What the governor said when he said what he said

Good morning, Colorado. I’m racking my brain for something to say that’s not about the fires in Los Angeles, but to be honest, it’s all I can think about. I find myself checking for updates between interviews, reading articles while I eat lunch, listening to radio spots while I walk the dog. And every morning since Tuesday I’ve woken up to a new red blob on the map.

As the signs of a year-round wildfire season increase across the West, it’s important to think about what’s a given and what can change.

In yesterday’s Sunriser, we offered some suggestions on staying prepared as individuals. But there are collective moves that can be made, too — something that Michael Booth touches on below, in his story about Colorado’s latest attempt to ratchet down greenhouse gas emissions. For an even higher-level view of what we’re working toward as Coloradans, I’ll point you to Gov. Jared Polis’ State of the State speech, which he delivered yesterday morning. The Sun annotated the whole thing with context and fact-checks. In it, Polis pledged that Colorado will “continue to lead the way to tackle climate change and pollution — with or without federal help.”

All that and more in today’s newsletter.

Parker Yamasaki

Reporter

THE NEWS

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ seventh State of the State address, explained

’Tis the season for what has become one of my favorite traditions here at The Sun: adding missing context to the governor’s address to the state legislature. The wide-ranging speech touched on housing, transit, Donald Trump and the triumvirate of “Star Trek,” “Star Wars” and “The Lord of the Rings.” Here’s a little sample of the notes added by our politics team:

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• Colorado lawmakers offer $34 million in tax incentives to land the Sundance Film Festival. Lawmakers hope the millions in tax breaks can lure the festival from Utah to Boulder from 2027 through 2036.

COLORADANS

Colorado hockey hero Nicole Hensley returns as PWHL explores expanding its reach

One of the hottest tickets in Denver this weekend is on ice. Littleton native Nicole Hensley will be minding the net for the Minnesota Frost as they take on the Montreal Victoire at Ball Arena, but there’s more on the line than standings in the fledgling Professional Women’s Hockey League. Kevin Simpson has more.

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ENERGY

New midstream gas rules should cut greenhouse emissions, Colorado officials say

Rules requiring cuts in greenhouse gas emissions at the mid-point of the oil and gas distribution process — specifically at natural gas compression sites — are being touted by air quality officials as the first such rules in the nation. But as Michael Booth reports, local environmental groups say they don’t go nearly far enough.

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OUTDOORS

Park City ski patrol union secures $4 hourly wage bump for all 200 workers. Could it be a precedent?

The 12-day strike by Park City’s ski patrol union earned Vail Resorts a mountain of bad press, Jason Blevins reports, and patrollers in Colorado meeting with Vail administrators to negotiate a new contract are paying attention.

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MORE NEWS

• Sorry, no longhorns. Foul weather keeps traditional lead away from the National Western Stock Show parade. People were double bundled up for the grand march up 17th Street, but the beloved longhorns were stuck on slick roads and had to miss the festivities. Photographer Alyte Katillius got some great shots of the bovine-free parade anyway.
• El Paso County chief deputy DA cited for felony criminal mischief after Christmas night dispute. Police say Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrew Vaughan threw a glass container at a car, shattering its back window.
• Fact Brief ☀️ Does Colorado have one of the highest suicide rates in the U.S.? Yes. In the past decade, Colorado has consistently ranked among the 10 states with the highest suicide rates.

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Snowmobilers may soon pay more to ride in Western states. As Wyoming considers increasing snowmobile registration to $70 from $35 for nonresidents, Colorado is working to raise its fees for the first time in nearly two decades to help pay for environmental protection and grooming costs.
  — KUNC
• Macy’s, Kohl’s announce Denver metro store closures. The Northfield Stapleton location of Macy’s and the Arapahoe Crossing location of Kohl’s in Aurora are on the chopping block as the retailers announced major cuts after the holiday season.
  — Fox31
• Women sleep less soundly than men. A CU researcher asks if biology — or flawed research — is to blame. Among the findings of the study, the treatments that doctors prescribe for sleep disorders, like medication or different bedtime routines, may be based more on data about male sleep patterns than female sleep patterns.
  — KUNC
• Why did federal agents seize — and then return — $5 million worth of switchblades from a Colorado man? Federal agents raided the home of Johan Lumsden in 2021, throwing flash grenades and using a Taser on his dog, before seizing locked cabinets full of switchblade knives. Then according to a federal lawsuit filed this week, the government returned everything two and a half years later with no explanation, no indictments and no charges.
  — The Denver Post 🔑

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE OPINION PAGE

CARTOONS

In “What’d I Miss?” Myra and Ossie wonder why many of the same folks concerned about the rising cost of food have issues with the concept of Medicare-for-all.

CARTOON

Drew Litton illustrates how, when two PWHL teams face off Sunday in Denver, a local hero will take the ice to help inspire another generation of girls — and perhaps expansion

CARTOON

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.

Podcast Playlist

CONVERSATION

Each weekday The Daily Sun-Up podcast brings you a thoughtful conversation, a bit of Colorado history, and headlines of the day. We keep it tight so you can listen on the go, or stack up a few and tune in at your leisure. Download the Sun-Up for free on your favorite podcasting app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or RSS to plug into your app. Check out this week’s lineup from the Sun team:

• Colorado’s wolf reintroduction stays on track. A petition was filed to ask Colorado Parks and Wildlife to pause the program. Sun rural reporter Tracy Ross was at the marathon meeting and has more on what’s next: hint, more wolves coming very soon.
  LISTEN
• Finding “Esperanza’s Way.” Colorado author Cindy Burkart Maynard has an obsession with an 800-year-old pilgrimage in northern Spain. She talks with Sunlit editor Kevin Simpson about the 500-mile journey’s influence in her work and drawing inspiration from Stephen King.
  LISTEN
• 2025 lawmaking term starts at Colorado Capitol. It could be a long 120 days, but Sun political reporter Jesse Paul and Brian Eason preview the 4-month session and break down what we should watch for.
  LISTEN
• Colorado economists filled with uncertainty for year ahead. Sun business reporter Tamara Chuang has been talking with locals about how they are rethinking their forecast for the state’s economy under a new administration.
  LISTEN
• Ski patrollers watching Vail Resorts negotiations. Shortly after we aired, the patroller strike ended at Park City Mountain Resort. Outdoors reporter Jason Blevins talks about what all this means for Colorado. (Heads up, we’ll have Part 2 coming Monday, so be ready!).
  LISTEN

🗣️ Remember, you can ask Siri, Alexa or Google to “play the Daily Sun-Up podcast” and we’ll play right on your smart speaker. As always we appreciate your feedback and comments at podcast@coloradosun.com.

Section by David Krause | Editor

Thanks for checking in this morning. We’ll see you back here on Monday – hopefully with some better news about our friends and families in California.

— Parker & the whole staff of The Sun

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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.