Good Morning, Colorado, you’re listening to the Daily Sun-Up. It’s Thursday May 13th, and even though there’s a lot of turmoil right now we’re feeling lucky to start the day with you.

Today - The insurance reform bill that Colorado Democrats touted earlier this session has now been introduced. But it’s different than how it was originally described. So what’s going on and what can you expect?

But before we begin, let’s go back in time with some Colorado history adapted from historian Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

Today, we take you back to May 13th, 1970 when The international olympic committee awarded the 1976 games to Denver. Politicians and business leaders, including Governor John A Love sought the olympics as a way to show off Colorado’s winter sports industry. But opposition soon developed, and the question was placed on the ballot in 1972. 60% of Coloradans did not want to host the games, and Denver reneged on it’s bid. They took place in Austria instead.

Now, our feature story.

At the beginning of this year’s legislative session, Colorado Democrats touted a bill that sought to create a public health insurance plan. The bill has now been introduced, but it looks very different than what was initially promised. Reporter John Ingold talks with Lucy Haggard about what’s going on with the state’s insurance reform bill, and what may still change before it's almost certain passage into law.

To read more about the bill, go to coloradosun.com

And Before we go, here are a few stories that you should know about today:

Two small planes collided over Cherry Creek State Park Wednesday morning, but no one was killed or injured. Both planes were trying to land on adjacent runways at Centennial Airport. One plane deployed a parachute and crash landed a few miles away. The other plane was able to make it onto a landing strip at the airport despite missing a significant portion of its rear fuselage. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident.

https://coloradosun.com/2021/05/12/two-planes-collide-cherry-creek-reservoir/ 

A bill in the Colorado legislature would make it a crime to threaten an elected official or their family. Senate Bill 64 seeks to make it a Class 6 felony if someone makes a quote “credible threat” end quote against an elected official, and a misdemeanor for harassing or retaliating against them. A related measure that makes it illegal to dox public health workers, House Bill 1107, was signed by Governor Jared Polis recently. Public employees have seen a rise in harassment and threats due to pandemic-related restrictions and decisions.

The coronavirus pandemic has been a boon for many farmers and ranchers as sporadic food shortages led to higher demand. Yet about 3 in 5 rural adults say the pandemic has affected mental health in their communities, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Mental health and urgent care services are often scarce in rural communities, which see higher suicide rates than nearby metropolitan regions. To counteract the trend, health care providers are urging their patients to discuss mental health with the same concern as they do their physical needs.

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. And don’t forget to tune in again tomorrow for a special holiday episode. Now, a quick message from our editor.

The Colorado Sun is non-partisan and completely independent. We're always dedicated to telling the in-depth stories we need today more than ever. And The Sun is supported by readers and listeners like you.

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