speaker of the house makes history
https://www.9news.com/news/politics/new-colorado-speaker-of-the-house-makes-history/385349940
Meet Colorado’s First Latina Speaker of the House
https://www.5280.com/magazine/2016/12/meet-colorados-first-latina-speaker-house
Veterans Call Attention To PTSD
http://denver.cbslocal.com/video/category/news-politics/3605800-veterans-call-attention-to-ptsd/
Colorado Government
Denver officials start talks about allowing evening marijuana store hours, as neighboring cities do
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/11/denver-evening-pot-shop-hours/
Exclusive: Denver-area mayors weigh in on region’s biggest challenges at DBJ forum
Hancock administration seeks big boost in salary for Denver licensing director
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/11/hancock-boost-salary-denver-licensing-director/
REINING IN POWER: Colorado Lawmakers Taking the REINS
http://coloradopeakpolitics.com/2017/01/11/reining-in-power-colorado-lawmakers-taking-the-reins/
Local Press AWOL While Gardner Makes Big Obamacare Promises
https://www.coloradopols.com/diary/90845/local-press-awol-while-gardner-makes-big-obamacare-promises
Democrats take control of Colorado State Board of Education, Schroeder appointed chair
Pikes Peak governments council fires executive director
http://gazette.com/pikes-peak-governments-council-fires-executive-director/article/1594175
Tom Clark to retire as CEO of Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/11/tom-clark-retiring/
Tom Clark, CEO of Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., to retire
You Won’t Believe Who Tim Leonard Hired As His Legislative Aide
Broomfield postpones decision on 6-month oil and gas ban
Controversial Broomfield fracking moratorium vote postponed
https://www.coloradoindependent.com/163345/broomfield-fracking-ban-vote-postponed
Audit: Energy office mending ways, needs more work
http://coloradopolitics.com/audit-energy-office-mending-ways-needs-work/
Gardner asks Colorado Farm Bureau for advice; Don Shawcroft has plenty
http://coloradopolitics.com/cory-gardner-colorado-farm-bureau/
Colorado Springs 2C projects: ‘on time, on budget’
http://gazette.com/colorado-springs-2c-projects-on-time-on-budget/article/1594125
Politics in Colorado
Trump Golden Showers Claims, Jared Polis Tweets, Rejected Fake News Pledge
As Colorado secretary of state, El Paso’s Wayne Williams shows how it’s done
Governor Hickenlooper
Before State of the State, Colorado governor looks to legacy in final years
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/11/hickenlooper-state-of-the-state-legacy/
John Hickenlooper looking to lock in his legacy in State of the State
http://coloradopolitics.com/john-hickenlooper-looking-to-lock-in-his-legacy-in-state-of-the-state/
Governor to deliver State of the State address on Thursday
http://kdvr.com/2017/01/11/governor-to-deliver-state-of-the-state-address-on-thursday/
Hickenlooper abandons plan for exec order cutting Colorado’s CO2 levels
Just for laughs
Calendar
January 12th
Colorado Hispanic Republicans Meet n Gree
Montrose County Republicans Central Committee meeting
January 13th
Weld County South Republican Breakfast Club
January 20th
2017 United States Presidential Inauguration
Lincoln Club of Colorado sponsoring Inaugural Ball
Today in history
2005 – Deep Impact launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta II rocket.
2004 – The world’s largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage.
1998 – Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning.
1991 – Persian Gulf War: An act of the U.S. Congress authorizes the use of American military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait.
1976 – The United Nations Security Council votes 11-1 to allow the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in a Security Council debate (without voting rights).
1966 – Lyndon B. Johnson states that the United States should stay in South Vietnam until Communist aggression there is ended.
1932 – Hattie Caraway becomes the first woman elected to the United States Senate.
1915 – The United States House of Representatives rejects a proposal to give women the right to vote.
1908 – A long-distance radio message is sent from the Eiffel Tower for the first time.
Birthdays
Conservative Talk Show Host Rush Limbaugh – 65
State Rep. Kevin Van Winkle, R-Highlands Ranch – 34
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