It was Friday morning, the sun well on its way to midday, three weeks left to go in the legislative session, lots of bills left to debate on the morning schedule and likely well more than 70 smart phones in the chamber.

So it is little surprise that, when debate grew hot, a rough epithet worked its way into the record and then onto social media and from there into infinity and beyond.

The topic was House Bill 1388 sponsored by Rep, Beth McCann, D-Denver, the “ban the box bill,” which would remove from first-round job applications a question asking job seekers whether they have ever been convicted of a felony.

Democrats generally support the bill as a way to help felons overcome a first barrier to successfully reintegrating with society and making good. Republicans generally oppose it as government overreach most likely to waste employers and applicant time and effort.

Minority Leader Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland, argued against an assertion that the felony question box recalled question boxes of the past, ones that asked about race or age or disability and that are now seen as clumsy signposts that can steer employers even sometimes unwittingly to make biased decisions.

“I’ve seen statistics that show that if you don’t have a college degree or a high school diploma that it’s harder to get employment,” DelGrosso said. “So by the logic of this bill, should we now ban employers on applications from asking about education history?”

Rep. Jovan Melton, D-Aurora, came to the well and responded with passion — and snark. He said ex-cons deserve empathy for the often systemic circumstances that can press them into criminal behavior.

“Wow, Representative DelGrosso, you gave me so much material. Where do I start,” said Melton. “Let’s start with the argument that you’re 43 years old and that that’s different in some way than being a felon because you don’t have any control over that. Gee that sounds like a lot of privilege. That sounds like you are making the assumption that a felon wakes up every morning and says, ‘What crime can I commit today?’ because it’s all about choice, not about the circumstances that I might be facing, about the circumstances of being able to feed my family or making a living. Unfortunately, I don’t have all the choices you may have had. Just sounds like a lot of privilege there.”

Melton continued by saying he didn’t think opponents of the bill had fully read it.

“Read the bill,” he said. “If you don’t understand the bill, take five minutes and read it…

“Thanks for all that material,” he finished. “I haven’t had this much fun in the well for a while.”

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle lined up to respond, including DelGrosso. But Acting Chair Lois Court, D-Denver, waved him off.

“You’ll be next,” she said.

DelGrosso asked Court to reconsider. He stood away from the microphone — but not far enough away.

“If an asshole calls me out, I need to go to the well next,” he said.

Court shushed him. “Shh, shh, shh, sh.” Then she scolded Melton.

“Melton, you did make an error in what you just said. It was inappropriate to insult people by suggesting they hadn’t read the bill,” she said. “I do want to point that out.”

Melton posted video of the exchange on Facebook.

“WOW!!!! I’m fighting to pass Ban the Box for my constituents and calling out privilege for what it is, and the Minority Leader calls me an A$$hole on the House floor?!?!?!” he wrote. Comments and shares mounted quickly.

But representatives of both caucus thought little of the incident. It was a passing thing, they said.

“They are all just getting punchy,” said a staffer, shaking her head.

The bill passed second reading. It is likely to pass the House this week and head to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it will face stiff opposition.

The session ends May 11. There are hundreds of bills to get through and at least one — a major presidential primary elections bill — has yet to be formally introduced.

— john@coloradostatesman.com