April 19, 2023 11:36 AM UTC
Get More Smarter on Wednesday (April 19)
6 Comments- by: Colorado Pols
Get outside and enjoy the weather before it cools off over the next couple of days. 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…
► Legislation to ban assault weapons in Colorado appears to be running out of steam but may be changed to address bump stocks instead:
Overall, Democrats have been successful this legislative session when it comes to gun violence prevention bills. As Jesse Bedayn writes for The Associated Press:
The proposals include strengthening red flag laws, raising the firearm purchasing age to 21, opening the gun industry up to legal liability and installing a three-day waiting period after buying a gun.
A measure set to be debated Wednesday that would implement a sweeping ban on semi-automatic firearms faces much stiffer odds and illustrates that even Democratic-controlled statehouses don’t have free rein on overhauling laws rooted deep in American culture.
Hundreds of people have signed up to testify at the proposal’s first hearing in what is expected to be a passionate hearing with a mix of gun owners opposing the measure and supporters campaigning to reduce gun violence that plagues the country.
► In other state legislative news, Seth Klamann of The Denver Post reports on a watered-down land use bill backed by Gov. Jared Polis:
Colorado legislators advanced a marquee land-use reform bill Tuesday night, but not before making changes to it that carve out resort communities from some parts of the proposal, scale back zoning reforms in the state’s larger cities and enact a 10-year sunset on the entire policy as supporters sought to shepherd the bill through a contentious first hearing.
The bill — SB23-213 — advanced out of the Senate’s Local Government and Housing committee on a party-line 4-3 vote Tuesday night, after more than three hours of debate on more than a dozen amendments. The meeting came fewer than two weeks after legislators heard 12 hours of testimony for and against the proposal, which broadly seeks to encourage density, faster building and better planning by significantly reshaping the state’s single-family zoning policies.
The bill’s received the backing of Gov. Jared Polis and a coalition of housing, business and environmental groups who say the measure is vital to kickstart housing, but it’s opposed by local government officials who castigate it as an intrusion on their authority. But supporters say state intervention is needed, given the scale of the housing problem — both in terms of supply and affordability — facing Coloradans.
Colorado Public Radio and Colorado Newsline have more on the fate of SB23-213.
► House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says he will release his plan today for avoiding the debt limit, with a proposed vote as soon as next week. McCarthy’s Republican caucus is not believed to be on board with his plan, however.
► Give your eyes a break and put your ears to work with this week’s episode of the Get More Smarter Podcast:
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Check Out All This Other Stuff To Know…
► The Associated Press reports on the settlement reached in the defamation case between Denver-based Dominion Voting Services and Fox News Corp.
Fox News agreed Tuesday to pay Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems nearly $800 million to avert a trial in the voting machine company’s lawsuit that would have exposed how the network promoted lies about the 2020 presidential election.
The stunning settlement emerged just as opening statements were supposed to begin, abruptly ending a case that had embarrassed Fox News over several months and raised the possibility that network founder Rupert Murdoch and stars such as Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity would have to testify publicly.
“The truth matters. Lies have consequences,” Dominion lawyer Justin Nelson told reporters outside a Delaware courthouse after Superior Court Judge Eric Davis announced the deal.
Outside of the $787.5 million promised to Dominion, it was unclear what other consequences Fox would face. Fox acknowledged in a statement “the court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false,” but no apology was offered…
…Asked by a reporter whether there was “anything to this other than money,” Dominion CEO John Poulos did not answer.
A settlement figure of $786 million is not chump change, even for a media conglomerate the size of Fox News. That amount represents about a quarter of the $2.96 billion the company reported earning last year.
The Washington Post has more on the settlement deal, including the ramifications on a separate $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit filed by voting technology company Smartmatic. Dominion Voting Services is also suing MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell for making defamatory statements on Fox News and other platforms.
► Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Boulderish) is pushing legislation to improve access to mental health services in rural communities. From a press release:
Representatives Joe Neguse (D-CO), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Senator Angus King (I-ME) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to expand access to critical mental health resources and reform medical licensure, ensuring people living in rural communities will have reliable access to mental health care. The Compacts, Access, and Responsible Expansion (CARE) for Mental Health Professionals Act would incentivize interstate medical health provider networks, allowing providers to practice across multiple states and more readily reach rural communities…
…Rural communities are disproportionately affected by the country’s mental health crisis. Sixty-five percent of rural counties do not have psychiatrists, and more than 60% of rural Americans live in areas lacking mental health providers, according to the Journal of Clinical and Translational Sciences. In Colorado, the rate of suicide in rural communities is significantly higher than in urban areas, per the Colorado Rural Health Center. The CARE for Mental Health Act would address these provider shortages, allowing the millions of Americans currently living in areas without accessible mental health care services to seek the services they need.
► Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is meeting with lawmakers as he ponders a run for President in 2024. Colorado Congressman Ken Buck (R-Greeley) is among those joining DeSantis for an event this week; the DeSantis team calls Buck’s presence a “soft endorsement.”
DeSantis has been doing everything he can to appeal to the MAGA Republican base, but some of those efforts may be backfiring. As POLITICO explains:
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and other potential GOP presidential hopefuls slammed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ handling of his ongoing feud with Disney this week.
“That’s not the guy I want sitting across from President Xi [Jinping] … or sitting across from [President Vladimir] Putin and trying to resolve what’s happening in Ukraine, if you can’t see around a corner [Disney CEO] Bob Iger created for you,” Christie said Tuesday during a livestreamed interview with Semafor, adding: “I don’t think Ron DeSantis is a conservative, based on his actions towards Disney.”
DeSantis has been in a back-and-forth with Disney over the control over the thousands of acres that’s home to the Magic Kingdom and other theme parks. In February, Disney quietly, through a bureaucratic vote, gained back control of the Orlando-area park — though state officials didn’t learn of it until March. Disney’s move left DeSantis administration officials scrambling to respond, and the governor ordered an investigation into the California-based corporation.
DeSantis has been outmaneuvered by Disney at every step since starting a battle with the company over its disagreement with his “don’t say gay” law. The Governor is now threatening to build a prison near Disney World, but the damage to his reputation is already being done:
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who has strongly hinted at a 2024 bid, said DeSantis’ feud with Disney is becoming a tit-for-tat because it’s not going as he had planned.
“Look, this has gone from kind of going after a headline to something that has devolved into an issue, and it convolutes the entire Republican message,” Sununu said on CNN on Monday night. “I just don’t think — it’s not good for Governor DeSantis. I don’t think it’s good for the Republican party.”
In related news, the Florida Department of Education recently agreed to expand the “don’t say gay” law at the request of DeSantis, banning lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from grades 4-12, unless required by existing state standards or as part of reproductive health instruction that students can choose not to take.
► Congressional Republicans couldn’t muster the votes to override a veto from President Biden of a resolution that sought to roll back some definitions that would impact the effectiveness of the federal Clean Water Act.
► Colorado Public Radio reports on changes to the group that oversees oil and gas extraction in the state:
Since its creation in 1951, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has approved thousands of drilling projects across the state. That role has put the governor-appointed panel at the center of countless conflicts related to climate change and the local impacts of fossil fuel extraction.
Now, a bill introduced by Democratic lawmakers Tuesday would give a new title to the seven-member committee: the Energy and Carbon Management Commission.
The name change is more than cosmetic. It signals an attempt to bring the commission — and the industry it regulates — into the state’s larger efforts to combat climate change and provide new options for energy storage.
If the legislation wins approval, the panel would gain new authority over projects to drill for geothermal heat deep below the Earth’s surface. It would also oversee any company planning to store natural gas underground and study the potential for similar hydrogen storage projects.
The oil and gas industry will no doubt whine about this, but record profits make it hard for them to maintain credible complaints.
► Colorado lawmakers are advancing a bill to cap campaign contributions for local elections.
► As The Durango Herald reports, one-third of Medicaid recipients in Southwest Colorado will have to prove that they are still eligible for the coverage. Medicaid eligibility requirements were relaxed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
► Legislation making its way through the State Capitol could delay a plan to reintroduce the woofs in Colorado.
► The Aurora Sentinel looks at the three finalists to become the next Aurora Public Schools superintendent and finds that there aren’t a lot of policy disagreements among the group.
► Governor Jared Polis appointed Michelle Barnes to be the temporary director of the newly-created Behavioral Health Administration. No explanation has been given for why Dr. Morgan Medlock was replaced after about a year on the job.
► As the New York Times notes, India is on the verge of surpassing China in terms of population size, but the country is still working on keeping its economy on a similar rise.
► Republican infighting in Kentucky is complicating the GOP’s efforts to win back the governor’s office.
► Vox.com takes a deeper dive into the causes of a depleted Colorado River and blames cows for drinking too much water.
Say What, Now?
The universe may be expanding without end, but at least now we know where everything started: Somewhere near Colorado Springs.
Your Daily Dose Of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
► The Columbus Dispatch of Ohio reports on some very unusual illegal purchases made by a former elected official:
A former Vinton Township fiscal officer used public money to buy kayaks, hot tubs, a popcorn cart, a drum set, a snow cone machine, a CPR manikin, two snow owls and a wildebeest, according to a state audit released Tuesday.
Cy Vierstra was sentenced to 59 months in prison after pleading guilty to theft in office, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, tampering with records and other charges. He was also ordered to pay back $340,000.
He spent $4,116.30 on the wildebeest and $4,963.77 on the snow owls, state auditor records show.
Vierstra operated the Union Ridge Wildlife Center, a private zoo and AirBnB rental in Wilkesville in Vinton County.
Is $4,116 a good or a bad deal for a wildebeest?
► Nobody was injured after a toddler broke crawled through a fence outside the White House grounds. The toddler was not armed.
ICYMI
► Democrat Adam Frisch is having a good week in his bid to unseat Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert in CO-03. New polling suggests that Frisch and Boebert are running neck-and-neck in their rematch of a 2022 election that Boebert won by just 546 votes. Meanwhile, Frisch outraised Boebert by nearly $1 million in the first quarter of this year.
► Former Republican gubernatorial nominee Heidi Ganahl might be the sorest loser in modern Colorado political history. Ganahl has a weekly podcast that is basically all about why everyone else failed her in 2022 — nevermind that she lost to Democrat Jared Polis by 20 points — and her Twitter feed is just one bitter complaint after another:
► The man who plays the character known as Republican Congressman George Santos says he plans to run for re-election in 2024.
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Governing is hard.
Didn't Trump ban bump stocks in like 2018?
Check me on this. As I read this, the bump stock ban was part of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms rulemaking, and went into effect in 2019. However, it looks like circuit courts are coming up with various opinions on whether it should remain in effect, including a question as to whether ATF should have had the authority to make such a rule in the first place.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10920
Wow that's a tough read but sounds like you are correct…
And with the current Supreme Court relying on its doctrine of "Originalism" when it comes to the Second Amendment, I suspect they will hold that we can only have regulation of bump stocks if there is a history of them being in use around 1800. And if they are now in "common use," we can't regulate to make possession of them illegal.
Sadly, that isn't snark.
Joe Neguse is partnering with one of the sane Republicans in the US House. That's good.