By TCS Publisher and Editor in Chief Jared Wright _@JaredWright_

Thursday, February 18, 2016

DENVER – Good morning, and welcome to The Hot Sheet, Colorado’s premier daily political newsletter. Here’s to a productive and smooth Thursday for you.

“Political convulsions, like geological upheavings, usher in new epochs of the world’s progress.” — Wendell Phillips

Now your substrata feed straight from the politics pipeline:

North Korea sanctions bill headed for signing — The North Korea Sanctions Policy and Enhancement Act, a bill U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner has been instrumental in working on Senate side, has landed on President Obama’s desk. The bill will mandate investigations and increased sanctions on North Korea and any other nation that aides North Korea in its nuclear and ballistic missile development and cyber attacks. The bill has been at the White House since Feb. 12, and is expected to be signed by the president after passing smoothly through the Senate 96-0 and the House 408-2. Reps. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) both libertarian activist representatives, were the two House no votes.

The bill had generated somewhat of a temporary kurfuffle between the Colorado junior Senator and Sen. Rand Paul Feb. 10, with Paul slamming the legislation for its inclusion of national security waivers. These mechanisms would have allowed the president to waive sanctions.

“For decades now, Congress has granted the president national security waivers,” Paul said. “Then Congress complains because the president is doing an overreaching, and yet we give him the very power.”

Above, a tweet from Sen. Cory Gardner to Sen. Rand Paul the day he dropped his bid for president.

Gardner blocked an attempt by Paul to offer an amendment, saying sponsors had included provisions in the bill to prevent President Obama — or any other president — from using the waivers broadly. Evidently Paul was satisfied with Gardner’s assurances, or with the bill as a whole — at least enough so not to vote against it politically, as he was one of the Senators present to vote Yea on its final passage out of the Senate.

The underlying House version of the bill, H.R. 757, introduced by Rep. Edward Royce (R-Calif.), over a year ago, had worked its way through the House previously, so Gardner’s version, S.2114, expanded on the House bill, but was agreeable enough in the lower chamber that it did not require conference committee to pass the House the second time.

Sen. Bernie Sanders missed a vote on the bill, however, Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio both voted for it, marking their first roll call votes since Jan. 20, according to The Hill. Gardner has been actively campaigning for Rubio and has endorsed the Florida Senator’s presidential campaign. Gardner’s name has long been in discussion to be on a short list for vetting for vice president. The success of this bill certainly provides him with foreign policy chops to serve in such a capacity.

CBS4’s Shaun Boyd interviewed Gardner about the sanctions bill. Watch the interview here.

Video of Gardner’s presentation of the sanctions act from the Senate here.

Just days after the bills passage, South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye warned North Korea will face “regime collapse” if it doesn’t abandon its nuclear bomb program.

Above, Kim Jong-un dreams of his response to Gardner’s successful passage of the North Korea Sanctions Policy and Enhancement Act

Cory Gardner explains “Marcomentum” with a physicist — Gardner participated in a video for Rubio’s campaign, about “Marcomentum.” This after his “Koreamentum.”  See it here. Gov. Hickenlooper will have Lt. Gov. Pick within a month — Yesterday, The Denver Post’s John Frank wrote an excellent exclusive report on Gov. John Hickenlooper’s plans for Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia’s replacement pick. Garcia announced in November that he would be resigning to take a job with the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Garcia’s last day is June 30.

Frank reports Hick’s short list of candidates consists entirely of managers within the business and non-profit sectors who don’t have a desire to be governor. Hick plans to present his selection to the General Assembly for confirmation before Sine Die with prior consultation with Senate President Bill Cadman.

Read John Franks full report here. Really worth the read.

Rep. Steve Lebsock has a challenger in HD-34 — Dustin Johnson, an Air Force Veteran, is officially announcing his candidacy for House District 34 today with an intent of securing the Republican nomination to take on Rep. Steve Lebsock in the General Election. Johnson filed his papers for the office in July of last year, but has only raised $1,120 to date with $768.22 cash on hand. Lebsock has raised $5,700 to date with $3,408.48 on hand (data from last Jan 15. financial disclosure reports.)

As of January, there are 11,997 active Democrat voters to only 8,704 Republicans in HD-34. There are another 12,722 active Unaffiliated voters.

This will be Lebsock’s third Republican challenge. Lebsock won his first election to the House in 2012 a presidential election year with Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee, with 60.6 percent of the vote to Republican Jodina Widhalm’s 39.4 percent.

In 2014, Lebsock won re-election with 54.9 percent of the vote to Alexander “Skinny” Winkler’s (um, yeah … only in Thornton … you’d have to meet him) 45.1 percent.

As would be expected, 27.958 votes cast in 2012 to only 20,310 in 2014 in those HD-34 races.

ALF-CIO delaying endorsement in Democratic presidential primary — A report from TPM’s Sara Jerde highlighted that the vote expected during the union’s annual winter meeting in San Diego did not happen. Instead, Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO president, decided to stay out of the race for now after hearing feedback from many members. Because Clinton has extensive union backing, this is a big win for Bernie Sanders.

ICYMI, another politicians’ Broncos wager made good —  South Carolina Governor Pat McCrory made good on his bet against Gov. John Hickenlooper in this video released yesterday. See it here.

Cruz takes top spot in new national poll — In a new national poll released yesterday, Ted Cruz leaped ahead of Donald Trump for the first time ever. This from a NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll which showed Ted Cruz with 28% to Trumps 26%. Rubio comes in third at 17% in the same poll.

News Republic’s Ryu Spaeth wants you to know Marco Rubio — had a Mitt Romney moment

Colorado Cannabis Chamber of Commerce takes an interesting voluntary lead on edibles standards — Yesterday, C4, a state association of 43 parent marijuana companies that employ over 1,600 people adopted new voluntary membership-wide edible standards, a first in the industry.

C4 manufactures will no longer produce or sell marijuana infused edibles that are in the shapes of humans or animals. Animal shapes such as gummy bears, gummy worms, “sour patch kids”, and others items will be prohibited.

As a business organization, C4’s president Tyler Henson said the organization and its members are committed to producing products that are marketed and sold only to law-abiding adults over the age of 21. He announced in a press release that C4 members will begin to phase out all these products — with an estimated complete implementation date of Oct 1, 2016.

State Rep. Dan Pabon, a member of the original Amendment 64 implementation work group said,”Protecting our children has been our North Star while navigating the unchartered territory of Colorado’s legal, licensed cannabis industry. I’m so encouraged to see C4 taking the initiative to come forward with industry driven solutions like these proposed edibles standards. I hope others in the industry will follow their lead – voluntarily or otherwise.”

C4 retail members have also agreed to only buy or sell products that fit the new standard, even if they are purchasing edibles from a manufacturer that is not a C4 member business.

The chamber selected the completion date of this policy as Oct 1, 2016 to coincide with the new statewide requirement that a universal stamp must appear on both retail and medical products, which must also be adhered to by Oct 1, 2016.

C4 also emphasized that Gov. Hickenlooper, who raised issues surrounding various edibles standards in his recent State of the State address, has been heard by C4 industry members.

Henson said, “Just because there is differing opinion on certain issues surrounding the industry, doesn’t mean we can’t find key ways to work together – like C4 taking the initiative on these edibles standards.”

“The brutal reality of politics would be probably intolerable without drugs.” — Hunter S. Thompson

Events:

Colorado Nonprofit Association, Annual Meeting and 30th Birthday Reception — Thurs. Feb. 18, Kevin Taylor at the Opera House, 1345 Champa St. Denver, 5:30 pm

Adams State University Reception — Thurs. Feb. 18, Warwick Hotel, 5:30 – 7:30 pm

South Carolina Primaries — Democrats: Saturday, Feb. 20; Republicans, Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Nevada Caucuses — Saturday, February 20

Washington Republican Caucuses — Saturday, February 20

Annual Conservation Community Legislative Reception — University Club

Secretary Ken Salazar for Jeff Bridges Endorsement Event — Home of Rutt and Annie Bridges, 9694 E Progress Place, Greenwood Village, Wed. Feb. 24, 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Super Tuesday, including Colorado caucuses — March 1

Denver County GOP Friday Breakfast with Senate Candidates — Ryan Frazier, Darryl Glen and Tim Neville are all confirmed to speak at the breakfast — March 4, 7:00 am, Pete’s Greektown Cafe, 2910 E Colfax Ave

Agriculture Day at the Capitol — Set for Tuesdays, March 16 — get ready for awesome food and great folks to descend upon the Capitol.

Want your event listed? Just let me know.

From the wires:

Denver Business Journal’s Ben Miller reports on another Denver energy company struggling financially and missing an interest payment

Salon reports, ‘Donald Trump is bulletproof, Why his call to Colbert last night should scare the left’

DBJ’s Ed Sealover reports on Colorado road builders’ goal to secure a sales-tax hike for transportation infrastructure upgrades. Another ballot initiative in the works on this year’s big budgetary issue.

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel’s Charles Ashby reports on SB104, a bipartisan bill by Sens. Todd and Becker to lure more teachers to rural schools

The Denver Post’s Jesse Paul reports that Colorado is the only state impacted by the Gold King Mine spill to not have plans to sue the feds

Roll Call’s Bridget Bowman reports on Sen. Charles Schumer’s comments today that President Obama’s SCOTUS nomination should be someone who is ‘mainstream.’

Politico’s Nolan McCaskill reports on a poll released today that shows Donald Trump still has a dominant lead in South Carolina

The Colorado Statesman’s Ernest Luning reports on Sen. Michael Bennet and GOP senate candidates differences over how to go about filling the SCOTUS vacancy

The Colorado Statesman’s Adam McCoy wrote a profile on Rep. Angela Williams and her bid for Senate District 33

The Colorado Statesman’s David O. Williams reported on the House District 59 battle between J. Paul Brown and Barbara McLachan

The Colorado Statesman’s Ramsey Scott reported on the pending intensification of the debate on the Hospital Provider Fee looming ahead in the legislature

The Durango Herald’s Peter Marcus reported on the death of a minimum wage bill at the hands of Senate State Affairs committee

The Colorado Springs Gazette’s Megan Schrader reported on former CSU athletic director Jack Graham’s announcement for U.S. Senate yesterday.

Colorado Capitol Watch —From our bill tracking partners:

House Bill Wrap-Up: Today 

Senate Bill Wrap-Up: Today 

Bills Passed 3rd Reading: Today

(House & Senate Bill Wrap-Up Links will update for 24 hours.)

Bills read across are NOT up on state site Today

394 All Bills:  As of 2/17

178 Bipartisan Bills:  As of 2/17

Audio Update: Today

(Link to Audio will show up after login)

 2/18: Bills on calendar in order

2/18: Bills on calendar sortable

  All: Upcoming Bills From Today 

House and Senate Calendars:

HOUSE – Your Feb. 18 Calendar here 

SENATE – Your Feb. 18 Calendar here 

You’re up to date. Have a great day! Until tomorrow …

Tell us what you know! — To submit a tip, event, happening, gossuping, chattering or other interesting tidbit to The Hot Sheet, click here to submit via our contact form … yes, even anonymously if you’re feeling all cloak and dagger.

JW