February 13, 2015 11:07 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Friday (Feb. 13)

• 2 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

Today is Friday the 13th, the first of 3 such "unlucky" days in 2015; there's another Friday the 13th in March and again in November. 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.

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► Legislation to regulate abortion clinics in Colorado failed in a State House committee yesterday. Super-conservative Rep. Gordon "Dr. Chaps" Klingenschmitt voted with Democrats to kill the bill on Thursday, apparently because he was concerned that the legislation would give state approval for abortions.

► Congressman Ed Perlmutter (D-Wheat Ridge) introduced legislation on Thursday that would ban the use of red-light cameras across the country. FOX 31's Eli Stokols speculates that the bill may be an early sign of a potential Perlmutter campaign for Governor in 2018. Rumors of Perlmutter's interest in the Governor's Mansion have been on the rise since Gov. John Hickenlooper's re-election last November. Former Senator and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is a likely 2018 candidate as well.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

SHOULD YOU FIND YOURSELF STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► Republicans blocked funding efforts to restore a program in Colorado that would allow for driver's licenses for illegal immigrants who meet certain criteria. The move by Republicans doesn't change the law — it just means that the Division of Motor Vehicles can only provide these licenses at one location in Denver.

► Mad Mike Mad! Mike Smash!

► New poll results from the Human Rights Campaign show that 60 percent of likely 2016 voters favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally. 

► A proposed ballot measure to make Daylight Saving Time permanent in Colorado will get a hearing in front of the state title board.

► The deadline to enroll for health insurance coverage in 2015 is this Sunday, Feb. 15th.

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► The Aurora Sentinel questions Rep. Mike Coffman for his tirade against VA Chief Bob McDonald:

…Blasting the incoming secretary 6 months into his job and turning the argument into a petty political platform is bunk. Coffman knows well that the problems with the VA hospital started well before his term, and will likely continue well past his term too.

► The editorial board of the Denver Post thinks the Jefferson County School District is wrong for trying to prevent a severely disabled middle school student from using medical marijuana.

ICYMI

► That's not good: Four Colorado cities are ranked among the 20 Most Sexually Violent Cities in America. Denver (#3), Colorado Springs (#9), Aurora (#13), and Pueblo (#18) are among the 20 cities with the highest number of reported rapes reported by law enforcement agencies in 2013. 

If you missed this week's speechifying on SB-077, the "Parents Can Do Whatever They Want to Their Kids" "Parent's Bill of Rights," we've got you covered. This one-minute video compiled from Wednesday's Senate debate sums up the crazy pretty well: