A funding chokehold

Good morning, Colorado.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been trying to make the most of this fake spring — while also constantly checking to see what this foretells for next week. 9News meteorologist Chris Bianchi says rain and snow are likely next week in the Denver area. Ugh.

Well, all the more reason to soak up the sun this week.

Now, before you go on a morning walk, let’s dive into today’s news.

Danika Worthington

Presentation Editor

THE NEWS

POLITICS

Brianna Titone is running for state treasurer. She would be 2nd transgender statewide elected official in U.S.

State Rep. Brianna Titone, an Arvada Democrat, is hoping to make history as the second transgender person ever elected to a statewide office in the country, and the first to be elected to a statewide executive office. But she’s not the only one in the race. Jesse Paul has more on her announcement and her competitors.

READ MORE

• Colorado Democrats split over payday borrowing services as consumer groups raise concerns. Industry officials insist “earned wage access” services aren’t a loan. If they were, they would violate a voter-approved state law limiting the interest rates payday lenders can charge, Brian Eason reports.
• The Unaffiliated ☀️ The weird politics of zoning. A familiar dynamic played out at the statehouse last week, with Democrats advancing a bill that would relax local zoning restrictions on housing, and Republicans voting in lockstep against it. But while those political battle lines have become the norm in Colorado lately, it’s worth noting that they haven’t been the case historically — and in much of the country, still aren’t.

EDUCATION

Rural Colorado schools already hurting for resources could be choked by proposed funding cuts

An estimated $1.2 billion deficit with the state budget means cuts. And under Gov. Jared Polis’ most recent budget proposal, small school districts are prepping for a hard hit. Just take Plainview School District Re-2 in eastern Colorado, which could see a 49.2% hit to its budget. Erica Breunlin has more on possible layoffs and scalebacks.

READ MORE

MORE NEWS

• SWAT team raided the wrong Denver apartment and traumatized two young girls, lawsuit says. Last year, a 78-year-old woman whose Denver home was wrongly searched by a SWAT team looking for a stolen truck won a $3.76 million verdict.

Section by Danika Worthington | Presentation Editor

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Vale amice: Latin class as they fade from suburban schools. There were about 17 Latin programs across Colorado two decades ago. That’s down to about seven now.
  — Chalkbeat Colorado
• Atheist’s lawsuit says Denver fired him for complaining about unwelcome Christmas questions. Austin Ray says it started with a humiliating conversation at a city holiday party when an assistant manager allegedly grilled him on his relationship to the holiday.
  — Denverite
• Colorado wants to give members of Ute tribes free entry to state parks, but the proposal faces criticism for not including other tribal nations. The Southern Ute Indian and Ute Mountain Ute are the only two federally recognized tribes in the state. Members of other tribal nations urged lawmakers to extend free entry to tribes that still have ties to Colorado.
  — The Aspen Times
• Colorado lawmakers consider repealing key farmworker protections in light of Supreme Court ruling. Advocates say the state legislature should let issues with the Farmworker Bill of Rights play out in the courts.
  — The Denver Post 🔑

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Danika Worthington | Presentation Editor

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• There’s no bottom to Trump’s assault on democracy, including the one in Ukraine. The U.S. joins Russia and a small list of rogue countries in voting against a U.N. resolution blaming Putin for his three-year war
  ​​ — 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.

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SunLit

REVIEW

Old Firehouse Books suggests titles with heart, and a psycho twist

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:

• “Understanding the Heart” by Dr. Stephen Hussey, a doctor’s deep investigation and tips for preventing heart disease
• “The Heart of Winter” by Jonathan Evison, a longtime married couple confronts crumbling independence
• “Victorian Psycho” by Virginia Feito, the tale of an English governess gone off the rails

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

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Remember: Enjoy the sun while you can.

— Danika & the whole staff of The Sun

The Colorado Sun is part of The Trust Project. Read our policies.

Corrections & Clarifications

Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.

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