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Decision ’24: Judicial retention on Colorado Court of Appeals
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Decision ’24: Judicial retention on Colorado Court of Appeals

By Rocky Mountain Voice | Commentary In addition to 14 amendments and statutory propositions appearing on ballots statewide and local ballot measures, voters are being asked to consider the retention of a number of state judges. The issue, readers have shared with the Rocky Mountain Voice, is finding complete information in order to make an educated decision on these positions. Below, is the second installment of our judicial retention review, the Colorado Court of Appeals. The five judges to review are, as they appear on your ballot: Hon. Stephanie Dunn, Hon. Jerry N. Jones, Hon. W. Eric Kuhn, Hon. Gilbert M. Román and Hon. Timothy J. Schutz. Information on other courts and judges will be presented in future installments of this series. Hon. Stephanie Dunn Background: Judg...
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Decision ’24: Judicial retention on Colorado Supreme Court
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Decision ’24: Judicial retention on Colorado Supreme Court

By Rocky Mountain Voice | Commentary In addition to 14 amendments and statutory propositions appearing on ballots statewide and local ballot measures, voters are being asked to consider the retention of a number of state judges. The issue, readers have shared with the Rocky Mountain Voice, is finding complete information in order to make an educated decision on these positions. Below, is the first installment of our judicial retention review, beginning with three members of the Colorado Supreme Court. The three justices to review are, as they appear on your ballot: Hon. Maria E. Berkenkotter, Hon. Brian D. Boatright and Hon. Monica M. Márquez. Information on other judges will be presented in future installments of this series. Hon. Maria E. Berkenkotter Background: Justice ...
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Support Amendment 80: Constitutional right to school choice
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Support Amendment 80: Constitutional right to school choice

By Editorial Board | Editorial, Rocky Mountain Voice Ballot language: Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution establishing the right to school choice for children in kindergarten through 12th grade, and, in connection therewith, declaring that school choice includes neighborhood, charter, and private schools; home schooling; open enrollment options; and future innovations in education? How it reached the ballot: Citizen signature petition, designated agents Michael Fields and Suzanne Taheri. Background: This measure would enshrine school choice as a "right" in the Colorado Constitution. The measure would add the following language to Section 18: "The people of the state of Colorado hereby find and declare that all children have the right to equal opportunity to ac...
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Oppose Amendment 79: Constitutional right to abortion
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Oppose Amendment 79: Constitutional right to abortion

By Editorial Board | Editorial, Rocky Mountain Voice Ballot language: Shall there be a change to the Colorado Constitution recognizing the right to abortion, and, in connection therewith, prohibiting the state and local governments from denying, impeding, or discriminating against the exercise of that right, allowing abortion to be a covered service under health insurance plans for Colorado state and local government employees and for enrollees in state and local governmental insurance programs? How it reached the ballot: Citizen signature petition, designated agents Dusti Gurule and Dani Newsum. Background: This measure seeks to add the following language to the Colorado Constitution: "The right to abortion is herby recognized. Government shall not deny, impede or discriminate ag...
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Oppose Amendment K: Modify constitutional election deadlines
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Oppose Amendment K: Modify constitutional election deadlines

By Editorial Board | Editorial, Rocky Mountain Voice Ballot language: Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning the modification of certain deadlines in connection with specified elections? How it reached the ballot: Senate Continuing Resolution 24-002, supported by a 61-1 vote of the House and 34-0 vote of the Democrat-controlled Senate. Background: This bipartisan measure simply seeks to provide an extra week of time for the secretary of state to meet election deadlines. The bill summary cites the deadline for military and overseas ballots as reasoning for the additional time. The measure would shorten an initiative petitioner's time by a week, and shorten a referendum petitioner's time to file following a session by a week. It amends the timeline for t...
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(Neutral) Amendment J: Repealing the definition of marriage in the Constitution
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

(Neutral) Amendment J: Repealing the definition of marriage in the Constitution

By Editorial Board | Editorial, Rocky Mountain Voice Ballot language: Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution removing the ban on same-sex marriage? How it reached the ballot: Senate Continuing Resolution 24-003, originally titled "Protecting the freedom to marry". This partisan legislation split upon party lines, being supported by a 46-14 vote of the Democrat-controlled House and 29-5 vote of the Democrat-controlled Senate. Background: Presently, Section 31 of the Colorado Constitution regarding marriage reads: "Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state." This measure repeals the language, currently read to restrict same-sex marriage. The summary page of SCR 24-003 correctly notes that since 2015 the U.S. Supr...
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Support Amendment I: Constitutional bail exception [of] first-degree murder
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Support Amendment I: Constitutional bail exception [of] first-degree murder

By Editorial Board | Editorial, Rocky Mountain Voice Ballot language: Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning creating an exception to the right to bail for cases of murder in the first-degree when proof is evident or presumption is great? How it reached the ballot: House Continuing Resolution 24-1002, supported by a 59-5 vote of the House and 35-0 vote of the Senate. Not only did the bipartisan measure carry unanimous support in the Senate, but it also was sponsored by almost every member. The measure was opposed in the House by the most extreme, far-left Democrats. Background: The authors of the measure seek to prevent those charged with first-degree murder from being eligible for bail "if proof is evident or presumption is great." When bail is grante...
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Support Amendment H: Judicial discipline procedures and confidentiality
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Support Amendment H: Judicial discipline procedures and confidentiality

By Editorial Board | Editorial, Rocky Mountain Voice Ballot language: Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning judicial discipline, and, in connection therewith, establishing an independent judicial discipline adjudicative board, setting standards for judicial review of a discipline case, and clarifying when discipline proceedings become public? How it reached the ballot: House Continuing Resolution 23-1001, supported by a 60-3 vote of the House and 35-0 vote of the Senate. An overwhelming bipartisan majority of both legislative chambers sponsored the measure. Three Republicans in the House opposed the measure. Background: The measure amends Section 23 of the Colorado Constitution, pertaining to judicial discipline. Under existing law, proceedings of the...
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Support Amendment G: Modification to property tax exemption for disabled veterans
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Support Amendment G: Modification to property tax exemption for disabled veterans

By Editorial Board | Editorial, Rocky Mountain Voice Ballot language: Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning the expansion of eligibility for the property tax exemption for veterans with a disability to include a veteran who does not have a service-connected disability rated as a one hundred percent permanent disability but does have individual unemployability status? How it reached the ballot: House Continuing Resolution 23-1002, supported by a 62-0 vote of the House and 34-0 vote of the Senate. An overwhelming bipartisan majority of the House and Senate additionally sponsored the measure, in a General Assembly that couldn't agree on eating a ham sandwich for lunch. Background: The Colorado Constitution grants a property tax exemption to veterans with...
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Editorial: Trump abortion policy a turn toward state’s rights
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Approved, Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

Editorial: Trump abortion policy a turn toward state’s rights

By Rocky Mountain Voice Editorial Board The issue: President Donald Trump this week announced his abortion policy, favoring states independently deciding how to regulate abortion. We say: Regardless of your position on abortion, this view respects the concept of state's rights written into the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by the Founding Fathers, and is a respectful position for freedom and liberty. The Founding Fathers of a young nation they called the United States of America never had the intention for an over-intrusive federal government to create a nanny state, where our every action is regulated and legislated. We were to be an independent, free people; a republic, if we could keep it. In the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the final entry into the Bil...
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