While the headlines were again dominated by the goings on, confirmation votes and legal rulings in Washington this past week, politics happens everywhere, so if you missed it, here’s a summary of some of the bigger happenings outside the Beltway in our own little slice of Centennial State heaven:

Colorado lawmakers hope they can finally make some headway over the construction defects issue and help spur more condominium growth. But another bill is attempting to address the affordable housing issue from a different angle: mobile home parks and how their residents might be able to stay in them when an owner wants to sell the land they sit on.

And two Colorado Democratic lawmakers hoped they wouldn’t have to open their state Capitol offices to the homeless to make a point about their bill, dubbed the Right to Rest bill, which was to be considered for the third year in a row.

Right now, it looks like Congress and the president are taking a slower approach to either repealing or changing the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, than their earlier statements might have indicated. In Colorado, though, dismantling the Colorado Health Exchange took its first step forward by passing the Republican-controlled state Senate Finance Committee. While the Democrats in the state House are likely to send it down to defeat, the bill also comes with a somewhat hefty price tag.

The fight against child pornography and trying to catch those who seek it out took a somewhat unusual step forward when the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill making it easier for more law enforcement personnel to have and view the illegal materials in the course of their investigations.

Back on construction defects for a moment, that highly anticipated bill that tries to bridge the gaps between homeowners and builders passed its first committee hearing, but not without some words of caution that it likely faces a tougher-than-expected battle toward final passage in both the state Senate and House.

The state law prohibiting permit holders from carrying a concealed handgun on public school property will remain in place, after a bill to repeal it and allow more guns on school grounds died in a state House committee.

Serious issues make the news, and rightfully so, since a lot of people are affected by actions taken by lawmakers and other elected officials. But there are also what some might think of as somewhat less serious issues that seem to surface time and time again. Case in point is a bill sponsored by Sen. Kevin Lundberg that would eliminate the requirement to use turn signals in roundabouts, or another one sponsored by Reps. Pete Lee and Lois Landgraf to give former military personnel special sentencing considerations when they commit crimes, or a perennial favorite (and issue of passion for former state Sen. Greg Brophy) to take Colorado off daylight savings time, sponsored by newbie Rep. Phil Covarrubias and Rep. Dan Pabon.

Did you know you can get into trouble if you get any family member other than your parents to loan you money to help you buy a home? It’s true. State law says if they’re not a licensed mortgage loan originator, they can’t lend you any money. So naturally, someone – Sen. Jack Tate – introduced a bill to change the law.

Fans of Colorado’s college sports scene can stand up and cheer: It only took a few minutes before a state Senate committee approved a bill that could help institutions like the University of Colorado and Colorado State University keep from losing coaches to bigger schools.

We’ll have to wait a while longer before we find out if a bill to amend the state’s open records law will survive its first test. But a similar bill has already died, so maybe the chances for this one are kind of iffy, too.

And while you might find it harder to laugh in these days of highly partisan issues, comments and protests, this one – a Twitter spoof account of the House Democratic Party called”COHouseDumbocrats” – brought a chuckle or two – and hopefully many more along the way – for news and politics junkies with a Twitter account. “Your tax dollars are to feed kitties, pay for abortions and fund infrastructure projects like rainbows. Don’t be a hater.”