Us senator - john hickenlooper

US Senator - John Hickenlooper

Party: Democrat | State: Colorado

2026-05-15

• Seeking reelection: Hickenlooper announced he is running for reelection in 2026, saying this will be his final Senate campaign.
  
• Public lands: On May 12, criticized the Trump administration's decision to rescind BLM's land management actions, calling it "a blatant attack against the long-term health of our public lands."
  
• Healthcare: Visited Denver Health in early May to hear how rising costs and federal policy changes (including Medicaid cuts) are affecting patients. Called the state of U.S. health care "a cost-of-living emergency."
  
• Water projects: Unfrozen federal funding came through for Colorado's "Bucket 2" water projects after a 1.5-year delay, following Hickenlooper highlighting the need in a Senate ENR Hearing with Secretary Burgum.
  
• Budget floor speech (May 13): Criticized budget priorities from the Senate floor: "We have money for ballrooms and bombs — and tax breaks for billionaires — but nothing for hardworking Americans."
  
• Cost-of-living speech (May 7): Spoke on the Senate floor declaring a cost-of-living emergency: "It's not a crisis anymore. It's an emergency."
  

Sources:
- Senator John Hickenlooper official site
- Hickenlooper Welcomes $197.4M for Colorado Communities in 2026 Funding Bills

2026-05-17

• Postal service letter: Joined Bennet, Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO-3), and Rep. Neguse on a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner raising concerns about postal service.
  
• Primary challenge: State Sen. Julie Gonzales (D-Denver) announced a primary challenge against Hickenlooper for his Senate seat in 2026. Hickenlooper has called this his final campaign.
  

Sources:
- Julie Gonzales primary challenge — Colorado Newsline
- Hickenlooper says 2026 will be his last race — KDVR

2026-05-18

• NCAR & NOAA protection: Joined Bennet, Rep. Neguse, and Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO) in a bipartisan coalition to sustain NCAR funding and pushed back against Trump administration plans to dismantle NOAA's Colorado-based Cooperative Institutes. Called the plans "a vengeful attack on Colorado."
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Bennet, Neguse Slam Trump Admin's Plan to Dismantle NCAR — hickenlooper.senate.gov
- Hickenlooper, Bennet Slam Trump Admin's Vengeful Attack on Colorado — hickenlooper.senate.gov

2026-05-19

• First reelection ad launches: Hickenlooper's campaign aired its first statewide 30-second ad on digital and streaming platforms, part of a seven-figure buy that will expand to broadcast and cable when ballots go out in early June. The ad comes six weeks before the June 30 primary, where he faces a challenge from state Sen. Julie Gonzales (D-Denver).
  
• Opposes Pearce BLM nomination: Hickenlooper became the first U.S. Senator to publicly oppose Steve Pearce's nomination to lead the Bureau of Land Management, writing an op-ed in the Denver Post warning about the threat Pearce poses to public lands and the environment.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper launches first ad in Colorado's US Senate primary — Colorado Politics

2026-05-20

• CFTC prediction markets letter: Sent a letter with Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) to CFTC Chairman Michael Selig urging the commission to prohibit prediction markets from allowing margin trading in connection with event contracts.
  

2026-05-21

• Tina Peters amendment: Hickenlooper plans to force Republicans to vote on an amendment that would prohibit the Trump administration from directing any of the $1.8 billion "wrongful conviction" compensation fund to Tina Peters or others convicted of crimes that affected elections. Peters' sentence was recently commuted.
  

Sources:
- Colorado senator will bring amendment to stop Trump's $1.8B compensation fund from paying Tina Peters — Colorado Sun

2026-05-26

• Healthcare roundtable in Colorado Springs: Hickenlooper hosted a roundtable at Memorial Hospital North in Colorado Springs, hearing from Coloradans on higher premiums, coverage losses, and the impact of Medicaid cuts in the "One Big Beautiful Bill." Hospital social workers and healthcare experts described the phasedown of Medicaid's hospital provider fee as threatening a rising number of uninsured patients and mounting pressure on critical services. Hickenlooper called for reaching Republican votes to rebuild funding, saying he believes some Republicans "were kind of bullied by the White House into this."
  
• Report: 9 Colorado hospitals at risk: Hickenlooper's office released a report warning that nine Colorado hospitals are at risk of service cuts or possible closure due to Republican Medicaid cuts in the reconciliation bill.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper hosts Southern Colorado roundtable on healthcare — FOX21 News
- WATCH: Coloradans on ACA, Medicaid Join Hickenlooper — hickenlooper.senate.gov
- New Report: Nine Colorado Hospitals at Risk — hickenlooper.senate.gov

2026-05-22

• Shoshone Water Rights statement: Was among the Colorado delegation welcoming the Interior Department's release of $40 million for the Shoshone Permanency Project. Hickenlooper had earlier co-led a bipartisan letter urging the administration to release $140M in obligated water funding for Colorado River projects, including Shoshone.
  
• Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) Act passes Senate: The Hickenlooper-Bennet bill to complete the AVC — a decades-overdue water project for Southeast Colorado — passed the Senate unanimously and is headed to the president's desk.
  
• "One Big Beautiful Bill" passes House: Hickenlooper released a statement condemning the House passage of Trump's reconciliation megabill (215-214). He called it a budget that prioritizes tax breaks for billionaires while cutting healthcare and food assistance for Coloradans. He has pledged to vote no on the DHS funding bill unless ICE is meaningfully reformed. The bill now moves to the Senate.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Bennet Bill to Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Heads to President's Desk — hickenlooper.senate.gov
- Hickenlooper Statement on House Passage of Republican's Budget Bill — hickenlooper.senate.gov
- Colorado Democrats decry 'cruel' GOP megabill as it heads to House — Colorado Newsline

2026-05-29

• Wildfire briefing deadline: Today is the deadline Hickenlooper and Neguse set — along with Bennet — for USDA and Interior to brief the Colorado delegation on wildfire response readiness ahead of what is shaping up to be a dangerous fire season. No public response confirmed yet.
  
• $47M Colorado River project funding (May 13): Hickenlooper and Bennet jointly welcomed the Trump administration's release of $47 million for four Colorado projects to address the Colorado River Basin crisis — funds that had been delayed more than 1.5 years. Six of 17 originally announced drought projects have now been funded; $92M more remains unreleased.
  

Sources:
- Bennet, Hickenlooper Welcome Release of $47 Million in Federal Funding for Four Colorado Projects — bennet.senate.gov
- Feds release $47 million for Colorado water projects after long delay — Colorado Sun
- Neguse, Bennet Press Trump Officials on Plans for Wildfire Response and Preparedness — neguse.house.gov

2026-05-31

• Denied access to Hudson ICE facility (May 27): Hickenlooper was prevented from entering a Hudson, CO ICE immigration detention facility during a scheduled congressional oversight visit. He issued a statement condemning the obstruction of lawmakers' oversight duties. The incident is part of a broader pattern of the Trump administration blocking Democratic senators from inspecting immigration detention conditions.
  
• 233rd Space Group reassignment (May 26): Praised the Trump administration's decision to remission 393 members of the 233rd Space Group at Greeley's Buckley Air National Guard Station. Hickenlooper noted the reassignment followed a period when the Trump administration had "unilaterally shifted" the group's space operations mission — and called the restoration of the unit's mission a win for Colorado's Air National Guard.
  

Sources:
- Senator John Hickenlooper official site
- US Senate: Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper — CPR News

2026-06-01

• Senate $72B ICE reconciliation bill — delayed, still pending: Senate Republicans released a nearly $72B reconciliation package funding ICE ($38B+) and CBP ($26B+) through 2029. The bill cleared committee (8–5) and was scheduled for a Senate floor vote the week of May 18, but Republican leaders abruptly delayed it past the Memorial Day recess amid internal resistance over several provisions — including the nearly $1.8B "anti-weaponization" DOJ fund. As of June 1, the bill has not yet passed the full Senate. Hickenlooper has stated he will vote against it. His earlier statement "The American People Will Have the Final Word" frames his opposition.
  
• Primary ballots mailing: Colorado June 30 Democratic Senate primary ballots are mailing out in early June. Hickenlooper faces state Sen. Julie Gonzales (D-Denver); his seven-figure TV ad buy began May 19.
  

Sources:
- Senate Advances $72 Billion Reconciliation Package — ClinchLaw Immigration News
- Congress delays vote on reconciliation bill tied to ICE funding — KEYC
- Hickenlooper Votes Against Republicans' Budget Bill — hickenlooper.senate.gov
- Democrat John Hickenlooper launches 1st ad in Colorado's US Senate primary — Colorado Politics

2026-06-02

• Hickenlooper vs. Gonzales — issue guide published: The Colorado Sun published a detailed side-by-side issue guide (June 1) for the June 30 Democratic Senate primary. Key differences:
  
  • Healthcare: Hickenlooper supports a public option and hospital price transparency; Gonzales supports Medicare for All and abolishing private health insurance.
    
  • Immigration: Hickenlooper supports DACA path to citizenship and ICE reform; Gonzales supports abolishing ICE entirely and replacing it with a new system.
    
  • Climate: Both support restoring EV incentives cut by Republicans.
    
• Money advantage: Hickenlooper has more than $4 million cash on hand vs. approximately $100,000 for Gonzales — a roughly 40-to-1 fundraising edge.
  
• Primary ballots mailing June 8: Senate primary ballots will begin mailing June 8; must be returned by 7 PM June 30.
  

Sources:
- Where John Hickenlooper, Julie Gonzales stand on the issues in Colorado's Democratic US Senate primary — Colorado Sun

2026-06-03

• NCAR court victory: A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on June 1 blocking the Trump administration from transferring NCAR's supercomputing center to the University of Wyoming. The 38-page ruling cited evidence of political retaliation against Colorado — the administration moved against NCAR the day after Trump publicly criticized Gov. Polis over the Tina Peters sentence. Hickenlooper, who had previously called the dismantling plans "a vengeful attack on Colorado," welcomed the ruling.
  
• TV ad now on broadcast: Hickenlooper's first reelection TV ad expanded to broadcast and cable this week (ballots mailed June 8), after launching digitally and on streaming on May 19. The ad targets Trump administration public lands policies.
  

Sources:
- Federal judge blocks breakup of NCAR in Boulder while blasting Trump for enacting political revenge on Colorado — Colorado Sun
- In a victory for science advocates, a federal court blocks the Trump administration's push to dismantle NCAR — CPR News
- Hickenlooper hits airwaves with 1st TV ad in Colorado's Democratic US Senate primary — Colorado Politics

2026-06-05

• ICE/CBP vote-a-rama — voted NO (June 4): The Senate launched a full vote-a-rama June 4 on the ~$72B ICE/CBP reconciliation bill. Hickenlooper voted against the bill. During the vote-a-rama, he introduced 16+ amendments including: redirecting $70B to extend ACA premium tax credits; prohibiting immigration enforcement without judicial warrants; creating 1,000-foot enforcement-free zones around schools, churches, hospitals, and childcare facilities. Most Democratic amendments were rejected on party-line votes. The key Democratic amendment to eliminate the DOJ "anti-weaponization" fund failed 49–50. Notably, Republicans skipped a prior scheduled vote specifically to avoid having to vote on Hickenlooper's amendment blocking Trump's $1.8B slush fund from benefiting Tina Peters. As of June 4 evening, final bill passage had not yet occurred; passage along party lines expected June 5.
  
• First broadcast TV ad now statewide: Hickenlooper's first reelection TV ad expanded to broadcast and cable this week as primary ballots begin mailing June 8. The ad targets Trump administration public lands policies.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Votes Against Republicans' ICE Funding Bill — hickenlooper.senate.gov
- Democrats force vote on Trump's $1.8bn fund in vote-a-rama — Al Jazeera
- Senate holds vote-a-rama on ICE funding — CBS News
- Republicans ditch ICE funding vote over Hickenlooper amendment — hickenlooper.com
- Immigration budget bill off to a slow start in Senate — Roll Call

2026-06-06

• Senate immigration bill confirmed passed — 52-47: After an overnight marathon session, the Senate passed the $70B immigration enforcement bill at approximately 5 AM June 5. The final vote was 52-47; Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) was the lone Republican to vote no. Hickenlooper voted NO. His amendment to bar federal funds from going to election criminals — including Tina Peters — failed 47-51 (needed 60 votes; five Republicans crossed over to support it). The bill funds ICE and Border Patrol through the end of Trump's term. The reconciliation measure passed without the permanent ban on Trump's "anti-weaponization" fund that Democrats had sought.
  
• Primary ballots begin mailing tomorrow (June 8): Hickenlooper's Senate primary race (vs. state Sen. Julie Gonzales) formally kicks off as ballots mail Sunday.
  

Sources:
- Senate passes $70B immigration enforcement bill without limits on Trump settlement fund — NPR
- U.S. Senate passes $70 billion ICE funding, fails to ban Trump's anti-weaponization fund — CNBC
- Senate passes immigration enforcement funding — CPR News

2026-06-07

• Primary ballots mail tomorrow (June 8): Senate Democratic primary (Hickenlooper vs. state Sen. Julie Gonzales) officially kicks off as ballots drop. Hickenlooper holds an approximately 40:1 cash advantage (~$4M vs. ~$100K).
  
• Big Beautiful Bill Medicaid work requirements — Colorado implementation: CMS issued its proposed rule June 1 implementing OBBB work requirements for Medicaid (states must require able-bodied adults 19–64 to document 80 hrs/month of work, community service, or education by Jan 1, 2027). Colorado's HCPF held a stakeholder webinar June 2. Hickenlooper has been outspoken against the rule — citing risk to 241,000 Coloradans — and has continued to use his Senate platform against it in the primary stretch run.
  

Sources:
- Where John Hickenlooper, Julie Gonzales stand on the issues — Colorado Sun
- H.R. 1 Resources for Stakeholders, Providers and Partners — Colorado HCPF
- One Big Beautiful Bill Act — Wikipedia

2026-06-08

• Ballots now in the mail: Colorado primary mail ballots began dropping today to all active registered Democrats. The Senate primary (Hickenlooper vs. Julie Gonzales) is now underway. With Hickenlooper's ~40:1 cash advantage and broader name recognition, no major upset expected, but the June 30 primary is now the active voting window.
  
• November general election opponent: Winner faces Republican state Sen. Mark Baisley in November 2026.
  

Sources:
- United States Senate election in Colorado, 2026 — Ballotpedia
- Colorado primary election guide 2026 — Colorado Sun

2026-06-11

• National Commission on Robotics Act introduced (June 4): Hickenlooper co-introduced this bipartisan bill with Sens. Dave McCormick (R-PA), Todd Young (R-IN), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM). It would create an independent two-year commission to assess U.S. competitiveness in robotics — supply chain security, economic competitiveness, national defense, and workforce development — and recommend actionable policies. The bill targets over-reliance on foreign-manufactured (especially Chinese) robotics technology. Hickenlooper: "If America is going to lead the future, we need a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead."
  
• Primary snapshot: Senate primary ballots (Hickenlooper vs. state Sen. Julie Gonzales) are in voter mailboxes. Primary June 30. Hickenlooper holds an approximately 40:1 fundraising advantage (~$4M vs. ~$100K) and is the overwhelming favorite.
  

Sources:
- Senators McCormick, Hickenlooper, Young, and Heinrich Introduce Bipartisan National Commission on Robotics Act — mccormick.senate.gov

2026-06-12

• Hickenlooper's campaign absence draws scrutiny (Axios Denver, June 11): A new Axios Denver report found that Hickenlooper has declined every TV debate, major media interview, candidate questionnaire, the state Democratic Party assembly, and two forums organized by party officials in his reelection bid. The contrast is stark: his gubernatorial counterpart Michael Bennet has attended dozens of debates and forums. Challenger Julie Gonzales is conducting a 20-event statewide tour (June 6–23). Hickenlooper's campaign defended the approach, saying he has attended protests and rallies and "when he hasn't been fighting Trump in Washington, Hickenlooper has been all across the state meeting with voters." Gonzales countered: "Working people built this state, and they deserve a Senator who will fight for them, not one who retreats to his corner."
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper's absence from Colorado campaign events draws scrutiny — Axios Denver
- US Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Establish National Robotics Strategy — The AI Insider

2026-06-14

• Warren endorsement (June 12): U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) endorsed Hickenlooper for reelection — the second time she has endorsed him in a primary (she backed him in 2020 as well). The Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance also endorsed him the same day. Warren called Hickenlooper "a friend who knows how to fight — and knows who he's fighting for," emphasizing progressive credentials. This is a notable endorsement given Gonzales's progressive lane positioning, and Warren and Hickenlooper shared debate stages during the 2020 presidential race.
  
• Primary stretch: Gonzales is continuing her 20-event statewide tour through June 23. Hickenlooper has still not agreed to any debate or TV interview with her. 16 days to primary (June 30). Hickenlooper retains an approximate 40:1 fundraising advantage (~$4M vs. ~$100K).
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper lands endorsements from Elizabeth Warren, Ministerial Alliance in US Senate primary — Colorado Politics

2026-06-17

• Primary countdown — 13 days: The June 30 Democratic primary (Hickenlooper vs. state Sen. Julie Gonzales) is in its final stretch. Colorado Politics published a detailed candidate comparison piece on June 16. Key contrast: Gonzales is running on generational change and aggressive anti-Trump action; Hickenlooper is running on experience and effectiveness. Gonzales is completing her 20-event statewide tour (June 6–23). Hickenlooper still has not agreed to a single debate, TV interview, or candidate forum with Gonzales.
  
• Endorsements update: Warren is backing Hickenlooper; national progressive group Indivisible backs Gonzales. Hickenlooper retains approximately 40:1 fundraising advantage (~$4M vs. ~$100K).
  
• USPS mail ballot public comment (action item): The Trump USPS proposed rule would require states to give the federal government a list of every voter set to receive a mail ballot before they go out. Comment deadline July 2, 2026 at 5 PM ET.
  
  • Email: PCFederalRegister@usps.gov — subject line: "Ballot Mail"
    
  • Mail: Director, Product Classification, USPS, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446, Washington, DC 20260-5015
    
  • Online: regulations.gov docket USPS-2026-1289-0001
    

Sources:
- Colorado primary for U.S. Senator: Candidates John Hickenlooper and Julie Gonzales — Colorado Politics
- USPS Ballot Mail proposed rule — Federal Register
- Regulations.gov docket USPS-2026-1289-0001

2026-06-19

• Debate decline formalized (Colorado Newsline, June 17): Colorado Newsline published a detailed accounting of Hickenlooper's refusal to debate challenger Julie Gonzales. The full tally: Hickenlooper has declined every TV debate, major media interview, candidate questionnaire, the state Democratic Party assembly, and two forums organized by party officials. His campaign attributed the absences to weekly Washington–Colorado commutes. Gonzales called it disrespectful to voters: "Working people built this state, and they deserve a Senator who will fight for them, not one who retreats to his corner." Hickenlooper holds a massive fundraising advantage ($6.8M raised vs. Gonzales' $443K through end of March) and has relied on TV/digital ad saturation rather than earned media.
  
• Forest Service reorganization — co-signed delegation demand: Hickenlooper joined Bennet and Neguse in demanding information from the Trump administration on the USFS reorganization plan, which would eliminate all nine regional offices and consolidate them into six hubs. Under the plan, Colorado would share a "state office" with Kansas — ending a regional structure in place since 1907. The delegation raised concerns about wildfire preparedness impacts.
  
• 11 days to primary (June 30). Ballots in mailboxes. Return by mail (postmark by June 22) or any drop box by 7 PM June 30.
  

Sources:
- Favored in Colorado Senate primary, Hickenlooper declines to debate challenger Gonzales — Colorado Newsline
- Hickenlooper's absence from Colorado campaign events draws scrutiny — Axios Denver
- Hickenlooper, Colorado Democratic Delegation Demand Information on U.S. Forest Service Reorganization — hickenlooper.senate.gov

2026-06-21

• DACA backlog letter (June 18): Hickenlooper co-signed a delegation-wide letter (led by Bennet) demanding DHS and USCIS immediately expedite DACA renewal processing. Wait times have jumped from 15 days (FY2025) to over two months (FY2026) — a 360% increase. Colorado has 12,000+ DACA recipients. The letter demands answers by June 30. Notably, DACA-holding wildland firefighters are losing work authorization heading into fire season.
  
• Gonzales statewide tour ends June 23: Gonzales is completing her 20-event statewide tour. Still no debates scheduled. Hickenlooper continues to rely on a massive fundraising advantage ($6.8M vs. $443K) and TV/digital ad saturation rather than earned media events.
  
• Mail ballot postmark deadline TOMORROW (June 22). 9 days to primary.
  

Sources:
- Bennet, Neguse, Colorado Democrats Demand Answers on DACA Renewal Backlog — bennet.senate.gov
- Colorado U.S. Democrats say DACA backlog is having collateral impact — CBS Colorado

2026-06-22

• 8 days to primary (June 30). Voter registration and mail ballot postmark deadline is today. After today, use a drop box (437 statewide by June 23) or vote in person. Gonzales completes her 20-event statewide tour tomorrow (June 23). Still no debates scheduled. Hickenlooper continues to rely on ad saturation over earned media.
  

Sources:
- Colorado Secretary of State — Primary Ballots news release

2026-06-23

• Gonzales statewide tour ends TODAY: State Sen. Julie Gonzales completes her 20-event "It's About Time" statewide campaign tour today, the last major campaign event of the primary. Hickenlooper remains absent from the campaign trail — no debates, no forums, no candidate events. The contrast in visibility is stark, but Hickenlooper's TV/digital ad saturation continues to dwarf Gonzales' earned-media strategy.
  
• 7 days to primary — drop boxes now open statewide: 437 drop boxes opened today; 130+ voter service centers open since yesterday. Ballots must be returned by drop box or in person from here on. All ballots due 7 PM June 30.
  

Sources:
- Julie for Colorado — julieforcolorado.com
- In-Person Voting for 2026 Primary Available — Colorado SOS

2026-06-24

• 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — final Senate passage (June 22, not previously logged): The Senate gave final passage to the first major housing legislation since the financial crisis. The bill bars institutional investors from purchasing more than 350 single-family homes, cuts red tape to build more homes, and invests in programs to lower homebuying costs. Hickenlooper's American Homeownership Act provisions — restricting large investors from dominating the housing supply — are central to the final package. The bill had been stranded after the Senate passed a version in March and the House approved a different version in May; the final deal dropped a House-opposed provision that would have required large investors to sell homes after seven years. Awaits Trump's signature.
  
• Cost of living / Iran war floor speech (June 17, details): Hickenlooper took to the Senate floor to demand Trump end the Iran war, sharing stories of Coloradans struggling with costs. He cited an Uber driver named Kareem spending $68/day on gas (expenses now exceeding take-home pay), and a resident named TJ whose marketplace health premium spiked from $30/month to over $500/month while being diagnosed with blood cancer. Bennet quoted $3,300 as how much more Coloradans have spent on goods and services since Trump took office.
  
• 6 days to primary. Gonzales tour ended yesterday. Still no debates. Drop boxes and voting centers open statewide. Ballots due 7 PM June 30.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Celebrates Final Senate Passage of Major Housing Bill — hickenlooper.senate.gov
- Senate passes housing bill to boost affordability, restrain investors — Washington Post
- Senate passes bill to lower housing costs and restrict Wall Street — NBC News
- Hickenlooper Shreds Trump over Slush Fund for Tina Peters, Cost-of-living Emergency — hickenlooper.senate.gov

2026-06-25

• USPS Postmaster General threatens Colorado's mail ballot system (June 24): Postmaster General David Steiner told the Senate Homeland Security Committee that USPS will not deliver mail ballots to states that refuse to hand over voter rolls under Trump's proposed rule. Colorado is an all-mail-ballot state — this is an existential threat to the state's election infrastructure if finalized. Senate Democrats (Peters, Slotkin, Hassan) called the plan "blatantly illegal." Hickenlooper is not on the committee but the rule directly impacts his own reelection — he's running in a state where mail is the primary voting method. Public comment closes July 2 (see Repwatcher Log for details).
  
• Senate primary — 5 days out. Hickenlooper has still declined every debate invitation from Gonzales. Cash advantage: ~$6.8M vs. $443K. Race rated safe Democratic hold by all nonpartisan forecasters. Ballots due 7 PM June 30.
  

Sources:
- USPS won't deliver mail ballots to non-compliant states — PBS News
- Postmaster general confirms plan to block ballots — MSNBC
- Favored in Colorado Senate primary, Hickenlooper declines to debate — Colorado Newsline

2026-06-26

• Trump CANCELLED the housing bill signing. Less than two hours before the planned signing ceremony, Trump posted on social media: "Today's Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby canceled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency." The SAVE America Act is a voter ID bill that faces a Senate filibuster. Trump separately called the housing bill "The Elizabeth 'Pochahontas' Warren centric housing bill, which is of minor importance." The bill passed the Senate 85–5 and House 358–32 — rare bipartisan majorities. Hickenlooper's American Homeownership Act provisions are central to the final package. The bill is now in limbo — enrolled and awaiting a signature Trump refuses to give, but with veto-proof margins in both chambers.
  
• Senate primary — 4 days out. Hickenlooper has still declined every debate invitation from Gonzales — at least 7 events including TV debates, major interviews, candidate questionnaires, the state Democratic assembly, and two party-organized forums. Cash advantage: ~$6.8M vs. $443K. Race remains rated safe Democratic hold. Ballots due 7 PM June 30.
  

Sources:
- Congress passes housing bill — Trump cancels the signing — NPR
- Trump cancels signing of largest housing bill in a generation — CNN
- Trump says he won't sign until SAVE Act passes — PBS News
- What's in the housing bill Trump refused to sign — PBS News

2026-06-27

• Housing bill clock starts Monday: Speaker Johnson confirmed Congress will formally transmit the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to Trump on Monday (June 30). Under the Presentment Clause, if Trump neither signs nor vetoes within 10 days (excluding Sundays), the bill becomes law automatically — approximately July 10. Hickenlooper's American Homeownership Act provisions (banning institutional investors from buying 350+ single-family homes) are central to the package. Congress has veto-proof margins (Senate 85–5, House 358–32).
  
• 3 days to primary. Hickenlooper still hasn't debated Gonzales. Cash: ~$6.8M vs. $443K. Race rated safe Democratic hold. Ballots due 7 PM June 30.
  
• USPS mail ballot comment deadline — 5 days (July 2). Hickenlooper has been vocal against the USPS proposed rule. Public comment closes 5 PM ET July 2.
  

Sources:
- Johnson says Congress will send housing bill to Trump — ABC News
- Housing bill expected to become law — American Banker
- Public comment deadline nears for USPS ballot proposal — KCBX

2026-06-28

• USPS ballot mail rule BLOCKED by federal court (June 25 — not previously logged). U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani (D. Mass.) issued an injunction blocking key pillars of Trump's Executive Order 14399, ruling major provisions "legally void" for exceeding presidential power and violating the separation of powers. The injunction prevents enforcement against 24 jurisdictions (23 states + DC), including Colorado, through the 2026 elections. This is directly relevant to Hickenlooper's reelection — Colorado is an all-mail-ballot state. Public comment on the underlying proposed rule still closes July 2 — the injunction protects the 2026 cycle but the rule could still be finalized for future elections.
  
• DemFest cardboard cutout (not previously logged): At DemFest, the Gonzales campaign placed a cardboard cutout of Hickenlooper next to Gonzales' table, where primary voters peppered it with questions — a viral stunt highlighting Hickenlooper's refusal to debate. He has now declined every TV debate, major interview, candidate questionnaire, the state Democratic assembly, and at least two party-organized forums — at least 7 events total.
  
• Updated ballot returns (as of June 25): 578,570 ballots returned statewide — up from 442,017 on June 24. Weekend/final-days surge expected.
  
• 2 days to primary (June 30). Cash: ~$6.8M vs. Gonzales' $443K. Race rated safe Democratic hold. Ballots due 7 PM June 30.
  

Sources:
- Judge blocks key pillars of Trump executive order restricting mail voting — Votebeat
- Judge blocks Postal Service proposal to restrict mail-in voting — NPR
- Hickenlooper and Gonzales face off in Democratic primary — Axios Denver
- Primary Ballots Returned: June 25 — Colorado SOS

2026-06-29

• PRIMARY EVE — voting closes tomorrow at 7 PM. The Senate Democratic primary (Hickenlooper vs. state Sen. Julie Gonzales) ends June 30. Drop boxes (437) and 137 voter centers open statewide; in-person voting tomorrow 7 AM–7 PM. Too late to mail.
  
• Debate tally stands at zero. Hickenlooper has declined every TV debate, major media interview, candidate questionnaire, the state Democratic Party assembly, and at least two party-organized forums — a total of 7+ events across the entire primary cycle. The DemFest cardboard cutout remains the defining visual of the campaign. Despite the visibility gap, Hickenlooper's ~40:1 cash advantage ($6.8M vs. $443K) and name recognition make him the heavy favorite. Race rated safe Democratic hold by all nonpartisan forecasters.
  
• Housing bill clock starts TOMORROW: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — containing Hickenlooper's American Homeownership Act provisions banning institutional investors from buying 350+ single-family homes — will be formally transmitted to Trump on June 30. The 10-day Presentment Clause clock begins; if Trump doesn't sign/veto by ~July 10, it becomes law automatically. Congress has veto-proof margins (Senate 85–5, House 358–32).
  
• USPS mail ballot comment deadline in 3 days (July 2, 5 PM ET). Injunction protects the 2026 elections but the proposed rule could still be finalized for future cycles. Colorado is an all-mail-ballot state — Hickenlooper's own reelection depends on this system.
  
• November general election opponent: Winner faces Republican state Sen. Mark Baisley in November.
  

Sources:
- Favored in Colorado Senate primary, Hickenlooper declines to debate — Colorado Newsline
- Colorado primary election guide 2026 — Colorado Sun
- Johnson says Congress will send housing bill to Trump — ABC News

2026-06-30

• PRIMARY DAY — polls close 7 PM tonight. Colorado Democratic Senate primary (Hickenlooper vs. state Sen. Julie Gonzales) ends tonight. Hickenlooper is the heavy favorite — 93% on prediction markets, ~40:1 cash advantage ($6.8M vs. $443K), and broader name recognition. He has declined every debate, interview, questionnaire, and party forum throughout the primary — at least 7 events. If he wins, November opponent is Republican state Sen. Mark Baisley.
  
• Debate tally stands at zero. The defining visual of the campaign: a Gonzales cardboard cutout of Hickenlooper at DemFest, where voters peppered it with questions. Despite the criticism, his TV/digital ad saturation and name recognition have kept him the overwhelming favorite.
  
• Housing bill clock starts today: Congress formally transmitted the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to Trump on June 30 — Hickenlooper's American Homeownership Act provisions (barring institutional investors from buying 350+ single-family homes) are central to the package. The 10-day Presentment Clause clock begins; if Trump doesn't sign or veto by ~July 10, it becomes law automatically. Trump reportedly signaled support to Speaker Johnson after last week's canceled signing, but outcome remains uncertain. Congress has veto-proof margins if he vetoes.
  
• USPS mail ballot comment deadline TOMORROW (July 2, 5 PM ET). Colorado is an all-mail-ballot state — Hickenlooper's own reelection depends on this system. The injunction (Judge Talwani, June 25) protects the 2026 election cycle; comments are about preventing finalization for future elections.
  

Sources:
- How to find 2026 Colorado primary election results — 9News
- Congress sends housing bill to Trump's desk — Senate Banking Committee
- Speaker Johnson sends housing bill to White House — CNN
- Hickenlooper and Gonzales face off in Democratic primary — Axios Denver

2026-07-01

• WON the primary — defeated Julie Gonzales 57%–43%. The debate-skipping strategy (declined every TV debate, interview, questionnaire, and party forum — 7+ events) didn't cost him; his ~40:1 cash advantage and name recognition carried the night comfortably, in line with the 93% prediction-market favorite status heading in.
  
• General election opponent set: Faces Republican state Sen. Mark Baisley, who ran unopposed for the GOP nomination.
  
• Still pending: Housing bill presentment deadline (~July 10) and USPS mail ballot rule comment period (closes tomorrow, July 2, 5 PM ET) — both stories he's been active on all cycle.
  

Sources:
- Colorado US Senate primary election results: Hickenlooper defeats challenger Julie Gonzales — CPR News
- Hickenlooper wins Colorado Senate Democratic primary over Gonzales — NBC News

2026-07-03

• Trump now signals he'll let the housing bill lapse into law rather than fight for SAVE America Act. Filling in the gap on why Trump canceled the June 23 signing ceremony: he demanded the Senate pass the SAVE America Act (a voter-ID/election overhaul bill) first, calling it a "National Emergency." By July 1, Trump conceded that's "probably not going to happen because we have four [Republican senators], maybe five, that just won't vote for it" — and dismissed the housing bill itself as "a yawn." Legal experts note Trump likely can't use a pocket veto here since Congress hasn't fully adjourned, so the bill — including Hickenlooper's American Homeownership Act provisions — remains on track to become law automatically around July 10 (bill was presented June 29/30; 10-day Presentment Clause clock excludes Sundays) unless he signs or formally vetoes it first.
  
• USPS mail ballot comment period closed July 2, 5 PM ET as scheduled. No final comment tally or agency reaction reported yet. The June 25 Talwani injunction still protects Colorado's 2026 elections regardless of how the rule is finalized.
  

Sources:
- Trump cancels signing of bipartisan housing bill until SAVE America Act passed — ABC News
- Trump calls housing bill 'a yawn,' concedes SAVE America Act unlikely to pass — The Hill
- Can Trump use a 'pocket veto' to block the popular housing bill? — The Hill

2026-07-06

• Second federal court ruling blocks USPS ballot rule (July 1 — not previously logged). U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan (D.D.C.) sided with the NAACP, ruling USPS's proposed ballot-restriction rule would likely violate a 2021 settlement requiring expedited mail-ballot handling through 2028, and blocked the rule nationwide. This adds to Judge Talwani's June 25 injunction (which protected Colorado and 23 other jurisdictions on separation-of-powers grounds) — between the two rulings the rule is now blocked nationwide. Directly relevant to Hickenlooper given Colorado's all-mail-ballot system. No housing bill signature/veto yet as of July 6; automatic enactment still on track ~July 10.
  

Sources:
- US judge sides with NAACP over proposed mail-in ballot restrictions — Al Jazeera
- Court blocks USPS from implementing Trump's anti-mail voting order — Democracy Docket

2026-07-09

• Housing bill still unsigned; automatic enactment imminent (~July 10-11). As of July 8, Trump has neither signed nor vetoed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (containing Hickenlooper's American Homeownership Act provisions), and Speaker Johnson has said publicly Trump will not veto it — pointing to automatic enactment under the Presentment Clause within the next day or so. No confirmed enactment yet as of this check-in; next run should confirm whether it actually became law. No other new developments this window.
  

Sources:
- Bipartisan housing bill set to become law Friday without Trump's signature — Washington Times
- Johnson doubts Trump will veto housing bill — The Hill

2026-07-10

• Housing bill still unresolved as the automatic-enactment deadline arrives tonight. As of today's check, Trump has neither signed nor vetoed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which contains Hickenlooper's American Homeownership Act provisions. Multiple outlets frame the 10-day Presentment Clause deadline as landing "Friday night" — tonight, July 10. No outlet has yet reported an actual signature, veto, or automatic-enactment event. Confirm the outcome at the next check-in.
  
• USPS mail ballot rule — new appellate developments. On July 6, twelve Republican-led states filed their own appeal to the 1st Circuit defending Trump's executive order. On July 7, Judge Talwani entered final judgment, denied the administration's request to stay her injunction pending appeal (finding the government "unlikely to succeed on the merits"), and granted only a 7-day administrative stay for DOJ to seek a stay directly from the 1st Circuit. Two separate appeals are now pending before the 1st Circuit — directly relevant to Hickenlooper given Colorado's all-mail-ballot system.
  

Sources:
- Bipartisan housing bill set to become law Friday without Trump's signature — Washington Times
- Housing bill: Trump veto or automatic law? — Spectrum Local News
- DOJ appeals decision blocking Trump's executive order throttling mail voting — Democracy Docket
- Colorado immediately assessed Trump's election order; USPS defended its proposal; a court blocked key parts — Rocky Mountain Voice

2026-07-11

• Housing bill resolved: became law automatically at midnight, without Trump's signature. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (containing Hickenlooper's American Homeownership Act provisions) became law at 12:00 AM July 11 when the 10-day Presentment Clause clock expired. Trump had publicly said he would not sign it, calling it "PROTEST" over the Senate's failure to pass the SAVE AMERICA Act, but he also never vetoed it — so it became law automatically under Article I, Sec. 7. No further USPS or other new developments this window.
  

Sources:
- Largest housing affordability bill in decades becomes law without Trump's signature — NPR
- Bipartisan housing bill automatically becomes law after Trump refuses to sign it — CBS News
- 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act becomes law — Housingwire

2026-07-17

• Colorado water projects — committee passage. Hickenlooper and Bennet welcomed committee passage of the biennial Water Resources Development (water) bill, securing authorization for up to $27 million for Colorado water projects.
  
• Pentagon transparency letter on Iran school strike. Hickenlooper was among ~25 senators (Slotkin/Gillibrand-led follow-up, July 15) demanding the Defense Department release its long-delayed investigation into the Feb. 28, 2026 U.S. strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran (reportedly ~120 children killed). The report was reportedly submitted in April but remains under senior review.
  
• New World Screwworm letter to USDA. Joined Sen. Bennet and Rep. Neguse urging USDA to expand surveillance/response as the parasite spreads through New Mexico and Texas.
  
• USPS mail-ballot rule — still blocked, no appellate ruling. USPS confirmed it is complying with the injunctions while on appeal to the 1st Circuit; the ~July 14 admin-stay lapse point passed with no disruption and no 1st Circuit ruling as of July 17.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Bennet advocate for Colorado water in biennial water bill — hickenlooper.senate.gov
- Slotkin, Gillibrand, colleagues press Pentagon to release findings on deadly Iran school strike — slotkin.senate.gov
- USPS says it's not implementing Trump's anti-mail voting order, for now — Democracy Docket

2026-07-18

(Two public-lands items from the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee earlier this week, surfaced this run.)

• Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act — unanimous committee passage (July 16). Hickenlooper joined Bennet and Rep. Jeff Hurd (R, CO-3) as the bill (S. 2754) cleared the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee unanimously. It conveys Crystal Reservoir, Full Moon Dam, and ~45 acres from the U.S. Forest Service to the City of Ouray at no cost, so the city can repair the dam and refill the reservoir for water and recreation while keeping public access.
  
• GORP Act — first committee hearing (July 15). Co-led the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act, which got its first ENR subcommittee hearing. It would protect 730,000+ acres of Western Colorado public land from new mining/drilling while preserving existing recreation and ranching uses.
  

Sources:
- Bennet, Hickenlooper, Hurd's Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act Unanimously Passes Senate ENR Committee — bennet.senate.gov
- Bennet, Hickenlooper, Hurd Support GORP Act at Senate ENR Committee Hearing — bennet.senate.gov

2026-07-21

(Campaign-finance item from the mid-July FEC Q2 filing, surfaced this run.)

• Q2 fundraising: $1.3M raised, $2M cash on hand. Hickenlooper's reelection campaign raised just over $1.3 million in the second quarter (April–June) and finished the period with about $2 million in the bank, per FEC filings reported mid-July. He faces Republican state Sen. Mark Baisley in the Nov. 3 general.
  

Sources:
- Democrat John Hickenlooper hauls in $1.3 million in 2nd quarter in Colorado's U.S. Senate race — Colorado Springs Gazette

2026-07-28

• Opposed USFS oil-and-gas lease in NW Colorado. Hickenlooper joined Sen. Bennet and Rep. Neguse in a letter to the U.S. Forest Service opposing a proposal to lease ~13,850 acres (10 parcels in Routt/Moffat counties) to BLM for potential oil and gas development, citing risks to wildlife habitat, watersheds, and recreation and urging more community input. (The USFS 30-day comment window had already closed July 17.)
  

Sources:
- Neguse, Bennet, Hickenlooper Raise Concerns Over Forest Service Proposal to Lease Nearly 14,000 Acres — neguse.house.gov

2026-08-04

• Signed Senate letter demanding restoration of illegally canceled energy funding. Hickenlooper joined ~38 colleagues (led by Sens. Murray and Heinrich; Bennet also signing) demanding the Trump administration restore ~$8 billion for 223 energy projects canceled in October 2025 — including about $600M for Colorado. The letter follows a July 24 NYT report that, in court filings, the administration admitted the grants were terminated "based solely" on the projects being in states that didn't vote for Trump. Funds were authorized under the IIJA, IRA, and annual appropriations.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, colleagues demand Trump admin restore funding for illegally canceled, politically targeted energy projects — hickenlooper.senate.gov
- Bennet, Murray, Heinrich, colleagues demand restore energy funding — bennet.senate.gov (Aug 4, 2026)

2026-08-06

• Led delegation letter to DHS on the Aurora ICE-facility shooting. Hickenlooper and Rep. Jason Crow led Sen. Bennet and Reps. DeGette, Neguse, and Pettersen in demanding answers from DHS Secretary Mullin after a GEO Group employee shot a 21-year-old protester in the foot outside the Aurora ICE detention facility on July 16, 2026. The letter asks about contractor vetting, use-of-force/de-escalation and crowd-management training, coordination with local law enforcement, and protection of peaceful protesters — response requested by Aug. 14.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Crow, Bennet, DeGette, Neguse, Pettersen demand answers from DHS on Aurora detention facility shooting — hickenlooper.senate.gov
- Crow, Hickenlooper demand answers from DHS on shooting outside Aurora ICE facility — crow.house.gov

2026-08-07

(Four items from Aug 5–6 surfaced this run — the busiest week of his year so far.)

• Iran War Powers Resolution introduced (Aug 6). Directs the President to terminate U.S. military hostilities against Iran. Hickenlooper says he has voted 13 times to end the war; a concurrent Iran war-powers resolution has already cleared both chambers. Senate floor consideration of this one is expected September 2026. Quote: "President Trump's illegal war in Iran has been a complete and total disaster that has cost American lives, sent prices skyrocketing, and drained our military stockpiles."
  
• DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act passed the Senate unanimously (Aug 6) — headed to the President's desk. Hickenlooper led with Sens. Moran (R-KS) and Booker (D-NJ); Rep. DeGette led the House side, which passed H.R. 3491 unanimously July 21. Permanently authorizes and expands NIH's INCLUDE Project — the first NIH-wide initiative on Down syndrome research. Jamie Foxx, whose sister DeOndra the bill is named for, celebrated passage.
  
• Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act (Aug 6), with Bennet. New USFS emergency response program, grants to local partners, and state cooperative agreements. Quote: "Record drought, devastating wildfires, and a new outbreak are pushing forests to the brink." Details in US Senator - Michael Bennet.
  
• Floor speech against AG nominee Todd Blanche (Aug 5), on taxpayer funding for election-related cases and Blanche's abortion positions.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper introduces War Powers Resolution to end Iran War — hickenlooper.senate.gov (Aug 6, 2026)
- Jamie Foxx celebrates passage of Hickenlooper, Moran, Booker bill to boost Down syndrome research — hickenlooper.senate.gov (Aug 6, 2026)
- U.S. House unanimously passes DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act — GlobeNewswire (July 21, 2026)
- Bennet, Hickenlooper introduce legislation to mitigate mountain pine beetle outbreaks — bennet.senate.gov (Aug 6, 2026)
- WATCH: Hickenlooper slams Trump's Attorney General nominee on Senate floor — hickenlooper.senate.gov (Aug 5, 2026)

2026-08-08

• $32.7M federal award to Colorado School of Mines (Aug 7). Funds a tech development hub to test and scale technologies for mineral processing, recovery, refining, recycling, and advanced materials, and move them into production — plus mining/metallurgical/geological workforce training. Part of a $180M national package announced the same day: ~$100M from DOE and $80M+ from the Defense Department, with $25M to South Dakota School of Mines and $23.6M to Johns Hopkins. Quote: "Colorado School of Mines is already the beating heart of American innovation and mining education. This investment will help advance American leadership in critical minerals."
  
• Russia/Iran sanctions bill passed the Senate 86–11 (Aug 7). Hickenlooper was a cosponsor of the earlier Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 that this bill grew out of. He issued no press release on final passage; details in US Senator - Michael Bennet.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper welcomes federal funding for Colorado School of Mines — hickenlooper.senate.gov (Aug 7, 2026)
- Federal funding to boost educational programs for mining industry, including School of Mines — KKTV (Aug 7, 2026)
- Trump announces $180 million to boost mining education — CBS News
- Senate passes long-awaited Russia sanctions bill — Washington Post (Aug 7, 2026)

2026-08-09

• Cosponsored S.Res. 844 honoring five fallen wildland firefighters — agreed to by unanimous consent (Aug 7). Bennet sponsored; Utah Sens. Mike Lee (R) and John Curtis (R) also cosponsored. Names Emily Barker, Nicholas Hutcherson, Sydney Watson, Nathan Matthews, and Nicholas Dale, killed in the Knowles and Gore fires on the Colorado–Utah border. Follows Hickenlooper's Aug 5 request for a swift DOI investigation into the Knowles Fire burnover — no findings reported yet. Details in US Senator - Michael Bennet.
  

Sources:
- Colorado and Utah senators honor casualties from wildfires — bennet.senate.gov (Aug 8, 2026)
- S.Res. 844 bill status — govinfo
- Hickenlooper calls for investigation into firefighters killed in burnover — CPR

2026-08-11

• National Guard for National Service Act introduced (Aug 10) — with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Rep. Joe Neguse in the House. Creates a pilot program formally pairing AmeriCorps with the National Guard, building a training and employment pipeline for part-time Guard and Reserve members in three areas: protecting critical infrastructure (transportation, energy, communications, water), cybersecurity for local and tribal governments, schools, and nonprofits, and community disaster preparedness. Modeled directly on the Colorado National Guard/AmeriCorps Wildland Fire Mitigation Crew, a 2025 state pilot whose participants earned nationally recognized wildland firefighting certifications; two went on to full-time wildland firefighting jobs. Bill number not given in the release. See US Representative - Joe Neguse.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Neguse, Cassidy Introduce Bill to Build AmeriCorps and National Guard Partnership, Bolster Community Resilience — hickenlooper.senate.gov (Aug 10, 2026)

2026-08-13

• SUSTAIN 340B Act rolled out (Aug 11). Hickenlooper and the Senate's bipartisan 340B working group — Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jerry Moran (R-KS) — released legislation reworking the 340B drug pricing program, which lets safety-net hospitals, community health centers, and rural providers buy outpatient drugs at a discount. The bill codifies contract-pharmacy use with registration and audit requirements, defines eligible patients and covered services, creates a 340B data clearinghouse to catch duplicate discounts, requires annual utilization reporting, funds program administration through user fees, and requires patient financial-assistance policies for low-income patients. Follows a multi-year RFI process with providers and manufacturers.
  
• DHS response on the Aurora detention-facility shooting is due tomorrow, Aug 14 — nothing received as of today. The Aug 5 request for a DOI investigation into the Knowles Fire burnover is also still pending.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group Roll Out Bill to Strengthen Access to Discount Prescription Drugs — hickenlooper.senate.gov (Aug 11, 2026)

2026-08-14

• Wilderness policy review letter (Aug 13) — and the comment window closes TODAY. Hickenlooper and nine colleagues wrote opposing Interior's nationwide review of wilderness management policy across BLM, the Park Service, and Fish & Wildlife. Their argument: Congress, not Interior, holds final authority over wilderness designation, and the review could change how lands with wilderness characteristics are managed and disqualify them from future designation. The Wilderness Society puts the exposure at ~200 million acres; BLM alone manages 491 Wilderness Study Areas over 11.1 million acres.
  
  • Comment deadline: Aug 14, 2026 (published in the Federal Register June 15). Submit at regulations.gov under the docket:
    
  • BLM-2026-0068 — Manual 6320, lands with wilderness characteristics in land use planning
    
  • BLM-2026-0069 — Manual 6330, management of Wilderness Study Areas
    
  • NPS-2026-0100 — Director's Order 41
    
  • FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-2575 — Fish & Wildlife refuge wilderness
    
  • BLM states it is not obligated to consider comments received after the deadline.
    
• Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act (Aug 13) — cosponsored with Bennet (lead) and Duckworth. Blocks DoD from reclassifying Iran war casualties in ways that cut servicemembers off from benefits. See US Senator - Michael Bennet.
  
• DHS response to the Aug 8 Aurora letter was due today — nothing received. DHS's only public statement remains that it "responds to official correspondence through official channels," that no ICE personnel were involved, and that questions go to GEO and Aurora PD.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Colleagues Oppose DOI's Wilderness Policy Review — hickenlooper.senate.gov (Aug 13, 2026)
- Hickenlooper, Bennet, Duckworth Introduce Bill to Prevent Trump Admin From Hiding True Cost of Iran War — hickenlooper.senate.gov (Aug 13, 2026)
- Policy Review: BLM Manual 6320 — Federal Register (June 15, 2026)
- Policy Review: BLM Manual 6330 — Federal Register (June 15, 2026)
- You Have Until Friday to Weigh In on a Major Federal Wilderness Review — GearJunkie (Aug 12)

2026-08-15

• No new press releases Aug 14 or 15. Wilderness comment window closed Aug 14.
  
• Aurora TB timeline correction: the earlier unenforced order was Adams County Health Department, June 25 — not Tri-County. State written request July 14; governor's office July 17 and July 20. CDPHE's order gives GEO until Monday, Aug 17, after which the state can pursue legal action.
  
• Separate GEO litigation still live. GEO sued in U.S. District Court (Judge Daniel Domenico) over HB26-1276, the state law requiring more frequent health and safety inspections at immigration detention centers with civil penalties for noncompliance. GEO argues it's targeted legislation reaching a single facility and that Colorado can't regulate a federal contractor this way. The state's response: GEO has historically faced fewer inspections than state prisons and county jails, and the implementing rules aren't final, so the claims are speculative.
  
• DHS response on the Aug 8 Aurora shooting letter: still nothing.
  

Sources:
- Colorado health officials order Aurora ICE Processing Center to hand over tuberculosis records — Denver7
- GEO immigration detention operator claims new state law unfairly targets Aurora site — Sentinel Colorado (Aug 2026)
- Press — hickenlooper.senate.gov

2026-08-18

• Oversight visit to the Aurora ICE Processing Center, Aug 17 — on the day GEO's compliance deadline expired. Hickenlooper met with Adams County and state public health officials both before and after going in.
  
• The case count is far higher than previously reported: at least 12 TB cases. ICE continues to say there are no active cases at the facility and has produced no evidence for that. Prior entries here carried "one confirmed case this year" from the Aug 13 CDPHE/Colorado Sun reporting — that figure is superseded.
  
• His statement: "ICE and GEO need to stop stonewalling, tell health officials who's been exposed, and help us stop tuberculosis from spreading."
  
• CDPHE's order required GEO to submit medical information and reports by end of day Aug 17. No public word yet on whether GEO complied. Noncompliance opens the door to legal action by AG Phil Weiser.
  
• DHS response on the Aug 8 Aurora shooting letter: still nothing, ten days out.
  

Sources:
- As Public Health Compliance Deadline Approaches, Hickenlooper Conducts Oversight Visit to Aurora ICE Detention Center — hickenlooper.senate.gov (Aug 17, 2026)
- State issues public health order after GEO Group refuses standard cooperation — CDPHE
- State health department directs GEO to assist in tuberculosis investigation at ICE facility — Gazette (Aug 15)

2026-08-19

• Deadline lapsed, no response. As of 4 PM Aug 18, CDPHE said it had heard nothing from GEO or ICE about the public health order. The Aug 17 deadline passed without GEO turning over the medical records, contact list, or discharge/transfer information. Hickenlooper's oversight visit was the day the clock ran out.
  
• Aurora City Council approved a statement Aug 17 demanding GEO cooperate with the investigation.
  
• AG's office on standby, no filing yet. Weiser: "My office is committed to enforcing this public health order and defending Colorado law." A spokesperson said the office "stands ready to work with the Governor's Office and state health leaders to bring GEO into compliance." Nothing filed as of today.
  
• No new press releases Aug 18 or 19.
  
• DHS response on the Aug 8 Aurora shooting letter: still nothing, eleven days out.
  

Sources:
- Public health investigation into tuberculosis at Aurora detention center at standstill as deadline looms — CPR (Aug 17)
- Deadline arrives for Colorado Department of Health order over ICE detention center tuberculosis case — CBS Colorado
- Aurora council insists on cooperation from GEO Group over tuberculosis investigation at ICE facility — Colorado Newsline
- Press — hickenlooper.senate.gov

2026-08-20

• The state sued GEO. AG Phil Weiser filed Aug 19 in Adams County District Court, seeking an injunction against GEO's "stonewalling" of the CDPHE tuberculosis investigation. Weiser: "The GEO Group is endangering Coloradans' public health by refusing to follow the state health department's order and by violating Colorado law." Two days after the Aug 17 deadline passed with no contact.
  
• CDPHE confirmed non-compliance Tuesday night (Aug 18) — GEO neither complied nor submitted anything.
  
• 61 people exposed and isolated, per an oversight report. One lab-confirmed active case, positive result June 21, reported June 25. ICE says the person was treated and deported; GEO says no current cases at the facility.
  
• GEO's position: it has had "numerous conversations and meetings" with Adams County and "provided information to the state as authorized by DHS" — i.e. it is routing the state to DHS rather than complying directly.
  
• Aug 19: Hickenlooper signed the delegation letter to GEO led by Crow and Bennet, with DeGette, Neguse, Pettersen. Demands compliance with both the Adams County and CDPHE orders. See US Senator - Michael Bennet.
  
• Separate federal suit still pending: GEO v. Colorado over HB26-1276, the annual detention-facility inspection law.
  
• No new press releases from Hickenlooper Aug 18–20. His last was the Aug 17 oversight visit.
  

Sources:
- Colorado AG Phil Weiser sues ICE contractor GEO over "stonewalling" on public health order — CBS Colorado (Aug 19, 2026)
- Colorado sues Geo Group for blocking tuberculosis investigation — Westword (Aug 19, 2026)
- Operator of Aurora immigrant detention center fails to comply with state tuberculosis order — Colorado Sun (Aug 19, 2026)
- Colorado AG sues GEO Group over noncompliance with tuberculosis investigation — Denver Gazette (Aug 19, 2026)
- Crow, Bennet Lead Colorado Democrats Calling on GEO to Comply with Public Health Orders — crow.house.gov (Aug 19, 2026)

2026-08-21

• SNAP analysis (Aug 20): Released an analysis finding 33,681 Coloradans could go hungry as a result of GOP cuts to SNAP. Context from prior releases: Colorado's SNAP cost-share rises from $94 million to $272 million — a 188% increase.
  
• Cost of immigration enforcement (Aug 19): Published an analysis putting the cost of Trump's immigration enforcement agenda at roughly $2,400 per Coloradan, released alongside a video calling out GEO Group for ignoring the state health order on TB exposure.
  
• Colorado retaliation email: Hickenlooper's Aug 14 call for every involved agency's inspector general to investigate the "brainstorm call" now runs parallel to Bennet's Aug 20 request for a Senate investigation. The email's author, White House aide Emily Underwood, announced her departure Aug 19.
  

Sources:
- New Analysis: 33,681 Coloradans Could Go Hungry Following GOP Cuts to SNAP (Aug 20)
- As GEO Group Ignores State Health Order, Analysis Shows Trump's Immigration Enforcement Agenda Is Costing Colorado Taxpayers Roughly $2,400 Per Person (Aug 19)
- White House staffer who sent email targeting Colorado leaves job — CPR (Aug 20)

2026-08-22

• Statement on Interior's Colorado River decision (Aug 21). Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed the Record of Decision for Post-2026 Colorado River Operations and approved the 2027–2028 operating guidelines the same day. The preferred alternative sets an adaptive decision framework running through 2036, with the near-term rules covering only 2027 and 2028. Lower Basin states must cut 1.25 million acre-feet in each of those years — Arizona 760,000 AF, California 440,000 AF, Nevada 50,000 AF. Hickenlooper's position through the negotiations has been that a durable fix requires a seven-state agreement, not a federal imposition; state and local leaders welcomed the short-term certainty while pressing for that deal.
  
• ICE/TSA airport letter (Aug 20, posted Aug 21). Signed the Rosen-led letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, acting ICE Director David Venturella, and TSA Administrator David Cummins demanding an account of how ICE and TSA coordinate and what data they share. Nine signers including Bennet. Hickenlooper's release names DIA as the Colorado concern. No response deadline stated.
  
• Mountain communities tour (ICYMI, Aug 21). Oversight visits across Colorado mountain towns covering immigration, drought, wildfire, the economy, and health care.
  
• GEO: Judge Domenico's Aug 20 partial injunction blocks unannounced state inspections at the Aurora facility through Oct 15, 2026 — see US Senator - Michael Bennet for the ruling detail. Hickenlooper's Aug 19 analysis on the cost of immigration enforcement and his Aug 14 IG request both remain unanswered.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Statement on DOI Plan for Colorado River Operations (Aug 21)
- Hickenlooper, Bennet, Colleagues Demand Answers from Trump Admin About ICE Conduct, TSA Cooperation at DIA & Other Airports (Aug 21)
- Rosen Leads Senate Colleagues in Demanding Answers About ICE Conduct, TSA Cooperation in Airports (Aug 20)
- Colorado River Post-2026 Operations — Bureau of Reclamation
- The Decision: Colorado River gets 2-year plan amid record lows — Western Water (Aug 21)
- ICYMI: Hickenlooper Visits Mountain Communities (Aug 21)

2026-08-25

• Signed the delegation letter supporting a Major Disaster Declaration (Aug 24). Bennet led; Hickenlooper and all eight House members signed. Backs Gov. Polis's Aug 23 request to President Trump and FEMA for a Major Disaster Declaration and Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants for the June Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain fires and the post-fire flooding and debris flows. Individual and public assistance sought for Pueblo and Custer counties, public assistance only for Ouray. Larimer County is not part of the request. Full detail in US Senator - Michael Bennet.
  
• Nothing new on hickenlooper.senate.gov after Aug 21 — the Colorado River Record of Decision statement, the mountain-communities ICYMI, and the ICE/TSA airport letter remain the most recent items. The Aug 14 IG request is still unanswered.
  

Sources:
- Bennet Leads Entire Colorado Congressional Delegation in Support of Presidential Major Disaster Declaration Request for Colorado Wildfires (Aug 24)
- Gov. Polis asks Trump administration for federal aid — KKTV (Aug 23)
- News — U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper

2026-08-26

• Op-ed in The Denver Post: "Trump's Agenda Is Punishing Colorado" (Aug 25). Ties every separate retaliation thread into a single argument. He names the denial of disaster assistance to Colorado communities rebuilding from wildfires and floods, the move to dismantle NCAR in Boulder, frozen child care and food assistance funding, and canceled transportation grants and clean energy investments. He cites the court-disclosed email showing "officials at the highest levels of the White House were directed to orchestrate political retribution against Coloradans."
  
  • "Government resources belong to the American people. They are not weapons to wield against the president's enemies."
    
  • "Coloradans shouldn't pay the price for the petty grievances and failed policies."
    
• Colorado has already been denied twice, and the appeal was denied too. The pending Aspen Acres / Gold Mountain request is not the first ask. Trump denied Polis's requests for the Elk and Lee fires (Rio Blanco/Moffat counties, 137,000+ acres, $27M in FEMA-verified damages) and for western Colorado flooding (~$13M) in December 2025. Polis appealed in January 2026; the administration denied the appeal on April 10, 2026, finding federal assistance "is not warranted." State officials called it the first such denial in 35 years. This is what the unanimous ten-member delegation letter of Aug 24 is pushing against, and it is why the op-ed and the disaster request are one story.
  
• GEO / Aurora — venue fight. GEO Group moved on Aug 21 to remove Colorado's TB lawsuit from Adams County District Court to federal court. Weiser filed the suit Aug 19; CDPHE's Aug 20 motion to compel was pending in state court when the removal was filed. Detail in US Senator - Michael Bennet.
  
• No new press releases dated Aug 26.
  

Sources:
- ICYMI: Hickenlooper Op-Ed: Trump's Agenda Is Punishing Colorado (Aug 25)
- News — U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper
- Colorado will not receive FEMA aid for last year's fires and flooding — CPR (Apr 14, 2026)
- Governor Polis Calls Out Trump Administration for Denying Colorado's Disaster Appeals for Elk and Lee Fires, Western Colorado Floods
- 'Abdication of responsibility': Colorado denied federal funds — Post Independent
- Colorado lawmakers make bipartisan call for Trump to grant federal aid after previous denials — Aspen Times (Aug 24)
- GEO Group files request to move Colorado's lawsuit over TB case investigation from state to federal court — CPR (Aug 21)

2026-08-27

Two items dated Aug 26 — the prior entry said "no new press releases dated Aug 26," which was written before both posted.

ICE at DIA — letter on TSA data sharing (Aug 26)

Hickenlooper joined US Senator - Michael Bennet, Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and six other senators writing DHS Secretary Mullin, TSA Administrator Cummins, and ICE Acting Director Venturella about ICE operations at Denver International Airport and other airports. The core allegation is a formal ICE–TSA information-sharing agreement under which TSA passed data on 31,000+ travelers, producing 800+ immigration arrests, alongside masked plainclothes arrests and detentions of people with lawful documentation and pending USCIS applications. Seven questions, no response deadline. Full detail in US Senator - Michael Bennet.

Op-ed with Grindr CEO on fertility care (Aug 26)

"Modernizing fertility care: Three reforms to make parenthood affordable," co-written with Grindr CEO George Arison in The Hill — federal and state reforms to make fertility care and family formation cheaper and more accessible. "Every parent who dreams of raising a child should have a fair opportunity to pursue that dream."

Note: thehill.com returns 403 to fetchers, so the three specific reforms aren't captured here — only the framing from Hickenlooper's own ICYMI release. This continues a long-running personal issue for him; his own family used IVF.

Sources:
- ICYMI: Hickenlooper, Grindr CEO George Arison Pen Op-Ed in The Hill on Expanding Access to IVF, Fertility Care for American Families (Aug 26)
- Modernizing fertility care: Three reforms to make parenthood affordable — The Hill
- Bennet, Hickenlooper Colleagues Demand Answers from Trump Administration About ICE Conduct, TSA Cooperation at DIA & Other Airports (Aug 26)
- News — U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper

2026-08-28

Wind and solar permitting — joined Bennet's letter to Interior (Aug 27)

Hickenlooper joined US Senator - Michael Bennet (lead) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) writing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, alleging Interior is still delaying wind and solar permits in violation of the April 2026 preliminary injunction in *Renew Northeast v. U.S. Department of the Interior, which barred the July 2025 policy requiring Burgum's personal sign-off on routine project decisions. Four questions, *response requested by September 1, 2026**. Full detail in US Senator - Michael Bennet.

West Bank settler violence — 46-senator letter to Netanyahu (Aug 26)

A third item dated Aug 26 that didn't surface in yesterday's check. Hickenlooper joined 45 Democratic colleagues writing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about settler violence in the West Bank.

What they cite: fatal settler incidents have already surpassed 2025 levels; nine American citizens killed by settlers or Israeli security forces in the West Bank since 2022; a recent surge including mass arrests of Palestinians and reported attacks on mosques.

What they ask for:
- Directives to the Israeli Police and IDF to prevent and intervene in the violence.
- Transparent investigation and prosecution of perpetrators.
- Completed investigations into the deaths of the nine American citizens.
- A halt to settlement approvals and removal of illegal outposts.

"We urge you to take measures to prevent and intercede in this violence, establish a credible mechanism to investigate violations of law, and to make clear that the Government of Israel will not tolerate violence by its people, just as it does not tolerate violence against its people."

No response deadline. Notable mainly for the size of the bloc — 46 of 47 Senate Democrats.

Sources:
- Bennet, Hickenlooper, Luján Demand Trump Administration Comply with Injunction to Ensure Prompt Approvals of Wind and Solar Energy Projects (Aug 27)
- Hickenlooper, Democratic Colleagues Call on Netanyahu to Crack Down on Settler Violence in West Bank (Aug 26)
- News — U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper

2026-08-29

Opposes a U.S. Space Academy at Johnson Space Center (Aug 28)

Trump announced Aug 28 a plan to establish a U.S. Space Academy at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Hickenlooper called it "duplicative, costly, and unserious" against a rising deficit, arguing the country already has an institution that trains Space Force leaders — the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

"Establishing a dedicated service academy for space may sound good on paper, but our nation already has an exceptional institution that trains tomorrow's Space Force leaders: it's called the U.S. Air Force Academy."

The statement ties it to the administration's earlier move of U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama, which the entire Colorado delegation opposed, and frames Colorado Springs as "the epicenter of our national security and space efforts."

No deadline and no legislation attached — a statement, not an action. What's at stake for Colorado is the Air Force Academy's role, following a space mission already transferred out of state.

Bennet issued nothing Aug 28 or 29; his feed still tops out at the Aug 27 wind/solar letter, whose Sept 1 response deadline is Tuesday.

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Questions Trump's Space Academy Announcement (Aug 28)
- News — U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper

2026-09-01

Two releases dated Aug 31.

Southwest Colorado Tour, Aug 27–29 — Durango, Towaoc, Dolores, Ouray, Ridgway

• $600,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending secured for a forest management and fuel reduction project in Ouray.
  
• Toured Gold Mountain Fire burn scar and debris-flow damage in Ouray, and urged Trump to approve Polis's Aug 23 Major Disaster Declaration request. That request covers Ouray (public assistance) and Pueblo and Custer (individual and public assistance) — not Larimer. Still no White House decision, nine days out.
  
• McPhee Reservoir at 42% capacity, down 15 feet in a single year, in what he described as a 1,200-year record drought.
  
• Met the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council in Towaoc on water projects, law enforcement funding, and the termination of the Bears Ears Commission.
  
• Inspected the site of Colorado's largest gasoline spill (2024) near Durango; said the standard for pipelines should be "zero accidents," or as close to zero as possible.
  
• Attended the opening of Durango Powerhouse's WonderLab Early Learning Childcare Center; toured Agile Space Industries' expanded aerospace facility.
  

Gas Prices and the Iran War (video, Aug 31)

A released video ties fuel prices to the ongoing Iran war and to the President's holdings:

• $583 more per Colorado family spent on gas since the war began; $1.3 billion more statewide.
  
• Trump held $45.6 million in oil and gas stocks at the end of 2025; the portfolio is now worth up to $61.1 million.
  

"It's no wonder President Trump refuses to end the war in Iran. He has a vested interest in prolonging it."

Bennet issued nothing Aug 28–Sept 1; his feed still tops out at the Aug 27 wind/solar letter, whose response deadline was today. Neguse has nothing since Aug 20 — the House is in recess.

Sources:
- ICYMI: Hickenlooper Visits Southwest Colorado (Aug 31)
- Video & Analysis: Hickenlooper Calls Out High Gas Prices, Trump Corruption (Aug 31)
- News — U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper

2026-09-04

• Sept 3 release: "CO Families Have Spent $4,000 More On Goods & Services Under President Trump." Hickenlooper is running the cost-of-living argument on an August 2026 Joint Economic Committee Minority report. The breakdown he cites for a Colorado family:
  
  • $584 more on gas; electricity up $80 in 2025 and an estimated $66 in the first half of 2026
    
  • $496 more on rent and mortgage payments
    
  • $310 more on groceries in the first year versus 2024
    
  • ACA premiums up more than 50% in 2026, with average deductibles up more than $1,000
    
• Quote: "Colorado is facing a cost-of-living emergency made worse by President Trump's illegal war, tariffs, and massive healthcare cuts."
  
• He pairs it with two of his own bills — the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act and the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. This is the third cost-of-living release in four days, following the Aug 31 gas-price video that cited $583 more in gas since the Iran War began. The $583/$584 figures are the same series.
  
• Still pending: his Aug 14 Inspector General request on the Colorado retaliation email. No response.
  

Sources:
- New Report: CO Families Have Spent $4,000 More On Goods & Services Under President Trump (Sept 3)
- News — U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper

2026-09-12

• Sept 10 — backed Denver's lawsuit to keep armed ICE agents away from polling places. Filed Thu Sept 10 in U.S. District Court for D.C. by the City and County of Denver, LULAC, Common Cause and UnidosUS against DHS, Sec. Markwayne Mullin, ICE and acting ICE Director David Venturella.
  
  • DHS confirmed on Sept 1 a "Polling Place Policy" authorizing armed ICE officers at polling places, including serving warrants and detaining people.
    
  • The suit cites the Civil War-era statute barring federal officials from stationing "armed men… to keep the peace at the polls." It seeks an injunction for November.
    
  • His bill: Protect our Polls Act — restricts armed federal law enforcement or military at polling places.
    
  • "The only conceivable reason for ICE to be at polling places is to spread the same fear and intimidation we've already seen in our communities."
    
• Sept 10 — co-signed Bennet's firefighting-resources letter to Interior and USDA. Detail in US Senator - Michael Bennet. Response requested ~Sept 20.
  
• Sept 10 — launched a Senate Bipartisan Science and Innovation Caucus with Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.). Kickoff Sept 14 at the Capitol.
  
• Sept 9 — Southeast Colorado tour: Hasty, La Junta, Pueblo, Limon, Lamar.
  
  • John Martin Reservoir — Arkansas Valley Conduit update.
    
  • Pueblo housing: rent up 96%, 2014–2024 ($593 → $1,161); average renter income just over $39,000.
    
  • Confluence Park, Pueblo — 4M+ gallons of raw sewage into the Arkansas River. "This is the worst nightmare."
    
  • Prowers Medical Center, Lamar — the only full labor-and-delivery unit in SE Colorado; $11M/yr in contract labor.
    
  • On the federal disaster-aid denials: "Obviously, that's not acceptable."
    

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Applauds Denver Lawsuit to Block Armed ICE Agents at Voting Sites (Sept 10)
- Denver, Latino groups sue to keep ICE agents away from voting places — Colorado Sun (Sept 10)
- Denver sues Trump administration to block ICE agents from polling places — Denverite (Sept 10)
- Hickenlooper, McCormick Announce Senate Bipartisan Science and Innovation Caucus (Sept 10)
- ICYMI: Hickenlooper Visits Southeast Colorado (Sept 9)
- Bennet, Hickenlooper, Wyden, Padilla, Schiff firefighting letter (Sept 10)

2026-09-15

• Sept 14 — signed the 261-member amicus brief in *U.S. Postal Service v. California* at the Supreme Court, backing the lower-court block on the USPS mail-ballot rule (EO 14399). Details in US Representative - Joe Neguse, who co-led it.
  
  • Colorado figures in the release: 2024 turnout 73.4%; 92.2% of voters used mail ballots; 90% of Colorado Republicans voted by mail in 2024, 98% in 2025.
    
  • "Mail-in voting is safe, secure, and makes our elections more accessible."
    

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Bennet, Colleagues Challenge Trump Efforts to Restrict Mail-In Voting (Sept 14)

2026-09-16

Three releases dated Sept 15.

• $97M in FEMA disaster aid announced for Colorado — but none of it is in Larimer County. Hickenlooper welcomed the award; his release gives no project list. Reporting on the same announcement puts the figure at $90M+ across two programs:
  
  • Public Assistance — $28M: Colorado Springs $2.6M (drainage, embankments); Boulder County $1M+ (roads, culverts, park building, parking lots).
    
  • Hazard Mitigation Grant Program — $62M: Longmont Resilient St. Vrain $13.9M+; Erie Coal Creek $14M+; Colorado Springs Cottonwood Creek $8M+; Mountain Parks Electric $7.6M+; Colorado Front Range Wildfire Mitigation $5.7M+ (vegetation clearing, ~28,000 residents); Monument Creek $2.9M+; Boulder County Prince Lake Dam $2.4M+; Kersey $1.8M+; Superior $1.7M+; Louisville $1.7M+.
    
  • No Larimer County, Fort Collins, Poudre, or Cache la Poudre project appears on the list. The only item that could reach this area is the unspecified "Front Range Wildfire Mitigation" grant.
    
  • "We're happy to see that more federal funding is on the way for Colorado communities who need it to protect themselves and recover from destructive storms, wildfires, and flooding."
    
  • Context: this is mitigation and recovery money from previously declared disasters. It is not a response to Polis's Aug 23 Major Disaster Declaration request for the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain fires, which is still undecided.
    
• Statement on EPA erasing climate pollution limits for power plants. "Climate change is real and worsening Colorado's drought and wildfires... Yesterday's decision by the EPA ignores science and will seriously threaten our environment. We can't let their decision stand." No comment period or litigation step named in the release.
  
• ICYMI — visited Kids First Health Care to discuss Medicaid cuts and falling vaccination rates.
  
• The USPS mail-ballot case he announced Sept 14 was decided Sept 14, 7-2 against the government. Rule stays blocked; Colorado ballots mail starting Oct 2. Detail in US Representative - Joe Neguse.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Welcomes $97M in Federal Disaster Aid for Colorado Communities (Sept 15)
- FEMA approves more than $90 million in grants across Colorado — KOAA
- FEMA approves more than $90 million in grants across Colorado — KKTV
- Hickenlooper Statement on EPA's Decision to Erase Climate Pollution Limits from Power Plants (Sept 15)
- ICYMI: Hickenlooper Visits Kids First Health Care (Sept 15)

2026-09-17

• SNAP losses in Colorado, July 2025–June 2026 (CBPP analysis): 12,598 children and 33,681 residents lost benefits; 1.5M children nationally. The state's SNAP cost-share rises from $94M to $272M. He blames the July 2025 reconciliation law ($186B SNAP cut). He's pushing his Universal Meals Program Act (free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack for all school kids). No Larimer County figure.
  
• Senate floor speech, "Golden Age of Corruption" (Sept 16): Trump oil/gas holdings during the Iran war, a $3B Kushner Saudi housing project, $100K/month Wall Street access to Truth Social posts, AI chip sales to the UAE, and $1B in canceled clean energy projects. References his War Powers Resolution on Iran.
  
• Evergreen High School shooting anniversary resolution with Bennet (Pettersen House companion). Detail in US Senator - Michael Bennet.
  

Sources:
- New Data: 12,598 Colorado Kids Have Already Lost SNAP Benefits (Sept 16)
- WATCH: Hickenlooper Takes Aim at Trump's 'Golden Age of Corruption' (Sept 16)
- Bennet, Hickenlooper, Pettersen Recognize Victims of Evergreen High School Shooting (Sept 16)

2026-09-18

• Mortgage rates past 7% (video, Sept 17). Rates have risen four straight weeks to the highest since Trump took office. Going from ~6% to 7%+ adds "over $280 more every month. Almost $4,000 every year." He blames the Iran war, tariffs, and health care cuts, and points to his Iran War Powers Resolution and a housing bill limiting institutional investor purchases.
  
• AI regulation (video, Sept 17). He wants Senate Commerce hearings with AI industry leaders, independent audits (his VET AI Act), stronger safeguards for high-risk AI, and accountability for harm. On data centers: community input on siting, water protection, and ratepayer protections.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Video Statement on Increasing Mortgage Rates (Sept 17)
- Hickenlooper Calls for Congressional Action, Hearings on AI Regulation (Sept 17)

2026-09-19

• Letter to Defense Secretary Hegseth on the cost of the Iran war (Sept 18). Led by Slotkin; 46 senators including Bennet. Asks for a full accounting of war costs. Cites $100B in higher fuel costs and $60B in higher grocery, mortgage, and travel costs to households; 18 servicemembers killed; 7 Pentagon briefings to Congress in 6 months; a 7-page supplemental request with little detail. No response deadline given.
  
• BLM oil and gas lease sale on the Southern Ute Reservation (Sept 18), with Bennet. BLM proposes 9 parcels, ~2,500 acres, for a December 2026 sale. The Tribe filed formal comments opposing it. The senators ask BLM to keep consulting the Tribe and to defer or withdraw the parcels if needed.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Bennet, Colleagues Demand Answers from Trump Admin on Cost of Iran War (Sept 18)
- Hickenlooper, Bennet Push Back on BLM's Oil, Gas Lease Sales within the Southern Ute Reservation (Sept 18)

2026-09-20

• FEMA denied the Individual Assistance and Hazard Mitigation portions of Colorado's Aspen Acres / Gold Mountain disaster request. Hickenlooper called for reversal in a Sept 19 statement: "The Trump administration should reverse this decision. Requests for individual assistance and hazard mitigation grants are not made frivolously." The denial landed Sept 18.
  
  • Approved earlier: the Major Disaster Declaration itself and Public Assistance — infrastructure repair and debris removal. That is what Bennet welcomed Sept 4.
    
  • Denied: Individual Assistance (temporary housing, home repairs, essential personal property, crisis counseling, disaster case management, disaster unemployment, disaster legal services) and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (funding to harden rebuilt communities against the next fire).
    
  • White House rationale: "The information provided to the President through FEMA assessments demonstrates that the resulting needs of affected individuals and households does not exceed the combined capacity of the state's resources, local resources, insurance, voluntary agencies, and other recovery assistance."
    
  • Aspen Acres destroyed 324 homes across Pueblo and Custer counties — the most destructive Colorado fire since the 2021 Marshall Fire.
    
  • Colorado has 30 days to appeal (roughly Oct 18). Polis says the state is evaluating options and that there is "a strong case for Individual Assistance and Hazard Mitigation." Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO-3) also called the denial misguided — this is bipartisan.
    
  • Not the same money as the $97M FEMA released earlier in September; that covers past disasters statewide and no Larimer/Fort Collins project was on the list.
    
  • Larimer County is not in this declaration. It matters here as precedent: Colorado's Elk/Lee fires request was denied in Dec 2025 and the appeal denied April 10, 2026 — the first Colorado denial in 35 years. This is the second.
    

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Calls on Trump Administration to Reverse Colorado Disaster Aid Denials (Sept 19)
- FEMA denies portion of Colorado's disaster aid request — CPR
- FEMA denies portions of Colorado's disaster declaration request: what to know — KKTV
- Governor's office statement

2026-09-23

• Tuberculosis at the Aurora ICE detention center — an entire pod quarantined (Sept 22). Responding to a Denver Post report that a whole pod at the GEO-run facility was quarantined after TB exposure, and to a second reported case. Neither ICE nor local health officials confirmed the report. Hickenlooper: "Public health officials can't stop a TB outbreak they're not allowed to track… ICE's refusal to follow Colorado law or give members of Congress answers puts lives at risk." Timeline: Adams County Health was notified of a suspected case in June; GEO blocked the investigation; Colorado sued GEO in August; Hickenlooper's own Aug 17 oversight visit produced no answers (staff cited advice of counsel). At least 12 people at the facility have tested positive over the course of the episode.
  
• Merits-stage SCOTUS amicus against the mail-in voting restrictions (Sept 22). Co-led the Senate side with Bennet; 261 current and former lawmakers signed. Separation-of-powers argument against Trump's executive order and the USPS rule. Neguse led the House side. See US Senator - Michael Bennet.
  
• JEC Minority report: Colorado families are out $4,500 (Sept 22). Joint Economic Committee Minority fact sheet on cumulative cost increases under Trump — $697 more on gas, $554 more on rent and mortgage, $310 more on groceries (prices up 4%+), ACA premiums up 50%+ in 2026 with deductibles up $1,000+. Hickenlooper: "This isn't the 'Golden Age' President Trump pretends it is."
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Statement on Detainee Accounts of Tuberculosis Exposure at Aurora ICE Detention Center (Sept 22)
- New Report: CO Families Have Spent $4,500 More On Goods & Services Under President Trump (Sept 22)
- CO Inflation Fact Sheet, August 2026 — Joint Economic Committee (PDF)
- Bennet, Hickenlooper, Colleagues Challenge Trump Efforts to Restrict Mail-In Voting (Sept 22)
- Background: Hickenlooper denied answers on tuberculosis during visit to Aurora immigrant detention center — Colorado Sun (Aug 17) · Colorado issues public health order over tuberculosis at Aurora immigrant detention center — CPR (Aug 13)

2026-09-24

• Joint Economic Committee minority report on Colorado cost of living (Sept 22). Headline figure: Colorado families have spent $4,500 more on goods and services under Trump. Breakdown as released:
  

• Hickenlooper: "This isn't the 'Golden Age' President Trump pretends it is, and it's certainly not the bargain working families signed up for."
  
• Relevant to the Nov 3 ballot: the ACA premium and deductible figures are the same affordability frame being used for and against Larimer County Ballot Issue 1A and Proposition NN.
  
  • ~~No new releases Sept 23-24~~ — corrected: two Sept 24 releases posted later that day, logged under 2026-09-25 below.
    

Sources:
- New Report: CO Families Have Spent $4,500 More On Goods & Services Under President Trump (Sept 22)

2026-09-25

• His war powers resolution to end the Iran war failed 49-50 (Sept 24). Hickenlooper carried the House-passed concurrent resolution in the Senate; it would have directed Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran absent a declaration of war or specific authorization. Four Republicans voted yes — Collins, Murkowski, Paul, and Tillis (Tillis for the first time, now that the 60-day War Powers clock has run). Fetterman was the only Democratic no. A concurrent resolution carries no force of law and is never signed, so the vote was symbolic; this was the final war powers vote before the midterms, after more than a dozen since February. The House passed its version 214-208 in July (a second pass after a 215-208 vote June 3).
  
• Floor speech detailing the war's cost (Sept 24), delivered ahead of the vote. The tally he laid out:
  

• Hickenlooper: "You're paying for this war every day: when you fill up your tank, buy your groceries, and pay your rent." And: "Wars aren't measured just in dollars and cents. It is measured in lives lost."
  
• This is the same arithmetic as his Sept 22 JEC report — the $697 gasoline line and the $554 rent/mortgage line are largely war effects. AAA put Colorado's record diesel price at $6.22/gal, with the national average $6.52, up 80%+ year over year in the hardest-hit states. The cause is the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic — ~15 million gallons/day bottled up.
  
  • Video statement on energy prices (Sept 24). Colorado families spent $71 more on electricity in the first half of 2026 than in the same period of 2024.
    
  • Relevance to the Nov 3 ballot: the fuel and grocery numbers are the affordability backdrop for Larimer County Ballot Issue 1A (0.3% sales tax, no sunset) and the city's proposed 2027 utility rate increases (water +15%, electric +7%). Expect both campaigns to use them.
    

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Details Expansive Costs of Iran War in Senate Floor Speech Ahead of Vote to End War (Sept 24)
- WATCH: Hickenlooper Video Statement on Increasing Energy Prices (Sept 24)
- In one of their last votes before November, Senate GOP blocks effort to end Iran war — NPR (Sept 24)
- Iran war powers measure falls short in Senate, despite new GOP support — CBS News (Sept 24)
- Record high diesel "driving" higher costs — KUNC (Sept 24)
- High diesel prices strain GOP alliance with Big Oil — Colorado Politics (Sept 24)

2026-09-26

• Patients Deserve Price Tags Act (Sept 25), with Roger Marshall (R-KS). Would require hospitals to state up front what a procedure will cost, and to send an itemized breakdown after care. It has cleared Senate committee with bipartisan support and awaits floor time. Hickenlooper calls price transparency "a key first step toward reforming American healthcare."
  
• KUNC In the NoCo interview the same day on whether transparent pricing actually lowers costs — the local outlet, worth listening to if you want the skeptical version; the piece frames it as an open question rather than a settled one.
  
• CPR published his Senate voter guide Sept 25. Positions as presented: end the Iran war to bring down gas and grocery prices; Trump tariffs are inflationary; Medicaid cuts have left hundreds of thousands uninsured; ICE is "out of control" and needs identification protocols, paired with border security and a guest worker system; supports modifying the filibuster (lower the threshold, require senators to state their position on the floor). He has pledged this would be his final term.
  
• He faces Mark Baisley (R) in the Nov 3 general.
  

Sources:
- Sen. John Hickenlooper thinks more transparent pricing could lower healthcare costs. Could it work? — KUNC In the NoCo (Sept 25)
- US Senate: Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper — CPR voter guide (Sept 25)

2026-09-28

• Skipped the Club 20 debates in Grand Junction (Sept 19–20). Baisley showed up; so did Weiser, Lopez, Hurd and Romero. Club 20 director Wade Haerle: "There are a lot of decisions that are made in Washington, D.C. that matter more to people in rural Colorado than people in Denver." Same pattern as the primary, when he declined every debate with Gonzales.
  
• First general-election debate vs. Mark Baisley: Wed Oct 14, 6:30–7:30 PM, MSU Denver (Auraria). Airs on KTVD, streams on 9NEWS. Moderators Kyle Clark and Marshall Zellinger. Not open to the public. Announced Sept 18.
  
• A second October debate is reported; no date or host published.
  
• Press page quiet since Sept 25.
  

Sources:
- At Club 20 debates, who didn't show up was part of the story — KVNF (Sept 23)
- 9NEWS to broadcast political debates ahead of Nov. 3 General Election (Sept 18)
- Colorado candidates square off in Club 20 debates — CPR (Sept 21)

2026-09-30

• Protect College Sports Act passed the Senate 77-22 on Mon Sept 28. Hickenlooper and Bennet both voted yes. Led by Cruz and Cantwell.
  
  • What it does: NCAA antitrust exemption; one penalty-free transfer; five-year eligibility window; Power 4 conferences capped at 20 schools; per-school athlete pay cap raised from ~$21.5M to $49M; $100M medical fund for former athletes; foreign-investment disclosure.
    
  • Hickenlooper's piece (per his release): a compromise tying the new collective media-rights framework to roster and scholarship minimums for Olympic and non-revenue sports. He cites 415 teams and 41 Olympic sports programs cut in two years. Per ESPN, those protections expire after nine years; the antitrust exemption doesn't.
    
  • 22 no votes, mostly Democrats (Schumer, Booker, Warren, Sanders, Murphy, Kelly, Warnock) plus Rand Paul and Rick Scott. Booker: it "sells out college athletes." AFL-CIO opposed.
    
  • Next: the House, which is out until Nov 9. If it doesn't pass in the lame duck, it starts over in the new Congress.
    
• AI letter to Trump (Sept 29), sent ahead of that day's White House lunch with ~20 tech executives (Zuckerberg, Musk, Amodei, Pichai, Huang, Bezos, Brockman, Karp). Asks: independent third-party evaluation of powerful models (his VET AI Act), accountability for deploying dangerous systems, incident reporting, protecting communities from data center energy costs, workforce forecasting and training, tighter chip export controls. "Now is the time to move beyond warnings and start writing the guardrails."
  
  • Outcome: Trump came out of the meeting for "tremendous self-regulation" — companies signed voluntary "principles and commitments" on auditing. Speaker Johnson said he hopes guardrails stay voluntary. No legislation.
    
• DDHQ rates the race Safe D; fundraising through Sept 1: Hickenlooper $10.2M, Baisley $110K. Debate still Oct 14.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Applauds Passage of Protect College Sports Act (Sept 29)
- U.S. Senate votes 77-22 to pass Protect College Sports Act — ESPN
- Protect College Sports Act passed the Senate. Here's how it voted. (roll call)
- Hickenlooper Calls on Trump, AI CEOs to Work with Congress on Responsible AI Guardrails (Sept 29)
- After summit with tech titans, Trump calls for 'tremendous self-regulation' — NBC News
- House Speaker Johnson says he hopes AI guardrails are 'voluntary' — CNBC (Sept 29)

2026-10-01

• Ratepayer Protection Act blocked, Sept 30. The cloture vote failed 57-43 (60 needed). All Republicans and four Democrats voted yes; Hickenlooper and Bennet voted no. The House passed it nearly unanimously in September, with Rep. Gabe Evans (R, CO-8) as a prime sponsor.
  
  • The bill gives state utility regulators two years to consider federal standards requiring new data centers to pay the full incremental cost of new generation and transmission. It doesn't require them to adopt those standards.
    
  • Democrats wanted data centers to pay for grid upgrades outright, and the largest new loads to follow the same interconnection rules power plants have followed for 20 years.
    
  • Hickenlooper: "Republicans' Ratepayer Protection Act has no teeth. It won't actually protect families like yours from paying more on your energy bills."
    
  • Evans: Senate Democrats "choose to prioritize political games over a commonsense solution."
    
• Stop Insider Trading Act blocked 53-47 the same day, a party-line cloture vote. It would bar members, spouses and dependent children from buying individual stocks, but carried voter-ID provisions similar to the SAVE Act. Sen. Moody (R-FL) also tried to pass it by unanimous consent, and Democrats objected. Hickenlooper: "We blocked Republicans' thinly veiled voter suppression bill outright earlier this year. Today, they ripped a page out of Homer and tried to sneak it through like a Trojan Horse."
  
• Senate Energy Committee passed two of his bills, Sept 30:
  
  • Geo POWER Act: $800M for geothermal development. The National Laboratory of the Rockies (Golden) is the launch site for the Geothermal Center of Excellence.
    
  • Earth MRI Reauthorization Act (with Murkowski): five more years for the USGS mineral-mapping program, expanded to natural hydrogen.
    
  • Also passed: the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act, which he cosponsors (grants for public power utilities).
    
  • His Sarvis Creek Wilderness addition (S. 1341) and Mesa County uranium tailings bill (S. 4005) were on the same markup; the release doesn't mention them.
    
• Both were the Senate's last votes before the pre-election recess. The Senate is out for all of October and returns after Nov 3.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Statement on Republicans Sham Effort to Shield Americans from Data Centers Driving Up Energy Costs (Sept 30)
- Hickenlooper Statement on Republicans' "Trojan Horse" Voter Suppression Tactic (Sept 30)
- Hickenlooper Celebrates Committee Passage of His Bipartisan Energy Bills (Sept 30)
- Gabe Evans rips Senate Dems for blocking data center bill — Denver Gazette (Sept 30)
- Senate Blocks Congressional Stock Trading Restrictions After 53-47 Procedural Vote — YourNews (Sept 30)
- Senate Energy Committee business meeting, Sept 30

2026-10-02

• Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act passed the Senate (announced Oct 1, with Bennet). It transfers Crystal Reservoir, Full Moon Dam and Full Moon Ditch (~45 acres) from the Forest Service to the City of Ouray; no commercial development; public access kept. It cleared Senate Energy unanimously in July. House companion: Rep. Jeff Hurd (R). "This is a big win for Ouray, which deserves control over its own water resources."
  
• Debate with Baisley is still Wed Oct 14, 6:30 PM, KTVD/9NEWS. The second October debate is still unscheduled.
  

Sources:
- Bennet, Hickenlooper Celebrate Senate Passage of Their Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act (Oct 1)

2026-10-03

• Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act passed the Senate (Oct 2), with Curtis (R-UT). Reclamation's snow-monitoring program is reauthorized through 2031 at $15M over five years. The House companion has also passed. Colorado gets ~80% of its surface water from snowmelt, and snowpack hit record lows last year.
  
• Knowles Fire letter to Interior Secretary Burgum (Oct 2), with Kelly, Gallego and Peters. They want an investigation of the policies that came before the June 27 deaths of four Rifle Interagency Helitack Crew members in western Colorado: Interior's blanket full-suppression strategy, defaulting to direct attack, how safety information was shared, and staffing cuts from the reorganization. 13 federal wildland firefighters, pilots and contractors have died across the West this year. This follows his Aug 5 request for a DOI investigation.
  
• National Critical Minerals Council Act introduced (Oct 1), with Tillis, Rosen, Sheehy, Cramer, Lee and Fulcher. It creates a council co-chaired by Interior, the NSA and the NEC to write one national strategy across 15+ agencies. "China doesn't need to fire a shot. It just needs to stop a shipment."
  
• Cosponsor, Stop Orphaned Wells Act (Oct 2), Bennet's bill; see US Senator - Michael Bennet.
  
• Denver Gazette race profile (Oct 2): Hickenlooper's priorities are lower prices, the environment, and stopping "Trump's lawlessness." Baisley (R, Woodland Park state senator, aerospace engineer) lists affordability through smaller government, property tax reform and first-time homebuyer help. Colorado registration as of Sept 1: D 987,582 · R 887,577 · unaffiliated 2,034,154. Debate is still Wed Oct 14, 6:30 PM.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Curtis Celebrate Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Improve Snowpack Monitoring, Manage Drought (Oct 2)
- Hickenlooper, Kelly, Gallego, Peters Call for Investigation Into Policies Preceding Knowles Firefighter Deaths (Oct 2)
- Hickenlooper, Tillis, et al. Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Establish National Critical Minerals Council (Oct 1)
- Colorado U.S. Senate: Baisley vs. Hickenlooper — Denver Gazette (Oct 2)

2026-10-06

• Led a 34-senator letter to DHS (Oct 5) demanding it stop election interference. Objections:
  
  • Secretary Markwayne Mullin's July 17 claim that 250,000 noncitizens are registered to vote, which other officials and states have contradicted. They want the evidence.
    
  • Using SAVE to pressure states into sharing voter rolls.
    
  • An HSI "criminal voter fraud surge" across nine states.
    
  • FEMA homeland-security grant conditions tied to election compliance (3% of FY2025 grants, 20% of FY2026). They want Information Bulletins 569 and 569(a) rescinded and the withheld funds released.
    
  • A USCIS "Unlawful Voter Initiative," in which staff allegedly posed as voters to get into state registration sites. They want it stopped.
    
  • No deadline and nothing Colorado-specific.
    
• Debate is still Wed Oct 14, 6:30 PM, KTVD/9NEWS.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Colleagues Demand DHS Stop Election Interference Efforts (Oct 5)

2026-10-08

• Led a 10-senator letter to USDA and the Forest Service (Oct 7) on the Travel Management Rule rewrite. Asks the revision keep environmental guidance, state/tribal/local input, all recreation types, maintenance funding, clear public info, and room for public feedback. Cites Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act and the CORE Act. The NOI comment period (Fed. Reg. Aug 24) closed Sept 23; no comment window open now.
  
• Affordability stops Oct 7: Ahorra Mucho Supermercado, Aurora (groceries, SNAP cuts: 34,000 Coloradans off) and Globeville, Denver (energy bills, data centers and ratepayers, LIHEAP/LEAP). No Larimer stops.
  
• Signed Bennet's childhood-vaccine EO letter (see US Senator - Michael Bennet).
  
• Debate still Wed Oct 14, 6:30 PM, KTVD/9NEWS.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Colleagues Urge USDA and Forest Service to Protect National Forests (Oct 7)
- ICYMI: Hickenlooper Meets with Coloradans, Talks Food & Energy Affordability (Oct 7)
- Forest Service travel management NOI comment period — Outdoor Life

2026-10-10

• Statement against EPA's methane rule rollback (Oct 9). EPA plans to undo the 2024 leak-monitoring and repair requirements, with lighter monitoring for small and older wells. "The Trump administration is pushing policies that will allow more pollutants into our air. That's not leadership." He wrote Colorado's 2014 methane rules as governor. The formal proposal isn't in the Federal Register yet, so there's no comment deadline.
  
• Cosponsored Bennet's Safer Spaces for All Act (Oct 9): nonprofit security grants could pay for on-site security staff and off-duty police. See US Senator - Michael Bennet.
  
• Debate with Baisley still Wed Oct 14, 6:30 PM, KTVD/9NEWS.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper Rebukes EPA's Methane Rules Rollback (Oct 9)
- Bennet, Hickenlooper Introduce Safer Spaces for All Act (Oct 9)