The Sunriser | Fix PERA funding? That’ll be $13 billion

Good morning and happy Monday!

I can almost say that with a straight face this week because not only were we collectively spared the embarrassment of an 0-3 start for the Broncos, but it's SunFest week! The whole Colorado Sun staff will be down at DU this Friday talking with some of the most interesting and influential people in the state.

Advance ticket sales are over, but if you want to join us, just email our events coordinator, Kristina, or come on down to the Josef Korbel School of International Studies on Friday morning and you can get tickets at the door. Can't wait to see everyone there!

But Friday is, alas, still many, many days away so let's get into a whole bushel of weekend news, from the future of voting in Colorado to an eye-popping PERA number to the surprising revival of an Eastern Plains newspaper. Let's rock 'n' roll, shall we?

THE NEWS STATE GOVERNMENT Colorado policymakers asked PERA what it would take to bolster its odds of full funding. The answer: $13 billion.

Six years and billions of dollars into Colorado's 30-year pension rescue plan, the Public Employees' Retirement Association has less than a 50-50 chance of reaching its goal of full funding by 2048. Brian Eason reports on the choice that the legislature faces — "draconian" cuts or a massive injection of cash — and what it could mean for PERA beneficiaries.

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Colorado's all-candidate primary and ranked choice general election ballot measure is poised to pass, poll shows

The push for ranked choice voting — also called instant-runoff voting — is on track to be successful, based on a poll by Keating Research. And as Jesse Paul reports, even Gov. Jared Polis has said he would vote in favor of the measure, but a controversial law passed in the final days of the legislative session could prevent Proposition 131 from ever becoming law, even if voters approve it.

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The trailer art project is one Colorado town's latest effort to keep recycling alive "We've been told by the state and other people that come down here from the recycling world that we've got the most pristine, well-organized, clean facility that they've seen anywhere. So we're very proud of it."

— Joanie Liebman, namesake of Westcliffe's Joanie Liebman Recycling Center

Even as the recycling industry at large struggles to evolve, the residents of Westcliffe, pop. 400, have been coming together to create a system that is the crown jewel of the town. And thanks to efforts by everyone from FFA students to local Amish families, a set of used and battered horse trailers has been transformed into artistic icons for the town's determination. Parker Yamasaki has the story.

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Six Democrats, seven Republicans and an independent signed the latest letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland asking for an audience before proposed changes that could ban fixed climbing anchors in federal wilderness areas. Jason Blevins has more on the proposed policy and the organized pushback from all over the country.

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Colorado attorney general combating cellphone use in schools to improve student learning, mental health "A lot of students don't have trusted relationships with people they know they can talk to, and instead they're turning to their phones and feeling worse."

— Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser

Attorney General Phil Weiser announced a plan to distribute $50,000 grants to districts to experiment with ways to limit the distractions of phones in schools — from phone storage devices to student education programs. Erica Breunlin has the full report.

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MORE NEWS

Cities like Denver want AI to handle boring, tedious tasks. On stage at the DenAI Summit, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said that local governments could be using AI for everything from finding the right bolts for contractors to helping manage the migrant crisis. Tamara Chuang has more in this week's "What's Working" column.

Case against Boulder King Soopers shooter goes to jury. The fate of Ahmad Alissa is now in the hands of the jury, who will decide whether the man who killed 10 people will go to prison or the Colorado state hospital.

Fact Brief Were there once streetcars in Boulder? If you're dreaming of an easy way to get across town, check out Justin George's latest fact brief to see what Boulder was like before the dawn of automobiles.

Trinidad man shoots and kills two bear cubs eating his chickens. While Colorado law says property owners can defend their livestock if being attacked, the man did shoot a rifle inside city limits and faces a Class 2 misdemeanor for careless discharge of a firearm.

Why a Denver resident got Botox to unlock a new bodily function: burping. Denver's Lucie Rosenthal joined more than a thousand other patients when she received a megadose of the med spa staple in her neck in order — for the first time in her life — to burp. Rae Ellen Bichell has more from KFF Health News.

COLORADO SUNDAY Amid flurry of newspaper closures on Colorado's Eastern Plains, Burlington sees a heroic revival

When a publisher told the small town of Burlington that it was shutting down its newspaper in mid-July, the news hit amid a sudden flurry of blows to an already skeletal collection of news outlets on Colorado's Eastern Plains. Within days, five weekly papers announced that they would cease printing. In this week's Colorado Sunday, Kevin Simpson tells the tale of two towns on the brink of losing their papers, and the people stepping up to keep the presses running in one paper's improbable turnaround.

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THE COLORADO REPORT

Want to help treat people with psilocybin? This is what training looks like. Facilitators in Colorado's new healing centers are required to train for months before guiding people struggling with mental health through an experience with natural medicine. — Colorado Newsline

"I've been left in the dark": Navigating Denver's sidewalks with a visual impairment. Denver is on the cusp of an ambitious sidewalk repair program, but in the meantime, resident Mary Anne Overbay, who has lived with a visual impairment since she was 11, feels forgotten while navigating a city not built for her. — Denverite

Colorado man breaks state record with almost 2,000-pound pumpkin. An Aurora firefighter's side hobby grew a record-breaking 1,955-pound pumpkin in his backyard. — KDVR

= source has meter or paywall

THE OPINION PAGE

As Trump spreads lies about migrants in Aurora, Mike Coffman says he wants to show him the truth. But the mayor knows if Trump does come to Aurora, the last thing he'd care about is learning the actual facts. — Mike Littwin

It's fair to blame Republicans for gun violence. Here's why. Decades of fetishizing firearms and refusing to enact basic gun safety is a Republican theme. Not so for Democrats. — Trish Zornio

The view of this election is a lot clearer here in flyover country. Eliminating the antiquated electoral college might inject more truth — and fairness — to the run for president. — Diane Carman

Donald Trump does not care about the truth in Aurora. The former president just wants a backdrop to spin his unfounded lies to supporters across the country. — 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 .

Thanks for starting off autumn with us and I hope to see you at DU on Friday ! Have a great week!

— Eric and the whole staff of The Sun

Corrections & Clarifications

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