September 25, 2015 01:08 PM UTC

Get More Smarter on Friday (Sept. 25)

• 12 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

The federal government is still open, but you might not want to make any appointments for early October. It’s time to Get More Smarter with Colorado Pols. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example).

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► The big news today, obviously, is the announcement that House Speaker John Boehner will give up his gavel and resign altogether from Congress at the end of October. Boehner was first elected to Congress in 1990, and has served as Speaker since Jan. 5, 2011. Boehner was facing yet another revolt from the right wing in Congress, and whispers had grown louder in recent weeks that he might be challenged for his Speakership. Just last week, we wrote about Boehner’s future in this space and his friends (and foes) in the Colorado delegation; Boehner had been sounding increasingly exasperated about the job of trying to lead a terribly fractured GOP caucus.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is thought to be the early frontrunner to be selected as the next Speaker by the Republican caucus, though it would be a surprise if McCarthy was not challenged for the role. Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) is a favorite of the right wing, but Ryan has said publicly that he does not want the job.

► Pope Francis addressed a joint session of Congress on Thursday, telling lawmakers that “Legislative activity is always based on care for the people.” The Pope also spoke passionately about acting on climate change, welcoming immigrants, ending the death penalty, and fixing the widening gap between the lower and middle class and the richest 1% of Americans. The Washington Post has an annotated copy of the Pope’s speech available online.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► State Rep. Gordon “Dr. Chaps” Klingenschmitt is back in the news for yet another absurd remark on his “radio show.” Dr. Chaps was commenting on a tragic stampede that occurred during the “Hajj,” the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, in which more than 700 people were killed:

“You could either say Allah wanted to kill them,” he continued, “or you could say this is the consequence of their sin when they were really praying to Satan.”

This kind of classless remark is all too typical of Klingenschmitt, but more damning is the silence that substituted for a response from House Republicans.

► Former State Rep. Paul Weissmann is taking the lead role in the Colorado campaign for Democrat Martin O’Malley’s Presidential bid. Weissmann and O’Malley worked together on Gary Hart’s Presidential campaign in 1984.

► GOP Rep. Kit Roupe of Colorado Springs plans to introduce legislation setting up a licensing structure for cannabis clubs. A fine idea, but will her teetotaling fellow Republicans play along?

► In Denver, a novel campaign for a sales tax hike to pay for college scholarships kicked off yesterday. Reasonable opinions appear to vary on the efficacy of using sales taxes to pay for scholarships, but the kids won’t mind.

► In Colorado Springs, a hotly controversial proposed anti-homeless ordinance making it a crime to sit or lie down on the sidewalk has been significantly weakened due to civil liberties concerns.

► Hell of a deal–GOP Elbert County Commissioner Robert Rowland was reimbursed by the county for a campaign-finance violation fine.

► Backpedal! Bicycle lane “right-sizing” in Boulder slams into reverse.

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► Under new rules resulting from 2014 Colorado legislation, your boss has to pay you your unused vacation time if you leave a job. That’s a better deal.

► Lynn Bartels’ blog post on the death of longtime local political operative Katy Atkinson has grown to include warm memories from both sides of the aisle. Worth a read.

ICYMI

► Joel Dyer of Boulder Weekly has an interesting in-depth story about the “Redprint” put together by Republican operatives and officials from the oil and gas industry in Colorado. We have some comments we’ll offer shortly.

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