John Hickenlooper

John Hickenlooper gives Nathan Dunlap reprieve from death but doesn't grant clemency

Moments ago, Governor John Hickenlooper announced his decision regarding the scheduled execution of Nathan Dunlap, who was convicted in 1996 of killing four people and seriously wounding a fifth during an assault three years earlier at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant. Rather than granting clemency, as ... More >>

Video: John Hickenlooper's angry exchange with reporter latest example of his very hard year

For Governor John Hickenlooper, it was a very hard week at the end of a hard year, filled with disasters both natural and man-made -- disasters Colorado is still struggling to understand. The frustrations that consumed Hickenlooper over the past twelve months came bubbling out during an interview ab ... More >>

Photos: John Hickenlooper signs Colorado Civil Unions Act into law

It's only fitting that the acme of Governor John Hickenlooper's recent political responsibilities came in a building called History Colorado. On Thursday, before a crowd of hundreds lining railings three stories up and jostling for a view, Hickenlooper signed the Colorado Civil Unions Act into law. ... More >>

NRA takes aim at Colorado's 2014 election

It should be all hearts and flowers when Governor John Hickenlooper signs the civil unions bill at History Colorado this afternoon. But we're betting that this historic moment will also have a history-making amount of security, given the vehement response to Hickenlooper's signing of three gun measu ... More >>

Marijuana: Amendment 64 task force report reveals Westword is adult-oriented -- and more

Hey, kid! What are you doing reading this blog post? Don't you know that Westword is adult-oriented? Frankly, that was news to us, too, despite our willingness to publish profanities when people say them to us (and other times, as well). But now we know, thanks to the just-released final report fro ... More >>

Colorado Professional Fire Fighters fight fire -- and opposition -- with money

Think firefighters want Senate Bill 25, which would allow collective bargaining, to go through the Colorado Legislature? According to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, the Colorado Professional Fire Fighters group was the single-biggest donor to current legislators in 2011-12, pouri ... More >>

Top six Colorado drinks/liquids Hickenlooper should promote instead of fracking fluid

Governor John Hickenlooper is just back from the National Governor's Conference in Washington, where he did not talk about drinking fracking fluid, as he had during Senate testimony two weeks ago. Hick's quip about his sip of frack fluid made headlines, but there are at least six Colorado drinks we' ... More >>

Marijuana: John Hickenlooper-Eric Holder A64 call still a mystery despite activist's efforts

Editor's note: Medical marijuana critic William Breathes's latest review, which is usually published at 4:20 p.m. on Thursdays, has not quite finished curing; look for it in this space soon. In the meantime, we share the story of a marijuana activist and his efforts to discover what was said during ... More >>

Gun legislation: Claire Levy's bill would enact real-time data transfer of mental-health records

As the debate around gun policy and mental health heats up in Colorado and across the country, Representative Claire Levy, a Boulder Democrat, is pushing forward with a bill that she says would help keep weapons out of the hands of the wrong people. The legislation would establish real-time data tra ... More >>

Governor Hickenlooper grills lamb and eats crow

The final tally from last weekend's NFL playoff game goes beyond the scoreboard for Colorado: Colorado also lost twelve prime lamb chops that Governor John Hickenlooper shipped across the country to Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley to pay off a bet debt. But first, he ate a little crow on the steps ... More >>

Don't let Maryland get all the Triple M lamb! Here's how to buy it

Want to try the lamb chops that Governor John Hickenlooper sent to Maryland Governor John O'Malley after losing a bet on the Broncos/Ravens game? Mary and David Miller, owners of Triple M Bar Ranch, will be in Boulder on Saturday, January 26, delivering meat to chefs -- and while they're parked at t ... More >>

John Hickenlooper lauded for bringing mental health into gun control talk

Governor John Hickenlooper is scheduled to speak at today's reopening of the Aurora Century 16, where "an evening of remembrance" will honor the victims of the shootings on July 20 during a screen of The Dark Knight Rises. Let's hope the event works as well as Hickenlooper's subsequent talk about g ... More >>

Five better bets John Hickenlooper could have made with Maryland

Triple M sheep, destined for Maryland?Governor John Hickenlooper is grilling lamb chops on the steps of the State Capitol this afternoon, in advance of mailing a package of a dozen lamb chops from the Triple M Bar Ranch in Manzanola to Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, to settle their bet on last S ... More >>

John Hickenlooper unveils new mental-health plan, days after Newtown tragedy

This morning's press conference to unveil Colorado's new mental-health plan was scheduled weeks earlier -- but the announcement ended up being very timely, since it took place just days after one of the worst mass shootings in history. And just as Governor John Hickenlooper's recent-gun control comm ... More >>

Gun control: John Hickenlooper calls for debate following Newtown school shooting

In the immediate aftermath of the Aurora theater shooting, Governor John Hickenlooper said it was too soon to talk about gun control. He remained virtually silent until, in a Thursday interview calling for a debate on the topic. One day later, the unimaginable shooting in Connecticut that claimed th ... More >>

Marijuana activist objects to Amendment 64 task force member calling for fed crackdown

As we've reported, the first meeting of the Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force is slated for noon today. But even before that initial session, a marijuana activist is protesting the inclusion of one task force member, Colorado Concern's Tamra Ward. Why? Because her signature is the first on lett ... More >>

Public servant Anthony Aragon runs for office in the Imperial Court

Reader: Amendment 64 establishes untaxed, black market marijuana for all

Our post about Governor John Hickenlooper's signing of Amendment 64 turned out to be a fount of conversation. But while Hick's proclamation allowed possession of an ounce or less of marijuana for adults 21 and over, a sales mechanism is not yet in place -- a contradiction noted by one of our readers ... More >>

Amendment 64's Christian Sederberg upbeat about being named to marijuana act's task force

Word that Governor John Hickenlooper had signed Amendment 64 into law necessarily overshadowed the announcement of members assigned to a task force that will guide implementation of the act. But Christian Sederberg, who'll represent the A64 campaign in the group, thinks the process is off to a posit ... More >>

Amendment 64 is now law: Governor John Hickenlooper quietly signs measure

Ever since voters approved Amendment 64, Governor John Hickenlooper's office has been evasive about saying when he would ink the measure. But this morning, he quietly signed A64 into law -- an action followed by a strangely worded announcement on view below.

Amendment 64: John Hickenlooper setting up broad task force regarding marijuana measure

Later today, representatives of Colorado NORML will meet with governor's office staffers about Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act. As NORML's Sean McAllister told us yesterday, they'll stress the need for cannabis consumers to have a seat at the table -- and a statement about a pr ... More >>

Marijuana: MMJ dispensaries seeing flood of people looking for legal ganja

Although Amendment 64 passed last week, Governor John Hickenlooper has told us not to bring out the Cheetos and Goldfish just yet. But apparently people need a firmer reminder that there are more hurdles to be surmounted -- and we're not just talking about the feds -- before pot shops can open in Co ... More >>

Marijuana: John Hickenlooper stresses urgency in Amendment 64 call to Eric Holder

After the passage of Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, Governor John Hickenlooper released a statement advising folks who voted for the proposal to wait before they break out the Cheetos and Goldfish. But he recognizes that the question of federal intervention over the measure i ... More >>

Cheetos, Goldfish: What should be the official State Snack for a real Rocky Mountain high?

Colorado has an official State Dance (square), an official State Fossil (stegosaurus) and not one, but two official State Songs ("Where the Columbines Grow" and "Rocky Mountain High"). It has no official food -- but Governor John Hickenlooper's reference to favorite munchie snacks could soon change ... More >>

John Hickenlooper cites Cheetos, Goldfish when Amendment 64 passes: Official state munchies?

Governor John Hickenlooper gave this election a real sound bite when he warned that the passage of Amendment 64 doesn't change the fact that "federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don't break out the Cheetos or [Goldfish] too quickly."

Video: John Hickenlooper says Obama lost 800K jobs in first few months of his "pregnancy"

Barack Obama's supporters think he's a remarkable man. But if what Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper revealed on Meet the Press yesterday is true, he's even more astonishing than even his biggest fans believed. Why? Because as you can see in the video below, Hick said the U.S. economy had been she ... More >>

John Hickenlooper: Scott Gessler may be intimidating Colorado voters

Governor John Hickenlooper joined the Obama campaign yesterday to rally voters to support the president. In addition to expressing his worries about a possible Mitt Romney presidency, the governor told us he is also concerned that another Republican official, Secretary of State Scott Gessler, may b ... More >>

John Hickenlooper championing Obama: "Lincoln wasn't a great debater"

The Obama campaign is hauling surrogates all over the Denver metro area today as part of a bus tour to champion the president -- a week after he struggled at the University of Denver in the first debate against Mitt Romney. At one stop, Governor John Hickenlooper told supporters that they have a cle ... More >>

Marijuana: John Hickenlooper compares teen pot smoking to underage drinking

After Governor John Hickenlooper ate cafeteria food and danced with elementary school students yesterday, we asked him about another issue that, at least according to him, is relevant to youth: the regulation of marijuana. Following up on a statement his office sent out last week announcing that H ... More >>

At the DNC, both John Hickenlooper and the aspens were blooming

John Hickenlooper opposing marijuana Amendment 64, both sides react

Late yesterday afternoon, in the biggest surprise since the sun rose in the east, Governor John Hickenlooper announced his opposition to Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act. Amendment proponent Mason Tvert responded with a statement charging Hick with hypocrisy -- a theme that echo ... More >>

Obama will speak indoors at DNC tonight -- unlike at Mile High four years ago

When accepting the presidential nomination at the 2012 DNC in Charlotte tonight, Barack Obama will speak at the Time Warner Convention Center, a quick switch from the Bank of America stadium. The official reason for the move is weather, although conspiracy theorists have their own ideas, including t ... More >>

Paul Weissmann will continue to serve the public as Boulder trustee

In the latest installment of a long-running saga, yesterday Governor John Hickenlooper reappointed five of the ten public trustees who resigned last month -- at his request. And he appointed three new trustees in three counties, including one who really puts the "public" in public trustee: sometime ... More >>

John Hickenlooper: Winter Olympics 2022 bid could bring Colorado together

Bringing the 2022 Winter Olympics to Denver has the potential to bring people together in a way that nothing else can, Governor John Hickenlooper said today, expressing serious interest in a possible bid. The governor chatted with Westword this morning about what the Olympics could mean for Colora ... More >>

Drug Policy Alliance 911 overdose bill: Will diluted version become law?

A Good Samaritan bill aimed at ending busts after 911 overdose calls cleared the Colorado Senate in February. But while the measure passed the House prior to the civil unions logjam that prompted a controversial special session and awaits John Hickenlooper's signature, it was diluted in ways that l ... More >>

Film incentives: Bill signing means Colorado ready for its close-up

With a scribble of his ceremonial pen this morning, Governor John Hickenlooper set Colorado on a path not unlike that of the Iron Man himself, Robert Downey, Jr. No, our fair state isn't going to rehab. Instead, lawmakers, film-industry insiders and Colorado boosters hope that the beefed-up film inc ... More >>

Video: John Hickenlooper says civil unions aren't marriage on CNN

Colorado's special session, which begins today, is earning nationwide attention for Governor John Hickenlooper due in large part to the civil unions legislation whose death largely inspired it. But in conversation with the net's Candy Crowley (see it below), Hickenlooper avoided espousing same-sex m ... More >>

THC driving bill on special sessions agenda: Does that mean Hick will sign it?

As we've reported, Governor John Hickenlooper called for a special legislative session following the blockage of a civil unions bill. The governor's office has identified seven bills that Hickenlooper hopes will be addressed beginning on Monday, including the controversial THC driving bill. Does tha ... More >>

Lower North Fork Fire started by prescribed burn, Forest Service apologizes

The U.S. Forest Service is now admitting that the Lower North Fork Fire near Conifer, which appears to have led to at least two casualties (one woman is still missing), was started by a prescribed burn that got out of control. Meanwhile, Governor John Hickenlooper has suspended such burns until aft ... More >>

John Hickenlooper's bloopers prove he's vice presidential material

National pundits have been touting John Hickenlooper as a potential presidential candidate in 2016, with perhaps a slot as Barack Obama's 2012 running mate as a warm-up. And lately, Hick's been sounding very vice-presidential -- if Obama is looking for a veep as gaffe-daffy as Joe Biden.

Reader: John Hickenlooper earns great press nationally, but locals getting Hick fatigue

Patricia Calhoun's post about the great press garnered by John Hickenlooper nationally -- including his name surfacing as a possible vice-presidential candidate -- didn't convince one reader, who's a bit lukewarm about the governor's idiosyncrasies. Here's his take.

John Hickenlooper for vice president...and brewmaster? Hick brings in beery good press

They like us! They really like us! Denver has long seemed like the Sally Field of cities, eager for any national recognition. And this past weekend, Denver got plenty, for everything from its beer to its beer-drinking governor....especially its beer-drinking governor.

John Hickenlooper: If he can become governor, there's no limit to Colorado's future

Governor John Hickenlooper met with newspaper reps in town for the Colorado Press Association's annual convention at the Governor's Mansion yesterday. There, he talked about Iowa, Christo, the coolness of Lieutenant Governor Joe Garcia...and how Westword was a very good neighbor during the Wynkoop B ... More >>

Water wars: Rally asks John Hickenlooper to nix "river-killing" diversion project

​Despite concerns raised by the EPA and alarms sounded in a state report, Colorado officials are moving forward with a plan to divert more water from the Upper Colorado River to the Front Range -- which is why anglers, rafters, tourism interests and others will be rallying in protest on the we ... More >>

John Hickenlooper announces "Pedal the Plains," bike race set for September

John Hickenlooper.​As the USA Pro Cycling Challenge proved, Coloradans love their bicycling races. Governor John Hickenlooper hopes to tap into that passion and bring attention to an often neglected part of the state with "Pedal the Plains," which his office announced today. The three-day race ... More >>

John Hickenlooper: Hat's off to Colorado's entrepreneurial spirit

John Hickenlooper might not like wearing a tie, but he has a thing about hats these days. He donned a giant cowboy hat for his speech at the Citizens of the West dinner Monday night (scary photo at right and below); he modeled a Denver Broncos cap during his State of the State speech yesterday. But ... More >>

John Hickenlooper hangs with Barack Obama, Neil Diamond at the Kennedy Center Honors

During Tuesday night's broadcast of the 34th annual Kennedy Center Honors, the cameras frequently swept over the President's box occupied by Barack and Michelle Obama, as well as honorees Sonny Rollins, Barbara Cook, Neil Diamond, Meryl Streep and Yo-Yo Ma -- and there, just to the president's right ... More >>

Fracking is booming, but a friendlier name couldn't hurt. Drill, baby, drill!

The word of the year? Our money (and yours) is on "fracking," the shortened term for "hydraulic fracturing," a practice that shook neighborhoods (in some cases literally) around the country this year, and has fueled the oil and gas boom in northeastern Colorado. But if energy execs really want to dr ... More >>

John Hickenlooper's bucket list for experiencing Colorado in 2012

​In recent decades, this state has been the focus of numerous doomsday predictions that Colorado -- if not the world itself -- was in imminent danger of disappearing. The most recent furor involves the Mayan calendar's prediction that the world will end on December 21, 2012 -- a prediction deb ... More >>