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Welcome back to The Spot, where The Denver Post’s politics team 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.

We’ve been busy in the past week putting together some deep dives into everything from political activism in the听outdoor industry, to President Trump’s potential role in the Colorado governor’s race and how big problems came to be in Denver’s听affordable housing program.

That’s not to say there wasn’t also a mountain of breaking news, including a GOP gubernatorial candidate discovering fraud in his bid to get on the ballot and a Democratic lawmaker who faced accusations of sexual harassment failing to even听secure a chance at re-election. (Democrats and Republicans are gathering this weekend for their statewide assemblies, and most of our team will be there.)

We wrote, as well, about why you should be paying attention to abandoned shopping carts in Lakewood, how an international trade war could play out in Colorado and a look at why you’re going to have to pay more to see cute animals at Denver Zoo. There’s a lot more below, but I’ll let it speak for itself…

Fresh news:听听Efforts to address听Colorado鈥檚听sexual harassment scandal听will linger into the 2019 legislative session as leaders at the Capitol decided to hold off immediate action.

ALSO: A marijuana and pizza entrepreneur has raised more than $100,000 to challenge Denver鈥檚 mayor听in the 2019 election.

ROLL CALL

COLORADO: THE STATEHOUSE & BEYOND

• Walker Stapleton labels himself a “victim,” but his opponents say he should have known more about the fraud in his petition signatures.
• The Republican candidates in the Colorado governor鈥檚 race struggle address the 鈥淭-word.鈥�
• State Senate Republicans want to limit the powers of Colorado’s governor听when it comes to board and commission appointments,听and Democrats aren’t happy about it.
• State Sen. Vicki Marble violated the Colorado Constitution, according to a state ethics panel the Fort Collins Republican more than $2,000.
• A Democratic lawmaker accused of sexual harassment became the first to lose a re-election bid in the #MeToo era.
• It took more than six weeks of waiting, but we finally know the future of听an effort to help legal immigrants in Colorado avoid deportation.
• Colorado business groups are endorsing a $5 billion plan to fund repairs for the state’s roads. But are Democrats on board?
• The GOP-controlled Senate passed a $28.9 billion state budget. Not that it really means anything听for the final outcome, which is still being debated.
• Gov. John Hickenlooper did not protest drilling leases near Great Sands Dunes National Park. But state Senate Democrats did.
• Speaking of Hickenlooper, he听talked to Rolling Stone about marijuana, the 2020 presidential race and the future of The Denver Post.
• Former Colorado Lt. Gov.听Joe Garcia听will take over as president of the听Colorado Community听College System,
• Colorado officials vowed to improve oversight of the state鈥檚 $10 billion Medicaid program after听a federal audit found poor safeguards against听waste, fraud and abuse.
• Two state employees were accused of abusing vulnerable citizens,听and they both were able to get their jobs back. That抖阴ap about to change.
• The price tag for the computers is big — and growing.

Hickenlooper on : 鈥淲ithout a good media, I鈥檓 not going to find out where I鈥檓 screwing up.鈥�

— John Frank (@ByJohnFrank)

DENVER & THE SUBURBS

• In an investigation, we found that Denver city officials were prepared to keep watch over a fast-growing affordable housing program in which people with qualifying incomes paid below-market prices to buy homes — but that was in 2004. (Hint: There are big problems now.)
• A state lawmaker and health care advocates want to increase Denver’s sales tax rate by 0.25 percent听to raise money for mental health and substance abuse treatment.
• A look at how a pro-fracking group鈥檚 shutout in Erie’s recent election marks the industry’s latest stumble in Boulder County and Broomfield politics.
• A new wrinkle in Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s sexual harassment scandal: A City Council member听has suggested that Hancock suspend himself.
• The听Boulder City Council gave a听ban on assault-weapons ban an initial OK.
• Colorado is going to be the second state in the U.S. to have a traffic incident management training center — mumbo jumbo for a facility where first responders and law enforcement can learn how to clear a crash as quickly as possible from the road.
• The intersection of homelessness and blight clashed a bit in Lakewood, as city leaders gave initial approval to a measure that would crack down on abandoned shopping carts.
• The Douglas County GOP has filled a county commissioner vacancy left by a Trump administration appointee.
• In its long-running battle to thwart the massive Interstate 70 project through northeast Denver, the Sierra Club suffered another setback in court this week. But听there was a sliver of hope for its case in the ruling.
• Denver Zoo admission prices听are about to go up for the first time听in four years.

Denver's growth, in a nutshell: The people moving the the metro area in droves in the last several years have earned higher median salaries than those leaving. And the incoming ppl are also younger than those leaving.

— Jon Murray (@JonMurray)

D.C. POLITICS FROM A COLORADO PERSPECTIVE

• U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman won’t face a primary challenge from a fellow Republican after all.
• Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman is backing the prospect of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.
• Presidential electors cannot vote their conscience and must follow the will of voters, a federal judge ruled in a case out of Colorado.
• Teens calling for an end to gun violence have stopped marching and are now registering people to vote in Colorado.
• A Denver computer maker is moving its manufacturing back to Colorado from China, but not because of tariffs.
• A deep look at how a trade war with China would have big impacts on Colorado. It’s worrying Terry Swanson, a sorghum grower in Baca County who voted for Trump and has met the president at the White House.
• Members of Colorado’s congressional delegation played a big role as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in Washington.听听U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette even raised the prospect that Congress might have to impose new rules on social media.

• Gov. John Hickenlooper spoke at Georgetown University during a four-day, cross-country tour that is fueling more speculation about his 2020 plans.
• How Aspen Skiing Co. CEO Mike Kaplan is paving the way for activism in the outdoor industry and hasn’t hurt his bottom line in the process.

THE WIRE

• The Denver Post wound up on the . — The New York Times
• Methamphetamine has in Colorado.听— Colorado Public Radio
• Colorado to house prison inmates under a bill heading to the governor. — The Pueblo Chieftain
• Pueblo County against opioid manufacturers. — The Pueblo Chieftain
• Term-limited state lawmakers sponsor fewer bills, serve on fewer legislative committees and skip more roll-call votes, .听— Journalist’s Resource
• Four steps state legislatures can take to . — The Hill
• An Aurora doctor is facing backlash for on the walls of his office. — 9News
• A state appellate judge is over his voting leading to the release of a听violent sexual predator. — The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
• The White House is asserting that President Trump can fire Robert Mueller. — Bloomberg
• When that I-70 project starts this summer in Denver,听听— and how it will affect commuters and nearby residents over four years.听— Denverite
• It can be a in downtown Denver, but听the average hourly rate lags far behind many cities.听— Denver Business Journal
• Former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner is … ? — Bloomberg
• House Speaker Paul Ryan is about to be former House Speaker Paul Ryan. Here’s a look at his tenure. — The Associated Press
• Also, this take from the NYT: “.” — The New York Times

GET IN TOUCH

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And thanks for reading!

P.S.听Please consider backing The Denver Post () or journalism wherever you might be. And thanks for your support, whatever it might be.

P.P.S. Here is another 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 John Aguilar contributed to this newsletter.