Jody Hope Strogoff

Senate Minority Leader Mark Scheffel, R-Parker, didn’t mince any words on May 5 when he acknowledged that the recent legislative session has been described as “contentious, difficult, and extraordinary long.” It’s that much more compelling, he told an audience at the conclusion of the annual AIPAC meeting at the Grand Hyatt Denver, that the nation state of Israel brought together Colorado Republicans and Democrats to pass Senate Bill 176. “This bill, more than anything, represents bipartisanship and teamwork,” Scheffel lauded.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper recently returned from a week in Israel where he traveled with Denver businessman Larry Mizel and three other private citizens. This was the first time that Hickenlooper has been to Israel. Although the trip abroad was personal versus state business, the Governor agreed to share some of his experiences with The Colorado Statesman in an interview at his Capitol office on April 30. The following transcript has been edited lightly for clarity.

Bill Daniels, the legendary pioneer in cable television known for his kindness and generosity to those in need, must have been smiling from above as he watched the action on the floor of the Colorado House chambers on April 22.

A group of surprised students learned that morning that they had received the Daniels Scholarship following the reading of a resolution by Rep. Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, recognizing the outstanding efforts of the nearly 3,000 candidates for the Daniels Scholarship this year.

It was a week before the Colorado Rockies’ 2013 home opener at Coors field and baseball fever was in full swing, but at the venerable Brown Palace Club a few blocks away in downtown Denver, a well-heeled fan base of civic citizens was hearing somewhat solemn news about the historic Governor’s Mansion from DaVita Healthcare Partners. Inc. president Kent Thiry.

“We have a problem, that’s why we’re here,” began the youthful CEO of Colorado’s $12.5 billion company at a fundraiser for the Governor’s Residence Preservation Fund on March 29.

This story has been updated to reflect Andrew Romanoff's first quarter fundraising figures.

Attorney and Democratic Party power broker Steve Farber, who about this time last year caused a flurry in Colorado political circles by hosting a fundraiser for Republican Congressman Mike Coffman’s reelection in CD 6, has jilted the incumbent and on April 4, co-chaired a big name $1,000 to $5,200 a-person fundraiser for Andrew Romanoff, Coffman’s likely Democratic challenger in 2014.

Is a smear on one’s character negated by a similar smear on an opponent?

We’ll find out this weekend when incumbent state Republican chair Ryan Call seeks a second term against challenger Mark Baisley, a former chair of the local Douglas County GOP.

Supporters of the two have each publicized unflattering personal frailties against the other — Call’s arrest in Idaho Springs on a failure-to-appear warrant for a speeding ticket two years ago, and Baisley’s foreclosure on his home over the last few years.

If our readers will bear with me for this instance of personal privilege, I would like to congratulate The Statesman staff for once again winning the Editorial Sweepstakes Award in this year’s Colorado Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. Our newspaper captured a record 24 awards this year, and received the top sweepstakes award for editorial coverage for the second year in a row.

Friendships that have withstood the test of time are truly special, particularly if they have survived the political arena and all the challenges that entails. When I look back at longtime friendships made over the years, I am often amazed that most are still intact, especially since part of my job consists of writing about political people who have also become personal friends.

Clever. Or contemptible? We’ve been called both this week, and while we gladly accept kudos for what we thought was an eye catching and fun interpretation of the upcoming 2013 legislative session on the front page of our Jan. 11 issue, not everyone agreed.

Well, one person complained, but more on that later.

Friday night’s reception to celebrate diversity at the legislature was so well attended that the venue had to be moved to hold the over-flow crowd. Originally scheduled for a meeting room upstairs in the downtown bank building for an anticipated few dozen, it was instead moved to a larger room at the foot of two massive escalators that accommodated several hundred. And even then it was tough to navigate the crowd of politicos — many whom included elected officials and lobbyists — who gathered at the onset of the weekend to hail the victories made at the legislature.