Rocky Mountain Voice

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Voters passed Prop. 113 for national popular vote, so what happens with Colorado’s electoral votes?
Approved, kdvr.com, State

Voters passed Prop. 113 for national popular vote, so what happens with Colorado’s electoral votes?

By  Spencer Kristensen | Fox 31 News Several days have passed since Election Day and former President Donald Trump is president-elect for the second time in his political career. To achieve the president-elect status, a candidate must obtain 270 votes from the Electoral College. Trump secured the 270 electoral votes across the nation but one state he did not receive electoral votes from was Colorado. Vice President Kamala Harris received Colorado’s 10 electoral votes. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Map offers glance into veteran population in Colorado
Approved, kdvr.com, State

Map offers glance into veteran population in Colorado

By Addy Bink | Fox 31 News Veterans comprise roughly 6% of the U.S. population, U.S. Census Bureau data shows. In some states, however, veterans represent an even larger part of the public. The Census Bureau’s most recent American Community Survey estimates more than 15.8 million Americans previously served. Unsurprisingly, the nation’s most-populated states — Texas, Florida, and California — are home to the most veterans. Each state has more than 1 million veterans, but Texas has the greatest number at nearly 1.4 million. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
Colorado voters seem poised to approve about half of school district funding measures, deny the rest
Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, State

Colorado voters seem poised to approve about half of school district funding measures, deny the rest

By Yesenia Robles | Chalkbeat Colorado When it came to giving schools more local funding, Colorado voters were reluctant to raise taxes this year. Typically presidential election years can be good years for districts to ask voters to raise taxes for schools. But this year, only about half of the requests, or 22 out of 41, were successful, according to unofficial results as of Friday morning. That’s fewer than in 2020 when about 90% of the measures were successful and also in 2016 when 68% of measures passed. This year, of those 22 that voters approved, only 11 were actually tax increases. READ THE FULL STORY AT CHALKBEAT COLORADO
WWII, Korea and Vietnam Vet jumps from plane at 99, and it may not be his last jump
Approved, gazette.com, Local

WWII, Korea and Vietnam Vet jumps from plane at 99, and it may not be his last jump

By MARY SHINN | The Gazette Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Jim Akin carried an estimated 10,000 paratroopers as a pilot, and when he skydived at 99 years old over the summer it was in their honor. “I thought, ‘Boy, I hope I got the guts to do it,’” he said. The somersault in the air, the 40 seconds of free fall and hitting 120 mph — he loved all of it. He hopes to do it again to mark his 100th birthday in April. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
Democrat Colorado House Speaker McCluskie likely to remain in place following caucus leadership election
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Democrat Colorado House Speaker McCluskie likely to remain in place following caucus leadership election

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics State House Democrats elected its slate of leaders for the 2025 session on Monday. House Speaker Julie McCluskie of Dillon, who is entering her fourth and final term, will serve as the nominee for another term as Speaker. McCluskie was elected by acclimation. McCluskie was nominated by Rep. Emily Sirota of Denver, with a second from Rep. Matthew Martinez of Monte Vista. The full House must ratify that decision when it convenes on Jan. 8. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
Western Slope livestock raisers seek answers on wolf concerns from CPW
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Western Slope livestock raisers seek answers on wolf concerns from CPW

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Livestock raisers from the Western Slope are trying to plan ahead as Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) prepares to relocate another 10 wolves on the western landscape this winter. With calving season beginning in January, a season when livestock is most vulnerable and the wolves are looking for a meal in unfamiliar territory, the inherent conflict is seemingly unavoidable. To that end, livestock growers met with CPW in Glenwood Springs to learn about hazing and wolf predation mitigation strategies, as well as risk-reducing programs offered by the organization. CPW's Adam Baca was joined by Dustin Shiflett from Colorado Department of Agriculture and Lauren Emerick from Colorado Wildlife Services, to provide information about ...
Ryan Gonzalez hands GOP win in HD50; Tight races for Woog in HD19, Keltie in HD16
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Ryan Gonzalez hands GOP win in HD50; Tight races for Woog in HD19, Keltie in HD16

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Ryan Gonzalez has won a reliably blue Weld County seat, and two other races remaining that are too close to call could potentially help pull Republicans out of a superminority in the Colorado House. The 29-year-old Republican defeated three-term Democrat Mary Young by 554 votes in House District 50, outside the trigger for a mandatory recount. As of Monday, Gonzalez held 51.1% of the 25,606 votes, with Young holding 48.9%. Gonzalez initially trailed on Election Night, but continued to cut into the margin and eventually took a lead over Young late last week. That margin doubled over the weekend. It is a significant win for Republicans, considering the seat has been in Democratic Party control since 2005. It secured a plus-one-seat gain for ...
Sturmon: In the next chapter, Trump’s return and the dream team driving change
Approved, Commentary, National, The Conservateur

Sturmon: In the next chapter, Trump’s return and the dream team driving change

By Dawn Sturmon | Commentary, The Conservateur Is it just me, or has the air suddenly cleared, the sun started shining a little brighter, and everything around us feels less... frenzied? That’s how it feels knowing that Donald Trump will soon take the White House reins again. After years of chaos, broken promises, fake news, and empty rhetoric, there’s a refreshing return to clarity — plans that are firm and unapologetically ambitious. I imagine I’m not alone in this feeling. It’s a collective exhale — a sigh of relief as we prepare for a transformative new chapter in American politics. A New Team of Change-Makers Now, here’s the fun part. I’m not just excited about Trump’s return; it’s the team he’s bringing with him that’s lighting up the stage. This is a lineup of political ou...
Democratic voters oust soft-on-crime prosecutors
Approved, National, The Daily Signal

Democratic voters oust soft-on-crime prosecutors

By Dan Hart | Daily Signal It appears that even in Democratic strongholds, voters have had enough with soft-on-crime policies that have been implemented by left-wing prosecutors in recent years. In California and Illinois, three district attorneys who enacted lenient criminal policies were ousted during Tuesday’s election. In addition, a ballot measure to toughen criminal penalties in California was passed overwhelmingly. In Los Angeles County, which Vice President Kamala Harris won by almost 30 points, Democratic District Attorney George Gascón lost by 22 points to Nathan Hochman, an independent. Gascón, who was elected with the backing of George Soros in the wake of the George Floyd killing in 2020, became known for eliminating cash bail and refusing to charge ...
Cleveland: The lesson some leftists have learned from Trump’s win should terrify Americans
Approved, Commentary, National, The Federalist

Cleveland: The lesson some leftists have learned from Trump’s win should terrify Americans

By Margot Cleveland | The Federalist Since Donald Trump’s landslide victory over Kamala Harris last Tuesday, the legacy press has been hosting a public inquest into her demise. Three competing theories soon dominated the discussions — only one of which accepted the reality that Americans rejected the far-left policies and candidate on the merits. While some Democrats and media outlets took this somber approach to the post-mortem, a second and more vocal segment of the press and Harris voting bloc instead declared that Trump’s election proves a majority of Americans are racist, sexist autocrats. The election of Barack Obama, Harris’ previous victories as a senator and a vice-presidential candidate, coupled with the increase in support Donald Trump garnered from minorities and women, q...