Public schools may see fewer cuts next year

Good morning, Colorado.

I just got back from helping my sister with her 2-month-old baby and nearly 3-year-old toddler while her physician husband worked a call shift through the weekend. Somehow my knee, lower back and shoulders are all in varying stages of hurt and soreness. These kids will run you ragged!

I need to grab an ice pack, but first let’s turn to the news.

Danika Worthington

Presentation Editor

THE NEWS

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Minimal cuts next year: School funding proposal promises districts more stable funding — for now

After months of worrying and protests over potential cuts to school funding as the state sought to close its billion-dollar budget gap, a bipartisan funding proposal was announced yesterday that would keep funding relatively level for the next school year. Erica Breunlin reports on the proposal, including how it would change the implementation of the state’s new funding formula.

READ MORE

ENERGY

Trump administration releases $3.2B in federal funds for Colorado’s electric co-ops. There may be a catch.

After two months of limbo, $3.2 billion in funds that had been approved for rural electric co-ops under the Biden administration were unfrozen, Mark Jaffe writes, along with a not-so-subtle message that co-ops could signal something to the Trump administration by revising their projects to remove elements intended to correct inequality or tackle climate change.

READ MORE

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Vacancy-appointed Colorado lawmakers would have to run to keep their seat after a year under reform proposal

Since a 2018 Colorado Sun story highlighting how many legislative seats were secured through vacancy appointments, calls to reform the system have been growing. Jesse Paul reports on the latest proposal to make the system more democratic.

READ MORE

MORE NEWS

• Future of union organizing in Colorado remains fuzzy as legislative session enters home stretch. Senate Bill 5 would abolish a requirement in the Colorado Labor Peace Act that 75% of workers at a company sign off before union security negotiations can begin. The bill is a priority for unions and loathed by business interests. Gov. Jared Polis is in the mix, too.
• Lauren Boebert reintroduces bill seeking to remove wolves from endangered species list. The Republican representative cited “frivolous litigation” in her bid to restore a 2020 rule delisting the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act. Colorado wolves are fully protected under state law.
• House speaker fails to quash Colorado mom’s bill to help new parents in Congress. With her son in her arms, Colorado Rep. Brittany Pettersen stood on the House floor and pleaded with colleagues to turn back the GOP leadership’s attempt to prevent a proposal to allow new parents to vote by proxy.

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE COLORADO REPORT

• RIP Val Kilmer. One of the only people on Earth who could be equally captivating wearing Doc Holliday’s mustache, having an underwater bar fight in a Cold War farce, declaring love across from Robert De Niro, exchanging barbs in the wonderfully stupid “MacGruber” and playing Mark Twain for some reason, Val Kilmer died at the age of 65.
  — New York Times
• Jokic scores career-high 61 points, plays nearly 53 minutes in a double-overtime loss to Wolves. I’d say that it would be crushing to work this hard and lose by a single point, but something tells me Jokic is not going to lose any sleep over this.
  — Sentinel Colorado
• Arvada removes traffic circles on 57th Avenue. After three years of a pilot program, the traffic circles — not quite roundabouts, not quite 4-way stops — were removed after drivers complained of confusion, despite vehicles slowing down on average near the pedestrian-heavy Olde Town area.
  — Arvada Press
• Denver approves $15M step for Peña Boulevard project despite pushback from transit advocates. The city is set to spend $15 million on a study that could lead to a widening of the road, among other options. I suggest, humbly, that they start with this video about the extremely short-term value of widening roads and this wikipedia article about the Jevons paradox.
  — Denverite
• Colorado school district rejects donation of “banned” books to be returned to library shelves. Elizabeth School District is appealing a judge’s order to return 19 books — covering topics like race, gender expression and LGBTQ+ acceptance — to their school’s library, and said it couldn’t return the books because they had been discarded after being pulled. Now, they are rejecting a donation of the books by a local law firm.
  — The Denver Post 🔑
• Former KUNC commentator and community gardening leader Tom Throgmorton dies. Despite being a child with no garden to take care of myself, my childhood in Yuma was punctuated by hearing Tom’s gentle voice speak his thoughtful words about the weather, the environment and the privilege of getting to work the Colorado earth. RIP.
  — KUNC

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• U.S. mistakenly deported a court-protected migrant to El Salvador prison. But it shamefully says there’s nothing to be done about it. Even worse, it says it can’t do anything about helping the mistakenly deported migrant, Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Is cruelty the point?
  — 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 titles for entertainment and reflection

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:

• “A Killing Cold” by Kate Alice Marshall, a mystery hinging on danger and remembrance
• “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This” by Omar El Akkad, an immigrant’s breakup letter to the West
• “The Calculating Stars” by Mary Robinette Kowal, speculative fiction about “lady astronauts”

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

Oh no, now my other knee is starting to act up. And I don’t even have my niece to play doctor and see why it hurts! Looking back now, her pounding on my knee cap with a toy hammer to “check my reflexes” may be related to my current pain …

— 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.