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Gov. Hickenlooper Vows Focus On Rural Jobs

DENVER (AP) — Gov. John Hickenlooper is vowing a renewed emphasis on the economy in rural areas.

Gov. John Hickenlooper is talking up Colorado's booming economy in his annual State of the State address. But he says that employment in some rural counties is "lagging" the rest of the state.

He vowed that his administration plans to dust off its economic development plan from his first term. He says that his administration will launch a pilot program to attract what he calls a "creative class of free agents" to live and work in the identified rural areas.

Hickenlooper credited Republicans from Colorado Springs for the idea. He said that "no one party has all the good ideas."

The governor is laying out priorities to 100 lawmakers who started work last week.

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