PERA benefit cuts loom as fund’s finances falter

Good morning, Colorado.

I dropped my wife off at jury duty today. She reported back that the security line was as bad as the old TSA lines at the Denver airport. Here’s hoping she’s able to do her civic duty. But I fear she may be spending the rest of her life in that line. I’ll make sure to send her care packages through the years.

Let’s get on to the news — and don’t worry, in all likelihood, you’ll finish this newsletter before she gets cleared.

Danika Worthington

Presentation Editor

THE NEWS

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

More Colorado PERA benefit cuts “likely” in next two years

Colorado state pension members are likely to face another round of benefit cuts and contribution hikes within the next two years. That news comes after a study found that the public retirement system has been underestimating some of its future debts — and it’s not the first time. Brian Eason has more.

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• Colorado, 21 other states sue Trump to block order ending birthright citizenship. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser called the president’s executive order “a flagrant assault on the rule of law.”
• Researcher finds surprises as Colorado launches deep look into the state’s racial inequity. A study launched late last year is examining the impact of racism on Black Coloradans. And they want to hear from everyone. “Maybe you drove a bus during integration. Maybe you worked in social services. Maybe you were an educator,” History Colorado researcher Chloé Duplessis says. “We also want to hear from you.”

ENVIRONMENT

Trump pledges to target the EV industry, while Coloradans widely embrace their clean new cars

One of the first actions by the Trump administration upon assuming power was the termination of the waiver program that allows Colorado to enforce vehicle emissions standards, even as the state has widely adopted zero-emission vehicles at a higher pace than other states. Parker Yamasaki has more on what this conflict could mean for the state’s electrification.

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HEALTH

A fight over 340B, the federal program to help hospitals with prescription drug costs, is coming to the Colorado Capitol

A massive fight is coming to the state Capitol over a multibillion-dollar federal health care program you may have never heard of. So what the heck is 340B? Simply put, it’s a prescription drug discount program. John Ingold dives into how it works, the controversy and the battle ahead.

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Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Elephants can’t sue to leave the zoo, court rules. After an animal rights group cited “habeas corpus” to challenge the captivity of five elderly elephants at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, a Colorado court rejected the effort, writing that it “boils down to whether an elephant is a person.”
  — The Washington Post 🔑
• Prisoners fight wildfires, but they can’t get hired in Denver. Colorado, like California, has relied on incarcerated people who put themselves in extreme danger while being paid next to nothing to fight wildfires. But even when these now-skilled firefighters are released, policies at Denver Fire and other major Colorado departments explicitly ban anyone with a felony conviction from becoming a firefighter.
  — Denverite
• “We are prepared.” From a sprained ankle to avalanche recovery, backcountry first responders have to be ready for anything. This feature on the recent multiagency emergency response exercise at Loveland ski area is a great peek at how they prepare.
  — Summit Daily
• Study: Nearly half of Pueblo County working families struggle to make ends meet.
  A first-of-its-kind study in Colorado of so-called ALICE families (Asset-Limited Income-Constrained Employed) showed that 47% of Pueblo’s working families — and 81% of single female heads of households with children — are struggling to pay for housing, food and health care every month.
  — The Pueblo Chieftain
• Matterhorn Mill Undergoes Emergency Stabilization. For 90 years, the historic wooden mill in Telluride has been visible to anyone traveling Highway 145. But after an engineer’s report showed that the mill was in danger of imminent collapse under heavy snows, a coalition convened to launch a stabilization project that seems to be successful so far.
  — Telluride Daily Planet

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• Day One of Trump Redux was bad enough. It’s only going to get worse. Much worse. On Inauguration Day, Donald Trump gave a master class on his contempt for the rule of law and other democratic niceties.
  — Mike Littwin
  

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at opinion@coloradosun.com.

SunLit

REVIEW

Old Firehouse Books suggests entertaining and erudite new releases

Each week as part of SunLit — The Sun’s literature section — we feature staff recommendations from bookstores across Colorado. This week, the staff from Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins recommends:

• “The Favorites” by Layne Fargo, an Olympic ice dancing team has secrets
• “Haunting and Homicide” by Ava Burke, a cozy mystery with ghosts and romance
• “Take My Name But Say It Slow,” by Thomas Dai, a travelogue of essays on belonging

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

RECOMMENDATIONS

Section by Kevin Simpson | Writer

Fantastic news, my wife has made it through the line. Now it’s time to see if she gets picked …

— Danika & the whole staff of The Sun

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Corrections & Clarifications

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