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’re still recovering from the Republican and Democratic statewide assemblies over the weekend, so bear with us. (We’ll get to all of that below.)
At the Colorado legislature, big policy questions about gun control, immigration and campus sexual misconduct surfaced/were debated in the past week. That’s not to mention a major, daylong demonstration by educators who called for better pay and school funding.
Reporter John Aguilar did his thing breaking down a complicated debate over a beautiful overlook and the battle over whether to develop it. In Denver, your recreational marijuana could get pricier and we have a sad update on the City Council president.
Oh, and the porn star who allegedly had an affair with President Donald Trump many moons ago will soon make her way through the Mile High City.
Fresh news:Republican lawmakers proposed and passed more changes to the Colorado Civil Rights Commission on Wednesday after more opposition from Democrats and advocacy groups. The partisan debate continues on…
ROLL CALL
COLORADO: THE STATEHOUSE & BEYOND
- Inside the dark art of how candidates qualify for the ballot in Colorado.
- With the legislative session winding down, Democrats are pushing for a so-called “red flag” bill,in what could be the biggest policy debate at the Capitol this year.
- Republican Greg Lopez is on the ballot in the GOP primary to becomes Colorado’s next governor. That means he’s talking about the future — and his past charges of domestic violence and DUI.
- Colorado communities on Tuesday launched a legal attack on the oil industry, demanding they help pay for the impacts of climate change.
- Also of note: At one point last year, more than 65 percent of Colorado’s electric needs were provided by wind.
- Gov. John Hickenlooper isn’t ruling out sending the state’s National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.
- Colorado truckers will soonhave to complete a human trafficking prevention courseto get a commercial driver’s license.
- Colorado’s summer wildfire season could be the worstsince 2013, when massive blazes ravaged parts of the state.
- Democrats have unveiled their counterproposal to the GOP’s plans to shore up PERA. Grab your popcorn!
- It’s looking likeColorado’s immigrant driver’s license program will get fixes after years of GOP pushback.
- Republicans voiced major concerns about an attempt by House Democrats to streamline how Colorado colleges prevent and respond to sexual assault.
- Teachers chanted“You left me no choice, I have to use my teacher voice!” as they swarmed the Colorado Capitol this week calling for better pay and funding.
- Oh, and another teacher walkout is planned for next week.
Democratic lawmakers are rallying with the teachers. Republicans have said today that education funding has already been bolstered and point out that doesn’t control teacher pay — thatap up to districts.
— Jesse Aaron Paul ☀ (@JesseAPaul)
State assemblies coverage
- The top-line candidates in theColorado governor’s race emerged Saturday. But not before a whole lot of drama.
- Walker Stapleton is on the top of the ballot in the GOP gubernatorial primary.
- In the Democratic primary for governor, Cary Kennedy took top-line on the ticket.
- Is the Democrats’ Colorado attorney general’s primary racethe contest to watch?
- State Rep. Justin Everett kept three of his rivals off the ballot in the Republican primary for Colorado treasurer.
- Who is running for governor of Colorado?
- Who is running for attorney general of Colorado?
DENVER & THE SUBURBS
- Denverhas a plan to turbo-charge its 10-year, $150 million affordable housing fundin a big way that will allow for more income-restricted apartments to be built sooner. Who will pay for this? Recreational marijuana customers, for starters.
- Two years ago, Denver City Council President Albus Brooks beat a form of skeletal cancer. But ina surprise announcement this week, he said his doctors found a new tumor.
- Will Castle Rock’s decision this week to lift a decades-old ban on pit bulls spur the same kind of rollbacks in other communities, like Denver and Aurora, that say no to the controversial breed?
- Denver Mayor Michael Hancock has faced some serious cross-winds lately, with a harassment scandal dominating news coverage. Hestill raised plenty for his re-electionin the first quarter.
- But Hancock didn’t raise nearly as much as a well-organized challenger did.
- Boulder just set the second-highest affordable housing fee in the country.
- Golden will have to make a choice between private property rights and preservation of a regional viewscape in evaluating a developer’s desire to change zoning on a 25-acre piece of ground at the southeast corner of the C-470/I-70 interchange.
D.C. POLITICS FROM A COLORADO PERSPECTIVE
- U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette is one of four House Democrats who trailed primary challengers in fundraising last quarter, per Politico. Meet her challenger.
- At least 10 students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., will be at a voter registration drive centered around gun control Thursday night.
- Stormy Daniels is coming to Denver.
- Campaign cash continued to flow into Colorado’s 6th Congressional District in Democrats’ latest bid to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman.
- Will Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn be on the ballot after a Colorado Supreme Court case is through?
- Vice President Mike Pence was in Colorado Springs this week. Here’s what he said.
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch dealt a blow to the Trump administration with a vote.
JUSTICE GORSUCH THREAD: Today, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court held that a law which permitted the deportation of certain immigrants was unconstitutionally vague. Huge. The other big news? Justice Gorsuch, for the first time, joined the four liberals in the majority. /1
— Eli Savit (@EliNSavit)
THE WIRE
- An incredible look at development in San Francisco despite the very real during an earthquake. — The New York Times
I spent the past three months researching earthquakes and tall buildings. Here's what I found out:
San Francisco’s Big Seismic Gamble— Thomas Fuller (@thomasfullerNYT)
- Cambridge Analytica founder Robert Mercer got a new badge. And Yuma County’s sheriff got a new Dodge Ram. — Bloomberg
- The by saying that “#FakeNews” had come to the Eastern Plains. — Yuma County Sheriff’s Office
- Homebuilders Colorado hotel stay. You can probably guess which hotel. (It’s rhymes with Broadmoor.) — Politico
- A new study finds Colorado’s middle class . — Colorado Public Radio
- The Colorado legislature is to reign in health care costs. — The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
- Democrats Diane Mitsch Bush and Karl Hanlon in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District. They are battling to unseat U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton.— The Post Independent
- from Alamosa toAlbuquerque. Read about Essential Air Service here.— The Valley Courier
- A look at where President Trump and Kim Jong Un might rendezvous. (It’s not Mar-A-Lago.) — Bloomberg
- State Rep. BrittanyPettersen’s personal battle with the opioid epidemic . We wrote about it last year. — The Los Angeles Times
- A battle over campaign yard signs in Indiana. — The Associated Press
- The Denver Winter Olympics exploratory committee, argues Colorado’s Freedom of Information Coalition director. — TheColorado Independent
- An intriguing question: How close is Denver to becoming a 24-hour city — and— Denverite
- Some of Colorado’s congressional Democrats are . — 7News
- U.S. Rep. Jared Polis debuted his first gubernatorial campaign TV ad this week. . — YouTube
- Gov. John Hickenlooper has proclaimed this week “Colorado Journalism Week.”
Pulitzer Prize winners were announced
- The and won for their coverage of sexual harassment.
- The Press Democrat, in Santa Rosa, Calif., of devastating wildfires.
- The Washington Post was awarded into GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore.
- The New York Times and The Washington Post for covering Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
- The Arizona Republic and USA Today of the consequences of President Trump’s proposed border wall.
- The Cincinnati Enquirer of the opioid epidemic. (I really can’t recommend this one enough.)
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Current mood
— Jesse Aaron Paul ☀ (@JesseAPaul)
Staff writers John Frank, Jon Murray, Mark K. Matthews and John Aguilar contributed to this newsletter.