May 02, 2023 11:48 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Tuesday (May 2)

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• by: Colorado Pols

The Denver Nuggets took a 2-0 series lead on Monday night by beating the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinals matchup; Game 3 is in Phoenix on Friday. Let’s Get More Smarter. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example). If you are more of an audio learner, check out The Get More Smarter Podcast. And don’t forget to find us on Facebook and Twitter.

FIRST UP…

► The Colorado legislature is scheduled to wrap up its 2023 session on Monday, but there is still much work to be done. Jesse Paul of The Colorado Sun has more on one late — but very important — proposal:

Colorado voters would be asked in November to approve a 10-year plan aimed at preventing property taxes from rising at a historic clip under an eleventh-hour proposal unveiled Monday by Gov. Jared Polis and Democrats in the state legislature.

The effort, which would reduce Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights refunds in order to make up for the cuts, is aimed at combating a dizzying rise in property values that will cause a corresponding jump in homeowners’ and businesses’ tax burden. Property tax bills are in large part determined by property values, and home values increased statewide by an average of 40% over the past two years.

Proponents of the measure say it would cut the projected property tax increase for the average Colorado homeowner by 62% in the 2023 tax year for which taxes are due in April 2024…

…To get the measure on the November ballot, the proposal only needs the support of a simple majority in the legislature. The measure was introduced Monday as Senate Bill 303 and state lawmakers will have to act quickly, as the 2023 legislative session in Colorado ends on May 8.

You can read more on this proposal from Colorado Public Radio, The Denver Post, and 9News.

► In other news from under the gold dome at the State Capitol, House Republicans saw three stupid ideas get canned in a committee room on Monday. Meanwhile, Democrats continue to work on real ideas:

♦ Marianne Goodland of the publication formerly known as the Colorado Statesman takes a big-picture look at the work left to be done in the final week of session.

♦ House Democrats will try to paste some lost pieces of a land use/affordable housing bill favored by Gov. Jared Polis that were cut by the State Senate. Seth Klamann of The Denver Post has more on changes to SB23-213.

♦ Legislation that seeks to lower the threshold for workplace harassment claims is still moving along, as is a bill that would increase regulations for no-knock warrants.

♦ A bill to extend Medicaid and child health care access is headed to the desk of Gov. Polis.

♦ Halfway houses will be audited for the first time in decades.

♦ Legislation to implement a new magic mushroom industry in Colorado has been finalized.

► State Republican Party Chair and former lawmaker Dave Williams finally showed up at the State Capitol for his other job as a legislative aide.

► Give your eyes a break and put your ears to work with this week’s episode of the Get More Smarter Podcast:

Click below to keep learning things…

Check Out All This Other Stuff To Know…

► The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports on new grades for Colorado’s classrooms:

Today is National Teacher Appreciation Day, but according to a new report, teachers in Colorado could be appreciated more.

According to school data collection site and scholarship search platform Scholaroo’s newest Best States to be a Teacher report, Colorado is the 30th best state in the country for teachers, ranking the state in the bottom half of the country.

Scholaroo used five key criteria when ranking states: career accessibility, salary and compensation, work benefits, work environment and student performance. Scholaroo then evaluated those criteria using 41 relevant metrics graded on a 100-point scale. Finally, Scholaroo determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate their overall scores and then rank the states.

► Two-time Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez has been awarded the 2023 Boulder Distinguished Citizen Award. It probably helped Beauprez’s cause that he no longer pretends not to live in the Boulder area.

Before losing his first race for governor in 2006, Beauprez served as the first Member of Congress in Colorado’s seventh congressional district. Beauprez actually lived in Boulder County despite the district boundaries (at the time) stretching from Jefferson County to Aurora.

Things seem to be looking up for Beauprez where his political legacy is concerned now that he is no longer considered to be the worst statewide candidate in Colorado history (thanks, Heidi Ganahl!)

► Elected officials in Colorado — including two Republicans in the legislature — sent a letter of support for Montana Democratic lawmaker Zooey Zephyr. From Colorado Newsline:

Democratic state Rep. Brianna Titone of Arvada led over 75 bipartisan Colorado elected officials in sending a letter to Montana lawmakers condemning the removal of Rep. Zooey Zephyr and calling for her to be allowed back in the Montana House chamber.

In the letter, Titone said the removal was an attempt to erase trans people amid growing violence against them and an increase in anti-trans laws being introduced.

“As elected officials, it is our responsibility to act with integrity and defend our democracy, and we are deeply concerned with erosion of democratic norms we see proliferating in statehouses across the country,” she said. “Regardless of your personal stance on these issues, she is still a colleague and a duly elected and sworn representative of the people of Montana. Her voice is no less important than yours.”

The letter was joined by two Republican lawmakers, state Reps. Ron Weinberg of Loveland and Rick Taggart of Grand Junction, in addition to various statewide and local officials, including Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold.

Last week, Montana House Republicans voted along party lines to bar Zephyr from entering the House floor or gallery for the remainder of the legislative session, only allowing her to participate in votes via Zoom. Zephyr’s “crime” was saying that lawmakers would have “blood on their hands” if they supported legislation to ban gender-affirming care for minors.

► The editorial board of The Denver Post considers how to move forward with policies meant to improve access to affordable housing in Colorado:

The data on eliminating single-family zoning is promising but inconclusive. Before we take such a leap in Colorado, we should make certain it is the most effective tool to reduce the price per square foot of real estate and encourage homeownership.

Cities and counties must lead the way on land use decisions, but the state can certainly find ways to push data-supported changes.

 

► Republican State Rep. Richard Holtorf is trying to push the nonsense narrative that Colorado has become an “abortion tourism” state.

► Nina Joss and McKenna Harford of Colorado Community Media try to understand how Colorado Republicans can find a way forward:

There seems to be consensus within the Republican Party that unity is needed to start winning. Republicans appear to agree they need an identity, a clear message. The disagreement, however, is exactly what messages to push.

Some want the party to shift focus away from abortion, gun control, the results of the 2020 presidential election and Donald Trump in hopes of appealing to more unaffiliated voters. Others say these topics are exactly what Republicans need to double down on to win.

At the April breakfast, some of those themes played out. Republicans in the room disagreed on how much the party should focus on abortion. While many Republicans share a desire for more restrictions on abortion in Colorado, the question is how much these beliefs should be a part of mainstream messaging.

“It reminds me of an old saying: ‘If you can’t beat them, join them,’” said Bob Andrews, who lost the Arapahoe County assessor race in 2022.

As a “devout Catholic” with “strong opinions about abortion,” Andrews said Republicans need to stop focusing on it.

“We have this abortion albatross around our neck,” he said. “As an assessor candidate, I had to answer questions about abortion. That’s not in my purview. But until we give that up, we’re going to keep losing.”

► Ron Baker, the head of Colorado’s pension fund (PERA), was fired without explanation not long after returning from an equally-mysterious leave of absence.

► The Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles is back up and running after a technical problem shut down services on Monday. 

► As 9News reports, health officials are warning residents (again) about an increase in air pollution coming from the Suncor refinery in Commerce City.

► As The Washington Post reports, House Democrats are looking at alternatives to solving the debt ceiling problem while House Republicans dither over silly arguments:

House Democrats on Tuesday began a process that could allow them to bypass the chamber’s Republican leaders in passing legislation to raise the nation’s debt ceiling — if they can get a handful of GOP members to join the effort.

In a letter to colleagues, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said the maneuver “preserves an important option” as a standoff continues between the White House and House Republicans ahead of a looming default on U.S. debt as early as June 1.

Jeffries said Democrats had crafted a “special rule” that could allow a bipartisan measure to be considered on the House floor through use of a so-called “discharge petition” — a procedure that is cumbersome, time-consuming and rarely successful…

…Last week, the House narrowly passed a bill backed by GOP leadership that would condition raising the debt limit on deep spending cuts and rolling back several of President Biden’s legislative priorities. Four Republicans voted against the bill.

Biden and congressional Democratic leaders are pushing for a “clean” bill that raises the limit without conditions, as Congress did three times during the previous Republican administration of President Donald Trump.

► Wayne Williams, one of two finalists running for Mayor of Colorado Springs, has raised more than $1 million for his campaign.

► The Dacono City Council seems to be ambivalent about open meeting laws. 

► The adults at school board meetings in Colorado Springs are setting a terrible example for students. 

► Congressperson Lauren Boebert (R-ifle) somehow correlates “freedom” with “being an asshole on airplanes.”

Say What, Now?

There is no way this is true:

Your Daily Dose Of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

►If you know anyone who might have an extra gray wolf sitting around somewhere, Colorado Parks and Wildlife would probably like to have a conversation. We need more woofs. 

► Nobody seems to know who might have paid for an overseas trip recently taken by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is considering making a run at the Republican Presidential nomination. 

ICYMI

► Colorado Democrats promised to take action on gun violence prevention, and they delivered in a big way.

► Republican State Rep. Ken DeGraaf thinks of himself as something of an intellectual. He’s something…else. 

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