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Welcome back to The Spot, where captures what’s happening this week — from the Colorado legislature to Denver city hall, with a stop through the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C.

The stream of Colorado political news isn’t showing any signs of slowing, so let’s dive right into what’s happening, what’s coming and what you might have missed last week in the chaos.

Congress passed a $1.3 trillion spending bill which has a boat-load of impacts for Colorado. At the state Capitol, the GOP picked a replacement for an ousted Democrat-turned-Republican lawmaker, tried to repeal tax credits for electric vehicles and scored a major victory when their plan to pay for billions in needed road repairs cleared .

We have more on听Cambridge Analytica’s activity in Colorado, details on a grand jury investigation into one of the state’s top politicians and somber news that Aurora’s mayor has cancer. There’s even a story below about the Pence family’s bunny book.

Oh, and it’s budget week at the Colorado legislature, which means our reporter,听, is having a really fun time (despite what he might tweet).

Fresh this morning:听Cambridge Analytica created psychological profiles for 136,000 Colorado voters. And the data still exists.

We're five amendments down (all rejected or withdrawn). Only 90 to go.

— Brian Eason (@brianeason)

ROLL CALL

COLORADO: THE STATEHOUSE & BEYOND

• The Colorado House of Representatives started debate听Wednesday听on a $28.9 billion state budget. Here’s what’s in it. And here’s what the debate looked like.
• A key part of Amendment 71 — the measure voters approved in 2016 to make it harder to change the state constitution — got struck down in federal court this week because a judge says it violates the U.S. Constitution.
• A Democratic candidate for Colorado governor (who recently ran for U.S. Senate as a Republican) says he鈥檚 spending serious money. And he鈥檚 not disclosing a dime.
• Speaking of the gubernatorial election, an early projection of Democratic state assembly delegates shows Cary Kennedy is likely to qualify for the ballot. Meanwhile, a poll also shows her campaign is gaining momentum.
• A GOP state senator’s aide was fired after a picture of him surfaced on social media with a caption that included a vulgar joke about sexual harassment training.
• After years of pushback, statehouse Republicans last week passed a bill that seeks to bolster the state’s driver’s license program for people living in the U.S. illegally.
• GOP state senators also voted to repeal Colorado’s electric vehicle tax credits in a measure that seems dead on arrival in the Democratic-controlled House.
• Alex 鈥淪kinny鈥� Winkler was selected as ousted former-Rep. Steve Lebsock’s replacement.
• Two groups that for years have been at odds over redistricting reform have struck a deal that could send voters a constitutional amendment aimed at preventing gerrymandering.
• Democrats at the Colorado Capitol rejected a Republican bill seeking to allow Colorado businesses and certain medical providers to turn away people based on sexual orientation and gender identity. But the “Live and Let Live Act” sparked hours of debate听before meeting its demise.
• As Colorado auto deaths involving marijuana rise, CDOT is asking thousands how they feel about driving under pot抖阴ap influence.
• Colorado on Friday designated 126 census tracts as 鈥渙pportunity zones.鈥� Business reporter Aldo Svaldi has a detailed look at what this could mean for investors.
• Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams听faces a Denver grand jury investigation听into his office’s handling of campaign finance complaints. Though Williams downplays the accusations — brought by an activist who has been at odds with him for years — the matter threatens to complicate the Republican official’s bid for re-election in November.
• This legislative session, Gov. John Hickenlooper made rural Colorado a top focus. Here’s a look at one of his biggest accomplishments in that realm.
• Thousands of protesters filled Denver’s Civic Center park to protest gun violence Saturday. We took a look at who was there and also have a story about two people facing charges for “rolling coal” at demonstrators in Steamboat Springs.

DENVER & THE SUBURBS

• The Denver City Council’s consideration of a request by a police officer to investigate Mayor Michael Hancock for sexual harassment听allegations听has entered its second week, and still听the council hasn’t decided what to do.
• Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan announced that he has cancer and won’t be seeking a third term, ending a decades-long career in the city’s politics.
• RTD bus drivers and train engineers are getting a raise —听the largest pay bumps for operators in the 48-year history of the transit provider.
• A controversial plan to provide housing and a transitional shelter on 59 acres of federally owned land in Lakewood is in peril.
• 听A 39-unit apartment project in Aurora geared toward low-income families and veterans has broken ground.
• Unexpectedly low tax revenues have prompted a projected $4 million shortfall in Boulder鈥檚 2018 budget, our partners over at The Daily Camera report.
• Denver has grown by a lot — adding 101,403 people in just seven years. That much may not surprise you. But now听the pace of that growth is slowing down, according to the latest census estimates.
• When you get stressed by flight delays and other hiccups on Denver International Airport’s Concourse B,听you’ll now have 听— starting with popular burger chain Shake Shack, breakfast joint Snooze and Larimer Square’s Osteria Marco. And a big-name Denver brewery is adding an outpost on Concourse C.

D.C. POLITICS FROM A COLORADO PERSPECTIVE

• Just how large was the role Cambridge Analytica played in Colorado’s elections in 2014? And did it extend into the U.S. Senate race that year? We take a deep dive. (Watch a British television news report on the firm’s activity in Colorado below.)

• Congress passed a $1.3 trillion spending package to fund the federal government through the end of September and in the 2,232-page measure are听several notable provisions听that impact Colorado, from gun violence research to a new system of funding wildfire prevention.
• Of key importance in that spending package is protection for Colorado鈥檚 medical marijuana industry from Justice Department interference. But notably the same shield wasn’t extended to recreational pot.听The bill does, however, continue funding for a major research center in Golden.
• Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman was among 37 attorneys general demanding answers from听Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the ongoing Cambridge Analytica saga.
• Great Lakes Airlines, a once robust passenger carrier that had destinations across the U.S., has suspended its flight service. The airline’s CEO is blaming federal regulations and the pilot shortage.
• Colorado will receive $107 million next month from Big Tobacco. It’s part of a 1998 settlement between cigarette companies and several states.
• Speaking of money,听Colorado has finalized plans for spending the $68.7 million the state will get听in the Volkswagen emission scandal settlement.
• We asked Vice President Mike Pence’s daughter how she feels about comedian John Oliver’s competing bunny book.
• 鈥淲e are the ones taking it on the chin.” That how听Colorado鈥檚 farmers and ranchers feel as the U.S. and China try to stave off a trade war.
• Colorado landscapers and construction firms are worried a higher听H-2B visa quota could be too little too late this year.
• How Trump鈥檚 tariff plan听could make hiking boots, ski jackets and backpacks a lot pricier.

THE WIRE

• There are nine — — people running to become Pueblo’s mayor. — The Pueblo Chieftain
• Rural areas are dying — wait, no. , according to a new analysis of census data. — Stateline
• A retired U.S. Supreme Court justice’s calls for the Second Amendment to be repealed have thrown a whole new element into the gun debate. — The Associated Press
• The Supreme Court on gerrymandering. — The New York Times
• Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith after a summit with President Trump. — 9News
• Hundreds of affordable homes in Denver . — 9News
• A look at are dealing with the inmate overcrowding crisis being felt all over the state. — Colorado Public Radio
• Basalt is following in Aspen’s footsteps after its town council voted to . — The Aspen Times
• A is drawing ire from the industry. — The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel听听
• Colorado Senate President Kevin Grantham, R-Canon City, is over his handling of sexual harassment allegations at the state Capitol. — KUNC
• Hard-to-obtain records show that the private operator of RTD’s commuter rail lines听has grappled with , and it also faces high turnover among engineers.听— Colorado Public Radio
• Denver city officials听听in evaluating redevelopment proposals for a city-owned lot on Platte Street. Instead, a buyer’s $20 million plan for an office building is set to prevail.听— Westword
• A secret recording has prompted more concerns about in Colorado. — Denver7
• Here鈥檚 how Colorado schools would from the state. — Chalkbeat Colorado

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P.P.S. Here is a fun GIF as a reward for making it to the end of this newsletter.

Current mood.

— Jesse Aaron Paul 鈽� (@JesseAPaul)

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Staff writers John Frank, Jon Murray, Mark K. Matthews and Brian Eason contributed to this newsletter.