Category Archives: Get More Smarter

The GMS Podcast: Asshats in Key States

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  by: Colorado Pols September 12, 2022 at 9:17 AM MDT

This week on the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii discuss Republican Senate candidate Joe O’Dea’s pledge to decide what rights women should get to have, and we consider how the breakdown of the national map for Senate Republicans (“Asshats in Key States”) is causing problems for O’Dea in Colorado.

We also talk about the latest state fundraising reports; the deadline for the recall of State Sen. Kevin Priola; and we bemoan the fact that the campaign for Denver Mayor is already well underway even though the midterm election still has eight weeks to go.

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@getmoresmarter.com. Or send emails to jason@getmoresmarter.com or ian@getmoresmarter.com.

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The GMS Podcast: Dark Brandon’s MAGA Smackdown

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  by: Colorado Pols September 6, 2022 at 9:29 AM MDT

Charles Ashby, sans beard

This week on the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii discuss President Biden’s momentous speech last week calling out “MAGA Republicans” and what it means for the 2022 election in Colorado. We also update on the apparently very expensive recall effort against new Democratic State Sen. Kevin Priola; big new problems facing Republican State Sen. Dennis Hisey in El Paso County; and top GOP candidates who are scrubbing all mention of “abortion” from their campaign materials.

Our interview this week is with podcast favorite Charles Ashby of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, who stops by to update us on the always-weird Tina Peters saga, Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert’s Christian Nationalism, and the Western Slope perspective on the final stretch of the 2022 election.

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@getmoresmarter.com. Or send emails to jason@getmoresmarter.com or ian@getmoresmarter.com.

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The GMS Podcast: Christian Nationalism and Other Fun Things

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  by: Colorado Pols August 29, 2022 at 8:58 AM MDT

Dr. Anand Sohkey, University of Colorado

This week on the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii talk with University of Colorado professor Dr. Anand Sohkey about his upcoming book on Christian Nationalism and why it’s suddenly so pervasive in our politics.

But that’s not all! In this unusually-long episode, we also talk about State Sen. Kevin Priola’s Party switch and the odd Republican reaction to that move; our 7th favorite member of Congress from Colorado adds another Democrat to her list of people she wants to “IMEACH”; and we try to understand why Republican candidates like Joe O’Dea and Heidi Ganahl keep running in the wrong election (psst…the Primary is over).

Click here to read more about Dr. Sohkey’s work on American politics, including his book on the usefulness of yard signs.

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@getmoresmarter.com. Or send emails to jason@getmoresmarter.com or ian@getmoresmarter.com.

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Michael Bennet and Jon Ossoff Get More Smarter

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  by: Colorado Pols August 21, 2022 at 4:41 PM MDT

This week in a SPECIAL EPISODE of the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii talk with not one, but two United States Senators.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) stop by to discuss the 2022 election and some of the lesser-known details of the Inflation Recovery Act (IRA). Senator Bennet also discusses how he helped to make sure that drought assistance was included in the IRA for Colorado; his celebratory visit to Sen. Joe Manchin’s West Virginia boat; his ongoing bet with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar; and how he and other Democratic Senators actually talk about #HorseSushi.

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@getmoresmarter.com. Or send emails to jason@getmoresmarter.com or ian@getmoresmarter.com.

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The Get More Smarter Podcast: Sen. John Hickenlooper

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  by: Colorado Pols August 9, 2022 at 2:13 PM MDT

“Dark Hickenlooper”

This week in a SPECIAL EPISODE of the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii talk with Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and his efforts to help get Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) to agree to the biggest Climate Change reduction bill in the history of ever.

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@getmoresmarter.com. Or send emails to jason@getmoresmarter.com or ian@getmoresmarter.com.

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The Get More Smarter Podcast: Undefeated Against Unicorns

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  by: Colorado Pols August 1, 2022 at 10:00 AM MDT

This week in episode 116 of the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii talk about unicorns…or at least the Republican politicians who want to be compared to these mythical creatures. More specifically, we answer a listener question about Republican Senate candidate Joe O’Dea and why he is as much of a unicorn as 2016 Republican Senate candidate Darryl Glenn, who once made the same claim.

We also try to understand why Republican Rep. Ken Buck is such a dick; why GOP gubernatorial candidate Hiedi Heidi Ganahl thinks she can propose a $10 billion revenue cut — a “Heidi Hole” — without a hint of a plan for how to offset that loss; and why Tina Peters thinks that a recount in the race for Secretary of State is going to change 89,000 votes in her favor.

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@getmoresmarter.com. Or send emails to jason@getmoresmarter.com or ian@getmoresmarter.com.

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Get More Smarter on Thursday (July 28)

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  by: Colorado Pols July 28, 2022 at 10:25 AM MDT

Enjoy the rain and the lower temperatures today. 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 

 

► How about that John Hickenlooper? The freshman Senator from Denver may have saved major legislation dealing with Climate Change and the economy with his persistence. 

Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Denver)

First, The Washington Post reports on the big deal:

Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) on Wednesday reached a deal with Democratic leaders on a spending package that aims to lower health-care costs, combat climate change and reduce the federal deficit, marking a massive potential breakthrough for President Biden’s long-stalled economic agenda.

The new agreement, brokered between Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), opens the door for party lawmakers to try to advance the measure next week. It caps off months of fierce debate, delay and acrimony, a level of infighting that some Democrats saw as detrimental to their political fate ahead of this fall’s critical elections.

Under the deal, Schumer secured Manchin’s support for roughly $433 billion in new spending, most of which is focused on climate change and clean energy production. It is the largest such investment in U.S. history, and a marked departure from Manchin’s position only days earlier. The Democrats coupled the spending with provisions that aim to lower health-care costs for Americans, chiefly by allowing Medicare to begin negotiating the price of select prescription drugs on behalf of seniors.

It appears that Sen. Hickenlooper’s refusal to allow negotiations to dissolve played a significant role in allowing a deal to be forged. As The New York Times explains:

Several Democrats and climate activists credited Senator John Hickenlooper of Colorado with keeping the lines of communication to Mr. Manchin open.

“When a lot of people said ‘That’s the end’ and everyone’s writing it off, I went to everybody I knew and said, ‘Wait a minute, we can’t quit,” said Mr. Hickenlooper, a onetime geologist for an oil and gas company. “We don’t have a satisfactory alternative.”

Many were wary about continuing negotiations because “they didn’t want to have their heart broken again,” Mr. Hickenlooper said. But, he said, Mr. Manchin insisted that he was still open to a deal.

Via The New York Times (7/28/22)

 

For more perspective on how Hickenlooper kept this deal afloat, check out this story from POLITICO last week:

It’s a pretty perennial problem. A group of lawmakers — sometimes leadership, sometimes rank-and-file — demand the cancellation of some or all of the Senate’s month-long August recess. This time, Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) floated the possibility to potentially still work out a deal with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on climate change and energy provisions.

As POLITICO skeptically concluded:

We’re going to keep an eye on the Hickenlooper-Manchin dynamic. Both are former Democratic governors in big energy-producing states.

In keeping this discussion alive, Hickenlooper may have also given a big boost to fellow Sen. Michael Bennet; the deal with Manchin severely undercuts a message that Republican Senate candidate Joe O’Dea had been pushing hard for the last few weeks.

 

► Colorado Congresspeople Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert and Ken Buck were two of just 20 Republicans to vote NO on legislation called the “Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act.” The bill is a reauthorization of funding for programs that include shelters, mental health care, education and job training for victims of human trafficking.

 

► As The Associated Press reports, the economy is not great:

The U.S. economy shrank from April through June for a second straight quarter, contracting at a 0.9% annual pace and raising fears that the nation may be approaching a recession.

 

► Don’t miss this week’s episode of The Get More Smarter Podcast, featuring a great interview with State Treasurer Dave Young that includes a discussion about all the weird things found inside the unclaimed property vault:

 

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The GMS Podcast: Tiny Guns and Boxes of Dirt (feat. Dave Young)

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  by: Colorado Pols July 25, 2022 at 10:53 AM MDT

State Treasurer Dave Young

This week in episode 115 of the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii talk with Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young about all sorts of topics. Young explains how a State Treasurer impacts your life, from the Secure Savings Act to his idea for an “Infrastructure Bank” program. We also find out more about some of the weird items sitting inside the unclaimed property vault…including the world’s tiniest gun.

Later, Jason and Ian discuss Republican gubernatorial candidate Hiedi Heidi Ganahl’s strange choice of a running mate and answer a listener question about the selection of a Lieutenant Governor. We also have more on Republican Senate candidate Joe O’Dea and some terrible votes cast by Colorado Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert, Ken Buck, and Doug Lamborn.

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@getmoresmarter.com. Or send emails to jason@getmoresmarter.com or ian@getmoresmarter.com.

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Get More Smarter on Tuesday (July 19)

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  by: Colorado Pols July 19, 2022 at 11:36 AM MDT

Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of the Aurora Theater Shootings that killed 12 people and injured 70 others. 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 

 

► Republican gubernatorial candidate Hiedi Heidi Ganahl has had a lot of bad days in the 10 months since she announced her campaign, but Monday has to rank near the top of that terrible list. Ganahl announced her running mate and Lieutenant Governor choice on Monday; it was not an Hispanic male leader from rural Colorado, as Ganahl had been teasing for weeks. Instead, Ganahl chose “Big Lie” believer Danny Moore, a Centennial businessman with no governing experience who lives about 9 miles away from her in the South Denver Metro Area. 

Most Colorado media outlets reacted similarly, which is to say that they largely panned Ganahl’s odd selection. This headline from Colorado Public Radio sums up much of the reaction.

Ganahl’s campaign was planning to hold a public event with Moore on Wednesday in Aurora until somebody realized that it was the 10th Anniversary of the Aurora Theater Shootings:

 

► Is Climate Change man-made? That debate is almost irrelevant at this point other than to guide potential solutions to the problem. Make no mistake — it IS a problem. As The Washington Post reports:

Has it ever, in human history, been this hot in the British Isles? Maybe not.

If you want to mark an unnatural, scary, real-world data point for climate change, it is here in Britain, right now, which saw its hottest day on record Tuesday, with temperatures hitting 40.2 Celsius or 104 Fahrenheit at London Heathrow. It’s an extreme-weather episode, a freak peak heat, not seen since modern record keeping began a century and a half ago.

And probably not since weather observation got serious here in 1659. And maybe far longer.

Hitting 40C, for British climate scientists, is a kind of a unicorn event that had appeared in their models but until recently seemed almost unbelievable and unattainable this soon.

Much of Europe is experiencing unprecedented heat waves. If nothing else, we must do what we can to prevent British men from walking around shirtless.

 

► Meanwhile, President Biden may be preparing to act aggressively to combat Climate Change. This from a separate story in The Washington Post:

President Biden is considering declaring a national climate emergency as soon as this week as he seeks to salvage his environmental agenda in the wake of stalled talks on Capitol Hill, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private deliberations.

The potential move comes days after Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) told Democratic leaders that he does not support his party’s efforts to advance a sprawling economic package this month that includes billions of dollars to address global warming. If an emergency is invoked, it could empower the Biden administration in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions and foster cleaner energy.

In anticipation of a potential announcement, Biden is set to travel to Somerset, Mass., to deliver a speech on climate change on Wednesday.

 

► Republican Primary Election losers Ron Hanks (U.S. Senate) and Tina Peters (Secretary of State) will not be granted recounts from the June 28th Primary because neither campaign has the financial resources to pay for such an effort.

The recount request was silly anyway, since neither Hanks nor Peters finished anywhere close enough to their respective opponents to justify such a time-consuming and pointless endeavor. Nevertheless, some Republican activists are still discussing options for challenging the 2022 Primary Election results. These folks really need a new hobby.

 

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Get More Smarter on Monday (July 11)

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  by: Colorado Pols July 11, 2022 at 10:50 AM MDT

In celebration of the 95th birthday of popular convenience store 7-11, you can get yourself a free Slurpee today. 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 

 

► In case you missed it late last week, Republican gubernatorial candidate Hiedi Heidi Ganahl and her campaign continue their march toward oblivion. Ganahl spent the first week after the June 28th Primary Election talking about how she was going to announce her pick for Lieutenant Governor last Thursday. That big reveal never happened, likely because her apparent choice — Las Animas County Commissioner Felix Lopez — either turned her down or backed out before the announcement could take place.

This three-minute story from 9News is a great way to catch up on Ganahl’s latest #FAIL:


► Republicans in Colorado are clinging on to hope that low approval ratings for President Biden will give them a boost in November. As The New York Times reports, Biden’s numbers are pretty, pretty bad at the moment:

President Biden is facing an alarming level of doubt from inside his own party, with 64 percent of Democratic voters saying they would prefer a new standard-bearer in the 2024 presidential campaign, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll, as voters nationwide have soured on his leadership, giving him a meager 33 percent job-approval rating…

…For Mr. Biden, that bleak national outlook has pushed his job approval rating to a perilously low point. Republican opposition is predictably overwhelming, but more than two-thirds of independents also now disapprove of the president’s performance, and nearly half disapprove strongly. Among fellow Democrats his approval rating stands at 70 percent, a relatively low figure for a president, especially heading into the 2022 midterms when Mr. Biden needs to rally Democrats to the polls to maintain control of Congress.

In a sign of deep vulnerability and of unease among what is supposed to be his political base, only 26 percent of Democratic voters said the party should renominate him in 2024.

Biden’s numbers are no doubt getting pulled down in part by bigger global problems such as inflation, the coronavirus, and the war in Ukraine, but that doesn’t make his precipitous polling dip any less jarring.

 

► Meanwhile, as The Washington Post reports, Republicans are dealing with their own problems in trying to take control of the Senate majority with a bunch of godawful candidates (headlined by Georgia Senate candidate Herschel “52 States” Walker):

Not for decades has the midterm environment appeared as favorable to Republicans, with President Biden’s approval rating at 39 percent, according to a Washington Post polling average in June and the share of voters approving of the country’s direction dropping to 10 percent in a Monmouth poll late last month. But four months from Election Day, Republicans are struggling in several of the marquee Senate races because of candidate challenges and campaigns still recovering from brutal Republican primaries, putting control of the upper chamber of Congress in 2023 up for grabs…

…It’s not just political novices who are struggling. In Wisconsin, GOP Sen. Ron Johnson is roughly even with three of his four potential Democratic rivals in a Marquette University poll last month, taken before new disclosures that his office had attempted to play a role in pushing an alternate slate of electors for the 2020 election. Johnson was viewed favorably by 37 percent of the state’s registered voters in that poll and unfavorably by 46 percent.

 

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Get More Smarter on Tuesday (July 5)

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  by: Colorado Pols July 5, 2022 at 11:12 AM MDT

We’ll get you caught up after a long holiday weekend. 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 

 

► Police continue to investigate a deadly shooting in a wealthy suburb of Chicago on the Fourth of July. As The Associated Press reports:

The gunman who targeted an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago fired more than 70 rounds and evaded initial capture by blending into the fleeing crowd, police said Tuesday.

The assailant’s shots were initially mistaken for fireworks before hundreds of panicked revelers fled in terror in Highland Park, a close-knit community on the shores of Lake Michigan that has long drawn the rich and sometimes famous…

..Authorities detained a suspect Monday evening in a traffic stop that led to a brief chase. Police initially described the man as a person of interest, but a spokesman for the Lake County Major Crime Task Force said Tuesday that he is now considered a suspect.

Charges were expected to be announced soon, according to a spokeswoman for the Lake County state’s attorney, Sara Avalos. Authorities offered no motive for the attack.

The shooting in Highland Park marked the 311th mass shooting in the United States in 2022.

This deserves to be repeated: The Highland Park mass shooting was the 311th mass shooting in this country JUST THIS YEAR. To put that in perspective, today is the 186th day of 2022. As NBC News reports, the Highland Park shooting was one of just several mass shootings to have taken place over the Fourth of July weekend.

Alan Gionet of CBS Colorado looks at how mass shootings are changing the way we live our lives in Colorado:

“I do sometimes think you know, I’m not sure if I want to go to that public event,” said Beverly Kingston, a PhD in sociology and director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at CU Boulder.

Kingston studies violence and ways to prevent them and absorbs the stress of that. But that stress is reaching many of us.

“I think we’re all trying to deal and process with the level of violence that we’re experiencing in the nation,” Kingston added…

…Raymond James noted how he didn’t want to take his family into the area around Civic Center Park and felt more comfortable around the lake, where he might be able to see someone like a shooter coming from a greater distance.

 

► The Colorado Sun looks at (almost) final turnout numbers from the June 28th Primary Election:

More than 231,000 unaffiliated voters cast Republican primary ballots this year, about 100,000 more than chose to vote in the GOP primary in 2020 and 130,000 more than voted in the 2018 GOP primary.

Democratic political consultant Ian Silverii doesn’t think this portends much for November, mostly because Democrats didn’t have many contested races in the Primary Election:

“There’s no evidence at all that primary votes with an uncontested Democratic ballot and an almost completely contested Republican ballot will have any bearing on the general election whatsoever,” he said.

The number of unaffiliated ballots cast for Republicans is expected to rise as more ballots are processed in the coming days. There were about 40,000 unaffiliated ballots across the state that still had to be tabulated as of Friday morning, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.

Meanwhile, it looks like 2022 may be the year with the lowest number of Democratic primary ballots cast by unaffiliated voters.

 

► As The Washington Post reports, Republicans around the country are defying President Biden and using COVID relief money for tax cuts:

As gas prices climbed toward record highs this May, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) secured a pause on the state’s fuel taxes — a $200 million plan he helped pay for with a pot of federal funds awarded earlier in the pandemic.

The policy was intended to save money for local drivers and state coffers alike. But it also appeared to mark a potential violation of federal law — and the latest skirmish in an escalating clash between GOP officials and the White House over how states can use generous federal stimulus dollars.

More than a year after Congress approved a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, Republicans in nearly two dozen states have ratcheted up efforts to tap some of those funds for an unrelated purpose: paying for tax cuts. The moves have threatened to siphon off aid that might otherwise help states fight the pandemic, shore up their local economies or prepare for a potential recession.

 

► As The New York Times reports, there are new concerns that recent Supreme Court rulings on abortion could drastically restrict the availability of in-vitro fertilization for couples having trouble conceiving a child.

 

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The GMS Podcast: Predicting the Primary Election

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  by: Colorado Pols June 22, 2022 at 8:44 AM MDT

This week in episode 112 of the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii make their final prognostications in advance of the June 28th Primary Election with the help of Armin Thomas of Split-Ticket.org.

We’ll also discuss calls from The Denver Post to shutter the Benson Center for Western Civilization Thought and Policy at the University of Colorado…thanks to its association with coup plotter John Eastman. And Eastman pal/gubernatorial candidate Hiedi Heidi Ganahl goes on TV with her first advertisement just eight days before Election Day.

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@getmoresmarter.com. Or send emails to jason@getmoresmarter.com or ian@getmoresmarter.com.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher |

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The GMS Podcast: Heidi Ganahl Won’t Let Greg Lopez Lose

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  by: Colorado Pols June 15, 2022 at 11:27 AM MDT

This week in episode 111 of the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii catch up on a whole bunch of political news.

We’ll go through the latest updates on the big political races in Colorado as the Primary Election draws near and explain why Republicans are flipping out over television ads that are filling the airwaves their candidates left open. We also take a look at the Jan. 6 insurrection investigation; Rep. Lauren Boebert’s latest scandals; Tina Peters’s non-sequiturs; and Rep. Ken Buck’s commitment to absurdity.

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@getmoresmarter.com. Or send emails to jason@getmoresmarter.com or ian@getmoresmarter.com.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher |

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Get More Smarter on Tuesday (June 7)

4
  by: Colorado Pols June 7, 2022 at 10:53 AM MDT

Technically this is a hockey mask. Congratulations to the Colorado Avalanche for making the Stanley Cup Finals! 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 Congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection will hold publicly-televised hearings on Thursday evening. In the meantime, more damning details continue to leak out about former President Donald Trump’s role in the attempted coup. From The Washington Post:

Shortly before pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Secret Service agents scrambled to try to secure a motorcade route so then-President Donald Trump could accompany his supporters as they marched on Congress to demand he stay in power, according to two people briefed on witnesses’ accounts to congressional investigators.

The hectic events that day followed nearly two weeks of persistent pressure from Trump on the Secret Service to devise a plan for him to join his supporters on a march to the Capitol from the park near the White House where he was leading a massive rally that he predicted would be “wild.”

The agency had rebuffed Trump’s early entreaties, but the rushed effort on Jan. 6 to accommodate the president came as Secret Service personnel heard Trump urge his rally audience of nearly 30,000 people to march to the Capitol while suggesting he would join them. Their mission was clear, he said: pressure “weak” Republicans to refuse to accept the election results that made Joe Biden the next president.

Witnesses have told the House Jan. 6 committee that, immediately after Trump made that remark, Secret Service agents contacted D.C. police about blocking intersections, according to the people briefed on the testimony. Police officials declined, as they were stretched thin due to their role monitoring numerous protests and later assisting with a growing mob at the Capitol, the people said. A senior law enforcement official told The Washington Post that the president’s detail leader scuttled the idea as untenable and unsafe.

 

► Seven states are holding Primary Elections today. NPR reports on where to look for the more interesting angles. Among them are a ballot measure in South Dakota that could make it harder for the state to approve Medicaid expansion in November. 

 

► CBS News reports on some head-scratching poll numbers regarding mass shootings. Jennifer Rubin of The Washington Post picks out the strangest figures:

Only 3 percent of Republicans say America would be safer if guns were banned; only 13 percent say it would be safer with fewer guns. A plurality of Republicans are convinced the number of guns has no effect on gun violence.

The kicker is that while only 28 percent of the general population thinks we have to accept mass gun murder as part of living in a free society, 44 percent of Republicans do. It’s an open question as to whether Republicans truly believe that claim or simply deny that there are solutions to maintain their belief in unlimited access to guns. But their willingness to accept tens of thousands of deaths each year from gun-related injuries, including small children, should stun and depress the rational Americans who do not think mass murders of schoolchildren are just a part of life.

 

► There has been a lot of talk lately about the role Unaffiliated voters might play in the June 28th Primary Election. Meghan Lopez of Denver7 has more on the topic, including some comments from a familiar name for readers of Colorado Pols.

Meanwhile, thousands of Democrats are reportedly changing their party affiliation in order to vote out Republican Rep. Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert in CO-03. If these numbers are accurate, Boebert could be in real trouble.

 

► The Denver Post looks at eight of the most interesting Primary races to watch in the next few weeks. The Colorado Sun outlines where the four Republican candidates in CO-08 stand on important issues.

 

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Get More Smarter on Monday (June 6)

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  by: Colorado Pols June 6, 2022 at 11:11 AM MDT

Get outside and enjoy what looks to be a lovely week of weather in Colorado. While you apply sunscreen, 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 

 

► Republican Senate candidate Joe O’Dea seems to have figured out that the June 28th Primary Election is just around the corner (in fact, mail ballots started going out today). As The Colorado Sun reports, O’Dea has a new campaign manager and has written a big check to his campaign for a late advertising blitz intended to get him over the hump against fellow Republican State Rep. Ron Hanks:

O’Dea’s campaign for U.S. Senate is making a major push heading into the June 28 Republican primary, spending more than $300,000 on television and radio ads over the next three weeks as he begins attacking his GOP opponent, U.S. Rep. Ron Hanks, in earnest.

O’Dea, a wealthy, self-funding first-time candidate who owns a Denver construction company, has also hired a campaign manager with experience working on political races across the country.

O’Dea’s new campaign manager is named Zack Roday. Yes, really.

Perhaps Roday can get O’Dea to start taking some actual positions on important issues.

 

► Right wing enthusiasts at last weekend’s Western Conservative Summit picked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ahead of former President Donald Trump in a straw poll of potential 2024 Presidential candidates. Other notable winners include Ron Hanks in the U.S. Senate race and Hiedi Heidi Ganahl in the race for Governor. 

Colorado Newsline and 9News have more on how various Republican candidates addressed issues such as abortion rights and gun violence at the WCS event.

 

► The Colorado Secretary of State’s office has ruled that a political donation from Republican activist Michael Fields to the campaign of Republican Attorney General candidate John Kellner is likely a campaign finance violation. Click here (Kellner-Fields-Complaint) to read the decision (PDF).

 

► Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters may be just weeks away from winning a Republican Primary for Secretary of State, but that won’t help her legal woes. As Charles Ashby reports for the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel:

A Mesa County grand jury had enough probable cause to investigate and indict Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters and her chief deputy, Belinda Knisley, in March on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, District Judge Matthew Barrett ruled Friday.

In responding to a motion from Peters’ and Knisley’s attorneys asking Barrett to review the case to see if there were reasonable grounds to investigate and indict, the judge revealed numerous aspects of that investigation, something that is somewhat unprecedented because grand jury probes are highly secret.

In it, Barrett wrote that, over the course of five days, the grand jury heard testimony from numerous witnesses and saw about 60 exhibits.“The acts and/or omissions of Knisley and Peters, as public officials, constituted the crimes of violation of a duty, failure to comply with the requirements of the Secretary of State; and also for Peters, first-degree misconduct,” Barrett concluded in his review. “The record supports a finding of probable cause for these allegations.”

One of the witnesses the grand jury heard was Fruita resident Gerald Wood, whose identity was used by a still-unknown person who was authorized by Peters and others in her office to gain access to secure areas of the county’s election division.

Fruita man!

 

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The GMS Podcast: It’s. The. Guns. (feat. Tom Sullivan)

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  by: Colorado Pols June 3, 2022 at 2:28 PM MDT

Rep. Tom Sullivan (D-Centennial)

This week in episode 110 of the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii talk with Democratic State Rep. Tom Sullivan about gun violence prevention; the dumbest thing he’s ever heard on the House Floor; and his campaign for State Senate in SD-27.

Later, Jason and Ian tell you who is going to win the big Republican Primary battles (ballots hit mailboxes next week!), and we try out a new word that probably won’t catch on (“Herschelie”).

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@ .com. Or send emails to jason@getmoresmarter.com or ian@getmoresmarter.com.

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Get More Smarter on Wednesday (June 1)

0
  by: Colorado Pols June 1, 2022 at 10:16 AM MDT

Wait, what? It’s June? 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 

 

► As The Washington Post reports, the American economy continues its good news/bad news streak:

Job openings remain near record highs with 11.4 million job openings, as the tight labor market continues to be a bright spot for the U.S. economy.

Some 4.4 million Americans quit or changed jobs in April, according to a report released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, using their leverage in a labor economy where job openings continue to outnumber job seekers by close to two-to-one.

Employers reported hiring 6.6 million people in April. Layoffs, meanwhile, fell to an all-time low of 1.2 million, as businesses sought to keep the workers they did have…

…The latest figures come as the U.S. job market notches month after month of solid growth. U.S. employers added 428,000 jobs in April — the 12th consecutive month of at least 400,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate is at a pandemic low of 3.6 percent.

 

► The Colorado Sun outlines six areas where the two Republican candidates for U.S. Senate diverge the most: 1) Abortion rights; 2) The “Big Lie”; 3) Ukraine; 4) Climate Change; 5) Republican Senate caucus leadership; and 6) How to win in 2022.

 

► Primary ballots will start being mailed to voters next week. Colorado Public Radio has more on how to keep track of your ballot:

Colorado uses a service called BallotTrax that allows voters to sign up for text alerts at each stage of the voting process — from when it’s mailed out, to when the completed ballot is received back at the clerk’s office and their signature is verified.

The Secretary of State’s office said nearly two million Coloradans are already signed up for BallotTrax, out of 3.8 million active voters statewide.

CLICK HERE to sign up for BallotTrax.

 

► Republican gubernatorial hopeful Hiedi Heidi Ganahl keeps getting pulled closer and closer into the mess that is the CU Benson Center for conservative punditry and coup strategist John Eastman.

 

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The GMS Podcast: Does This Look Like it Could be Weird? (feat. Alec Garnett)

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  by: Colorado Pols May 24, 2022 at 8:18 AM MDT

House Speaker Alec Garnett (D-Denver)

This week in episode 109 of the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii recap the 2022 legislative session with House Speaker Alec Garnett. The outgoing Speaker talks about some confusing last-minute negotiations and the ability of Democrats to pass meaningful legislation despite Republican obstruction. Garnett also has some advice for the next person to take hold of the Speaker’s gavel.

Later, Jason and Ian examine the first candidate forum between the Republicans running for Secretary of State: Tina Peters, Mike O’Donnell, and Pam Anderson. You’ll want to hear the clips that made Jason think this might be the single most incomprehensible candidate forum he’s ever witnessed.

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@ .com. Or send emails to jason@getmoresmarter.com or ian@getmoresmarter.com.

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Get More Smarter on Friday (May 20)

3
  by: Colorado Pols May 20, 2022 at 10:45 AM MDT

Enjoy the slush. 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 

 

► Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, really worked overtime in an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election. As The Washington Post reports:

Thomas, the conservative activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, pressed Arizona lawmakers after the 2020 election to set aside Joe Biden’s popular-vote victory and choose “a clean slate of Electors,” according to emails obtained by The Washington Post.

The emails, sent by Ginni Thomas to a pair of lawmakers on Nov. 9, 2020, argued that legislators needed to intervene because the vote had been marred by fraud. Though she did not mention either candidate by name, the context was clear…

…The messages show that Thomas, a staunch supporter of Donald Trump, was more deeply involved in the effort to overturn Biden’s win than has been previously reported. In sending the emails, Thomas played a role in the extraordinary scheme to keep Trump in office by substituting the will of legislatures for the will of voters.

Thomas’s actions also underline concerns about potential conflicts of interest that her husband has already faced — and may face in the future — in deciding cases related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Those questions intensified in March, when The Post and CBS News obtained text messages that Thomas sent in late 2020 to Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, pressing him to help reverse the election.

 

► As The Colorado Sun reports for its “Unaffiliated” newsletter, Governor Jared Polis says he may push lawmakers to further delay implementation of a new gas tax depending on the state of the economy.

 

► The District Attorney who covers Mesa County — Republican Dan Rubenstein — said on Thursday that election conspiracy theories promoted by Mesa County Clerk and Recorder (and Secretary of State candidate) Tina Peters are complete nonsense and without merit. In fact, as The Associated Press reports:

There was “extensive evidence” that Peters’ conclusions were false and no proof found of outside election interference, Rubinstein wrote in a summary to commissioners.

Unfortunately, this probably won’t stop Peters from continuing to issue her “reports.” Her “report #4” is right around the corner.

 

► Republicans in Colorado’s Congressional delegation talk a big game about the need to increase production of baby formula, but when it comes time to vote…they vanish. Republicans Lauren Boebert, Ken Buck, and Doug Lamborn voted NO on a $28 million funding bill to increase production. Boebert was also one of only NINE REPUBLICANS TOTAL who voted against legislation intended to make it easier for low-income families to purchase baby formula.

As Denver7 reports:

When asked Thursday why Boebert voted against both measures – despite chastising the administration in a tweet about the formula shortage on May 12 – she claimed the Biden administration and Democrats created the issue. Abbott has maintained no evidence shows its formula and plant caused the death of the infants, but the FDA investigation is ongoing.

“Increasing salaries for FDA bureaucrats without addressing the production and supply chain issues isn’t going to solve the shortage,” Boebert said in a statement. “Democrats should be shamed for offering false hope messaging bills, and not real solutions for moms and dads trying to feed their children.”

Nobody is preventing Boebert from offering up her own solution or legislation.

 

► We made a small, but significant, adjustment to “The Big Line” on Thursday. For the first time this cycle, we moved Greg Lopez ahead of Hiedi Heidi Ganahl in the race for Governor. Neither Lopez nor Ganahl are likely to defeat incumbent Democrat Jared Polis, but it’s looking like Lopez might have a better chance of winning the GOP nomination on June 28.

Speaking of Lopez, he has a (not cool) idea for destroying Democracy in order to give Republicans an advantage in Colorado that even they couldn’t screw up.

 

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The GMS Podcast: Falling on Ridiculously Dull Swords

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  by: Colorado Pols May 13, 2022 at 9:19 AM MDT

This week in episode 108 of the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii look back at the 2022 legislative session and highlight some of the more important pieces of legislation to come out of the Gold Dome.

Later, Jason and Ian talk about Joe/John “O’Dancing” O’Dea (it will make sense when you listen); John Eastman; and Tina Peters.

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@ .com. Or send emails to jason@getmoresmarter.com or ian@getmoresmarter.com.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher |

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Get More Smarter on Thursday (May 12)

14
  by: Colorado Pols May 12, 2022 at 9:59 AM MDT

You gotta love this. 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 2022 Colorado legislative session is in the books!

For a recap of the final days and the session overall, check out these stories from The Denver Post; Colorado Public Radio; Colorado Newsline; and Denver7.

Here’s a statement from the office of Governor Jared Polis on the results of the legislative session. Lawmakers held a press conference this morning to discuss the session in more detail.

ProgressNow Colorado lists its annual “Winners and Losers” from the 2022 legislative session.

 

► Andrew Kenney of Colorado Public Radio explains how legislation dealing with fentanyl — the biggest issue in the final weeks of the session — turned out at the end:

After months of debate, Colorado lawmakers gave final approval on Wednesday night to the state’s new “fentanyl accountability” bill.

The bill introduces tougher criminal penalties for the possession of a smaller amount of fentanyl, or other drugs laced with fentanyl. At the same time, reformers were able to win some new funding for treatment and other services.

The measure passed the legislature with the support of most Democrats and a small minority of Republicans. Many Republicans argued it didn’t go far enough to punish people involved with fentanyl, while some liberal Democrats warned it could help to restart a harmful “war on drugs” approach to addiction.

Perhaps the most notable change in the law is that the limit for felony possession of fentanyl has been lowered from 4 grams to 1 gram. Governor Jared Polis praised lawmakers for working “in a bipartisan, and comprehensive manner to reduce fentanyl deaths and get dealers off the streets and fentanyl our of our communities.” Blair Miller of Denver7 has more on the final bill.

 

► Colorado high school students are walking out of class to protest the likely reversal of Roe v. Wade:

 

► The story of John Eastman, the former visiting scholar at the University of Colorado who played a key role in Donald Trump’s attempted coup in 2021, just keeps getting worse and worse for the players involved. New emails from the University of Colorado have prompted a bunch of national stories, including from POLITICO, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.

 

► President Biden ordered flags to be flown at half-staff to mark the death of 1 million Americans from COVID-19.

 

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Get More Smarter on Monday (May 9)

6
  by: Colorado Pols May 9, 2022 at 10:48 AM MDT

Denver is home to the NBA MVP…again! 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 2022 legislative session in Colorado is down to its final days. Lawmakers have until Midnight on Wednesday to wrap up a number of important bills.

Axios Denver runs down a list of the most high-profile pieces of legislation still to be finalized. In a separate story, Axios looks at where things stand on perhaps the biggest issue yet to be decided: a change in the law regarding fentanyl possession:

The House is slated for a final vote Monday on the controversial legislation before advancing it to the state Senate, where sponsors Sens. Brittany Pettersen (D-Lakewood) and John Cooke (R-Greeley) will attempt to take it to the finish line.

Why it matters: Fentanyl deaths are soaring in Colorado, outpacing most other states — and many overdoses are occurring as users unknowingly ingest the synthetic opioid laced with other drugs.

What’s new: A GOP-sponsored, zero-tolerance amendment that would make any possession of fentanyl a felony failed on Friday with an unanimous down vote from House Democrats.

The current draft bill now makes it a felony to possess more than 1 gram of fentanyl in any form, while tightening criminal penalties for distributing the drug.

The editorial board of The Denver Post encourages lawmakers NOT to “criminalize addiction” in Colorado.

 

► The Colorado Sun breaks down the latest on a Capitol battle over property taxes:

Colorado’s property tax arms race ended Friday morning after conservative and liberal groups moved to withdraw the ballot measures they were pursuing for the November ballot that would have dramatically altered the tax code.

Democratic leaders in the legislature, meanwhile, vowed not to pursue an opposing ballot initiative that would have prevented property tax changes from being made through the statewide ballot.

In exchange, the legislature will move forward with Senate Bill 238 without changes, a measure that, if it is signed into law in the coming days as expected, will reduce projected property tax increases by $700 million over the next two years. The legislation was aimed at heading off an even bigger reduction being pushed by business interests.

The decision by all sides to back down ends a high-stakes game of chicken that threatened to grip the Capitol in the final days of the 2022 legislative session. In jeopardy were billions of dollars in funding for schools and local governments.

 

► Why stop with outlawing abortion when you can ban contraception as well? The Washington Post reports on yet another reason to never, ever visit Mississippi:

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) on Sunday refused to rule out the possibility that his state would ban certain forms of contraception, sidestepping questions about what would happen next if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

On CNN’s “State of the Union,” Reeves confirmed that, if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, a trigger law passed in Mississippi in 2007 would go into effect that essentially outlaws abortions in the state, although it makes exceptions for rape and for the life of the mother.

When asked if Mississippi might next target the use of contraceptives such as the Plan B pill or intrauterine devices, Reeves demurred, saying that was not what the state was focused on “at this time.” 

Some Republicans are even going so far as to call for a ban on condoms. No, seriously.

 

► Legislation to allow collective bargaining rights for municipal employees is struggling to stay afloat in the legislature’s final day.

 

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The GMS Podcast: The One With the Epic Rant on Abortion Rights

1
  by: Colorado Pols May 6, 2022 at 1:16 PM MDT

This week in episode 107 of the Get More Smarter Podcast, your hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii welcome back Christy Powell once more for the latest news on fundraising numbers for statewide races and one unforgettable diatribe about abortion rights (seriously, it could be its own episode — jump to the 22:45 mark).

But first, Jason and Ian consider the political implications in Colorado of the demise of Roe v. Wade and make sure to update you on where Republican candidates for federal office stand on the issue. We also dive into the big news in the race for Governor and listen to Republican candidate Greg Lopez talk himself into oblivion in an interview with 9News.

Listen to previous episodes of The Get More Smarter Podcast at GetMoreSmarter.com.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Let us have it at AngryRants@getmoresmarter.com.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher |

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Get More Smarter on Friday (May 6)

0
  by: Colorado Pols May 6, 2022 at 10:13 AM MDT

On Wednesday you could say, “May the Fourth be With You.” Thursday was Cinco de Mayo. Today is just May 6. 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 job market in the United States is pretty, pretty good right now. From The New York Times:

April produced another solid month of job growth, the Labor Department reported Friday, reflecting the economy’s resilient rebound from the pandemic’s devastation.

U.S. employers added 428,000 jobs, the department said, the same as the revised figure for March. The unemployment rate in April remained 3.6 percent…

…The U.S. economy has regained nearly 95 percent of the 22 million jobs lost at the height of coronavirus-related lockdowns in the spring of 2020. And labor force participation has recovered more swiftly than most analysts initially expected, nearing prepandemic levels. The labor supply over the past year has not kept up with a record wave of job openings, however, as businesses expand to meet the demand for a variety of goods and services.

 

► As Colorado Public Radio reports, Colorado will likely become one of the epicenters for abortion care should Roe v. Wade get overturned:

As Coloradans await the final decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on the fate of Roe v. Wade, abortion rights advocates are preparing for what they consider an inevitable influx of patients from out of state.

According to data from the state health department, that uptick of abortion patients from outside of Colorado is already happening.

From 2017 to 2019, 11% of abortions in Colorado were performed on patients from out of state. In 2020, it went to 13% and was nearly 14% last year, according to the state health department. That accounts for 1,560 procedures out of the state’s total of 11,580 abortions in 2021.

Politically-speaking, the coming battle over abortion rights is a 2022 issue that smart Republicans in Colorado were hoping to avoid.

 

► Colorado lawmakers are rushing to close out several important bills with the last day of the 2022 session coming up on Wednesday. Here’s a look at what’s being discussed:

♦ Legislation regarding penalties for fentanyl distribution is near the home stretch;

♦ The Colorado Sun looks at last-minute battles over property taxes;

♦ Denver7 reports on the progress of an election integrity bill, as does The Colorado Sun;

♦ Colorado Public Radio has more on the advancement of a ban on flavored tobacco products;

♦ KDVR reports on legislation dealing with nursing shortages;

♦ Lawmakers hope an 18-month study can help settle longstanding battles over liquor.

 

► 9News explains more about what to expect regarding upcoming TABOR refunds.

 

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Get More Smarter on Cinco de Mayo (May 5)

16
  by: Colorado Pols May 5, 2022 at 10:16 AM MDT

Happy Cinco de Mayo. Please celebrate responsibly and go easy on Federal Blvd. 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 

 

► Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-Denver) is among many Democrats calling on the U.S. Senate to act quickly to protect abortion rights in the wake of a “leaked opinion” suggesting that the United States Supreme Court is about to overturn Roe v. Wade. From Denver7:

DeGette, the co-chair of the House Pro-Choice Caucus, implored the Senate to act and pass House-passed legislation protecting people’s right to abortion care, despite it failing to do so earlier this year, after the leak of the draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade.

The House of Representatives passed the Women’s Health Protection Act last September in a 218-211 vote, with all Republicans voting against the measure and all Democrats voting in favor except for Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas.

But when the motion to proceed to a vote in the Senate came up on Feb. 28, the measure failed to get the 60 votes necessary to proceed in a 46-48 vote, with all voting Republicans voting against the measure along with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V.

As The Washington Post reports, the White House is also working hard to find solutions for protecting abortion rights…though there might not be much they can do:

Officials are discussing whether funding, whether through Medicaid or another mechanism, could be made available to women to travel to other states for an abortion, according to outside advisers who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions, but many doubt whether that is feasible.

 

► Meanwhile, you likely won’t hear Republicans saying much about abortion or Roe v. Wade, because they’ve been instructed to focus their talking points on the “leaked opinion” instead. Not all Republicans are following that advice, however; CO-08 candidates Lori Saine and Barbara Kirkmeyer couldn’t hide their glee over a possible court ruling.

 

► As Charles Ashby of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel notes, the June Primary ballot in Colorado is officially set. 

 

► Elbert County Clerk Dallas Schroeder finally turned over copies he made of his county’s election/voting servers to Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. This has become a big issue in Colorado with advocates of the “Big Lie,” and if Republicans had their way, it would continue in future elections:

 

 

► Colorado lawmakers are nearing an endpoint in the discussion over changes to fentanyl possession laws, with the State Senate hearing debate today.

 

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