Today is Jan. 8, 2024, and here’s what you need to know:

Silt police were called to an incident involving U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert and her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, on Saturday night, authorities confirmed.

In a statement to Colorado Politics on Sunday, the two-term Republican denied punching her ex-husband.

“This is a sad situation for all that keeps escalating and another reason I’m moving,” Boebert said in a text message, via a spokesman. “I didn’t punch Jayson in the face and no one was arrested. I will be consulting with my lawyer about the false claims he made against me and evaluate all of my legal options.”

The incident occurred at the Miner’s Claim restaurant at 740 Main St. in Silt, police said.

Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams on Monday declared his candidacy for the 5th Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, who said on Friday that he won’t seek reelection.

Describing himself as a “conservative wartime fighter,” Williams, a former three-term Colorado Springs state lawmaker, took equal aim at “corrupt Democrats” and “sell-out Republicans” in a written statement announcing his run.

“Our district deserves a new congressman with a proven conservative record of always fighting for regular workers and families while never selling out to corrupt D.C. establishment power brokers who always find ways to get more power and taxpayer money for themselves at the expense of hardworking citizens,” Williams said.

“Authentic Christian leadership means serving others above self and not letting failed, say-anything politicians in Washington D.C. get away with taking citizens for ride,” he added.

The quest for affordable housing consumed policymakers’ energy last year, the source of intense animosity between state and local leaders that ultimately handed Gov. Jared Polis a major political defeat.

And it looks like the legislative session that is set to start on Jan. 10 will be a repeat of 2023 – at least in terms of the Colorado General Assembly’s overarching focus.

This time, however, the challenge is shaping up to be dramatically different from where things ended on May 10 last year.

In particular, lawmakers have signaled cooperation at multiple levels – between local leaders and state policymakers, Republicans and Democrats and, just as importantly, between the governor’s office and municipal governments.

As the 2024 state legislative session gets underway on Jan. 10, Senate President Steve Fenberg gears up for some tough decisions. In particular, analysts expect the budget to be tight, while the state’s challenges, notably housing, have grown.

The Democratic leader also talks about the need to build more “authentic relationships” among Senate lawmakers, adding he will work with the minority party leadership to ensure adequate time for debate, while stressing that being heard won’t necessarily translate into actual policy.

As this year’s legislative session approaches, Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen looked back at 2023, insisting that Democratic leadership failed Coloradans and warning what could happen if the folks across the political aisle secure a supermajority advantage following the 2024 elections. 

The District 9 Republican also outlined his top priorities for the session that begins Jan. 10, notably education spending while slowing down the Democratic agenda.