Rocky Mountain Voice

Commentary

Push To Bypass Electoral College With National Popular Vote Draws Sharp Constitutional Concerns
The Federalist, Approved, Commentary, National

Push To Bypass Electoral College With National Popular Vote Draws Sharp Constitutional Concerns

By Chuck DeVore | Commentary, The Federalist Americans in every state should recognize the compact for what it is: a coastal elite power grab masquerading as democracy. Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill making Virginia the latest participant in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact last week, as the compact draws perilously close to upending our constitutional order. Every American who cherishes our republic should take notice. For years, left-leaning pundits and politicians have campaigned to scrap the Electoral College, the method the founders gave us for choosing presidents. Their vehicle is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. With Virginia’s recent entry, the compact now includes 19 jurisdictions (18 states plus the District of Columbia) cont...
Is Election Integrity Possible in the Digital Age?
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Is Election Integrity Possible in the Digital Age?

By Maria Orms | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice It often feels like people in the United States fall into three broad perspectives when it comes to election integrity: Those who believe election tampering is happening Those who suspect there may be issues but are too scared to speak up Those who trust that elections are secure, as presented by mainstream narratives Regardless of where someone stands, there is a growing concern shared across these groups: a sense that individual liberty is eroding, that government accountability is weakening, and that large institutions—both political and corporate—are exerting increasing influence over the direction of the country. When people ask me which of these perspectives I align with, my answer is consistent: I come from a c...
Trump Allies Eye Unconventional Response To Virginia Redistricting Fight
Fox News, Approved, Commentary, National

Trump Allies Eye Unconventional Response To Virginia Redistricting Fight

By Chad R. Mizelle | Commentary, Fox News Returning Arlington to the District of Columbia would fight fire with fire. If you’re proud of something, you want people to see it. That is why it’s telling that Virginia Democrats are asking Old Dominion residents to vote for a redistricting scheme without allowing their proposed map to be printed on the ballots. But it’s no wonder: the mid-decade redistricting proposal is an obscene gerrymander that will wipe out all but one GOP-leaning congressional district in the state. And, of course, they claim it’s all done in the name of "democracy." This dishonest power play seeks to make the congressional representation of a purple state nearly as blue as Massachusetts. It disenfranchises nearly half the commonwea...
The Bell Colorado Voters Refuse to Hear
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

The Bell Colorado Voters Refuse to Hear

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado is not experiencing a surprise budget crisis, it is experiencing the predictable result of a decade of voter signals. As a recent exile, I can speak with new objectivity. Your legislature responds to incentives. Always. If you reward expansion of government, it expands. If you tolerate fiscal opacity, it deepens. If you ignore constitutional guardrails, elected officials learn they can ignore them too. The current 1.2 billion dollar budget shortfall did not appear overnight. It is the logical outcome of a political training program voters themselves created. Yes. Created. When voters repeatedly elect candidates who promise new programs without demanding sustainable funding, the legislature learns something ...
One Board, One Council, One Legislator at a Time
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

One Board, One Council, One Legislator at a Time

By Michael J Badagliacco, “MJB” | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice While attending the Colorado Republican Assembly in April 2026, I reflected on how Colorado fell to the radical far left. A conversation with a friend came to mind. It described the precise mechanism the left uses to convert our Constitutional Republic into a social democracy, contrary to the vision of the founders. The U.S. was founded as a Constitutional Republic with power rooted in local government, built from the bottom up rather than imposed from the top down. Although we look to the president for national leadership, the true foundation lies in town councils, school boards, and state legislatures.  Article IV, Section 4 of the United States Constitution guarantees to every state in the Union a...
When music floods the market: What still holds value in an AI-driven industry
Undercurrent, Approved, Commentary, National

When music floods the market: What still holds value in an AI-driven industry

By Michael Hancock | Commentary, Undercurrent Substack As artificial intelligence transforms music creation, the industry must rethink price, purpose, and prestige. For most of the modern era, the music business was built on scarcity. Studio time was scarce. High-end production talent was scarce. Distribution was scarce. Radio access was scarce. Even the ability to turn a songwriter’s idea into a polished, commercially viable recording required an expensive chain of specialists: musicians, engineers, producers, labels, promoters, marketers, distributors. The structure of the industry followed from that fact. Whoever controlled access to production and distribution controlled the business. That era is ending. AI-powered music tools like Suno do not merely make mu...
Insurance relief or government growth: Colorado bills reveal two competing paths
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Insurance relief or government growth: Colorado bills reveal two competing paths

Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project The two bills linked at bottom (SB26-049 and SB26-155 respectively) present an interesting contrast in policy intended to lower homeowners insurance premiums. I thought a comparison of the two might be illuminating. It’s not going to be entirely black and white, these aren’t polar opposites, but in looking at the bills together I think you can get a sense of the “legislative style” of those involved. The fiscal notes of both provide a pretty apt summary, so let’s start there. Screenshots 1a and 1b show the summary for SB26-049. Screenshots 2a and 2b show the summary for SB26-155. In the former you increase the people who qualify for grants from an existing enterpr...
CPW nominee under scrutiny as broader concerns surface about board power
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

CPW nominee under scrutiny as broader concerns surface about board power

Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Some questions for CPW hopeful Christopher Sichko Last Wednesday I posted about the upcoming Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee confirmation hearing for three of Gov. Polis’ CPW appointees. If you want or need the context from the earlier newsletter, you’ll find it linked first below. A reader noted something interesting about one of the commissioner candidates. When I read what they wrote, I got curious and thought I would follow up with Mr. Sichko. The second link below is to a 10/25/2024 article in Elevation Outdoors entitled “LOCAL HEROES: Christopher Sichko, PHD”. The relevant part comes from the bottom of the article. Quoting: “Sichko says, ‘My ultimate goal is to support the regener...