🇺🇸 Ruckus at the state Capitol
BY PEYTON GARCIA | @CITYCASTDENVER
WHAT WAS WITH ALL THE RUCKUS AT THE CAPITOL YESTERDAY?
It was difficult to ignore all the hubbub this week surrounding a single event that took place outside the state Capitol yesterday. A handful of Colorado Republicans joined forces to host a “Colorado Election Truth Rally.” You might recognize some of the names on the roll call sheet:
- Tina Peters, the Mesa County Clerk recently indicted on 11 felony and misdemeanor charges related to allegations that she tampered with secure voting equipment.
- Sherronna Bishop, the Garfield County resident who headed the congressional campaign for Republican darling and regular pot-stirrer Rep. Lauren Boebert.
- Rep. Ron Hanks, a Republican out of Cañon City, who participated in the violent Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Headlining the rally was Mike Lindell, MyPillow CEO and vocal Trump ally, known for his web videos touting “proof” of 2020 election fraud. Lindell has reportedly spent $35 million on efforts to prove a rigged election. He’s also facing a $1.5 billion defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, based here in Colorado.
Despite the claims of election fraud spurred by Trump being debunked and proven baseless by election authorities, subject matter experts, and third-party fact-checkers, Lindell told Axios: “I want Dominion to put up their lawsuit because we have 100% evidence that China and other countries used their machines to steal the election.”
According to research from the Washington Post, 75-80% of Republican voters believe in the unsubstantiated fraud claims, which have become known as a “far-right conspiracist movement” or “The Big Lie.”
Yesterday’s rally occured before the GOP’s state assembly scheduled for this Saturday, where Republican primary candidates will be selected. And not all Republicans are supportive of the election fraud narrative.
El Paso County Clerk Chuck Broerman, a Republican, told The Colorado Sun: “It’s been devastating, and I think it’s going to continue to be devastating. I think the effect will be exactly the opposite of what they intend. I think people will not turn out and vote.”
TODAY ON THE PODCAST 🤣
“We often wait for someone else to tell us it’s OK. We wait for someone else to say… ‘Now you are worthy to sell an album, and you’re worthy to do a special.’” — Comedian Janae Burris
Janae Burris is 8.5 Months Pregnant. But Her Comedy Special is ‘Long Overdue’
Now that the stand-up comedy scene is finally creeping back after two years of terrible comedy over the internet, local comedian Janae Burris is on the precipice of great change: She’s eight and a half months pregnant. To document this unique moment, she’s recording her first big comedy special in front of a live audience at the Aurora Fox Arts Center next week, and she’s on the show today to talk with host Bree Davies about being funny while pregnant.
Learn more about Burris’s special, “Long Overdue,” and get your tickets to the taping here.
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MORE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW
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🤳 It’s not technically illegal to text and drive in Colorado: According to a 2017 state law, texting while driving is only illegal when it’s done in a “careless or imprudent manner.” Lawmakers are considering new legislation that will close that loophole. [Axios Denver]
- Colorado drivers admit they’re distracted: More than 20% of people who answered a recent CDOT survey admitted to “sometimes” or “often” reading messages on their phone while driving.
🍼 “No one will be penalized for having a child.” Right now, state legislators can take a leave of absence for “long-term illness” but not technically for the birth of a child, according to a statute that dates back to 1953. A new senate bill could make Colorado the first legislature in the country to have a formal law in place promising paid parental leave to state legislators. [CO Politics]
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