Gov. Jared Polis has spoken. Coloradans always rise above. We’re a beacon of freedom and opportunity. We’re a home for innovation, ingenuity, honesty and integrity.

Moreover, the governor and his team are “bold.” His speech spotlighted “our bold leadership in everything from innovative technology to the creative arts.”

According to the governor, we “keep our eye on the ball.” “We know our only way to climb higher is together.” We are, after all, the FREE STATE of Colorado.

Here’s an example of our exalted state of freedom: Citizens with enough property can now build an ADU. That is one way we will manage our housing problems. Apartment dwellers will also be freer to park at their buildings. Those regulatory changes in 2024 show how we’re masters of our destiny. In 2025, building apartments with stairs will add to our housing stock. More freedom.

The governor’s bold action on crime resulted in 15% fewer property crimes, 9% fewer homicides and 26% fewer car thefts. But according to recent testimony before legislators by the department of public safety, rape kit analyses are delayed by up to 517 days, giving rapists a year-and-a-half break before crime units can use that evidence to find them. This disaster for rape victims is attached to the larger Colorado Bureau of Investigation scandal related to the many faulty DNA tests by Yvonne Woods.

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No amount of money will quickly solve this problem because scientists must be trained to do the testing, according to Public Safety Executive Director Stan Hilkey and CBI director Chris Schaefer. They only acknowledged the 517-day rape kit analysis delay when a rape victim testified to her scary situation for herself and her child.

The governor didn’t mention this issue in his State of the State. He also didn’t cite the gaslighting that accompanies his much self-praised climate actions. His speech did highlight our high-altitude air as one of the great assets of the state. Many on the Front Range wonder where that air is located as the state remains one of EPA’s targets for too much smog and various bad pollutants coming from cars and industrial activity.

The governor briefly addressed our school finance situation by arguing a four-year student population averaging made us a national “outlier.” He wants dollars to follow students within a year rather than provide four-year averaging. This change would save the state $145 million, according to budget estimates.

The governor’s bold school finance analysis, however, ignores the findings of two studies from December that both declare Colorado’s public schools are underfunded by $4 billion. There’s a bold idea for Coloradans to sink their teeth into. That additional money would pull Colorado up from the bottom of states in the public education arena. It would enable teachers to earn salaries equal to other professionals of similar education and seniority.

A $4 billion per-year addition would go a long way to make real the governor’s claim “every child has access to a quality education, no excuses, no exceptions.” Right now, that claim is about as far from accurate as a claim can be.

Global Village Academy-North was acknowledged in the governor’s speech as a model of what should happen for children. The school has 50% of students on Free and Reduced Lunch, 9% above the state average. That fact, despite the governor’s enthusiasm, is a signal the state isn’t doing its best. That is, across our public school system, 41% of students are Free and Reduced Lunch children.

The governor cited Global Village because 80% of its eighth graders, despite its FRL population, can read at grade level. The school achieves that level because it’s a language learning school, with three foreign languages taught to supplement English. If only every public school had the resources and teaching staff to integrate three foreign languages into their daily study. Global Village has received funds above the state’s dollars through private donations. Every district public school in the state would do better with substantial private donations from foundations and wealthy individuals, but they can’t receive them.

One other peculiar reference in the governor’s speech deserves attention. He noted Colorado is sending firefighting resources to California. He said that here, our lodge pole pines are also subject to fire, but that fire will ultimately open the pine cones that will drop the seeds to reforest the land. Regrowth occurs.

That’s what also happens in California when brush like madrone and scrub oak burns. Unfortunately, in Colorado as in California, houses also burn in those fires, and it takes insurance money, not pine cones, to bring those homes back. Colorado has a home insurance crisis that can only be mitigated with more requirements around fire-resistant construction and retrofitting, brush and tree clearing, and zoning. Then there are needs related to fire equipment, water and staffing. Those needs mean money, yet the governor is proud Colorado has some of the lowest corporate taxes and individual income taxes in the nation.

Leadership on taxation related to need would be bold from the governor. It doesn’t appear to be in his DNA.

Paula Noonan owns Colorado Capitol Watch, the state’s premier legislature tracking platform.