As we kick off the month of February, we have journalistic, legislative, legal and business insight that collectively add great context to all that’s happening in Colorado.

Immigration Raids and Protests:
This week, Colorado saw its first round of deportation raids.  Agents with ICE, the FBI, DEA, ATF and the Marshall Service stormed apartment complexes in the Denver Metro area, searching for immigrants here illegally, including Venezuelan gang members. As of the printing of this blog, numbers are differing but one report says 30 people were arrested and one of those was a Tren de Aragua gang member.

• Scope of the raids: While the stated focus of the large-scale operation was on gang members and drug activity, reports indicate many apartments that were stormed into did not have Venezuelan gang members, including one where a woman was taken, leaving her two daughters inside. Civil Rights attorney Tyrone Glover: “There’s ways to enforce laws against criminal organizations, against folks who are committing crimes… we have these mechanisms. What happened earlier this week was not okay…  this was an act of terror, showing up in militarized vehicles, knocking on random doors, waving around administrative warrants, which don’t allow them to actually go into someone’s domicile and just trying to essentially scare folks into giving up information. And then who knows what happens after that.”
• Subsequent protest: The raids spurred massive protests. An already planned protest of the new administration at the Colorado State Capitol was amplified by the raids, with an estimated 3,000 people present at the height of the protests. Many protestors carried Mexican flags and signs related to immigration issues. There was also a lot of frustration over the administration’s policies regarding the LGBTQ community.
• Immigration resources available: Vice President of Government Affairs at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Carly West reminded viewers of the rights of the immigrant population: “We’re hearing from businesses who have a lot of uncertainty around this and there are resources available for businesses who have questions. First and foremost, they should make a plan that they share with their managers and employees… making sure that all of documentation is in order, making sure I-9 are filled out correctly, things along those lines. But in the event that there is an ICE raid at your facility, knowing your rights and responsibilities is really important, making sure that you designate someone to be the communicator, making sure if you do hand over documents that you make copies of those first, and knowing that you’ve got the right to not sign any paperwork until you’ve consulted with an attorney.” Tyrone Glover agreed: “We’re a nation of laws, right? And no matter how this goes down, it needs to not violate the Constitution and not violate people’s rights.”

Affordability in Colorado:

• Colorado’s $1B budget shortfall: Chief legislative reporter for Colorado Politics Marianne Goodland: “Conversations are taking place fast and furious between the Joint Budget Committee, which writes that state budget and the Governor’s office on how they’re going to fill those holes. And right now, frankly, I’m not seeing a whole lot of answers.” Marianne mentioned how Governor Polis wants to privatize Pinnacol Assurance, the state’s largest worker’s compensation provider, with the expectation of generating $300-$500M, with potentially $100M going to cover the budget deficit. However, there is significant skepticism that the projected revenue will be realized. One concern is that state pension issues will use up the funds generated by the sale.”
• Looming Tariffs: The new Trump Administration’s call for tariffs with Mexico, Canada and China are creating economic instability leading to concerns over prices and inflation. Carly West acknowledged the Denver Metro Chamber is inundated with calls from businesses. Westword Editor Patty Calhoun: “Those of us in the media, we’re looking at increased newsprint costs from Canada.”
• Healthcare: Legislators are considering setting provider rates at 165% of Medicare for state employees. This will save the state $40M, but could lead to increased costs for the majority of private sector employees to make up for the cost savings. There are also concerns this could further negatively impact safety nets of hospitals that are already operating on thin margins.
• Grants: Concerns were also raised regarding the uncertainty of federal grants earmarked for Colorado like the Front Range Rail Project (a potential $60M loss) due to federal funding freeze. That project’s goal is to upgrade part of a freight rail line between Denver and Longmont that state officials hope would allow for passenger trains. Reporter Marianne Goodland: “That project could be on life support, if not worse.”

Transparency and Open Records:
House Bill 1041 would keep private the amount of money given to student athletes at Colorado colleges and universities via Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) contracts.  Speaking on behalf of the Denver Metro Chamber, Carly West: “The intent of it, is really to help keep our universities competitive.” Attorney Tyrone Glover: “I think you want to protect the privacy of student athletes at the end of the day. But there does need to be a level of accountability and transparency. State Senator James Coleman says things like the school, the sport position, the amount… maybe those things should be public so that you do have that level of transparency.”

• Concerns: The panel expressed concern about the lack of transparency, particularly regarding how university money is spent within athletic departments. Reporter Marianne Goodland has reported extensively on this: “This is a legislature that has really become very anti governmental transparency. And then you have this bill, which is being run by a lawmaker whose district includes the University of Colorado. If most of the NIL money… is money the universities are paying the students, don’t we have a right to know how much of university money is going to these students? If men’s basketball and football programs are the ones where all the money is going, how do we know that women’s athletics is being treated equally? The answer is under this bill, we don’t.”
• Backstory: Since Deion Sanders, aka Coach Prime, took on the head football coach job at CU Boulder in December 2022, the university has been in the national discussion when it comes to collegiate athletics and lucrative NIL contracts. Patty Calhoun: “I would like the legislature to make us competitive academically and have some focus on that rather than just on sports.”

Loss of Civic Leaders:
The deaths of two influential civic leaders, preservationist and developer Dana Crawford and more recently, business leader and former University of Denver Chancellor Daniel Ritchie. Their legacies shaped our conversation on the future of civic leadership in Colorado.

• Daniel Ritchie: Ritchie was highlighted for his transformation of the University of Denver, particularly rescuing it from bankruptcy and developing the school into a world-class academic and athletic institution. Patty Calhoun: “He also went to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and helped save the DCPA. He went into other places like History Colorado, when it really needed to be shaken up…. he did a lot of things that never really rose to the surface because he wasn’t looking for publicity.”
• Up & Coming Colorado Leaders, according to the Denver Metro Chamber’s Carly West, these folks are ones to keep an eye on as we continue to build the legacy of civic leadership in Colorado:
  • Mowa Haile, President Sky Blue Builders
  • Carl Koelbel, President/CEO of Koelbel & Company
  • Jandel Allen-Davis, MD, President/CEO of Craig Hospital
• Obstacles to Progress: Patty Calhoun noted that it can be difficult to get things done today, compared to decades ago. “Part of it is it is harder to get things done…. people with great ideas out there sometimes just run into brick walls.” Marianne Goodland questioned if the ethos of giving back to the community exists anymore in today’s world. To that, Tyrone Glover shared this message of hope: “Perhaps that ethos doesn’t exist in that particular form anymore, but I think that there will be a whole generation of leaders emerging that are inspired by the Dan Ritchies, by the Dana Crawfords, and are going to come and do it in their own way…. inspired by their efforts, but they’re not going to be a carbon copy.”

Finally, here’s to a good Super Bowl weekend! Broncos fans, we have lots of reasons to hold out hope for next year. Congrats to Broncos Cornerback Pat Surtain II for being named Defensive Player of the Year, the NFL’s highest honor for a defensive player! Between PS2 and Bo Nix leading the team as quarterback, a lot of good things await!