April 01, 2016 12:39 PM UTC

Get More Smarter on Friday (April 1)

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• by: Colorado Pols

Everything contained in this edition of Get More Smarter is 100% true, as far as we know (no April Fool’s Day jokes here). 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…

► There are no big votes this weekend in the Presidential races, unless you count North Dakota’s GOP Convention on Sunday (which we don’t count, either). As the Washington Post reports, all eyes are on Wisconsin in advance of Tuesday’s Primary:

As he tries to recover from a series of stumbles ahead of an important primary contest next week in Wisconsin, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump made a surprise appearance in Washington on Thursday and presented himself as the presumptive leader of his party…

…Trump’s Washington visit came as his efforts to secure the nomination have encountered growing turbulence and the GOP remains in disarray. Anti-Trump forces in the party are frantically maneuvering to defeat the New York billionaire in Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary, which is shaping up as a crucial moment in the battle for the GOP nomination.

A Trump loss to rival Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas would increase the likelihood of a contested convention in July, which Trump critics hope could ultimately deny him the nomination.

On the Democratic side, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has been trailing Hillary Clinton in the polls in Wisconsin, but the smart money is on Sanders to come out victorious on Tuesday. Whether or not that changes anything in the race is a different story, though Sanders supporters can rightfully crow about raising $100 million in the first quarter of 2016 — including $44 million in March alone.

► The State House has approved the annual budget bill (or “long bill,” if you prefer). The Associated Press breaks out the specifics of the deal:

Colorado won’t see deep education cuts next year, but it won’t see taxpayer refunds, either.

A $27 billion budget that won initial approval Thursday in the state House includes a slight per-pupil increase for K-12 schools. That’s something budget writers didn’t expect to see a few months ago, when it looked like tax collections would trigger about $150 million worth of mandatory tax rebates under Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

The proposal also spares state colleges and doctors who treat the poor from budget cuts. However, it slashes $73 million from hospitals, part of a complicated arrangement to avoid even deeper cuts later.

Colorado Democrats and Gov. John Hickenlooper had been promoting a budget fix that would involve the so-called “Hospital Provider Fee,” but…Senate President Bill Cadman didn’t want to make the Koch Brothers sad. Nevertheless, it appears as though Republican lawmakers are moving toward supporting the Hospital Provider Fee fix.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► Republican Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has been expected to make an appearance in Colorado next week in advance of the April 9th Republican state convention in Colorado Springs. But Trump may be rolling into Colorado a day earlier, as super investigative reporter man Brian Maass tweets:

Trump to Denver? 2 Dpd sources tell me they were told prep for Trump visit to Denver Friday April 8. DPD not confirming. Sounds preliminary

— Brian Maass (@Briancbs4) April 1, 2016

► The campaign for Republican Jon Keyser’s U.S. Senate bid turned in petition signatures to the Secretary of State’s office on Thursday. Keyser is one of several Republican Senate candidates who are trying to make the June 28 Primary via the petition process; on Monday former Colorado State University Athletic Director Jack Graham became the first GOP candidate to submit signatures for approval. The deadline for petitioning onto the Primary ballot is Monday, April 4.

► Longtime Denver Post editor Greg Moore is working his last day today after announcing his resignation a few weeks ago. Jason Salzman catches up with Moore for a brief Q&A.

► Republicans outside of Colorado are as unsure about the GOP Senate race as everyone within the state’s borders.

► Have you seen the TV ads defending Senate Republicans for refusing to hold confirmation hearings for President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee? 9News takes a look at the claims in its “Truth Test” segment.

► Congressman Scott Tipton (R-Cortez) is going full-on conspiracy theory in regards to the Gold King Mine spill last year.

► State legislators will again debate the issue of local control where it intersects with oil and gas drilling. Discussions are expected to begin on Monday.

► At Least He’s Not Your Governor.

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► Hey, Colorado Republicans: If you really want to court Latino voters, maybe you should stop and think about the way you talk about them. As the Pueblo Chieftain reports, Republicans are planning a Monday event titled “The Role Of Hispanics In The Pueblo County Republican Party,” which is not at all condescending.

► Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is counting on the support of Evangelical Republican voters in order to win the GOP nomination for President, but there’s a problem…the well is running a bit dry.

ICYMI

► How much does it cost to prevent people from voting? It’s hard to say…but you’re probably paying for it with your taxes.

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