This week started on a somber note with the death of Pope Francis.Governor Jared Polis lowered all flags to half-staff in Colorado, which is home to an estimated 830,000 Catholics, including me. The day before, on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis said, “I would like all of us to hope anew, and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves.” To relate that to Colorado Inside Out’s mission, every week we bring together various perspectives with our Insider panel with the idea being the more we know where each other is coming from, the more of a path we have to being more connected. With connection, there’s the ability to build trust. So that’s why we do what we do.

Winding down of Colorado’s 75^th General Assembly: The legislative session ends on Wednesday, May 7. This week, the budget was sent to Governor Polis for his signature; the bill had enough cuts to make up for the $1.2 billion shortfall. Upon receiving the budget, he has ten days to sign or veto the budget.

• Former State Representative and State Senator Penfield Tate: “My two years on the Joint Budget Committee, we did have to cut the budget… but not by $1.2 billion. I’m hearing rumors now that for some reason, there may be a special session to deal with other aspects of the budget.”
• Election Administration Expert Amber McReynolds: “These things are compounding. Over time, a bill gets passed. It doesn’t just cost in the first year, it’s going to cost over a longer term. And then you have an additional 700 bills that were filed this year… there’s cost to a lot of that. I think the legislature needs to really think long term about how they’re going to meet these shortfalls, how they can do more with less. Just like every family is doing right now.”
• Amongst all the cuts, the State Senate has given the initial sign-off to The Colorado Defense Fund, which holds $4 M aside to protect the state from any federal actions that, as the bill says, “threatens the Colorado way of life.” Westword Editor Patty Calhoun: “When you are in the blue island of Colorado, surrounded by a sea of red, you see these kind of protections… we have lots of fights ahead of us.” Patty also pointed out how Colorado has joined another multi-state lawsuit. This latest suit is aimed at blocking federal tariff rulings.
• Consultant Alton Dillard pointed out other additions Democratic leaders want to tack on to existing Colorado laws regarding abortion rights and addressing LGBTQ+ and transgender issues, which are seen as contrary to federal trends.

The Insider’s Stand Outs as the session nears the end:

• Penfield Tate:
  • Senate Bill 280: a tax exemption and incentive offering to bring data centers to Colorado, questioning the wisdom of offering big incentives during a budget crisis.
  • House Bill 1291: creates liability for rideshare companies to protect individuals against claims of sexual assault by drivers, reflecting an “effort to enhance public safety.”
• Alton Dillard:
  • The “Legislative Sprint:” where bills can move through both houses in as little as 72 hours. “That’s why you really have to keep an eye on the dome at this time of the year, because you never know what’s going to happen at the last second.”
• Amber McReynolds:
  • Amber is watching how one year after Colorado’s AI Law passed, there’s a legislative push to add some guardrails for the fast-developing technology.
  • Re: House Bill 1277, which was defeated… it would have required stickers on gas tanks, warning consumers of health and environmental risks. Amber was concerned about the cost of creating and distributing all those stickers and was glad the idea failed: “It was almost a solution in search of a problem.”
• Patty Calhoun:
  • Patty is watching ongoing debates around rights issues, including book banning in schools and libraries, and educational content related to Black history, contrasting these with trends in Washington D.C. where she says “history is being rewritten if it’s not being entirely erased.”

Challenges Facing Colorado’s Cultural Entities: Cultural Organizations are scrambling right now due to reductions in federal funding and questionable support from past corporate partners. Alton Dillard emphasizes the need for nonprofits to have “diversified funding sources,” drawing a historical parallel with changes in corporate giving priorities.

• Colorado Humanities in Trouble: The Colorado Humanities Council faces significant funding issues from the National Endowment for the Humanities, potentially leading to the elimination of programs like the Colorado Book Awards and the Colorado Poet Laureate programs.
• Juneteenth Event Reduction: Even established events like Juneteenth are facing financial constraints, being reduced from two days to one.
• Federal Funding Cuts to Museums and Libraries: The Institute for Museum and Library Services is facing cuts, impacting Colorado institutions that rely on federal funding for exhibits and operations, including those related to the Sand Creek Massacre and the Ute Mountain Ute Museum. Penfield Tate said: “These institutions are vital for telling our collective history.”

Denver Development and Affordable Housing Debate:Denver is experiencing a surge in proposed, large-scale developments including a new women’s soccer stadium, elaborate plans for the 56-acres around Ball Arena, and a $400 million construction project on the National Western Stock Show campus which, among other things, would include a new equestrian center.

• Penfield Tate: “While we’re investing in all of these things, we need to make sure that we also, at the same time, invest in making the city livable and affordable. Affordable housing, accessible housing, whatever you call it, has to be an integral part of everything the Mayor and the City Council do moving forward.”
• Amber McReynolds: pointed out that many of these projects involve public-private partnerships.

While all those big-time projects are down the road, Denver is in a big-time spotlight next week with the 11^th Annual SeriesFest (April 29–May 4). SeriesFest is to television shows as Sundance is to films. This is not just an event for those in the television and episodic storytelling industry — all are welcome. There are panel discussions, lectures and also 50 independently-produced TV pilots all being shown at the Sie Film Center. Opening night (April 29) features a show at Red Rocks headlined by comedian Amy Schumer.

Here’s where to go for more info: https://seriesfest.com.