Welcome back to The Spot, where The Denver Post’s politics team captures what’s happening this week — from the Colorado legislature to Denver city hall, with a stop through the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C.

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State lawmakers used up every minute (almost literally) of the 2018 legislative session, delving deep into the eleventh hour Wednesday night to pass some of their most controversial and important bills this year — from a PERA fix to rules on where people can buy and drink beer and the future of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission.

But, hey, at least we’re done for a few months, right?! I’m just trying not to fall asleep at my desk…

We took deep dives in the past week into the question of whether Democrats can finally use gun control to dislodge U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman’s vise grip on his 6th Congressional District seat, slot homes in Denver and whether opioid legislation passed at the Capitol will really make a difference.

Residents in several Denver-area counties will finally see a longtime fee go away, and there’s a really sad update about Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan (who we’re keeping in our thoughts).

Fresh news: Colorado lawmakers vote to rescue PERA from the fiscal brink — and reach deals on beer and civil rights — as 2018 legislative session closes.

ROLL CALL

COLORADO: THE STATEHOUSE & BEYOND

Rep. Matt Gray, D-Broomfield, has skills. (Though I think he is going to try and keep his day job.) #coleg #copolitics pic.twitter.com/snlKKTh3TS — Jesse Aaron Paul (@JesseAPaul) May 10, 2018

DENVER & THE SUBURBS

Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan has entered home hospice care. He announced in March that he was diagnosed with cancer.

A land use battle has been brewing in Parker over the last year that culminated in a decision by town leaders to annex land expressly to stop a trash transfer and recycling facility from locating on its border.

over the last year that culminated in a decision by town leaders to annex land expressly to stop a trash transfer and recycling facility from locating on its border. Don’t think the fate of 59 acres of federally owned land in Lakewood has been decided. Last week, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless sued — for the second time — to stop the feds from selling the land at auction.

— to stop the feds from selling the land at auction. Are you one of those who believes that once a tax or fee is put in place it never goes away? Think again. Residents in several Denver-area counties will be able to keep a few extra bucks .

. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock apologized this week for his 22-year-old son’s treatment of an Aurora police officer during a traffic stop.

D.C. POLITICS FROM A COLORADO PERSPECTIVE

THE WIRE

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P.P.S. Here is your GIF reward for making it to the end of this newsletter.

What the final day of #coleg has felt like so far: pic.twitter.com/byS725CRN6 — Jesse Aaron Paul (@JesseAPaul) May 9, 2018

Staff writers John Frank, Jon Murray, Mark K. Matthews and John Aguilar contributed to this newsletter.