Brian Larson

Governor John Hickenlooper is supporting a growing effort to reform the Bush-Era No Child Left Behind policy amid tough budget choices for education in Colorado.

The House passed a measure on Tuesday blending $6 billion in budget cuts with enough money to keep the government running for an additional three weeks. But the cuts could have a negative impact on Colorado’s upcoming fire season.

Plugging a one billion dollar budget shortfall may seem easy to state lawmakers compared to redrawing the state’s congressional boundaries.

A bi-partisan panel charged with drawing up new congressional boundaries wraps up statewide meetings this week. But the challenge of finishing the work by the end of the legislative session may be a tall order.

Fire crews have 60 percent of a wildfire in the foothills west of Boulder surrounded, but fire managers say the remaining burn area is in steep terrain with no roads. On Saturday officials concentrated their efforts on strengthening and extending containment lines around the blaze in Lefthand Canyon. All residents evacuated by the fire on Friday have been allowed back into their homes as of Saturday afternoon. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. But the Forest Service has said it was human caused.