Colorado Governor Jared Polis has ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff on all public buildings from sunrise until sunset Tuesday, August 31, 2021, to honor the passing of former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm. A memorial service is scheduled for Governor Lamm on August 31, 2021. 

Governor Polis issued a proclamation declaring August 31 Governor Richard Lamm Day. The full text of the proclamation appears below.

State of Colorado

Proclamation

WHEREAS, Richard Lamm, a state legislator, three-term Governor, and passionate Coloradan, left a lasting and historic legacy on his beloved state of Colorado; and 

WHEREAS, Governor Lamm’s life is a tapestry of service, starting in the armed forces and ending in the Colorado State Capitol; and 

WHEREAS, Governor Lamm was a trailblazer, taking on every challenge Colorado faced, always with the wellbeing of Coloradans at the forefront of his mind; and 

WHEREAS, he will be remembered by many for his passion for and dedication to environmentalism, sparked by his successful and unprecedented effort to block the 1976 Winter Olympic Games; and 

WHEREAS, Governor Lamm fought tirelessly to protect Colorado’s economy, environment and citizens from the negative impacts he believed the games would leave on Denver, facing stiff opposition from the business community he stood resolute on behalf of what he believed; and 

WHEREAS, this effort not only gained Governor Lamm national political notoriety, but solidified his reputation to cross party lines and create strong bipartisan coalitions to do what was best of the state; and 

WHEREAS, in 1967, then Representative Lamm championed legislation paving the way for legal women's reproductive rights in Colorado, 6 years preceding the Supreme Court decision on Roe V Wade. By 1970, 13 states had followed his and Colorado’s leadership and passed similar laws; and 

WHEREAS, during the same year, Representative Lamm co-sponsored Colorado’s landmark public records legislation, creating the Colorado Open Records Act, created to ensure transparency between government and those it serves; and 

WHEREAS, serving twelve years as Governor, Governor Lamm was a passionate public servant who took on tough issues, never shied away from civil political discourse and embraced collaboration; and 

WHEREAS, while Governor Lamm’s historic contributions to the state of Colorado will long be remembered, he will be best known as an avid reader and outdoorsman, a loving father, dedicated husband, and beloved grandfather; and 

WHEREAS, Governor Lamm is survived by his wife Dottie and their two children Scott and Heather; and

WHEREAS, the state of Colorado is indebted to his ardent and consequential leadership; and 

WHEREAS, when he passed, Governor Lamm was surrounded by his loved ones, and the whole state shares a deep collective sense of loss; 

THEREFORE, I, Jared Polis, Governor of the state of Colorado, do hereby proclaim August 31, 2021, as GOVERNOR RICHARD LAMM DAY in the state of Colorado. GIVEN under my hand and the Executive Seal of the State of Colorado, this thirty-first day of August 2021