XPost: alt.politics.trump, alt.politics.elections, sac.politics   
   XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, talk.politics.guns   
   From: noreply@mixmin.net   
      
   Gov. Jared Polis says he has an ambitious agenda for his final year in   
   office.   
      
   He's been full throttle since he was elected governor seven years ago,   
   leading the state through COVID-19, two school shootings, and four of   
   the most destructive wildfires in Colorado history.   
      
   "It's hard to sprint. You sprint for 8 years, and that's always the way   
   we've approached it. Our team -- we say we're running through the tape.   
   We're running through the tape here," he said.   
      
   As he nears the finish line, he is not only focused on the state budget   
   and issues like affordable housing, but also which state prisoners   
   should receive clemency. Among those who have asked the governor for a   
   reduced sentence is former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who was   
   convicted of several felonies in connection with a 2020 election fraud   
   scheme.   
      
   "She got a sentence that was harsh. It was a 9 year sentence. So we   
   always look at people's sentences. And when you have people that are   
   elderly, and we're looking at this across a number of many people --   
   people in their 70s or 80s in our system -- how much of a threat to   
   society are they and how do we balance that in a way that makes sure   
   they can spend their last year few years at home."   
      
   President Trump asked the governor to transfer Peters to federal   
   authorities last year so he could pardon her, but Polis refused and   
   Trump pardoned her anyway, but because she was charged in state court   
   she remains imprisoned. Trump has since blocked funding to Colorado for   
   needy families, disaster relief and clean water.   
      
   It comes as the state faces another massive budget shortfall. Polis   
   proposed cuts to state agencies and a cap on Medicaid spending, but he   
   says he will resist cuts to K-12 schools.   
      
   "One of the reasons I ran for governor is so kids would have access to   
   pre-school and kindergarten and we got that done," Polis said. "If   
   there's one area that I'm disappointed in what I (didn't get) done as   
   governor, it's health care. And while we have a long litany of   
   achievements in health care, we cannot fix it as a state."   
      
   He says his top priority for his final legislative session is to make   
   Colorado more affordable. Among the bills he wants to see passed is a   
   measure that would allow homeowners to subdivide their lots, despite a   
   lawsuit by several cities that claim the state is usurping local   
   control.   
      
   He also supports bills to lower home and auto insurance, remove   
   regulatory barriers to renewable energy development, and prevent the   
   release of dangerous offenders found incompetent to stand trial.   
      
   "We are putting all those pieces in place to make life in Colorado more   
   affordable, sustainable, livable. And that manifests itself over the   
   next few years and ultimately that's a big part of the legacy that I   
   leave the state," Polis said.   
      
   While the governor didn't discuss his long-term plans, he says the week   
   after he leaves office, the Sundance Film Festival comes to Boulder, and   
   he is looking forward to watching movies without his phone going off   
   every second.   
      
   https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/jared-polis-considers-clemency-tina   
   -peters/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)