User:Spartaneditor3215/Mike Johnston (Colorado politician)

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Tenure

While serving in the Senate, Johnston was assigned to the education and finance committees. He supported SB 10-191, legislation that modified teacher and principal accountability by measuring performance in part by student academic growth. The bill was signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter in May 2010. Senate bill 191 was poorly received among teachers. Denver Post guest columnist and teacher Brian Kurz espoused the need to repeal the law as it was an unfunded burden on school districts. Efforts to repeal the law were unsuccessful and it remains in effect to this day.

The city of Denver has a strong mayor system of government. In a strong mayor city, they have legitimate control over the running of the city. The mayor of Denver can veto things City Council passes with control over the management of the city. The Denver mayor appoints over 700 positions on more than 130 boards and commissions. Mike Johnston is able to make executive decisions over how Denver is run.

Johnston announced Give 5 Mile High during the 2024 State of the City Address. It is a volunteer initiative led by his wife Courtney Johnston. They urge volunteers in the city of Denver to commit to at least five hours of community service a month. They also hold a community service event on the third Saturday of every month. Courtney Johnston was inspired by a trip to Rwanda in 2022, where they learned about mandated once-a-month community service. This program aims to connect the people of Denver to their communities and networks of service.

In July of 2024, the Denver police department began the Trust Patrol program. Johnston established this plan to reduce crime in the city of Denver. The Trust Patrol program functions by bringing police officers to areas where the public gathers so they can interact without a law enforcement function. This was established to connect the police force with the community.

Johnston worked on passing the READ Act, which was signed into law in May 2012. The law provides districts resources to help K-3 students struggling to read by establishing a process for districts to identify K-3 students who read below grade level and work with their parents to provide extra reading support before students reach the fourth grade. The bill also created the Early Literacy Grant Program to provide funding to districts for literacy assessments, professional development, instructional support, and appropriate interventions, and would distribute approximately $16 million to districts for use in one of three literacy support programs: full day kindergarten, tutoring services, or summer school.

Johnston was a co-sponsor of the ASSET bill, which allows students not legally entitled to be in the United States to pay in-state tuition at Colorado colleges and universities if they attend a Colorado high school for three years and graduate or earn a GED. Under previous law, students not legally entitled to be in the United States, who had graduated from Colorado high schools and had benefited from the state's investment in K-12 education were forced to pay out-of-state tuition. After languishing in the legislature for almost a decade, the bill passed and was signed into law by Governor John Hickenlooper in April 2013. "We come here today to close a chapter in American history, and to open a new one," Johnston remarked. "For me personally, there's no more significant bill that I've worked on that's going to make an actual impact on human beings."

Johnston meets with Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Johnston created the Denver Asylum Seekers Program in response to Denver's influx of over 43,000 migrants in 2024. Offering legal support, English classes, and job training to help migrants integrate and contribute to the local economy.

Johnston launched the Vibrant Denver Plan, which aimed to transform downtown into a "Central Neighborhood District" with mixed-use housing, vibrant public spaces, and thriving businesses. The redevelopment of the 16th Street Mall was a key part of this effort to reinvigorate the city’s urban core.

Political priorities

Johnston has been described as both a moderate liberal and a progressive. In his 2024 agenda, Johnston discussed homelessness and affordable housing, violent gun crime, addiction and mental health and revitalizing neighborhoods throughout Denver. While a member of the the Colorado Senate, Johnston sponsored bills regarding education, the environment, and housing, among other topics.

Affordable Housing

Johnston issued a state of emergency on homelessness after taking office in July 2024, and successfully found shelter for over 1,000 homeless individuals. He set a goal to house an additional 1,000 people within the next calendar year. He received the Rocky Mountain Communities’ “Affordable Housing Innovator for Individual Award” award in Oct. 2024. In 2024, Johnston proposed Ballot Issue 2R, a measure that would have raised the city’s sales tax by 0.5% in order to allocate the money to support affordable housing. It was rejected by a 50.99% majority that voted against it.

Johnston's administration surpassed its goal of housing 1,000 people experiencing homelessness, instead helping over 1,600 individuals transition into temporary or supportive housing. This effort included establishing eight new sites providing wraparound services and visibly reducing encampments downtown. The project was a mighty collaboration with residents and nonprofits, many of whom expressed burnout throughout the year. Johnston drew boos and cheers from community groups at public meetings and on social media. He made himself available at dozens of press conferences and published progress on many of his aspirations through dashboards, increasing transparency throughout the year.

Climate Action

Denver’s climate action plan is to eliminate Denver’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, and Johnston has agreed with this initiative. He appointed Elizabeth Babcock to be the executive director of Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability & Resiliency in fall of 2023. In his 2025 budget proposal, Johnston allotted more money for climate initiatives.

Gun Control

As a member of the Colorado Senate, Johnston voted in favor of various gun control bills, including ​​House Bill 1224, which limited the size of ammunition magazines.

As mayor In spring of 2023, Johnston announced his goal of decreasing violent gun crime in Denver by 20% throughout 2024. To do so, he identified five areas in Denver as "Place Network Investigations". He proposed to work with community members in those areas to find ways to reduce crime that would work best for those locations.

Education

While in the Colorado Senate, Johnston casted a vote for Senate Bill 10-191, which was enacted in 2010. Senate Bill 10-191 changed the way that teachers are evaluated in Colorado to based off of their students' performance. He also supported the READ Act, which requires annual literary evaluations of children in grades K-3 in Colorado.

As mayor, Johnston has expressed the goal to provide equal opportunity and access to after-school programs, summer programs, tutoring, arts, athletics, and science camps for all students. He also wants to increase mental health resources in schools.