The lighter side of the Capitol, and most days, you ought to be really grateful for it.

There’s a rumor (jk) floating around that an amendment is coming for the bill to legalize prostitution. The amendment would ban condoms made with PFAS. IYKYK.

This week, Senate Democrats elected a new president pro tem. The competition took an unexpected turn on Feb. 20, when Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson got an audition (?). 

In taking the gavel and stepping into the role of temporary president, he was addressed as “Mr. President” by the current Senate President, Sen. James Coleman, and by Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, who immediately hinted at adjourning the Senate sine die. Wouldn’t that be funny?

Coleman asked for a moment of personal privilege, which Simpson granted, albeit somewhat grudgingly. 

The occasion was a tribute Coleman wanted to pay to his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi.

As to Simpson taking the gavel, that’s because the Senate didn’t have a President Pro Tem after Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet resigned two weeks ago.

So was Coleman giving lawmakers an opportunity to audition?  Was that Simpson’s turn to show his stuff?

Coleman gave Simpson good marks for his turn at the President’s dais. “He got to experience a little of the joy I get to experience every day,” he said.

But it was not to be. 

Despite Simpson’s strong performance, “I can only dream,” he joked, Sen. Cathy Kipp got the nod as the next pro tem on Feb. 23.

And in a related note, joining the Senate Dems remotely Monday for the election of the next pro tem was Harper Daugherty, the brand new daughter of Sen. Lindsay Daugherty. Her mom was there, too, since she had to cast a ballot.

Hidden Figures, Colorado style

With this month being National Black History Month, the Black caucus came up with a creative way to talk about some of their favorite people, with a nod to “Hidden Figures,” the excellent 2016 movie (based on the book) about three Black women who solved the math problems at NASA that put Astronaut John Glenn into orbit.

The Hidden Figures this month included the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the Negro Baseball League, and the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only Black all-female battalion to serve overseas during World War II. The battalion was tasked with clearing a backlog of letters and packages for American servicemen, completing the six-month backlog in just three months.

When you’re having a bad day, the best cure is a puppy, right? 

Five lucky little lab-mastiff mixes, just nine weeks old (cute OVERLOAD), went home with new families Wednesday, when Humane Colorado brought in a litter of these adorable puppies and two adults in need of a new home. 

All five puppies went home with new owners Wednesday, as well as one of the adult dogs.

That included two pups that went home with Senate GOP staffers.