Rocky Mountain Voice

Approved

Old laws impede energy transition efforts on public lands
Approved, Law Week Colorado, State

Old laws impede energy transition efforts on public lands

By Michael Rummel | Law Week Colorado The transition to renewable energy is a major focus of the state of Colorado and a number of states across the country, but as Tommy Beaudreau explained to a full classroom at the University of Colorado Law School and around 150 online attendees, the work to complete it isn’t completely straightforward.  READ THE FULL STORY AT LAW WEEK COLORADO
Pentagon replies to DOGE ‘5 bullets’ request with details of ‘action-packed, America first week’
Approved, National, The Post Millennial

Pentagon replies to DOGE ‘5 bullets’ request with details of ‘action-packed, America first week’

By Hannah Nightingale | The Post Millennial Pentagon Chief Spokesman Sean Parnell on Friday morning released the first weekly situation report, outlining key events that occurred during the week at the Department of Defense. The report was posted to X Friday morning, tagging Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, and addressed to America’s “warfighters, and the American taxpayers," saying, "This is what we did this week," a callback to the email sent to federal employees by Musk over the weekend asking them to include five things they accomplished in the prior week. Parnell outlined the five things the Department of Defense accomplished over the past week, which was an "action-packed, America First week," the first being the nomination of Lieutenant General Dan "R...
Denver mayor hints of strategy as he prepares for March’s ‘sanctuary’ city hearing
Approved, gazette.com, Local

Denver mayor hints of strategy as he prepares for March’s ‘sanctuary’ city hearing

By Alexander Edwards | The Gazette Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, whose administration just hired a law firm to help him prepare for an upcoming congressional inquiry into "sanctuary" cities, hinted he will insist that Denver's approach to illegal immigration "works" when he testifies in the nation's capital next month.  “We think the data is quite clear that (our) approach works,” he told City Cast Denver during a podcast released Wednesday. “One of the things we see is the fact that we have engaged people in services, supported them, meaning we’ve built trust there, which is why we haven’t seen huge spikes in crime.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
Kittle: Patel’s FBI could shine light on Nashville trans school shooter’s manifesto
Approved, Commentary, National, The Federalist

Kittle: Patel’s FBI could shine light on Nashville trans school shooter’s manifesto

By  M.D. Kittle | Commentary, The Federalist For those who believe politically weaponized justice is injustice, Pam Bondi running the Department of Justice and Kash Patel at the helm of the FBI feels like a warm spring breeze after a brutally cold winter. For those who turned federal law enforcement into the Stasi and cheered on the myriad abuses (I’m looking at you Schiff, you weasel), things are about to get, well, difficult.  There’s much to look forward to in the reckoning that Trump 2.0 is bringing to the people who transformed America’s DOJ into a banana republic. It’s long past time for accountability and, hopefully, justice served to the wicked.  Transparency is absolutely essential in that pursuit. Patel could go a long way on that front by ...
Appeals court says state campaign finance enforcement framework is constitutional
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Appeals court says state campaign finance enforcement framework is constitutional

By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics Colorado's second-highest court agreed last week that the state's current method of adjudicating campaign finance complaints is constitutional and is not the "very definition of tyranny." For several years, state law has allowed any person to file a complaint alleging a campaign finance violation, which the Colorado Secretary of State's Office then screens, decides whether to dismiss or investigate, and potentially imposes a penalty. Legislators enacted the process after a federal judge decided in 2018 that the prior system unconstitutionally "outsourced" enforcement to individual, inexperienced complainants. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
Trump to make English the nation’s official language
Approved, National, The Daily Caller

Trump to make English the nation’s official language

By Reagan Reese | Daily Caller President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order declaring English the official language of the United States, a White House official confirmed to the Daily Caller. The Wall Street Journal first reported Friday that though the nation has not had an official language Trump is planning to sign an executive order declaring one. A summary of the order, provided to the WSJ, writes that the move is in an effort to promote “unity, establish efficiency in the government and provide a pathway to civic engagement.”  The executive order is expected to rescind a federal mandate from former President Bill Clinton, which required agencies and other recipients of federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers, the WSJ reported. ...
Thune squeezes Democrats with transgender athlete Senate vote
Approved, National, Washington Examiner

Thune squeezes Democrats with transgender athlete Senate vote

By David Sivak | Washington Examiner Senate Democrats will take a politically difficult vote on Monday when Republicans bring to the floor a bill preventing transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which withholds federal funding to schools that permit transgender participation, is not likely to become law due to the Senate filibuster. But the vote, teed up Thursday by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), suggests the continued potency Republicans see in transgender politics after putting it front and center in the 2024 election. It is one of the first bills Senate GOP leadership is prioritizing since retaking the majority in January. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Dr. Glynell Horn Jr., named RTD’s co-chief in October, resigns
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Dr. Glynell Horn Jr., named RTD’s co-chief in October, resigns

By Christa Swanson | CBS Colorado RTD's acting Co-Chief of Police has resigned. The agency confirmed that Dr. Glynell Horn Jr. submitted his resignation on Feb. 21 and will leave his position on March 6. Horn, a native of Houston, Texas, began his career in public safety as a patrol officer with the Stafford Police Department. He worked up to Assistant Chief of Police before joining RTD in 2023. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston floats 20% service charge on tabs to tackle restaurant woes
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston floats 20% service charge on tabs to tackle restaurant woes

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette Denver Mayor Mike Johnston wants to add a 20% service charge to local restaurant tabs — and then tax it — to help restaurants cope with the city’s minimum wage and promote what he called pay equity among tipped and non-tipped employees. On Monday, Johnston told City Cast Denver, a popular podcast, that he has already been discussing the idea with restaurant owners. He didn’t say whether they are on board. He also did not discuss if increasing people's dinner costs would decrease restaurant visits.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
‘Jurassic Park’ alarm systems debated in HB 1060 reading on House floor
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘Jurassic Park’ alarm systems debated in HB 1060 reading on House floor

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice Some private property owners are turning back the clock to install 19th century alarms, and a bill in the state legislature aims to define the practice. House Bill 25-1060, by Delta County Republican Rep. Matt Soper and Arapahoe County Democrat Rep. Chad Clifford, seeks a uniform definition of an electronic fence detection system which can cause an alarm to signal a property owner or others, a flashback to the ADT of yesteryear. "These things look like Jurassic Park," Clifford said. "It is an alarm system that goes all the way back to the 1800s." But some find the bill to be an overreach, like Republican Rep. Dan Woog, who was among the opposition in the House's Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee. The measure advanced...