April 15, 2015 11:06 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Wednesday (April 15)

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• by: Colorado Pols

Does your Mom/Dad/Spouse/Significant Other work as an accountant? You might see them tomorrow! It’s time to Get More Smarter with Colorado Pols. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example).

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► It’s Tax Day, which is a fitting time for the State Senate to discuss legislation to allow local governments to increase the minimum wage. The statewide minimum wage is $8.23 an hour, and more than 600,000 Coloradans earn less than $12 per hour. Meanwhile, Colorado Democrats are pushing to close offshore tax loopholes that could save the state millions of dollars every year.

► Ruh, roh! It’s starting to look like there was plenty of warning that the VA Hospital project in Aurora was going to get ridiculously expensive. Quick, Rep. Mike Coffman, put out a statement with some sort of military analogy!

Get even more smarter after the jump…

SHOULD YOU FIND YOURSELF STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► The State Legislature is finishing up discussions over the $26 billion annual budget. Yesterday, Republicans again rejected $5 million in funding for a teen pregnancy prevention program that has proved to be incredibly effective in Colorado. Republican members of the Joint Budget Committee apparently believe that the entire issue goes away if you just don’t talk about it.

► Republican Ken Buck (R-Greeley) is an actual, honest-to-goodness real-life Member of Congress. He is a grown man. He believes that ISIS has a terrorist camp just outside of El Paso, Texas, and that ISIS members are sneaking into the U.S. via New Mexico.

► Log Cabin Republicans have been dis-invited from annual Western Conservative Summit hosted by Colorado Christian University. John Andrews, the former state senator who heads up all things political at CCU, just wants to be all-inclusive of every viewpoint that is not different from his own.

► The Aurora Sentinel takes a look at the makeup of the jury that will be seated for the Aurora Theater Shooting trial. Opening statements are scheduled for April 27.

► What happens if you don’t pay your taxes? Ask New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who seems to have trouble with the concept.

► Republicans would be facing a much more dangerous circular firing squad if Democrats hadn’t enacted gun safety measures in 2013.

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► Congressman Scott Tipton (R-Cortez) is mad at the Forest Service.

► If Mike Coffman and Cynthia Coffman could combine their approval ratings…you’d still need a third person to get a total that is more than 50.

► The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is moving forward with a plan to review President Obama’s foreign policy discussions with Iran. You read that correctly — Republicans in the U.S. Senate pushed forward a plan that allows them to discuss another plan. Good thing they spent so much time writing that letter to Iran (that rhymed!)

► Flags are flying at half mast today because somebody shot Abraham Lincoln.

ICYMI

► No, no, it’s okay. It’s cool. You can still use Facebook.

► Melanie Asmar of Westword takes a long look at the problems with the Jefferson County School Board.

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