50 CENTS
January 19, 2017
DENVER Since 1926
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CALL OF THE WILD: Stay clear of coyotes this time of year P3
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DENVER, COLORADO
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Legislators target transportation funding No sign of unity in opening round as Colorado faces billions in needs BY KRISTEN WYATT ASSOCIATED PRESS
There’s no debate — Colorado needs a big plan to pay for billions in needed highway upgrades.
But that’s where agreement ended Jan. 11 as the state’s divided Legislature began work for the year. Republicans in the House and Senate gave differing takes on whether Colorado should ask voters to pass a new tax to pay for more than $8 billion in transportation projects. And Democrats are talking up different ways to pay for roads. New Republican Senate President Kevin Grantham, of Cañon City, took the unusual step of not rejecting a tax
hike. Instead, he simply asked Democrats to take a careful look at cutting other spending first. Colorado requires voters to approve tax hikes, so Grantham called it essential to sell the tax as the only possible option for improving roads. “If we are going to ask (taxpayers) for more out of their own pockets to fund these bond payments, then we must also demonstrate the commitment to reprioritize the dollars
A CHANGING CAMPUS
they’ve already entrusted to us,” Grantham said. That was a softer scolding than Democrats received in the House, where Republican minority leader Patrick Neville, of Castle Rock, insisted that Colorado has enough money and needs no tax increase for roads. “Revenue for transportation is something we can control without asking taxpayers for more money,” Neville SEE LEGISLATURE, P3
School district’s enrollment rises for 2016-17 STAFF REPORT
Denver residents Katie Mitchell and Charlie Coil walk through the Auraria campus Jan 14. According to a year-end report released by Auraria’s executive office, the 150-acre campus contained 4.5 million square feet as of December 2016 — an increase of 1.3 million square feet since 2006. More than $630 million has been directly invested in new construction and renovation projects since 2012, including renovations of the library, which is pictured at left.The campus is shared by Metropolitan State University of Denver, Community College of Denver and University of Colorado Denver with a collective student population of approximately 42,000. BEN WIEBESIEK
THE BOTTOM LINE PERIODICAL
‘There is a culture of winning here, and the standards around here won’t change.’ Vance Joseph, new Denver Broncos coach | Page 5 INSIDE
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Denver Public Schools’ enrollment for 2016-17 has risen by 897 students, a 1 percent increase over the previous school year, according to Colorado Department of Education figures released Jan. 12. The rise is the second largest in the state, behind the Charter School Institute, which added 1,352 students. DPS remains the state’s largest school district with 91,132 students. Jeffco Public Schools (86,347 students), the Douglas County School District (67,470), Cherry Creek Schools (54,815) and Aurora Public Schools (41,797) round out the top five largest districts. Since 2007, DPS’ enrollment has risen by 18,000 students, or 25 percent, according to a news release by the district. “I want to thank our teachers and school leaders for their incredibly hard work in our schools, which is driving these enrollment gains,” DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg said in the release. The state added 5,907 students for this school year, bringing Colorado’s total enrollment to 905,019 public school students, according to the CDE report. The enrollment growth of 0.7 percent was below the average growth rate of 1.3 percent over the past 20 years.
LIFE: PAGE 7 VOLUME 90 | ISSUE 13