Rocky Mountain Voice

Author: External Outlet

Gaines: Imagine if journalists covered guns like they do abortion
Approved, Commentary, completecolorado.com, State

Gaines: Imagine if journalists covered guns like they do abortion

By Cory Gaines | Complete Colorado I think you can take Democrat House Majority Leader Duran at her word when she recently told CPR News, that she and her colleagues made passing gun control legislation “…routine, just as anything else that we run.”  Since taking over all levers of power at the state level, and suffering no negative consequences, majority Democrats have indeed made gun control legislation “routine” in Colorado. In that same CPR article, Duran is also quoted as saying, “I know the bills we passed this year will make a big difference in making our community safer.”  Regardless of where you put the balance point between individual liberties and tradeoffs made in the name of safety, I hope that we could agree that we should be careful putting restrictions on any kin...
Colorado reported to have highest share of ‘remote workers’ in US
Approved, Out There Colorado, State

Colorado reported to have highest share of ‘remote workers’ in US

By Spencer McKee | Out There Colorado It's no secret that 'remote work' has been taking off in popularity since the start of the pandemic, and more people are taking advantage of this lifestyle in Colorado than in any other state around the country. According to a recent report from the US Career Institute, a whopping 37.34 percent of Coloradans work remotely at least one day a week – the highest percentage on a state-by-state basis nationwide. This compares to 11.93 percent of residents who work remote at least one day a week in Mississippi – the state with the fewest share of remote workers. Work-from-home is said to save the average American 55 minutes of commuting time each day, with hybrid workers saving up to $6,000 per year on purchases like gas, food, and office clothes an...
Nikki Haley says she will vote for Donald Trump following their disputes during Republican primary
Approved, gazette.com, National

Nikki Haley says she will vote for Donald Trump following their disputes during Republican primary

By MEG KINNARD | The Gazette Nikki Haley said Wednesday that she will be voting for Donald Trump in the general election, a notable show of support given their intense and often personal rivalry during the Republican primary calendar. But Haley also made it clear that she feels Trump has work to do to win over voters who supported her during the course of the primary campaign and continue to cast votes for her in ongoing primary contests. “I will be voting for Trump,” Haley, Trump’s former U.N. ambassador, said during an event at the Hudson Institute in Washington. “Having said that, I stand by what I said in my suspension speech,” Haley added. "Trump would be smart to reach out to the millions of people who voted for me and continue to support me and not as...
National House Democrats’ PAC books $4 million in TV ads in Denver market for congressional races
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

National House Democrats’ PAC books $4 million in TV ads in Denver market for congressional races

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics A national group that works to elect Democrats to the House of Representatives has booked nearly $4 million worth of general election TV advertising in the Denver market, pointing to the party's commitment to protect a vulnerable incumbent in Colorado's swingiest district while trying to flip another, Republican-held seat. While the House Majority PAC won't decide how to allocate its ads until closer to the November election, a spokesman noted in an email to Colorado Politics that the Denver media market reaches voters in the state's competitive 3rd and 8th congressional districts, both of which have been listed among the PAC's top targets. The massive initial nationwide ad reservation by the super PAC, which is aligned with House Minority Lead...
Some surprised with renewal of Denver City Council term limit proposal
Approved, Local, Westword

Some surprised with renewal of Denver City Council term limit proposal

By Catie Cheshire | Westword Denver City Council members Amanda Sandoval and Amanda Sawyer have reintroduced the idea of decreasing city term limits from three to two terms, much to the surprise of many other members of council. The pair initiated the discussion in August 2023, saying many of their constituents had brought it up on the campaign trail. At that time, other members expressed concern with the idea and believed the topic to be closed. “Last August, I thought the conversation was complete,” Councilman Chris Hinds said during a May 20 Charter Review Committee meeting. “I haven't heard anything from constituents about council term limits.” READ THE FULL STORY AT WESTWORD
Caldara: Looming gas price hike entirely Jared Polis’ doing
Approved, Commentary, completecolorado.com

Caldara: Looming gas price hike entirely Jared Polis’ doing

By Jon Caldara | Complete Colorado (You can listen to this column, read by the author, here). The Hayman fire in 2002 was one of the worst in Colorado’s history. What’s more appalling is it was started by one person whose responsibility it was to make sure forest fires don’t happen in the first place. That’s what is going on today with the one person who should have prevented our gasoline prices from spiking $0.50 to $1 per gallon, but instead made it happen. In that remarkably dry year of 2002, there was a burn ban in the area northwest of Colorado Springs. A park ranger with the U.S. Forest Service, Terry Barton, a forestry technician, set a piece of paper on fire in an area she knew was prone to ignite. Why? Some say it was so she could put out the fire and look like...
Two Arapahoe County cities contribute millions into Douglas County road project
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Two Arapahoe County cities contribute millions into Douglas County road project

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Two Arapahoe County cities are pouring millions of dollars into assisting Douglas County’s estimated $34.3 million County Line Road reconstruction project. The project, which is currently accepting bids from construction companies, plans for improvements along County Line Road from Broadway to University Boulevard. The road separates both Littleton and Centennial in Arapahoe County from Douglas County to the south. In 2018, both cities agreed with Douglas County to work together to receive enough local and federal funding to reconstruct County Line Road. The agreement is to fully widen, add safety and operational improvements to the roughly 1.5 miles of road. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Some upper Rocky Mountain passes will be closed over Memorial Day weekend
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Some upper Rocky Mountain passes will be closed over Memorial Day weekend

By Parker Yamasaki | The Colorado Sun Memorial Day travelers hoping for a long, scenic drive through the Rockies may have to re-route their plans.  Independence Pass, the popular highway that connects Aspen to Twin Lakes and passes beneath four fourteeners, will remain closed through Memorial Day weekend. Its anticipated opening date has been pushed back to June 1.  The pass typically closes on Nov. 7 and “almost always” opens the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation’s website. The highway closed a week early this past winter in anticipation of a storm. The last time Colorado 82 wasn’t open by Memorial Day was in 2020, after several counties requested it stay closed to limit travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. R...
El Paso, Teller counties to get $66 million in grants to address opioid epidemic
Approved, Colorado Springs Gazette, Local

El Paso, Teller counties to get $66 million in grants to address opioid epidemic

By Mary Shinn | Colorado Springs Gazette El Paso and Teller counties are expected to receive $66 million through 2038 to address the opioid epidemic, a scourge that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives nationally.  A regional council awarded the first round of that funding, about $3.8 million, in April. The council left about $1.1 million in reserve to fund additional youth prevention programs, said Amanda Grant, an El Paso County finance employee who works with the council. She said the region is currently expected to receive $66 million, although the number will fluctuate depending on settlement outcomes.  The board is composed of 15 officials from El Paso and Teller counties, including county commissioners, city and town council members and law enforcement repre...
Mickey and Minnie in a union? You bet, at Disneyland in California
Approved, National, The Street

Mickey and Minnie in a union? You bet, at Disneyland in California

By Rebecca Mezistrano and Ross Kohan | The Street The Happiest Place on Earth is dealing with some not-so-happy employees. 1,700 Disneyland cast members who play characters in the California theme park have voted to unionize under the Actors’ Equity Association. Disneyland has more than 21,000 total cast members, from food service workers to hair and make-up artists, and they’re represented by more than a dozen different unions. Until now, those who dress up as famous Disney characters around the park have been excluded from unions. But now they’ll have their say, with the Actors’ Equity Association saying in a statement “These workers are on the front lines of the Guest experience; they’re the human beings who create lifelong memories when your kids hug a character, or when your ...