September 03, 2015 10:50 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Thursday (Sept. 3)

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• by: Colorado Pols

On this day seven years ago, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin formally accepted the Republican nomination for Vice President at the GOP convention in Minnesota; things went downhill from there. 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 time to warm up the Ultrasound Bus; state Sen. Tim Neville is beginning a “listening tour” around Colorado in preparation for a U.S. Senate run. Neville says his plans for Senate won’t be influenced by whether or not Arapahoe County DA George Brauchler decides to run, and we’d guess that Brauchler is now more likely to skip the race to focus on his own re-election instead. 

► Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis will appear before a federal judge today to try to explain why she should be allowed to ignore the law and continue her refusal to issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples. Several Republican Presidential candidates are weighing in on the story, with some predictable results:

“I salute her today, and I stand with her,” Mike Huckabee said, explaining that he called her up to thank her for standing up to “judicial tyranny.” Huckabee added: “I thank God for Kim Davis, and I hope more Americans will stand with her.”

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was less effusive in his praise but also supports Davis, as does Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. In other words, Republicans who are least likely to get elected to the Presidency are the most vocal about supporting someone who is openly breaking the law (Carly Florina, to her credit, has said that Davis should resign).

► Denver voters will not have to decide on allowing some public use of marijuana after activists decided to pull the proposed ballot measure. Legal marijuana activists instead will focus their efforts on trying to secure an ordinance from the Denver City Council.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► Congressman Mike Coffman is one of two dozen Republicans who have signed a pledge to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) in order to secure support for their 2016 re-election efforts.

► Former U.S. Senator Gary Hart says that he believes Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Denver) will ultimately support President Obama’s foreign policy deal with Iran. Senator Bennet, meanwhile, still doesn’t say much about his position on the deal.

► Sloan Gibson, the deputy secretary for the Veterans Administration, is in the Denver area today to meet with local VA officials and construction managers regarding the progress (or lack thereof) at the Aurora VA Hospital project.

► The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says that trout from the Animas River are safe to eat. Governor John Hickenlooper is also still not dead after drinking water from the river in the aftermath of the Gold King Mine spill. Hickenlooper says he would consider asking the EPA for a Superfund designation in Silverton if local residents and officials get behind the idea.

► The Colorado Supreme Court ruled in June that Douglas County’s school voucher program was unconstitutional, and now the Douglas County School Board is taking its appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. As the Denver Post reports, Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman may drag the State of Colorado into the argument on behalf of Douglas County:

The state of Colorado will file its own petition with the Supreme Court in support of Douglas County, the Douglas County news release said. Roger Hudson, spokesman for Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, said she would not comment about the appeal or what her office’s role might be.

She hasn’t even been in office for a full year, yet Coffman is already making her case for Colorado’s worst Attorney General. Ever.

► Organizers of the Oct. 28 Republican Presidential debate at the University of Colorado-Boulder still haven’t decided on how many CU students will be allowed to attend.

► Congressman Jared Polis (D-Boulderish) says he will continue to push for federal funding to expand Interstate 25 when Congress gets back to work following the August recess. Polis says he hopes Congress will pass a long-term transportation funding agreement, rather than another series of 60-day extensions. Unfortunately for Polis and other rational-minded folks, Congressional Republicans are just as likely to force a government shutdown instead.

► The Thompson Valley School Board cannot just unilaterally change its union negotiating policy. From the Ft. Collins Coloradoan:

A Larimer County judge on Wednesday blocked Thompson School District’s Board of Education from changing policies that could strip the Thompson Education Association of its status as the sole negotiating representative of the district’s teachers.

A breach of contract lawsuit filed by the teachers’ union against the school board alleges that the “reform” board majority negotiated in bad faith while twice failing to ratify a contract for district teachers this year. The agenda for a special board meeting scheduled for Wednesday night included discussion of eliminating district recognition of the union’s exclusive representation of its teachers.

► Former State Sen. George Rivera has been chosen to become the next chair of the Pueblo County Republicans. Former Chair Becky Mizel resigned earlier this summer in the midst of all sorts of trouble.

► An El Paso County District Court tossed a lawsuit against El Paso County brought by a few angry citizens over a proposed wind farm.

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► Famous rich person Donald Trump will sign a “loyalty pledge,” promising to support the Republican nominee for President even if their last name isn’t Trump. Of course, this pledge means absolutely nothing.

► Retired surgeon Ben Carson continues his rise up the polls in the race for the Republican Presidential nomination.

ICYMI

► The National Journal crunched the numbers and came to a conclusion you probably already guessed: states with the most gun control laws also have the fewest gun-related deaths.

► Tom Brady sucks.

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