Today is Dec. 21, 2023, and here’s what you need to know:

While Colorado’s justices noted Hassan v. Colorado, the case against Trump – assuming the former president, indeed, files an appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court accepts the case – offers a far more complex set of issues that Justice Neil Gorsuch and other justices must contend with.

The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify Trump from the state ballot hinges on several crucial conclusions – notably that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol constituted an “insurrection,” that the former president “engaged in” that act, and his speech was “not protected” by the First Amendment.

In reaching these conclusions, the majority rejected Trump’s argument that the district court’s proceedings failed to provide the time necessary to litigate such a complex case, insisting the district court “took many steps to address the complexities of the case.”

It’s precisely this point that vexed Colorado’s justices who dissented from the majority, arguing that the plaintiff’s claims “cannot be squared” with the state’s own timelines for adjudicating election cases.

The general fund revenue for Colorado’s state government is expected to take a small dip for the current 2023-24 fiscal year, and that means lawmakers will not have quite as much to spend when they start crafting the 2024-25 budget, according to a new revenue forecast from economists.

The forecast from the Legislative Council staff is crucial, as it provides lawmakers with the preliminary numbers they’ll need as they consider the 2024-25 budget.

And, already, some lawmakers warned that Colorado’s economy is entering a more restrained fiscal period that would “cautious, responsible budgeting.” Still, some of the economic indicators remain bright for Colorado, notably its low unemployment rate.

The forecast from Legislative Council economists estimates that general fund revenue – that’s the portion of the state budget that lawmakers can spend on most existing programs and tap for new ones – will grow by 6% for fiscal year 2024-25, reaching $18.58 billion.

This means lawmakers should have about $1.15 billion to spend or save over and above what they allocated in the 2023-24 budget. But that doesn’t account for inflation, caseload growth or other budgetary pressures, the economists noted.

An Adams County jury now has to decide whether the decision by two Aurora paramedics to inject Elijah McClain with ketamine in 2019 was a tragic mistake or a crime.

Prosecutors from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and the paramedics’ defense attorneys presented their closing arguments to jurors Wednesday afternoon. The 12-member jury will begin deliberating Thursday.

Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics Jeremy Cooper and then-Lt. Peter Cichuniec are accused of choosing to administer a 500 milligram dose of the sedative ketamine to McClain – a dose too large for his weight, according to the fire department’s protocols at the time – following a struggle with police officers without speaking to McClain or physically examining him, instead only relying on officers’ accounts of his behavior and guessing his weight.

Barbering students at Emily Griffith Technical College traveled to Lake Middle School in North Denver on Dec. 12 to give free haircuts to the youngsters enrolled there.

The gesture is one of many given throughout the year as the prospective professional barbers get out into the community to gain additional real-life, hands-on experience by providing cuts to adults at a local shelter and to those at a senior living facility.

Giving the free cuts also enables the students to experience the joy of giving an appreciated service to those in need.

The barbering course at Emily Griffith Technical College is a 10-month program for full-time enrollees; 15 months for those doing it part-time. Topics covered include shaving, haircutting, scalp treatments, styling techniques, coloring and chemical texture services. Students also gain real-world experience by working in Emily’s Salon & Barbershop, the school’s on-site, student run salon.