Oil companies use Trump logic to fight Colorado regulations

Good Monday and happy brisk spring morning, everybody!

April seems to be whipping by, especially because I’ve got my mind set on May. That’s when the whole staff of The Colorado Sun — plus experts, leaders, researchers and readers like you — will be coming together for a day full of fascinating and useful discussions about the future of this beautiful state.

That’s right, Colorado SunFest is now just a month away! We’ll be talking about it a lot over the coming weeks, but now’s the time to grab a ticket and start planning. A full schedule is coming soon, but here’s a peek at two of our featured guests:

• Mark McKinnon. Mark McKinnon is an American political adviser, reform advocate, media columnist, and television producer (Showtimes “The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth”) who co-founded No Labels, an organization dedicated to bipartisanship and political problem-solving.

• Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. Former University of Colorado Law School dean and current candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, Phil Weiser has been part of some of Colorado’s biggest legal issues since he took office in 2019.

These are just two of the more than 30 experts and journalists who will be speaking about the future of Colorado at SunFest, so make plans to spend Friday, May 16th with us at the University of Denver. Click here for tickets — Sun members get a great discount — and more information.

That’s enough thinking about May, let’s turn our attention back to the present, and the newsletter full of news that awaits us. Onward!

Eric Lubbers

CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE NEWS

NEWS

Lawsuit attacking Colorado oil and gas rules echoes Trump’s push to roll back local green laws

The West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association is piggybacking on an April 8 executive order by President Donald Trump urging the federal government to fight state environmental rules that his administration considers overreach. Parker Yamasaki and Michael Booth explain the group’s arguments — and which of the state’s new pollution rules are being targeted.

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OUTDOORS

Eldora ski area still on the market as its owner, Powdr, backs away from a deal to sell Mt. Bachelor

The Utah company that owns Eldora has backed off a potential sale of its Mt. Bachelor resort in Oregon, Jason Blevins reports, though the Boulder County ski area remains on the market — and the town of Nederland’s efforts to make a bid continue to take shape.

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OUTDOORS

Wildlife officials are seeing a spike in canine distemper — in raccoons

If you live in southern Colorado (or, really, anywhere) make sure your dogs have up-to-date distemper shots. Tracy Ross reports on the surge in positive cases in and around the San Luis Valley — and how easily the virus can jump from scavengers to backyard dogs.

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MORE NEWS

• Families of transgender youth no longer view Colorado as a haven for gender-affirming care. A move by several of Colorado’s major health providers to halt services for trans children has plunged some families into uncertainty.
• More Colorado houses hit the market, but they’re also sitting around longer. The for-sale housing market is not back to normal yet. Plus: Tariffs’ impact on Colorado, a job fair with a $500 bonus, and more!
• Fact Brief ☀️ Does the US import most of its vegetables from Mexico? No. Although the United States buys more vegetables from Mexico than from any other country, most vegetables bought in the U.S. are grown here.

COLORADO SUNDAY

Inside a Colorado death cafe, where you can talk about the most vulnerable topic of all

Death is one of the only parts of life that every person will have to deal with, but Western culture has made it difficult to talk about. Enter death cafes, where local “death doulas” can help break the ice and create a new relationship with one of the most impactful subjects there is. Jennifer Brown has more.

READ MORE

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE COLORADO REPORT

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• Arena Football League returns to Denver after 16-year absence. The Spartans played their first season in Loveland, but a deal with the Denver Coliseum — complete with its own “party deck” — brings indoor football back to the Mile High City for the first time since the John Elway-affiliated Colorado Crush went under in 2009.
  — Denver Business Journal ????
• Rockies lose 6-0 to Padres, suffer third consecutive shutout for first time. You know, you think that the Rockies have exhausted all the unique, interesting ways to lose, but they still have some surprises left.
  — The Denver Post ????
• Pikes Peak cog railway sues Manitou Springs for tax refunds. “Several current members of City Council appear to harbor a general disdain and negative feelings towards a successful corporate citizen,” the lawsuit by the Anschutz Corp.-owned railroad system reads.
  — BusinessDen ????
• Denver’s city clerk says enough signatures were gathered to send repeal of tobacco flavor ban to voters. Two groups — led by a coalition of city vape shops — gathered more than 17,000 signatures to take the flavor ban back to voters.
  — Denverite
• Mother-daughter duo keeps needlework alive through shop in Englewood. Having recently started on my own embroidery journey (mostly to mend my own clothes, but branching into more decorative ways to keep my hands busy instead of scrolling on my phone) I can’t wait to make a trip to Diversions Needlepoint.
  — Englewood Herald

Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• The Democratic race for governor will be a contest of who can better bring the fight to Donald Trump. In announcing his candidacy, Michael Bennet says he can battle Trump better from Colorado than in the dysfunctional Senate.
  — Mike Littwin
  
• Mr. Hurd goes to Washington — and puts the Constitution above all else. U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd signed onto legislation that challenged President Trump’s tariffs as an unconstitutional grab of congressional power.
  — Mario Nicolais
  

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at opinion@coloradosun.com.

Did you go to a fun shop this weekend? Or grab a bite at your favorite local restaurant? Then you should nominate those small businesses for Colorado’s Best, our reader’s choice survey. Just click here to nominate your favorites in one of dozens of categories to get them the attention they deserve.

Have a great day and we’ll see you tomorrow!

— Eric and the whole staff of The Sun

The Colorado Sun is part of The Trust Project. Read our policies.

Corrections & Clarifications

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