5 Things To Know About Colorado's Inaugurations
DENVER (AP/CBS4) - Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper begins his second term Tuesday in a formal inaugural ceremony on the Capitol steps. But that's not all that's going on. Here are 5 Things To Know about Colorado's inaugural ceremonies and celebrations Tuesday:
HICKENLOOPER LAYS OUT HIS AGENDA
After Hickenlooper takes the oath, he'll make his second inaugural address. Four years ago, he focused his remarks on promises to help the economy. Expect the governor to take a victory lap on this point - Colorado's unemployment rate is 4.1 percent, down 5 points from when Hickenlooper took office. Also expect the governor to make some new pledges about the economy. He's expected to talk about help for the long-term unemployed and other efforts to boost hiring.
FLASHBACK TO HIS FIRST SPEECH
Hickenlooper, in his 2011 inaugural address: "Our first task, our highest priority, is jobs. We will help businesses protect and expand the jobs we have, we will attract new jobs, and we will harness the entrepreneurial spirit that has always defined Colorado through her history."
OTHERS TAKE OATHS, TOO
Hickenlooper and Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia aren't the only ones being inaugurated Tuesday. Treasurer Walker Stapleton takes the oath for a second term, and incoming Attorney General Cynthia Coffman and Secretary of State Wayne Williams are taking their first oaths for statewide office.
IT'LL BE COLD
It's an outdoor ceremony in Colorado in January! Hey, ceremony trumps comfort. But it won't be as cold as last time. Temperatures should be in the 30s, with a 20 percent chance of snow showers. That's chilly, but a vast improvement from the 2011 ceremony, where the temperature didn't get above 10 degrees.
AFTER THE SPEECHES, LET'S EAT
Hickenlooper isn't having a formal inaugural ball. Instead, he's having a $100-a-plate dinner Tuesday evening at the Fillmore Auditorium. The menu includes beef short ribs braised with beer, an obvious choice for a governor who once owned a brewpub. Rounding out the menu is lasagna, elk sausage and brussels sprouts, with four choices for dessert, including apple pie.
There will be partial road closures near the Capitol. There are already lane closures in place on Grant Street from 14th to 17th avenues. On Tuesday there will be lane closures on Lincoln from 13th to Colfax. All traffic around the Capitol will be stopped around 11:30 a.m. for a cannon salute.
- By Kristen Wyatt, AP Writer
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