May 07, 2015 11:31 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Thursday (May 7)

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• by: Colorado Pols

At this point, just let us know if it’s not going to rain. 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 over — it’s really over. The 2015 Colorado legislative session is in the books, and the Associated Press takes a look at what went down on the final day under the Gold Dome. For more on the last day’s events, everybody who is still at the Denver Post combined for a story.

 ► State Senate Minority Leader Morgan Carroll is taking a look at running for Congress in CD-6. 

 ► Problems with construction at the VA Hospital in Aurora were obvious well before construction even began, according to the Denver Post (originally noted by ProgressNow). May we remind you, dear readers, that Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) is the CHAIRMAN OF THE NONOVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE under the House Veterans’ Affairs committee.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

SHOULD YOU FIND YOURSELF STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► State Senator Cheri Jahn (D-Wheat Ridge) and State Rep. Jovan Melton (D-Denver) really love them some Predatory Lenders. Fox 31 has more on the last-minute legislation to hose consumers who borrow money that they’ll never be able to repay:

Only the Governor can save consumers now.

House Bill 1390 raises interest rates on personal consumer loans by up to 71 percent. It would allow lenders to raise finance rates from 21 percent to 36 percent on loans up to $3,000.

It also increases rates from 15 to 21 percent on loans more than $3,000 to $5,000.

These loans target people with some credit problems who can’t get loans from traditional banks and credit unions to buy consumer products like cars, boats and to consolidate debt…

…“It is high risk. It has a higher interest rate of 36 percent, but it’s much better than 125 percent we see with pay day lending facilities,” said State Rep. Jovan Melton, a Democrat from Aurora.

He also said these lenders need a hand to stay in business in our state. [Pols emphasis]

Yeah, that’s what the legislature needs to do — figure out a way to make sure that the predatory lending industry can thrive in Colorado. Maybe we should also bring back asbestos factories just for the jobs.

We thought we were done with this bull**** back in 2011, but there’s nothing like another last-minute predatory lending bill to stir up old memories!

Here’s to a veto from Gov. John Hickenlooper — the sooner the better.

► The Office of Consumer Counsel will live to, um, counsel another day. But they won’t be regulating telecom anymore.

► Colorado legislators approved a bill that would increase salaries for elected officials for the first time since 1999; the increases won’t kick in until 2019, so many current legislators will never see this extra money. We’ve said it again and again in this space — you can’t expect to attract better candidates for office until you start paying realistic salaries. 

► The Thompson Valley School District failed to ratify a new teacher’s union contract, which has many educators worried about the next steps in Jefferson County.

► California’s drought problem is a political conundrum, as Politico reports.