Usually during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, there are a lot of “slow news days,” and published content is lighter in nature. That is certainly not the case this year! Sunday, December 29th brought the death of Former President Jimmy Carter. Days later, there was the deadly truck attack in New Orleans as well as the death of a Colorado Springs Army Sergeant inside a Cybertruck that exploded in Las Vegas. There’s a lot to channel these days so I appreciate Pope Francis’ declaration that this year to be the “Year of Hope.” We need hope, we need discussion, we need to listen to one another and so.. here is what our Insider panel discussed during our first Colorado Inside Out of 2025.

1. 2026 Gubernatorial race gets going before the 2025 General Assembly gets to work:

• The 75th Colorado General Assembly convenes on Wednesday, January 8. New members meet for orientation on Monday the 6th yet already there is a declared candidacy to succeed Governor Jared Polis. Attorney General Phil Weiser is the first to publicly announce he is entering the 2026 gubernatorial race.
• Denver attorney Tyrone Glover mentioned both former Colorado Governors Roy Romer and Bill Ritter had legal backgrounds before they took office. Tyrone also points out how AG Weiser was Dean at the CU Law School when he was enrolled.
• Other possible candidates mentioned: Democrats Secretary of State Jena Griswold, Congressman Joe Neguse and Former Senator Ken Salazar along with Republicans State Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer and Congressman Greg Lopez.

• A debate broke out when the conversation turned to the pre-session public hearing where frustration was expressed over last year’s changes to the Open Meetings Law, which was enacted in 1972. Lawmakers are in favor of the changes, saying it allows them to have informal conversations to get things done and legislation passed.
• Chris Rourke said, “Public policy needs to be conducted in public, period.”
• Laura Aldrete, city building consultant and former Denver Planning Director responded with, “Having been in a position as an appointee in public government and local government, it is very difficult to brainstorm, to have bad ideas and to create out of those good ideas when somebody is always peeking into your business and then putting it in the paper. You become very cautious. I think there needs to be balance and I think this law is trying to get at that.”

2. Legacy of President Jimmy Carter:

• The Insider panel reflected on President Carter’s legacy, emphasizing his compassion, empathy, and commitment to humanitarian work.
• Carter’s impact on Colorado includes: contributions to the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte, Habitat for Humanity homes in Denver and his early advocacy for renewable energy exemplified by his 1978 visit to Rick’s Café, a bar in Cherry Creek North that had a solar operated dishwasher.
• The Insiders condemn a Colorado State Representative’s negative social media post about Carter following his death, highlighting the need for respectful discourse in today’s political climate.
• “Jimmy Carter is responsible for The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) being here. It got its start as SERI, the Solar Energy Research Institute. So, Colorado has a lot to thank him for.”– Patty Calhoun, Founder & Editor of Westword

3. Egg Shortage & Cage-Free Law:

• Colorado’s cage-free egg law, mandating all eggs sold in the state to be from cage-free facilities, came into full effect. The law was passed in 2020 and the second and final phase of the rollout took effect on January 1st.
• Just as the new law goes into effect, chickens are being hit with Avian Flu which is considered the primary driver of the egg shortage and price hikes, which has consumers angry.
• Colorado is near the bottom of the list in annual egg production in this country so bringing eggs into Colorado for sale also adds to the cost.
• Concerns were raised about the affordability of eggs for low-income families, highlighting the impact of supply and demand dynamics.
• “This new law adds cost to producers because they have to pay more labor to keep the animals clean because they’re not in a confined space.” – Chris Rourke, Rourke Media.

4. Denver Development & Permitting Issues:

• Denver’s Office of Community Planning and Development announces it is spending $1.3M on artificial intelligence (AI) tools to expedite permit reviews, aiming for a 50% reduction in processing time.
• The panel debated the effectiveness of AI in addressing permitting delays, with some emphasizing the need for broader zoning code reform and the impact of external factors like interest rates and construction costs.
• Concerns about lengthy permitting times discouraging developers from doing business in Denver were discussed.
• “It’s simply nonsense. I talked to one restaurateur, [and] it’s taken him eight months to get a permit for an awning. I would say cutting that in half isn’t reasonable. It should take a week.” – Patty Calhoun

Looking ahead to next week, Patty Calhoun mentioned as a must-see the Stock Show and parade which is 119 years strong. Cowboys and cowgirls on horses, western wagons and Longhorn cattle will fill 17th street on Thursday, January 9 starting at noon.