Forty Years Ago This Week: Amid swirling rumors about what future political plans he had up his sleeve, rising Republican star U.S. Rep. Hank Brown brushed off eager-eared reporters who tried to peg him down on the issue, contending he had no announcement to make for the 1986 election year.

“I wouldn’t even begin thinking about making any plans prior to the end of 1984,” Brown said.

Brown was just into his second term representing Colorado’s 4th Congressional District seat, having first been elected in 1980. Since that time, his name regularly echoed around the political halls of the GOP’s political apparatus with many of those in the know calling Brown the obvious choice to fill any of the highest-level political seats in the state whether for U.S. Senate or for governor.

Brown told The Colorado Statesman that he was enjoying his work in Congress much more than he had his first year and was pleased with his luck in getting major amendments passed through the cumbersome legislative process.

“My wife Nan is adjusting to life in D.C. after a few years of uneasiness,” Brown said. “But that doesn’t lend any credence to rumors I’ll go, for sure, for the Senate in ’86.”

But he was careful in his remarks not to close the door to a bid for Colorado governor. While Brown said his main concern was promoting Colorado’s interests at the national level, he was concerned about the state under Dick Lamm.

“I want a governor interested in the state’s future,” Brown said. “Lamm is trying to stop growth, and we need to prepare for it.”

Clearly comfortable with his position of influence in the party, Brown would only commit to saying one thing in response to those attempting to pry him for a glimpse of his future plans – he wasn’t actually certain he would run for anything in 1986, he teased.

But Brown’s downplaying of his future prospects were at odds with comments from his good friend and former state legislator Kenny Monfort, who told The Statesman that Brown “dreams about being [U.S.] Senator.”

Twenty Years Ago: Denver resident Jeff Peckman brought forward a voter initiative to place on the city’s November ballot. The initiative sought to subdue and soften “social stress.”

One Denver city councilman wasn’t at all impressed with it’s goal.

“We have a weed in the West that when cows and horses eat it, they go crazy,” said Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown. “It’s called loco weed. I think the folks behind this initiative are smoking the loco weed.”

Peckman said he sponsored the initiative because it would bring “proven solutions to increase public safety and save the city money at the same time.”

The initiative was strongly influenced by the National Law Party and the its core tenant drawing a direct connection between ‘social stress’ and resulting war, crime, disease and other problems. The party’s website promised that by dissolving stress in the collective consciousness, conflicts could be avoided.

“It’s really quite simple if you see a build-up of society-wide stress as a pollutant,” Peckman said. “The city would tackle stress by identifying trouble areas and finding the most economical way to supply needed services, either in-house or via contracting.”

While vague, the initiative stated that public safety would be ensured through the “identification and implementation of any systematic, stress-reducing technologies that were scientifically demonstrated to reduce society-wide stress … and also shown to be of net financial benefit for the city.”

Peckman had submitted the initiative to the Denver City Council with 3,300 signatures, of which 2,458 had been approved. Although the measure was overwhelmingly opposed, the Council was unable to kill the measure as the city charter required valid petitions to either be signed directly into law or to be put on the November ballot for a vote of all residents.

At-Large Councilmember Carol Boigon argued that the proposal was irresponsible and vague and would result in litigation and “redirection of city services from more critical service provisions.”

In a softer view, Denver County Democratic Chair Sharron Klein wrote to The Statesman stating that she supported the measures goals but not the means.

“Stress is a killer and those who follow anti-stress techniques are much healthier for it. However, mandating that is as ridiculous as mandating prayer in schools. One size doesn’t fit all. Hopefully, while good-intentioned, this won’t pass.”

Brown wasn’t opposed to people practicing transcendental meditation, he said, but it should be done on private time and on private money.

“To mandate this for a city, it’s just unrealistic and bad public policy,” Brown argued.

Rachael Wright is the author of the Captain Savva Mystery series, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and The Gazette.