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Author: Jen Schumann

Fix It or Fund It: Inside the $361 million standoff over Colorado’s unfunded mandates
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Fix It or Fund It: Inside the $361 million standoff over Colorado’s unfunded mandates

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado counties say they’re done footing the bill for laws they didn’t fund. Citing a 1991 statute and more than $361 million in unfunded mandates, the Fix It or Fund It coalition is asserting that if the state won’t pay, local governments won’t comply. Mesa County Commissioner Bobbie Daniel didn’t set out to launch a statewide revolt. Two years ago, she created a spreadsheet to track state mandates that came without funding. The goal was to help department heads navigate budgeting headaches. But that quiet act of accounting has since grown into something far louder—a bipartisan movement spanning more than 36 counties, with local governments now invoking state law to declare state mandates “optional.” “We started this whole unfunded mandate...
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“This is too important to improvise”: D49 superintendent says sports lawsuit seeks clarity
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

“This is too important to improvise”: D49 superintendent says sports lawsuit seeks clarity

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Superintendent Peter Hilts says protecting girls' athletic opportunity—and preventing boys from lifelong regret—is only part of the story. It's also about fixing incoherent policies and standing in the gap as adults. Colorado Springs’ School District 49 made headlines in May when it filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s anti-discrimination law and CHSAA’s transgender athlete policy. “We wanted to get in front of the coming legal conflict,” he explained in an interview with RMV. “We think this is too important to improvise.” The district’s enacted policy separates sports, locker rooms and team travel by biological sex—a direct clash with the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) and Colorado High School Activities Association (C...
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The dangerous gentleman enters the race: Victor Marx launches gubernatorial bid
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The dangerous gentleman enters the race: Victor Marx launches gubernatorial bid

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice The crowd inside Phil Long Music Hall stood and cheered as Victor Marx made it official. On Oct. 1, the Marine veteran and founder of All Things Possible Ministries announced his run for Colorado governor, joined by local pastors, veterans and elected officials—backing his call to restore justice and public safety. Supporters throughout the night echoed a recurring phrase—“dangerous gentleman”—a term used to describe Marx’s combination of restraint, conviction and action. Platform rooted in personal experience A survivor of childhood abuse and a Marine Corps veteran, Marx has spent the last two decades leading international rescue missions through his nonprofit. “I’ve spent my life fighting battles most politicians wouldn’t dare face,” he ...
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“They don’t care”: Unleashed podcast spotlights Durango parents’ loss of trust
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“They don’t care”: Unleashed podcast spotlights Durango parents’ loss of trust

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Hunter Opilla didn’t expect to speak at a school board meeting when his family moved to Durango two years ago. But after learning about the district’s gender bathroom policy—and the board’s decision to reverse a superintendent directive—he says he felt he had no choice. “Just blank stares,” Opilla recalled on a recent episode of Heidi Ganahl’s Unleashed podcast. “The board never responded to my emails.” Ganahl’s latest podcast brings together a concerned father and a charter school founder to unpack what they call a pattern of political overreach and parental exclusion in Durango Schools. The conversation echoes issues previously covered by Rocky Mountain Voice in its Dirty Dozen series and recent reporting on board transparency and trust. Th...
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Durango 9-R’s Monday update comes as parents dispute the “misinformation” label
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Durango 9-R’s Monday update comes as parents dispute the “misinformation” label

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Durango School District 9-R holds its State of the District tonight at the Impact Career Innovation Center. The district’s event page bills it as a community update with test-score dashboards and a Q&A. The Durango Herald said leaders plan to confront “misinformation.” Parent Jason Mietchen hears it differently: “We’ve had to counteract the misinformation for years. The school puts out a ton of it.” Why attention spiked this month The Herald also referenced Heidi Ganahl’s twelve-part ‘Durango’s 9-R Dirty Dozen,’ a wide-ranging critique of district policy, practice and the outcomes families are talking about. Topics span CMAS proficiency, gender-support steps, the ACA name-change policy, flag resolutions and the government-speech argument,...
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From CSU Canvas Stadium to classrooms: Colorado faces a culture reckoning
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From CSU Canvas Stadium to classrooms: Colorado faces a culture reckoning

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice At CSU’s vigil for Charlie Kirk, speakers moved from grief to courage, tying the moment to a generational fight for truth. In Fort Collins, Canvas Stadium was bathed in light as thousands raised their phones in unison, a modern candlelit vigil for Charlie Kirk. The glow stretched across the stands, a silent tribute led by the students he had inspired. Thousands filled CSU’s Canvas Stadium for the Charlie Kirk vigil. “Conservatives and Christians on college campuses were told to be quiet, but Charlie gave us our voice to stand up for what we believe in, to love America and to love Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, our king,” said Gabe Saint, president of Turning Point USA’s Wyoming chapter. He described hundreds of students reaching...
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Gold standard or clear failure? Colorado trails 36 nations on election rules.
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Gold standard or clear failure? Colorado trails 36 nations on election rules.

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado’s election rulebook emphasizes convenience—automatic mail ballots, long voting windows and ballot harvesting—exactly where most countries draw hard lines. That philosophical split is why Colorado lands at 50 out of 100 in a new international survey, and why the authors behind it want an on-the-record conversation with the secretary of state. “We’d love to speak with your secretary of state… we’ll ask questions and she can ask questions,” said Gary Meyers, who co-authored the study with Jay DeLancy. Meyers explained that The Meyers Report is a long-running research group, active for more than forty years, with contributors spread across 30 countries. “We’re interested in truth, we’re interested in fairness,” he said, describing a team...
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Faith under fire: Grief, risk—and the legacy Charlie left behind
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Faith under fire: Grief, risk—and the legacy Charlie left behind

By Jen Schumann | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Grief is an ember. Handled well, it can light a thousand torches. Pastor Chris Goble put it plainly—Charlie “died because he was willing to do things that we weren’t”—then pictured that spark rising into a bonfire of new voices. The scene in Orem set the tone, the flight to Phoenix confirmed it—and the work ahead now belongs to those willing to carry the heat without burning out. The cost of courage For Heidi Ganahl, the loss feels like “a gaping hole” in the conservative movement. “Freedom can be dangerous,” she said. “And it took a dear friend’s life.” Goble anchored that grief in scripture, drawing parallels to the early church. “We live in a spiritual cosmic war,” he said. “We have to expect both real and spiritual bulle...
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Colorado mourns Charlie Kirk with vigil on Sept. 18–same day he was to speak at CSU
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Colorado mourns Charlie Kirk with vigil on Sept. 18–same day he was to speak at CSU

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice This story was updated to include the list of CSU vigil speakers and highlights from their reflections on Charlie Kirk. Instead of a speech by Charlie Kirk at CSU, a vigil will be held in his honor. At 5:30 pm on Thursday, Sept. 18, a student-led gathering will begin at CSU’s Canvas Stadium. The stadium can seat 36,000 and is located at 751 W Pitkin St., Fort Collins. CSU says it worked with organizers to move activities into secure campus venues and will use its clear-bag rule and magnetometers at entry. The university also notes these are externally organized events and not CSU-endorsed. Campus will operate as usual and parking will be tight. Planning ahead is recommended. Firearms are not permitted on college campuses under state l...
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Lawsuit and liberty on the line as Shots for Freedom launches in Colorado Springs
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Lawsuit and liberty on the line as Shots for Freedom launches in Colorado Springs

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice With just days to go, Colorado gun owners are gearing up for Shots for Freedom — a two-day range weekend and banquet in Colorado Springs that organizers say is about more than rifles, raffles or fellowship. Hosted by the Colorado State Shooting Association, the September 20–21 event is tied directly to the fight against Governor Jared Polis’ new gun law. Tickets are still available through the event signup page, with proceeds funding the group’s lawsuit against Governor Jared Polis’ recently signed permit-to-purchase law, Senate Bill 25-003. Linking a celebration to a lawsuit Organizers say the strategy is to combine culture and community with legal action. “Every round fired and every seat filled helps fund the lawsuit that will decid...
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