Rocky Mountain Voice

Approved

Colorado Unveils Detailed Plan to Restore Wolverines to High Country
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado Unveils Detailed Plan to Restore Wolverines to High Country

By Spencer Wilson | CBS Colorado Colorado Parks and Wildlife has released more information about how, where, and why it plans to reintroduce wolverines into the state and why wildlife officials say Colorado is critical to the species' future. The 106-page report details the plans behind the bipartisan effort. The state confirmed plans to reintroduce wolverines in 2024, but until now, many of the specifics had not been made public. The newly released plan outlines a multi-year strategy, highlighting distinct differences between this effort and Colorado's controversial gray wolf reintroduction. Colorado currently has no resident wolverines. CWP said in the report that the species was wiped out nearly a century ago through poisoning, trapping, and "pre...
Runaway Medicaid Spending Forces Colorado Toward Hard Choices
Complete Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State

Runaway Medicaid Spending Forces Colorado Toward Hard Choices

By: Nash Herman | Commentary, Complete Colorado The legislature’s Joint Budget Committee (JBC) recently held a hearing with the Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing (HCPF), the Governor’s office, and Manatt, a healthcare consulting firm, to address the unsustainable growth of Colorado’s Medicaid spending. Here’s a look at some of the highlights from the hearing. Runaway spending According to HCPF and the Governor’s office, General Fund spending on Medicaid increased at an average rate of 6 percent from fiscal year 2015-16 to fiscal year 2018-19. However, after the federal government windfall from COVID, General Fund spending blew up, growing at an average rate of 19 percent from fiscal year 2021-22 to fiscal year 2024-25. Health c...
State signals renewed push to override local control on renewable energy siting
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State

State signals renewed push to override local control on renewable energy siting

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Both the Colorado Sun article linked first below, and the video which they likely drew from for the article which is linked second, have our governor saying essentially the same thing. Quoting form the article: “Democrats also plan to make energy and the environment priorities at the Capitol this year, though the details of their plans remain in flux. ‘You’re going to hear a lot about energy this session,’ Polis said, ‘including making it easier to permit energy projects and get them done. One of the reasons we can’t have nice things is we don’t let them be built.’ Some of those changes may be tied to a rewrite of the laws governing Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission, which oversees how much some consumer...
Polis Takes a Victory-Victim Lap in Final State of the State Address
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Polis Takes a Victory-Victim Lap in Final State of the State Address

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday took an 82-minute victory lap in his eighth — and final — State of the State address. He touted his work in the areas of early childhood development, education, health care, housing and public safety, pointing to major initiatives he has launched. He sought to paint a picture of a strong state under attack by the Trump administration. Indeed, he blamed much of Colorado’s woes on federal actions, notably funding cuts and a policy agenda from the White House that he described as “not the Colorado way.” To Polis, policies coming out of Washington, D.C. — uncertainty over tariffs, an immigration crackdown, letting a key health care subsidy expire — are standing in the way of Colorado’s progress. ...
Xcel Warns of Targeted Power Shutoffs as Extreme Winds Threaten Northern Colorado
kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Xcel Warns of Targeted Power Shutoffs as Extreme Winds Threaten Northern Colorado

By Courtney Fromm | KDVR GOLDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — Wind gusts have already started to pick up across the metro, but Xcel said certain portions of the state are anticipating strong gusts, which could lead to power shutoffs. “We’ve really been monitoring it, we have really seen an uptick in the forecast for the wind in particular,” Andrew Holder with Xcel said. Map: These Colorado areas could see power outages He explained they have a team of meteorologists who work 24/7 to make sure they are ready to go in any sort of weather event. He said the past few dry months Colorado has seen are no help. “Everyone that lives here in Colorado understands how dry this is, which makes it an extreme wildfire risk environment,” Holder said. “We have the lowest snowpack...
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Fentanyl Fuels Deadly Year in Denver Despite Major Drug Seizures

By Michael Braithwaite | The Denver Gazette Bundles of fentanyl pills seized by the Rocky Mountain Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration during an October operation that resulted in over 1 million seized pills. (Courtesy, DEA RMFD)      Fatal fentanyl overdoses in Denver rose by nearly 25% in 2025 to the second-highest total in the past half decade, according to preliminary data from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment. Within the city, 346 people died last year from fatal fentanyl doses, up from 277 the year before, which is second to only 2023 in the number of fatal fentanyl overdoses this decade, according to the data. The trend matched that of overall drug overdoses in the city, which rose from 4...
New Colorado Nonprofit Targets Judges and DAs Accused of Being Soft on Crime
Complete Colorado, Approved, State

New Colorado Nonprofit Targets Judges and DAs Accused of Being Soft on Crime

By Sherrie Peif | Complete Colorado DENVER — Two elected officials representing a hefty swath of the Front Range are teaming up with a Colorado radio host because they say they have had enough of rogue judges releasing violent criminals onto the streets, only to repeat offend. Their desire to change that trajectory led them to form a new non-profit educational group aimed at shining a light on those they believe need to move on from the bench. Conservative talk show host Jeff Hunt, State Rep. Dan Woog (R-Frederick), and 4th Congressional District CU Regent Frank McNulty (R-Highlands Ranch), have joined forces to form Law and Order Action, which they say is “dedicated to holding pro-crime judges, district attorneys and lawmakers accountable.” Woog’s legislat...
Report Warns Renewable Mandates Could Cost New England Ratepayers Hundreds of Billions
Boston Herald, Approved, National

Report Warns Renewable Mandates Could Cost New England Ratepayers Hundreds of Billions

By Tim Dunn | Boston Herald The study found Bay State ratepayers would bear the highest costs in New England for renewable energy plans. A new study has found that New England ratepayers would save an estimated $400-$700 billion by replacing planned offshore wind and solar projects in the region with natural gas and nuclear power. The study, Alternatives to New England’s Energy Affordability Crisis, estimated the economic effects of meeting the region’s energy needs through 2050 with nuclear and natural gas plants, modeling the cost of energy portfolios in the six New England states to reflect the result of decarbonization plans in the Independent System Operator of New England (ISO-NE). “New Englanders are being asked to bankroll an energy experiment tha...
Colorado Congresswoman Reveals Ongoing Democratic Effort to Target Trump
Breitbart, Approved, National

Colorado Congresswoman Reveals Ongoing Democratic Effort to Target Trump

By Olivia Rondeau | Breitbart Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) told constituents that Democrats are working to “ultimately move forward to impeach Trump” during a telephone town hall on Wednesday. According to Pettersen’s office, nearly 8,000 Coloradans were on the call, which featured the congresswoman talking about the need to fight against the Trump administration on issues like immigration enforcement.  “As Trump escalates attacks on Colorado and unlawfully withholds critical funding, sends ICE into our state to terrorize communities, and threatens our NATO allies abroad — I want people to know that we are here to support them in every way we can and they are not alone,” she said during the townhall. “I will continue to fight back against the cruelty and ...
Trump Flexes Political Muscle as Key Republicans Change Votes on Venezuelan War Powers
THE HILL, Approved, National

Trump Flexes Political Muscle as Key Republicans Change Votes on Venezuelan War Powers

By Alexander Bolton and Al Weaver | The Hill Senate Republicans on Wednesday defeated a war powers resolution to block President Trump from using military force “within or against” Venezuela after two Republicans who voted last week to advance the measure reversed their votes and joined their leaders in quashing it. Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) voted on Wednesday to support a point of order against the resolution after coming under intense pressure from Trump, who called for their ouster from the Senate after they defied him last week. Their sudden change of heart about the resolution underscores Trump’s tremendous ability to wield his influence over GOP lawmakers on big votes.   The Senate voted last week to dischar...