One year ago today, Colorado announced its first case of COVID-19. 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.
CORONAVIRUS INFO…
*Colorado Coronavirus info:
CDPHE Coronavirus website
*Daily Coronavirus numbers in Colorado:
http://covid19.colorado.gov
*How you can help in Colorado:
COVRN.com
*Locate a COVID-19 testing site in Colorado:
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
► The U.S. Senate is slogging through a vote-a-rama on a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill as Republicans pursue every possible angle to make the process of relief for American families take longer. This “Performative Obstruction” started on Thursday with a demand by Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson that the entire 628-page bill be read aloud (which took Senate clerks 10 hours and 43 minutes to complete).
As part of today’s vote-a-rama, both Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper voted yes on a $15 minimum wage. The New York Times has more on today’s action on the Senate floor:
The Senate is set to debate President Biden’s nearly $2 trillion stimulus plan on Friday as Democrats prepare to barrel past widespread opposition from Republican lawmakers and approve billions of dollars in funding for unemployed Americans, vaccine distribution, small businesses, schools and hospitals.
Senators will reconvene with three hours of debate before engaging in a rapid-fire series of votes on proposed amendments. Some are likely to force lawmakers into casting politically tough votes, while others could draw enough support to further tweak the legislation. The vote-a-rama, as it is known, could stretch long past midnight as Republicans battle against a bill whose crafting they were cut out of…
…But the efforts to slow action on the Senate floor to a crawl are expected to have little effect on the final legislation. Each party holds 50 seats in the chamber, giving Democrats a one-vote margin of control thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris’s power to break ties.
Back in Colorado, struggling residents of CO-03 are upset that Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert (R-ifle) is making no effort to provide assistance. Boebert’s sole purpose in Congress seems to be seeking out different ways to offend people.
Elsewhere, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Aurora Mayor “Homeless” Mike Coffman are urging Congress to quickly pass the $1.9 trillion relief bill.
► As The Washington Post reports, pressure is growing on Senate Democrats to get rid of the filibuster:
…as Biden faces a critical stretch of his presidency, even moderate Democrats are urging more immediate changes — particularly rewriting the filibuster, so that at the very least fewer bills need 60 votes to pass the Senate.
Democrats increasingly worry that popular pieces of Biden’s agenda will hit a wall in the Senate, including his plans for climate change, immigration, gun control, voting rights and LGBT protections. Failing to enact them, they fear, could be a political disaster for Democrats as well as a substantive one.
Elsewhere, the AFL-CIO is considering joining the battle to end the filibuster.
► To the Colorado legislature we go…
Lawmakers are considering a criminal justice reform bill intended to help reduce overcrowded jails, as well as a measure that would require discharged prisoners to leave jail with some form of photo identification.
Colorado Newsline reports on legislation to better monitor toxic air pollutants.
The Denver Post updates efforts to skip standardized testing this year because of coronavirus-related concerns.
Legislation to extend “to-go alcohol” from local restaurants is moving forward, as is a bill seeking to tweak a new marijuana delivery program.
► As The Associated Press reports, opposition to President Biden’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic is coming from only one specific slice of the population:
Biden is enjoying an early presidential honeymoon, with 60% of Americans approving of his job performance thus far and even more backing his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
At a moment of deep political polarization in America, support for Biden’s pandemic response extends across party lines. Overall, 70% of Americans back the Democratic president’s handling of the virus response, including 44% of Republicans.
► The Denver Post reports on plans to acknowledge today’s anniversary of Colorado’s first known case of COVID-19:
“During the past year, we have tragically lost nearly 6,000 Coloradans to this deadly virus,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a news release.
Polis invites all Coloradans to participate Friday in a “virtual statewide Evening of Remembrance,” to honor pandemic victims who lost their lives.
A “virtual remembrance ceremony” is scheduled for 6:30 pm today.
More political (and coronavirus) news is available right after the jump…
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