Gov. John Hickenlooper starts his second term Tuesday looking at a much different Colorado than the one he inherited four years ago.
Instead of a sputtering economy with unemployment at 8.8 percent, the state’s outlook is rebounding and joblessness is down to 4.1 percent. And instead of a billion-dollar budget shortfall, economists are projecting tax surpluses.
The Democrat will take the oath on the west steps of the Capitol at 11 a.m. — but , and where he sets his legacy, remains unclear.
“I think his No. 1 challenge is outlining an agenda for the next term,” said Eric Sondermann, a Denver-based political analyst. “I think there is concern on the part of some that his second term as mayor of Denver didn’t have a very concrete or ambitious agenda.”
, the governor used his inauguration to unveil his first three executive orders, set his vision for the state’s economic future and announce a statewide tour to tout his ideas. In his speech, he declared his administration’s “first task, our highest priority, is jobs.”
This year’s speech — and his State of the State address to lawmakers Thursday — is expected to echo his campaign themes about making Colorado the leader in education reforms, the nation’s healthiest state and the best job creator in the country.
Even with a better economic picture, Hickenlooper still faces challenges, including persistent long-term unemployment and an uneven economic recovery that left areas of the state struggling. His administration also is and faces a split partisan legislature this session.
Hickenlooper debuted a key plan of his second term agenda last week, a modest program designed to help workers who are jobless for more than 26 weeks, but how he plans to reach his other goals remains murky.
In a recent interview, Hickenlooper demurred when asked whether he would set a bold direction in his speech.
“I think that we are going to lay out some real points of demarcation of where we want to go,” he said Friday. “And also some philosophical principles, what our core values are and what they look like.”
What won’t feel unfamiliar to the governor, compared to his 2011 ceremony, is the weather.
In 2011, and a fresh snow dusting the Capitol grounds made for a frigid inaugural.
The forecast for Tuesday’s ceremony calls for partly sunny skies and temperatures near 30 degrees. Senate Majority Leader Mark Scheffel warned lawmakers Monday to be prepared for “blizzard conditions,” but snow is not expected until the evening hours.
much with a low-key dinner and concert, rather than a more traditional inaugural ball. Colorado bands The Lumineers, a folk-rock group, and String Cheese Incident, a jam band, are headlining the show at the Ogden Theatre.
A who’s-who of Colorado companies — and major political players — are .
Thirteen companies gave $25,000 or more and 44 donors contributed $10,000 or more to fete the governor, including two handfuls of oil and gas companies, which are closely monitoring the administration’s task force on new industry rules.
Law and lobbying firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association each gave at least $10,000.
The , Colorado Up, which is run by Hickenlooper’s campaign consultants, refused to disclose the exact amount that donors contributed or the event’s budget.
The organizers raised at least $400,000 from donors, and proceeds from the event’s ticket sales — $100 for the dinner and $75 for the concert — will go to two nonprofits the governor helped launch.
It’s not unusual for political interests to give large sums, and a spokesman for the nonprofit said donors would receive no special treatment.
But it raises questions about access and money in politics, said Luis Toro, the executive director at Colorado Ethics Watch, a nonprofit that tracks the political money, because it goes outside campaign contribution rules.
Under state law, a candidate cannot directly accept money from corporations and the donations far exceed state contribution limits.
“The reason to give is because doing something nice for the governor is going to pay off for your company in some way,” Toro said.
John Frank: 303-954-2409, jfrank@denverpost.com or twitter.com/ByJohnFrank
Inauguration events
Gov. John Hickenlooper will take the oath of office for his second term Tuesday and celebrate in day-long festivities.
11 a.m. The inauguration ceremony begins on the west steps of the state Capitol for all statewide-elected officials. The event is free to attend and open seating for limited spots begins at 9:30 a.m.
5 p.m. A cocktail hour is followed by a dinner at the Fillmore Auditorium. The governor will give remarks. Tickets cost $100. Visit to purchase.
8 p.m. Doors open at the Ogden Theatre for the inaugural concert, featuring The Lumineers, String Cheese Incident, Big Head Todd and the Monsters and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. The concert starts at 8:45 p.m. The $75 tickets are sold out.
