According to a 2020 study by USDish, Super Bowl Sunday is the most popular and anticipated Sunday of the year. It certainly ranks as the most-watched television event--greater than the Olympics or even the Academy Awards--but surprisingly, this was not the most interesting point. The study also found that Americans who were ages 54 or older said they were more likely to watch the 2020 election coverage than the Super Bowl.

Personally, I cannot decide whether preferring election coverage over the Super Bowl is a good thing or not. On the one hand, I firmly believe increased citizen participation strengthens our democracy, so I am happy to see more people engaged in our elections.

You may wonder, then, what could possibly be the downside? My fear is that elections have actually become more like the Super Bowl--a game between rival teams. If you think about it, the two events bear a striking resemblance to one another: both are high-stakes spectacles with invested "fans" watching two teams duke it out toward victory, with one team winning and other losing.

This notion of winners and losers was discussed in today's Denver Post, by columnist Seth Masket who questioned whether bipartisan lawmaking was worth it anymore. He talked about the benefits of bipartisanship and working together in prior years, but noted how "Today that's no longer the case; the parties are sharply divided into ideological camps. Working with people across party lines involves significant changes in policy, to the point that your own party might punish you for doing it."

I have become increasingly worried about this winners and losers approach to policymaking. For example, last week I polled readers on your opinion about administering CMAS tests in schools this spring. (I've written about the results of the poll below.) The response to that poll, and subsequent media stories, were highly emotional and seemed to play out much more like rival teams in a big game than policymakers trying to solve a problem. Whichever way we land, I hope both sides will acknowledge each other's concerns and find ways to address them, because our children's education is not a game, and they cannot afford a Super Bowl Sunday approach to this issue.

Enjoy the game! (And yes, I know the Broncos are not in the Super Bowl, but I can't bear to cheer for any other team!)

I really appreciated the large number of people who responded to the poll on whether or not to move forward with CMAS testing this spring. Here is a breakdown of the results:

Here are a few of the written responses:

The Jeffco Public Health department sent out a press release last week announcing that they will be opening up its vaccination clinic to adults age 70+ in hopes of increasing that population's vaccination rate. So far, JCPH has focused its efforts on healthcare workers and first responders. Jeffco must reach a 70% vaccination rate of people 70+ before they can open up appointments for the vaccine to the next group, such as people 65+ and educators.

According to the release, "JCPH will begin offering vaccine in limited quantities to adults 70 and older at our clinic at the Arvada Fire Protection District Training Center, 6651 Indiana Street, beginning on February 3, 2021. This clinic is hosted with support from the Arvada Fire Protection District, Arvada Police Department and volunteers from organizations around the county. The vaccine will also continue to be available to those classified by CDPHE in Phase 1A and 1B.1."

Please note that vaccines will only be available to those who are in these phases and by appointment only. Please sign up for an appointment at the JCPH COVID-19 Clinics webpage. For additional information, visit COCOVIDVaccine.org or call 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926). 

During our month-long recess, the State Senate has moved forward with several sunset hearings for various programs and/or agencies. The General Assembly sets specific dates that a particular agency, board, or function of government will terminate unless the legislature passes new legislation to continue.

Last week, the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee reviewed recommendations on the Office of Consumer Counsel and Utility Consumers' Board. These recommendations come from a sunset review process administered by the Department of Regulatory Affairs (DORA). Here is a copy of the sunset review report and the recommendations. The committee chose to adopt all the recommendations and move forward with the proposed bill draft. The next step will be to hear the bill in committee when the legislature resumes.

Last week, Governor Polis and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced changes to the Dial Framework used to measure a county's level of openness in response to the number of COVID cases.

The new dial framework, called Dial 2.0, includes several changes including:

According to the new criteria, Jeffco will move to Yellow down from Orange on the Dial 2.0 framework. The new dial went into effect yesterday. To learn more about what Level Yellow means for Jeffco, visit CDPHE's Dial webpage.

On Monday... I attended a CDLE briefing on the Unemployment Insurance system... I hosted an education stakeholder meeting to discuss upcoming legislation... I met with officials from the Colorado Department of Higher Education... On Tuesday... I met with Jefferson County Public Schools to discuss the vaccine rollout for educators... I received a briefing from PEBC and the Keystone Policy group on the Education System Resiliency and Innovation Initiative taskforce and recommendations report... On Wednesday... I met with a constituent and representative of Recycle Colorado... I attended a county briefing about the vaccine rollout... I met with a constituent and employee of the Department of Public Safety Criminal Justice Division... I met with proponents of pausing CMAS testing... I attended the Early Childhood Leadership Commission's legislative reception and annual report release... I attended the Blue Ribbon Restaurant Reception... On Thursday, I attended a CEA press conference on CMAS testing... I attended the SIPA Board of Directors meeting... I met with representatives of Stand For Children... I met with a representative of JLH Consulting and Public Affairs... On Friday, I attended the sunset hearing for the Office of Consumer Counsel... I attended the Colorado Commission on Higher Education business meeting... On Saturday, I attended the Arvadans for Progressive Action's presentation on Affordable Housing.

Mark your calendar for our next virtual town hall meeting! We will be presenting a legislative preview and giving an overview of the legislative process. We will cover topics such as how a bill becomes a law, what bills we plan to carry, and how you can participate. Click here for details!