John Hickenlooper

John Hickenlooper disappointed by redistricting map fight even though Dems seem to have won?

John Hickenlooper.​Denver blogs posts are having a helluva week. Who Said You Said hypes a video of John Hickenlooper expressing disappointment with the redistricting process. Didn't the results supposedly benefit Hick's fellow Democrats? Burning Down the House's Andi shares a moving essay a ... More >>

Marijuana: 2 guvs petition feds to reclassify pot, but John Hickenlooper not ready to do so -- yet

This week, governors in Rhode Island and Washington asked the federal government to concede that marijuana has medical uses. A Colorado official is required to send a similar message by year's end -- but would John Hickenlooper consider following the lead of these fellow governors and do the deed hi ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Protesters confront Governor Hickenlooper during benefit (VIDEO)

The Thunderdome's brief meeting with Governor John Hickenlooper has been captured on video -- and on YouTube -- and you can watch it below. Pay special attention around the 3:53 mark, when Hickenlooper exits the Denver Rescue Mission and is immediately subject to loud questions from the protesters. ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Hickenlooper, Hancock called hypocrites at benefit to feed homeless

Thanksgiving began a day early -- and a bit shaky -- for Occupy Denver this morning when the group's kitchen collective, the Thunderdome, took to the Denver Rescue Mission to confront Mayor Michael Hancock and Governor John Hickenlooper. The politicians acted as symbolic hosts of a holiday benefit t ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Students at Wesleyan revoke Governor John Hickenlooper's degree

Occupy Denver's sphere of influence (and the bad PR it occasionally invites upon city officials) has traveled well beyond Colorado borders, and its most recent stop earned it a spot in Connecticut. On Thursday, students at Governor John Hickenlooper's alma mater of Wesleyan University took official ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Tent State University vet Adam Jung lashes out at John Hickenlooper

Hickenlooper.​Coverage of the Occupy Denver tent city being dismantled early this morning wasn't only seen by Denverites. Also watching was London-based Adam Jung, a prominent figure in the protests associated with the 2008 Democratic National Convention owing to his role with Tent State Univ ... More >>

Occupy Denver: John Hickenlooper, Michael Hancock ban camping, arrests could follow

Hickenlooper.​The political triumvirate of Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Colorado Attorney General John Suthers held a joint news conference this morning aimed firmly at dispersing the ever-growing camp at Occupy Denver. Protesters will no longer be allo ... More >>

Occupy Denver to hold press conference at 10 p.m. about being kicked off Capitol grounds

​Members of the Occupy Denver movement will hold a press conference at 10 p.m. in the wake of Governor John Hickenlooper and Mayor Michael Hancock's announcement that the group can no longer camp out on the grounds of the Colorado State Capitol overnight. The group issued a press release this ... More >>

Occupy Denver: State Patrol spokesman says approach to dealing with protesters "evolving"

​As we reported yesterday, Governor John Hickenlooper said Occupy Denver protesters can't continue camping overnight near the State Capitol -- but he acknowledged that jurisdictional issues have complicated things. Such issues have yet to be resolved, says a Colorado State Patrol spokesman. Bu ... More >>

Occupy Denver asks John Hickenlooper to allow camping, invites him to general assembly

John Hickenlooper.​Earlier today, a Colorado State Patrol spokesman said the law-enforcement approach to Occupy Denver's tent city is evolving, and could be finalized soon. But rather than waiting to see how agencies might try to enforce Governor John Hickenlooper's apparent wish to end overni ... More >>

John Hickenlooper: Occupy Denver protesters can't stay overnight, deciding how to evict them

​The tent city that sprang up in relation to Occupy Denver, the local version of the Occupy Wall Street protests, can't become a permanent fixture at the State Capitol, Governor John Hickenlooper said today -- and the Colorado State Patrol confirms that discussions will be underway soon to det ... More >>

Reader: John Hickenlooper is an uninformed industry apologist when it comes to fracking

​Alan Prendergast's recent post quoted Governor John Hickenlooper as calling the prospect of contamination from fracking "inconceivable." But one reader thinks he wouldn't have any problems conceiving of this prospect were he not buddying up to the oil and gas industry.

Fracking contamination "inconceivable," says John Hickenlooper -- but EPA disagrees

​Governor John Hickenlooper has walked a taut tightrope on energy issues since taking office, pushing for more natural gas drilling in a state already leading the region in drilling starts, while at the same time nudging the industry toward greater disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic ... More >>

John Hickenlooper still mayor, not governor, according to Denver Post Facebook page

Hickenlooper.​Major news organizations continue to struggle with social media. Case in point: This weekend, the Denver Post's Facebook page mistakenly referred to Governor John Hickenlooper as Mayor John Hickenlooper in one item -- and although a prompt correction followed, that's not immediat ... More >>

John Hickenlooper stacks parole board with cops and familiar faces

​We've noted in this space before before the tendency among Colorado governors to load up the state parole board with former Denver police officers, as if the job was essentially an $85,000-a-year private security gig. Judging from John Hickenlooper's new appointments to the board, that streak ... More >>

Immigration and Customs Enforcement renews promise to focus on deporting serious criminals

​ Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has renewed its promise to focus on serious criminals for detention and deportation. "A new policy directs ICE officers and attorneys to use appropriate discretion to make sure victims and witnesses to crimes are not put into deportation proceedings, ... More >>

Newhouse Hotel reportedly sex offender central & conveniently located opposite Capitol

9News​The most recent sweeps period, when ratings determine TV ad rates, ended in May -- but last night, 9News unleashed a blockbuster anyhow. The station reports that the Newhouse Hotel, across the street from the State Capitol, is the registered home of no fewer than eleven sex offenders.

Medical marijuana: Rob Corry wouldn't sign MMJ clean-up bill if he were John Hickenlooper

Rob Corry.​Last October, attorney Rob Corry wrote to John Hickenlooper to ask the then-Denver mayor to stop prosecuting Lacy Lee, a woman busted for smoking pot at a pro-cannabis rally; the case was later dropped. Now, Corry's written to Hick again, this time to offer expert analysis on HB 104 ... More >>

John Hickenlooper: Help Tiffany Hartley, whose husband David was murdered in Mexico

Hickenlooper.​Governor John Hickenlooper is apparently not convinced a Judicial Watch investigation will be sufficient to solve the murder in Mexico of David Hartley. So he, along with senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet and Representative Cory Gardner, signed letters sent to the department ... More >>

John Hickenlooper to sign Senate Bill 60 today: Raise a glass of any beer you like!

​Restaurateurs all over the state will be raising a glass at 3 pm. today, when Governor John Hickenlooper officially signs Senate Bill 60 into law...at the Old Chicago at 145 Union Boulevard in Lakewood. But then, the setting makes sense, since this is the measure that will allow bars and rest ... More >>

The light stuff: SB 60 passes a House committee vote

​Turn that frown upside down! Yesterday, a bill that would remove restaurants and bars from the archaic, post-Prohibition laws regulating the sales of low-alcohol beers in convenience and grocery stores made it out of the House Economic and Business Development Committee -- 13 to 0. Senate Bi ... More >>

Reader: John Denver was a Colorado treasure, and anyone who disagrees is an idiot

Hick.​As an intro to a photo gallery featuring shots of John Hickenlooper and other attendees at the John Denver Colorado Hall of Fame induction concert, reviewed by Backbeat's Dave Herrera, I shared my strongly held feeling that JD's music is vomit-inducing. Unsurprisingly, there was some dis ... More >>

John Hickenlooper or Ken Salazar: Who will be voted Colorado Political Powerhouse 2011?

John Hickenlooper.​Denver blog posts are multiplying like rabbits... with calculators. Colorado Pols' NCAA-style bracket to determine the state's political powerhouse for the year is down to its final two contestants -- John Hickenlooper and Ken Salazar. Vote early and often. Square State's ... More >>

Beer debate spills out of committee and onto the floor of the Colorado legislature

​This was not going to be the year that the legislature poured its time and energy into fixing this state's arcane liquor laws. These old laws still have big brewers making watered-down beer for sale in convenience and grocery stores in Colorado -- one of only five states that still call for 3 ... More >>

Denver's final Food Truck Guide -- for now

John Hickenlooper at last summer's Civic Center Eats.​As mayor, John Hickenlooper frequented the gourmet food trucks that parked outside City Hall for Civic Center Eats. Now Denver City Council representative Carla Madison, as head of the city's truck task force, is overseeing a study of the ... More >>

Brewers get the key to the Governor's Mansion at Pints & Bites

Odell BrewingBeer gets a seat at the big kids' table.​When Coloradans elected former beer man John Hickenlooper to the state's top post last November, they had no idea they'd be letting the entire craft-brewing industry into the Governors' Mansion as well. But that's what happened last night ... More >>

John Hickenlooper has more fun at reunion than dealing with billion-dollar budget shortfall

Hickenlooper.​Fresh from another round of eco-devo meetings and a quick side trip to a Craig hospital to get five stitches after he bumped his head in his state car, John Hickenlooper landed back in Denver in time for a reunion party at El Diablo with campaign staffers and supporters who worke ... More >>

John Hickenlooper wears tie on ABC, avoids getting tied to collective bargaining (VIDEOS)

Hickenlooper.​John Hickenlooper's appearance on ABC's This Week yesterday wasn't nearly as warm and fuzzy as his holiday gig on the same network's Good Morning America two years ago. This time, he was part of a roundtable of four "top" governors taking on the country's budget crisis and big la ... More >>

Bill Vidal sticks to the script -- but not English -- with the new DIA recording

Hick no more.​After flying into DIA last night and hopping on the train, I was greeted by former mayor John Hickenlooper delivering a hearty "Welcome to Denver." But soon, current mayor Bill Vidal will have his say. But after the wild will-he/won't-he events of the past week, you can't help w ... More >>

John Hickenlooper hosts economic development meeting in Denver: Bottoms up!

Hickenlooper.​Governor John Hickenlooper is revving up his eco-devo engine. Last month, he toured Colorado for four days, holding confabs in eight towns; Denver gets its turn today, at a Bottom-Up Economic Development Meeting at the Cable Center at the University of Denver. And have we got som ... More >>

John Hickenlooper has another clothes call at SIA: Will he don PJs for Denver's Road Home?

Hickenlooper.​We were a little disappointed not to see John Hickenlooper in his '80s-era red ski outfit when he welcomed the Snowsports Industries America show to town with cowbells yesterday. "What do you think of my new duds?" he asked, showing off his jacket. Frankly, it seemed a little sed ... More >>

John Hickenlooper opens the SIA trade show... with a cowbell

Hickenlooper.​Governor John Hickenlooper welcomed press, exhibitors, buyers and industry execs to the opening of the Snowsports Industries America annual trade show, an event formerly held in Sin City. As everyone in Colorado understands, Denver is a much more appropriate home for SIA -- and ... More >>

The trucks stop here: Read the draft of Denver's new food-truck policy

Look familiar? Then-mayor John Hickenlooper tries a truck at Civic Center Eats​Gourmet food trucks were the biggest trend of 2010. But by the end of last year, a few of these enterprises had run into roadblocks set up by the city's confusing rules and regulations; a couple of the trucks had g ... More >>

John Hickenlooper: The beer-flavored lesson for Colorado from Phantom Canyon Brewing Co.

Hickenlooper.​Beer was flowing (figuratively, at least) when John Hickenlooper offered his first address to the Colorado Legislature yesterday and told the story of a brewpub. Not the Denver-centric story of the Wynkoop Brewing Co., the iconic LoDo spot, but a venture that grew out of that pro ... More >>

Dome brew: An intoxicating look at Governor John Hickenlooper's heady political career

Denver mayoral races are not easy to predict

Denver mayor's race: And they're off!

Bill Vidal.​Now that John Hickenlooper has been sworn in as governor, and Bill Vidal is officially Denver's interim mayor, the focus will soon shift to the race for the next mayor. A dozen candidates have already declared, and two high-profile names -- Linda Alvarado and Walter Isenberg -- are ... More >>

John Hickenlooper: Coining a new governor at the State Capitol, and keeping the change

Hickenlooper.​The most moving sight in a day filled with eye-popping activities surrounding the inauguration of John Hickenlooper: the lineup of former governors -- Dick Lamm, Roy Romer, Bill Owens, Bill Ritter (and on video, John Vanderhoof) -- on the stage of the Fillmore Auditorium. The od ... More >>

Governor Hickenlooper mounts up, rides the beer wagon to his inauguration party

Jonathan ShikesJohn Hickenlooper on the beer wagon.​While the party was just getting started at the Fillmore Auditorium, Governor John Hickenlooper arrived in the gritty parking lot of a Blockbuster store about a block away to begin the ride of a lifetime. Or at least the ride of the night. ... More >>

Bill Vidal, new Denver mayor, talks good cops and bad at swearing-in ceremony

Bill Vidal​The most-asked question that new Denver mayor Bill Vidal has heard since it became clear he was going to be the 44th leader of the city has been this: What is he going to do about the cop problem? Allegations of police brutality among the ranks of the Denver Police Department have ... More >>

John Hickenlooper administration to kick off with cannon fire marking start of mayor's race

Hickenlooper.​Eight years ago, John Hickenlooper was barely a blip in early polling for the 2003 mayoral election. Four years ago, he won re-election in a walk. This morning, he'll resign the office of Denver mayor -- and the happiest people in town will be the dozen candidates who've alread ... More >>

Hickenlooper's inaugural walk to get odd, yet strangely familiar

​At 8:30 this morning at the City and County Building downtown, John Hickenlooper will officially resign as mayor of the City of Denver, leaving him unemployed for the few minutes it will take him to walk over to the State Capitol to be sworn in as governor. Normally, that short jog would be n ... More >>

John Hickenlooper inaugurated as king of cartoons in 2001: Kenny Be's Time Machine

Hickenlooper's crowning achievement.​ John Hickenlooper officially became Colorado's governor at today's inauguration. As the drawing above illustrates, I crowned King John nearly a decade ago in a comic prediction. Look below to see the full comic, as well as the ten-year evolution of Hick a ... More >>

John Hickenlooper for president? First, he has to get to the State Capitol

Hickenlooper.​John Hickenlooper has not yet been inaugurated as Colorado's next governor, and the city of which he is still mayor -- for another 26 hours or so -- is buried in the sort of snowstorm that shows how much Mother Nature loves mocking Denver's politicians. Remember Bill McNichols? ... More >>

John Hickenlooper making appointments fast -- but only half as many as when he was mayor

Hickenlooper.​John Hickenlooper is moving fast to build his administration. Since December 31, he's announced more than a dozen appointments, including three yesterday alone: Barbara Kelley will remain as director of the Department of Regulatory Agencies, Larry Trujillo will continue as head o ... More >>

John Hickenlooper hits first obstacle to becoming governor

John Hickenlooper.​Next Tuesday morning, John Hickenlooper will resign his post as Denver mayor, a job he's held almost eight years, but is giving up to become Colorado governor, and walk out of the City and County Building and across Civic Center Park towards the State Capitol -- right into a ... More >>

John Hickenlooper will walk from city to state office a week from today

John Hickenlooper, governor-elect​A week from today, at 8:30 a.m., John Hickenlooper will resign his job as the mayor of Denver, then leave his office at the City and County Building (where he had a stripe painted around the top of the room at a point exactly a mile high) and walk across Civic ... More >>

Drink better beers in 2011; start this week with Odell, Wynkoop and Great Divide

Make 2011 great!​If you're like me, you make your New Year's resolutions easy. For 2011, I vowed to watch both the new and old versions of True Grit. Done and done, and don't I feel good! But if you want something that takes a little longer, try upgrading your beer-drinking program. Give ten ... More >>

John Hickenlooper, governor-elect, prepares to pour out plans, not beer

Hickenlooper.​Yesterday, John Hickenlooper returned to the Denver Press Club -- an iconic joint he first visited two decades ago, when he was thinking of writing a screenplay about Damon Runyon, a Denver Post writer who moved on to New York and gained a national reputation for his celebration ... More >>

John Hickenlooper still owes the little people $9,500 -- and he'd like your help in paying them

John Hickenlooper.​The election's been over for a month, but people on governor-elect John Hickenlooper's e-mail list got one last fundraising message today. Turns out Hick's campaign still owes $9,500 to small vendors and local businesses, and he's hoping to raise that much by midnight tonigh ... More >>