Everyone seems to be talking about how long this month of January has felt… and I agree! I think it’s because it’s been an emotional month for our country with a deadly terrorist attack, catastrophic wildfires and a horrific mid-air collision. Colorado is also trying to find solid footing amidst the political shift in Washington, while also being in the spotlight for policies that are different from what is preferred by the new administration. Here are some notes from what the Insider panel talked about as we close out January 2025 on Colorado Inside Out:

Immigration Enforcement and “Operation Aurora”:

• Federal Crackdown: The Insiders talked about the federal government’s increased focus on immigration enforcement, particularly in Colorado. Columnist Eric Sondermann said, “There’s no doubt that Aurora in particular is in the bull’s eye of this administration. Donald Trump made that clear before the election.”
• Confusing and Shifting Plans: There is a sense of uncertainty regarding “Operation Aurora,” with reports of shifting plans regarding raids and where undocumented immigrants would be processed and detained, including the potential use of Buckley Space Force Command.  Westword Editor Patty Calhoun added, “It changes by the minute… we have a few gang members who’ve been picked up: one in Denver and one in New York City. So, people are being arrested. There is action being taken. But when the hammer is going to come down on Aurora, we don’t know yet.”
• Humanity and Context: Some panelists emphasized the need for humanity in the discussion of immigration, acknowledging that while border control is necessary, most immigrants have stories of courage and striving. Columnist Krista Kafer: “These are part of our community, they’re one of us. They may not have the papers, but they’re one of us. How do we treat them? I think it speaks a lot to who we are as a country.”
• Disrupted Services: Immigration service providers in Denver are reportedly receiving “stop work orders,” interrupting their ability to provide services to immigrants.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s Washington Invitation:

• Congressional Investigation: Mayor Johnston has been invited to testify before Congress on February 11th regarding Denver’s immigration policies.  He has to say if he’ll go, and the Insiders were split on whether or not he should. Eric Sondermann: “Obviously, the request from Congress was done in a gotcha spirit. They want him there to grill him, maybe even to embarrass him.” Krista Kafer said he should not go: “Those hearings are dog and pony shows.” But Attorney/Community Leader Penfield Tate differed: “I think Mayor Johnston ought to go… and he ought to say, ‘you had a comprehensive immigration reform policy last year and you killed it. So, you have nothing. Mayors like me and governors like Governor Polis have to do the best we can with no coherent federal guidance. What have you done other than try to run around and lock people up…’ and let them respond to that?”
• Also Brought Up: Johnston’s 2025 Goals for Denver:
  Mayor Johnston introduced his goals for the city for the year ahead, including:
  • Revitalize downtown and open the 16th Street Mall
  • Combat crime and reduce shootings by 15%
  • Ease Carbon Pollution: adding 2k heat pumps, more EV stations & 4,500 trees
  • Shelter 2,000 people who are currently homeless

Public Engagement, or lack thereof, at Aurora City Council Meetings 

• Virtual Meetings and No Public Comment: The Aurora City Council is now conducting virtual meetings with no public comment due to threats and disruptive behavior at previous meetings, raising concerns about public access and accountability.
• Balancing Decorum and Public Voice: Insider panelists debated the need for decorum during public comment periods, acknowledging that some disruptors may be intentionally trying to cause chaos to gain attention, while the city officials need to still remain accountable to the public. Penfield Tate: “How you treat people is often more important than what you do, and that works both ways.” And then Eric Sondermann jumped in… “except too often, particularly in the culture we’re living in, getting thrown out is the purpose. It’s what makes the news.”

• The Focus of this Particular Meeting: Big changes to the city’s homeless policy: The city council voted to get rid of the 72-hour notice for homeless encampment sweeps as well as requirement that the city has to provide an alternative location for the homeless individuals.

Colorado Education: Test Scores & a New Federal Investigation

• Mixed Academic Results: While Colorado students are performing better than students in many other states, their math and reading scores are still below pre-pandemic levels. This data comes from the national test 4th and 8th graders took in Spring 2024, the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP).

• Low Proficiency Rates: There is concern that nearly half of all students in the state are not proficient at grade level, highlighting a significant problem in the system. Penfield Tate: “There’s a problem when you’re celebrating proficiency at 44%, that means 56% of the kids can’t read or do math at grade level.”

Federal Overreach into School Policies:

Both Patty Calhoun and Krista Kafer brought up a letter sent to Denver’s East High School this week from the Department of Education’s Office of Civils Rights which stated the school is under investigation for discriminating against girls by retrofitting one girls’ bathroom into an all-gender restroom.

• Krista Kafer: “I actually agree with the Trump administration. If you have a boy’s bathroom, you need to have a girl’s bathroom. There needs to be equitable access.”
• Patty Calhoun disagreed with Krista pointing out the bathrooms still had stalls and were private. “Let’s pay attention to the education first, bringing in the teachers, making sure they’ve got the money they need. And let’s not worry about bathrooms.”

Also, this week, I felt compelled to introduce one extra topic, that being the passing of preservationist, developer and community leader Dana Crawford.

• Patty Calhoun: “She had no experience as a preservationist or as a developer… but she went down to Larimer Street in the 1980s, saw the 1400 block, which was then a skid row, and said, I am going to save it.”

• Eric Sondermann: “She was a visionary, a pioneer, a trailblazer and for this community, she was indispensable.”

At the end of this week’s show, I took a moment to acknowledge the loss of PBS12 coworker, Gary Fultz. Colorado Inside Out viewers may not recognize the name because Gary was a ‘behind the scenes’ player here at the station, but he was most certainly an integral player for almost ten years. The work he was committed to is what connects you to all of our PBS12 programming. He managed all the content that goes over the air, making sure the audio and video were top quality and he could troubleshoot any technical issues that would arise. Gary was also a really nice guy to have around, and he is already very missed by the PBS12 family.