A brass plaque is seen on the steps of the Colorado Capitol's west side on April 17, 2024, that marks an exact 5,280-foot elevation measurement. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun via Report for America)
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Good morning!

As state lawmakers make their way to Denver for the start of the 2025 Colorado legislative session today, they should expect to run into our seasoned political reporters Jesse Paul and Brian Eason.

Those two — with pen and reporter’s notepads at the ready — are set to tackle the 120-day session and all the breaking news, scoops and analysis that come with it.

Not quite familiar with how Colorado lawmaking works? Don’t worry, Jesse put together an easy explainer to guide you through it, which you’ll find below. In the meantime, let’s get into the latest news.

P.S. — Want to get a behind-the-curtain look at the legislative session as it happens? Become a Premium member to get exclusive access to our premier newsletter, The Unaffiliated, a must-read for anyone who loves politics. Join now.

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The Colorado Capitol in Denver on Monday. The gold dome is covered with a thin layer of real gold. (Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun)

As 100 state lawmakers descend on the gold-domed Capitol for the beginning of the 2025 session, Jesse Paul put together a quick guide to how lawmaking in Colorado works, how to track bills and how to get involved.

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A windmill draws water for livestock March 9 in Leupp, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. A proposed settlement to secure water rights for the Navajo Nation and other tribes in northeastern Arizona failed to get Congressional approval in 2024. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca, File)

Officials worked until the last second to try to get Congressional approval for a landmark water rights bill involving three tribes, the state of Arizona and dozens of other users in the Colorado River Basin. Now they are setting their sights on trying again with a very different Congress, Shannon Mullane reports.

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A backcountry skier was killed Tuesday in this avalanche near Red Mountain Pass in southwestern Colorado, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. The death is the first avalanche fatality of the 2024-25 season in Colorado. (Courtesy CAIC)

The avalanche happened on a northwest-facing slope at an elevation of around 11,300 feet in an area known locally as Bollywood, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. David Krause has more.

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Each week as part of SunLit — The Sun’s literature section — we feature staff recommendations from bookstores across Colorado. This week, the staff from Explore Booksellers in Aspen recommends:

Read what the bookstore staff had to say about each. Pick up a copy and support your local bookstores at the same time.

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Don’t worry, you still have time to get your party snacks and foam fingers laid out for the governor’s State of the State speech tomorrow. Just don’t push it too hard, it’s a school night.

— Danika & the whole staff of The Sun

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