It’s Monday, January 6, 2025. The 2025 Colorado General Assembly will convene in 2 days.
These updates are curated from multiple news sources and designed to be a “choose-your-own-adventure.” Please read any coverage of interest and skip anything you deem to be irrelevant. Hyperlinks are provided to add additional context. With the 24/7 news-cycle I hope to keep us all in the loop on items we may want to know about or better understand. Please feel free to share if you think someone outside FGMC needs to be aware of this information.
Disclaimer – The news and articles contained within this update do not represent any political positions or policy opinions of Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher, LLP. This update is designed for informational purposes only.
It’s a time of change in Washington DC.
President Joe Biden is preparing to deliver two significant speeches before his term ends: one focused on foreign policy and the other a formal farewell address.
Unlike most recent presidents, Biden has opted not to hold a press conference before leaving office, sparing himself from questions about his age, mental sharpness, and his son’s pardon. Additionally, Biden has already conducted the only sit-down interview he’s giving to a print publication, a conversation with USA Today on Sunday. If true, this would make him the first modern president to go an entire term without interviews with major U.S. newspapers such as The Washington Post or The New York Times. Much like the rest of his presidency, Biden’s departure will be defined by what hasn’t happened: the interviews he didn’t give, the press conferences he skipped, and the political cases he never made—whether due to choice or circumstance.
Vice President Kamala Harris has also kept a relatively low public profile recently, though that’s not as uncommon for vice presidents. Unlike presidents, vice presidents don’t deliver farewell addresses. For Harris, her final major public appearance for now will come this afternoon as she presides over the certification of President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory. The vice presidency, as Harris has come to know, is a demanding yet often unrewarding position with limited constitutional duties. Her last official task today is more routine than ceremonial, a stark contrast to the grandiosity expected of higher officeholders.
The certification itself will be a routine procedure, but it carries deep significance.
Harris will be overseeing the confirmation of her own defeat to Trump, exactly four years after he attempted to block Biden and Harris’ victory—while the U.S. Capitol was stormed. Adding poignancy, Harris once believed January 6th would mark Trump’s defeat. During her last major campaign speech that morning, she remarked, “We know who Donald Trump is. He is the person who stood at this very spot nearly four years ago and sent an armed mob to the Capitol to overturn the election results.”
But at the end of the day, there is no clearer symbol of Trump’s political revival than the fact that the following January 6th certification, rather than marking his fall from grace, will confirm his return to power.
Check out more on this from Wake Up to Politics. And now…
Today’s Big Three Things-To-Know:
- Legislative session is top of mind. For the next four months, Colorado’s 100 lawmakers will convene at the state capitol to debate and enact laws that affect various aspects of life in the state, including education, healthcare, transportation, and the prison system. Following the November election, a third of the House will have new members, with 22 of the 65 representatives being freshmen. In the Senate, nearly all nine new members previously served in the House, though three post-election resignations will further alter its composition. Democrats will have a slightly reduced majority in the House, holding 43 out of 65 seats, after Republicans managed to flip three. The Senate remains predominantly Democratic, with a 23-12 split, although two seats changed hands. These margins leave Democrats just short of a supermajority in both chambers. Despite their party’s disappointing national performance in November, Democratic lawmakers believe voters are still supportive of their leadership in the state. “We have polling and data showing that Colorado is heading in the right direction,” said incoming Senate President James Coleman of Denver. He sees Colorado as a model for other states to follow. Democrats highlight recent laws they’ve passed to tighten gun ownership regulations, enhance renters’ rights, and expand affordable housing and transit options. They also point out that, despite losing a few seats, voters still chose Democrats to lead the state government. “We protect vulnerable people and respect women,” said Democratic Rep. Meg Froelich of Englewood. On the other hand, Republicans argue that their gains in the statehouse reflect voter frustration with the high cost of living, which has worsened under Democratic control. “People are tired of the nickel-and-diming,” said House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese of Colorado Springs. She believes there’s an opportunity this session to pass policies that can help ease the financial burden on Coloradans.
- A new audit on DEN. A new report from the Denver Auditor’s Office reveals ongoing mismanagement in Denver International Airport’s (DIA/DEN) $2 billion Great Hall renovation project. Expected to finish in 2028, the project faces risks of cost overruns and poor construction due to weak oversight, jeopardizing public trust and traveler safety. Despite a 2023 audit urging improvements, the airport’s Special Projects Division ignored most recommendations, including better subcontractor oversight and verifying billing rates. While some progress has been made, critical gaps remain in managing subcontractor processes, raising the risk of overpayments. DIA maintains it has proper controls in place, but Auditor Timothy O’Brien warned that more audits may follow if issues aren’t addressed, emphasizing the need for transparent, competitive processes. While DIA has made strides in requiring contractors to provide detailed cost documentation, the audit revealed significant gaps, particularly in managing the complex subcontracting process. Without adequate oversight, the audit argues that the airport cannot ensure contract terms are being adhered to, increasing the risk of overpayments. “It is crucial that Denver International Airport effectively manage construction costs for a project of this size and scope,” said O’Brien in a statement.
- Four years later. A joint session of Congress will meet on Monday afternoon to certify President-elect Donald J. Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, a routine democratic process that was violently interrupted four years ago by a pro-Trump mob fueled by his false claims of a stolen election. In the past four years, nearly 1,600 people have been prosecuted in connection with the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Some were accused of felonies like assault or seditious conspiracy and are still in prison. But hundreds charged with lesser crimes have wrapped up their cases and returned to their lives. There are no signs of similar unrest this time, though security has been heightened at the Capitol. Unlike in 2020, Vice President Kamala Harris has not contested her loss, and Democrats have made no indications of challenging the Electoral College vote count during the session, which begins at 1 p.m. Eastern time. However, reminders of the January 6, 2021, violence remain. The Capitol is under heavy lockdown with black metal fencing, and federal, state, and local security are deployed. The day has been designated as a “national special security event” by the Homeland Security Department. While the day is expected to be peaceful, lawmakers and law enforcement are taking no chances after the violent January 6 Capitol riot, which, fueled by Trump’s election falsehoods, led to widespread chaos and the deaths of seven people, including three police officers.
***Bonus Story – Two Colorado state Senate seats up for grabs in vacancy meetings this week. This week, two Democratic vacancy committees in Colorado will select replacements for state senators who resigned in December. On Monday, two candidates will compete to fill the seat of Sen. Janet Buckner of Aurora, who resigned due to personal challenges. The candidates are Rep. Iman Jodeh, who has focused on affordable housing and health care legislation, including the Colorado Option bill and transit-oriented housing, and Maya Wheeler, executive director of the Wezesha Dada Center of Aurora, which supports women of color. On Tuesday, seven candidates will vie for the seat of Sen. Chris Hansen of Denver, who resigned to become CEO of La Plata Electric in Durango. The candidates include Rep.-elect Sean Camacho, Rep. Steven Woodrow, Denver policy director Matthew Ball, The 420 Hotels CEO Christian Chiari, attorney Iris Halpern, Auraria Higher Education Center chief of staff Shaneis Malouff, and consulting firm CEO Monica VanBuskirk. Both meetings will be livestreamed, with forums starting at 6:15 p.m. and elections at 7:15 p.m. (Monday) and 7:40 p.m. (Tuesday). These vacancies contribute to the growing number of lawmakers who have gained seats through this process, which has led to renewed calls for reform. In December, Douglas County Republicans selected John Carson to fill the seat of former Sen. Kevin Van Winkle, who resigned after being elected to the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners. All new senators must run for re-election in 2026.
***Bonus, Bonus Story – Trump denies that he will pare back universal tariffs. President-elect Donald Trump denied reports on Monday suggesting he is reconsidering his plan for universal tariffs on imports. The Washington Post had reported that Trump’s team was considering applying tariffs only to “critical” imports in sectors like national defense, energy, and healthcare. Trump dismissed the report, calling it “Fake News” on his Truth Social platform, and stated that his tariff policy would not be scaled back. According to the Post, his aides were discussing targeted tariffs on specific imports from steel and aluminum to medical supplies and energy materials, but the full list of affected goods has not been finalized. Trump had previously pledged tariffs of 10 to 20 percent on all foreign imports.
***Bonus, Bonus, Bonus Story – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigns as party leader. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned as leader of the Liberal Party on Monday amid his government’s declining popularity. His decision follows polls showing the opposition Conservative Party poised to defeat the Liberals in the upcoming election, expected by October. Trudeau, who has led the party for 11 years and served as prime minister for nine, acknowledged the need for a “reset” and said internal battles made him unable to effectively lead in the next election. Trudeau’s resignation comes as the Liberal Party faces dwindling support, with recent polling showing just 16% backing. His leadership had already been weakened by rising living costs, immigration concerns, and Cabinet resignations, including that of former finance minister Chrystia Freeland. Trudeau will remain prime minister until a new leader is selected, after which the new party leader will assume the role of prime minister.
And now more, news…
Around the city…Coors Field renovations, repairs, and upgrades.
According to The Denver Post, Coors Field opened in 1995 and is the third-oldest ballpark in the National League behind Chicago’s Wrigley Field (1914) and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium (1962).
Rockies owner Dick Monfort envisions Coors as a “grand old ballpark” that could last for 100 years, but that requires upkeep. Denver-area residents own Coors Field and the Denver Metropolitan Major League Baseball Stadium District oversees the Rockies’ lease obligations at the ballpark. But over the first 30 years, the Rockies paid for the significant upgrades and construction projects at Coors while the stadium district helped fund more minor maintenance projects and upgrades.
In 2017, the Rockies finalized a new 30-year lease agreement at Coors, keeping the club at the LoDo ballpark until at least 2047. The Rockies will pay for the bulk of the capital improvements, which are projected to be $200 million over the length of the lease.
You can read more from The Denver Post here.
From the airport…DIA’s lax oversight jeopardizes Great Hall project, city auditor finds.
As reported by Axios, Denver International Airport’s $2 billion Great Hall renovation remains marred by mismanagement, a new report from the Denver Auditor’s Office revealed.
The massive project, now expected to wrap in 2028, risks cost overruns and shoddy construction due to lax oversight — jeopardizing public trust, traveler safety and the overall experience of Colorado’s largest economic engine. The future of the project is also likely to shape the legacy of DIA CEO Phil Washington, who took over the problem-ridden project in 2021 and pushed through plans to complete its final phase, doubling the cost.
A follow-up report from Denver Auditor Timothy O’Brien’s office flagged ongoing issues despite a scathing 2023 audit that called for significant changes. The airport’s Special Projects Division ignored seven of the 10 original recommendations, fully implementing just two. Key failures include weak subcontractor oversight, misuse of project allowances and unverified billing rates, according to the latest report.
You can read more from Axios here and CCD here.
Around the metro…Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez launches bid to become Colorado secretary of state.
According to The Colorado Sun, Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez, a Democrat, launched a bid Monday to become Colorado’s secretary of state.
Gonzalez is the first major Democrat to jump into the 2026 contest that will determine who will be the state’s top election official. A handful of other prominent Democrats are expected to run for the job, too. “Voting is the way we express hope,” Gonzalez said in a written statement announcing her candidacy. “The way we show love for our community. The way we make our voices heard. I promise to safeguard Coloradans’ access to the ballot box and to fight for secure elections that work for every Colorado voter.”
Gonzalez, a lawyer, was elected as Jefferson County’s clerk in 2022 and her term ends in early 2027. Before that, she served as director of Common Cause, the good-governance nonprofit where she worked on an overhaul of Colorado’s redistricting process.
You can read more from The Colorado Sun here.
From the Gold Dome…With little to spend but much to debate, lawmakers convene Colorado’s 75th General Assembly on Wednesday.
Via CPR, for the next four months, Colorado’s 100 lawmakers will gather under the gold dome at the state capitol to debate and pass laws that touch all aspects of life in this state, from schools and healthcare to roads and prisons.
Coming out of the November election, a third of the House will be new faces, with freshmen making up 22 of the 65 representatives. In the Senate, all but one of its nine new members served in the House before this election. Three post-election resignations will change its makeup further though.
Democrats will hold a slightly smaller, 43-22, majority in the House after Republicans managed to flip three seats. The Senate remains split between 23 Democrats to 12 Republicans, although two seats changed hands. Those margins leave Democrats just shy of a legislative supermajority in both chambers. Despite their party’s disappointing national showing in November, Democratic lawmakers say they believe voters support how they’ve led the state.
You can read more from CPR here.
Also from the Gold Dome…Two Colorado state Senate seats up for grabs in vacancy meetings this week.
As reported by Colorado Politics, two Democratic vacancy committees this week will meet to pick successors to two state senators who resigned in December.
Two candidates will vie on Monday for Sen. Janet Buckner of Aurora’s seat in Senate District 29. Buckner resigned in December, telling Colorado Politics 2024 that it had been challenging due to family and friend deaths and other issues. She said that made her put things in perspective, and during the interim, she spoke to family and friends about priorities. “For the first time in a long time, I decided to prioritize Janet,” she said.
You can read more from Colorado Politics here.
Down the road…Colorado group files ballot measure to repeal wolf reintroduction in 2026.
Via Colorado Politics, a Colorado group announced on Friday that it has filed a ballot measure to repeal the 2020 voter-approved measure that resulted in the reintroduction of gray wolves into Colorado.
Voters, primarily on the Front Range, narrowly approved Proposition 114, with just 50.9% of the vote in support and 49.1% opposed. The measure mandated that wolves be reintroduced west of the Continental Divide. Four of the five counties targeted by Colorado Parks and Wildlife overwhelmingly voted against the proposition.
Proponents of the ballot measure to repeal the wolf reintroduction program are Stan VanderWerf of El Paso County and Spencer Thomas of Garfield County, one of the three counties targeted by the state for the next release of wolves in 2025. Proponents plan to put the measure on the 2026 ballot.
You can read more from Colorado Politics here.
On Colorado education…How much does it cost to actually educate Colorado kids?
According to The Colorado Sun, Colorado has consistently trailed other states in how much money it spends per public school student and two studies released Friday show that, in order to fund schools at an adequate level, the state must spend billions more on education.
The results coincide with major questions over how the state will fund education next year as Colorado lawmakers try to shave spending across programs and agencies to fix an estimated $750 million state budget deficit. State leaders made significant headway last year when they both adopted a new school funding formula after 30 years and eliminated a $141 million debt owed to schools, pledging to fund them to the level required by the state constitution for the first time since before the Great Recession. Despite boosting funding for schools, that only brought them back to 1988-89 funding levels.
School district leaders ended the year worried that progress would be erased should the state target education as it considers how and where to rein in costs.
Some of their fears were allayed Thursday when Gov. Jared Polis released an updated budget proposal to carry forward with rolling out the state’s new school funding formula over six years, as originally promised, instead of over seven years as the governor proposed last month, according to reporting from Chalkbeat Colorado.
Still, the studies put numbers to the worries long shared by many school district heads and state leaders: Colorado is simply not pumping enough money into education to meet the needs of students and schools.
You can read more from The Colorado Sun here.
Fact check…Does Colorado have one of the lowest tax burdens in the country?
This also from The Colorado Sun, while Colorado’s state sales tax is low, other state and local taxes place its burden in the middle of the pack among states.
A 2024 analysis by WalletHub found Colorado’s property, individual income and sales and excise taxes add up to 8.42% — the 24th highest overall tax burden in the U.S.
Among states with a statewide sales tax, Colorado has the lowest at 2.9%. Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon do not impose a state sales tax. However, Colorado has one of the highest average local sales tax rates, at 4.91%, making its overall sales tax burden the 16th highest in the U.S., the Tax Foundation found in 2024. Higher sales taxes are often in ski towns, with Winter Park topping the list at 11.2%.
Colorado’s property tax rate of 0.51% is the third lowest, above Hawaii’s 0.30% and Alabama’s 0.40%, according to TurboTax.
You can read more from The Colorado Sun here.
From Washington DC…Congress set to certify Trump’s victory as memory of riot looms.
As reported by The New York Times, a joint session of Congress is set to convene on Monday afternoon to certify President-elect Donald J. Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, a basic ritual of democracy that was brutally disrupted four years ago by a violent pro-Trump mob inflamed by his lie about a stolen election.
There is no hint of a similar scene this time, although security has been stepped up at the Capitol. Unlike Trump back then, Vice President Kamala Harris has not disputed her loss in November, and unlike Republicans in the aftermath of the 2020 balloting, Democrats have given no hint that they plan to challenge the counting of the Electoral College votes when lawmakers convene at 1 p.m. Eastern time.
Still, there are reminders everywhere of the violence that played out on this day four years ago. The Capitol is on heavy lockdown, with tall black metal fencing around the building, and increased federal, state and local security resources are on hand. For the first time, the day has been designated by the Homeland Security Department as a “national special security event.”
It may all seem like overkill on what is expected to be a peaceful and orderly day. But lawmakers and law enforcement officials are determined to be prepared after the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, when protesters egged on by Trump’s false claim that he had won the election stormed the Capitol, wreaking havoc in a riot tied to the deaths of seven people, including three police officers.
You can read more from NYT here.
In related news…The Jan. 6 rioters, 4 years later.
Also from NYT, in the past four years, nearly 1,600 people have been prosecuted in connection with the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Some were accused of felonies like assault or seditious conspiracy and are still in prison. But hundreds charged with lesser crimes have wrapped up their cases and returned to their lives.
Jan. 6 was a turning point for everyone involved. In breaching the Capitol, a mob of Trump loyalists caused millions of dollars in damage, injured more than 140 police officers and, for the first time in American history, chased lawmakers away from their duty to certify a presidential election.
The attack also prompted the largest single investigation the Justice Department has ever undertaken, leading to arrests in all 50 states. Ever since, the defendants have been held to account in Washington’s federal courthouse, blocks away from the Capitol itself, for their roles in undermining a bedrock of democracy, the peaceful transfer of power.
You can read more from The New York Times here.
More from Washington…Kamala Harris’ farewell address.
From Wake Up to Politics, President Joe Biden, NBC’s Carol Lee reported this weekend, is gearing up to deliver two major speeches before leaving office: one on foreign policy, and the other a formal farewell address.
According to Lee, unlike most recent presidents, Biden does not plan to hold a press conference before his term is over, shielding him (once again) from questions about his age, mental acuity, and pardon for his son. Similarly, Biden has reportedly already held “the only sit-down [he] is giving a print publication as he prepares to leave office,” an interview he sat for on Sunday with USA Today. If true, that means he will end his term as the only president in modern history to go four years without sitting for interviews with major American newspapers like The Washington Post or The New York Times.
As for most of his presidency, Biden’s departure will be defined — even for a once-world-famous talker — not by what he has said, but by what he hasn’t: the interviews and press conferences he didn’t (or couldn’t) give, the arguments he didn’t (or couldn’t) make on the debate stage, the political case he didn’t (or couldn’t) mount.
Vice President Kamala Harris also hasn’t held many public appearances of late, although that isn’t as unusual. Vice presidents don’t get farewell addresses. Instead, Harris’ final high-profile appearance on the national stage (at least for now) will come this afternoon, as she oversees the certification of President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory. Being VP — as Harris has learned firsthand — is often an unforgiving job, with mixed odds at career advancement. It is a role with few legal responsibilities; she will perform the last one today, a task more quotidian than grandiose.
Or, well, it used to be.
You can read more from Wake Up to Politics here.
Speaking of Biden…See where and how Biden grew the federal workforce.
This from Government Executive, President Biden has overseen a nearly 6% growth of the permanent federal workforce during his four years in office, including a jump at nearly every major agency.
The trend marks a reversal from his predecessor and successor, President-elect Trump, who helped shed workers at nearly every federal agency. It also signifies that Biden delivered on a campaign promise to restore the civil service he said had been “hollowed out” by Trump. Biden called a “strong, healthy” civil service “essential to the success” of his administration.
Trump came into his first term of office much like he is entering his second: by promising to slash agency rolls. Upon his first inauguration, he immediately instituted a governmentwide hiring freeze and instructed every agency to develop plans to shrink their staffing levels. After four years, however, he saw the number of federal employees grow by 2%. That figure is a bit misleading, as gains at three departments—Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs and Defense—hid losses at every other department and virtually every major agency.
Quickly after his election, Jen Psaki, then a transition advisor, said career civil servants were “the heart and soul of government” and it was a priority for Biden to rebuild federal agencies that “wouldn’t function without the thousands of people who have served for decades.”
Biden helped usher into law several key pieces of legislation that built out agency workforces, such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the PACT Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. It has also taken executive action to improve hiring processes, which has supported funding increases agencies have enjoyed for most of his presidency.
You can read more from Government Executive here.
In regulation news…Fed’s top bank cop to step down, averting potential clash with Trump.
Via Politico, the Federal Reserve’s top regulatory official, Michael Barr, announced Monday that he will step down in the coming weeks, clearing the way for President-elect Donald Trump to reshape federal banking regulation.
Barr, who has served as the Fed’s vice chair for supervision since 2022, said he would resign from that role by Feb. 28 or earlier if his successor is confirmed. He said he will continue to serve as a member of the Federal Reserve Board. His resignation will avert what could have been a major legal fight if Trump had sought to fire or demote him. Barr had been discussing his options with outside legal counsel.
You can read more from Politico here and The Washington Post here.
From the Trump Administration…Trump denies that he will pare back universal tariffs.
According to Politico, President-elect Donald Trump denied Monday that he is considering paring back his plan for universal tariffs on imports, after the Washington Post reported his team is considering raising tariffs only on “critical” imports related to national defense, energy and other key sectors.
“The story in the Washington Post, quoting so-called anonymous sources, which don’t exist, incorrectly states that my tariff policy will be pared back,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “That is wrong. The Washington Post knows it’s wrong. It’s just another example of Fake News.”
You can read more from Politico here and The Hill here.
From Congress…Johnson retains speakership, pledges to roll back ‘totalitarian’ administrative state.
As reported by Government Executive, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., overcame doubters last Friday by winning the House speakership on the first ballot, although at one point it looked like there would be a second vote.
“As heirs to the American Revolution and the descendants of patriots who defied tyranny, in the coming months we are going to pass legislation to roll back the totalitarian fourth branch of government known as the administrative state,” he said in a speech following the vote. “We’re going to drastically cut back the size and scope of government. We’re going to return the power back to the people. And in coordination with President Trump and his administration, we’re going to create a leaner, faster and more efficient federal workforce. We need to do that.”
House Republicans have a narrow majority in the new 119th Congress, whose members were also sworn in Friday, and Johnson had few votes to spare. Ultimately, Johnson’s only GOP detractor was Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who voted for Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. Massie previously announced that he would not support the speaker, arguing he would “not be able to achieve the mandate voters gave Trump and Congress in November.” Trump endorsed Johnson, wishing him luck on Friday morning. The final vote tally for Johnson was 218-215-1.
You can read more from Government Executive here.
And around the world…Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigns as party leader.
Via Axios, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned from his position as the leader of the Liberal Party on Monday.
The world’s leading democracies are facing growing instability. Look to Germany, where Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote in parliament, or the unprecedented government collapse in France. His resignation came as polls indicated that the Liberal Party was set to be trounced by the opposition Conservative Party in the upcoming election, expected in or before October, Reuters reported.
Trudeau’s decision to leave the post amid his government’s deepening unpopularity is a far cry from the popularity he enjoyed when he became prime minister, when polls showed he boasted approval ratings above 60%. Trudeau noted that the Canadian parliament will be prorogued — essentially, suspended — until March 24 while a new leader is chosen. He said it was “time for a reset.”
You can read more from Axios here.
That’s all for today. Have a great start to your week.
Best,
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Adam J. Burg
Senior Policy Advisor |
| Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher, LLP
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