Kinda fascinating: Colorado’s D-controlled Senate couldn’t coalesce around a paid family leave bill for the past two years. Now paid leave is on the ballot, and 18 D senators (whole caucus minus Ginal) just endorsed it. If 18 had backed the policy before, it’d be law by now.

The ballot measure to start a paid family leave program in Colorado is more progressive than the bills that stalled. The state Senate could barely agree on a watered-down paid leave bill just a few months ago, but now a majority of the chamber backs this bolder proposal. Bizarre.

So what& #39;s going on here? I think it& #39;s simple: Inside the Capitol, with a bill, these senators have to face lobbyists. Well-paid, savvy lobbyists. Family leave has been lobbied to death, with every little detail being a fight. And the Senate Ds very clearly couldn& #39;t overcome that.

But the thing is, paid family leave is actually really popular outside the Capitol. So now it& #39;s on the ballot, and politicians have to actually stand on one side or another. They can& #39;t haggle over the language, and they have to face their constituents, who mostly want this.