This week, there’s a lot of focus on what’s happening outside of Colorado with Israel and Hamas involved in serious ceasefire talks, the destructive and deadly fires continuing in Southern California, and the transition of power in Washington DC. With that said, there still remains a lot to discuss this week from inside Colorado. Here’s a look into this week’s Colorado Inside Out conversation:

Denver Politics and Mayor Mike Johnston’s Actions

• Park Hill Golf Course Land Deal
  The Insider panel discussed the deal announced Wednesday regarding the former Park Hill Golf Course. Westword Editor Patty Calhoun praised Mayor Mike Johnston for incorporating the will of the people who wanted to keep the space open. The deal is a land swap – instead of holding on to the 155-acre site that was once home to the golf course, Westside Investment Partners will now receive 145 acres of city-owned land near Denver International Airport, which they can develop. The land the golf course sits on is under a conservation easement which forbids Westside from development opportunities. Community leader and former Denver Mayoral Candidate Ean Thomas Tafoya expressed reservations about the land swap and valuation, urging scrutiny and transparency of the details.
• Safety Concerns on the 16th Street Mall
  Following recent stabbings, two of which were fatal, the Insiders debated the reality vs. the perception of crime downtown. Patty Calhoun stressed the need for increased security measures while the Independence Institute’s David Kopel pointed out that police coverage in Denver has lessened over the decades. “In 1979, Denver had one police officer for 350 residents…. that has now fallen by 20% with one officer for every 472 [residents],” David Kopel “In his 2025 city budget, Mayor Johnston wants to spend $6M on his global warming office and $2.5M on his DEI office. Imagine if you took that $8.5M and put it into hiring more police to keep downtown safe.”
• Mayor Johnston’s Veto Power
  Wednesday, Mayor Johnston vetoed an ordinance passed by the city council that would have expanded the number of needle exchange sites and allowed sites to open within 1,000 feet of schools and day cares. “I think the mall stabbing situation had a lot to do with the veto,” Patty Calhoun Axios Reporter Alayna Alvarez highlighted Mayor Johnston’s frequent use of vetoes compared to his predecessor, indicating a potential conflict with the increasingly progressive city council: “Mayor Johnston has already issued as many vetoes in a year and a half as his predecessor, Mayor Hancock, issued in all of his 12 years.”

Backlog in Rape Kit Processing and Public Safety

• CBI’s Backlog of Rape Kits
  The Insider panel expressed outrage over the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s significant backlog in rape kit processing, with delays exceeding 517 days. David Koppel placed the blame on inadequate funding and prioritization by Governor Polis. Kopel said: “517 days is crazy. In 2016, Colorado had zero backlog in rape kit testing. As of November 2023, the backlog was up to 275 days.”
• Willford’s Personal Experience
  The Insider panel commended Colorado State Representative Jenny Willford for coming forward about her own sexual assault case from February 2024, and how she is still waiting for the results of her rape kit. They viewed her coming forward as brave and a crucial step in bringing attention to the backlog and the urgent need for legislative action to address it. Also, this week, Rep. Willford filed a lawsuit against Lyft, saying she was sexually assaulted by a driver who was using another driver’s profile last February.

Affordability and the Republican Legislative Agenda

• Senate Republicans’ Affordability Package
  Our panel analyzed the Republican legislative package that is aimed at saving Coloradans an average of $4,500 annually through fee repeals and cuts. Alayna Alvarez noted that while the proposal sounds appealing, it would come with tradeoffs, including reduced funding for transportation infrastructure and local government programs.
• Feasibility and Political Maneuvering
  The panelists doubted the likelihood of these bills passing. “Republicans have a minority in both chambers. And as it stands right now, last time I looked, no Dems have signed on to these bills yet,” Alayna Alvarez Ean Thomas Tafoya saw this as political showmanship: “I think that this is about laying groundwork for the Governor’s race, knowing full well that not a single one of their bills is going to move forward or pass.”

Clean Energy Future and Energy Grid Capacity

• Colorado’s Renewable Energy Goals
  We discussed Colorado’s ambitious goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040 and the potential challenges of meeting this target. Ean Thomas Tafoya is optimistic. David Kopel is not certain that being dependent on electrical energy is reliable or safe.
• Patty Calhoun: “We look at California and we see what we have to do to really deal with climate change and that there are certainly ramifications. We saw it here three years ago with the Marshall Fire. But what’s going on in California is beyond belief. So, what concerns me is … can we get there with the grid? I think it will be the last 20% that is going to be very tough. How many sacrifices are people willing to make? And so, the next 10- 15 years are really going to be challenging.” Alayna Alvarez agreed and pointed out Xcel Energy’s $5 billion proposal for grid improvements currently under review by the Public Utilities Commission. “That approval process could take a year, Alvarez “But something that I found interesting was that if it is approved, it’s going to mean Xcel customers will pay a lot more…. 100 bucks or more a month.” Alayna also referred to an article in the Colorado Sun and a quote from an Xcel Energy official who said they haven’t seen these kind of demand levels since air conditioning came online.