Rocky Mountain Voice

Commentary

When gun rights depend on the judge: New study reveals disparities in DVPO cases
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, National

When gun rights depend on the judge: New study reveals disparities in DVPO cases

By Cory Gaines | Colorado Accountability Project Disparities in court orders for DVPO's Federal law prohibits the possession or purchase of firearms for certain people who have domestic violence protection orders (DVPO). Some states go further and require anyone who is subject to such an order to relinquish their firearms for the duration of the order. The study linked first below takes a look at the results of a Washington State law (which is one of the states which requires a respondent in a DVPO case to relinquish their firearms) and compares the outcomes of court cases to race. Quoting the abstract: "Historically, U.S. laws and institutions have privileged White men with firearm access over minoritized individuals, but little is known about whether racial disparities...
NYT smears Riley Gaines and XX-XY Athletics while ignoring fairness in women’s sports
Substack, Approved, Commentary, National

NYT smears Riley Gaines and XX-XY Athletics while ignoring fairness in women’s sports

By Jennifer Sey | Commentary, Sey Everything Substack It is petty and biased from the lede. And it just gets worse throughout. Yesterday there was a lot going on in the news so you may have missed the long form article about Riley Gaines in The New York Times. Read it if you must, but only to stay motivated to continue the fight for biological reality. It’s a 4000 word takedown of Gaines and the entire movement to protect women’s sports. It is so dishonest and petty. Look, we’re not asking for biased treatment in our direction. How about straight up the middle? You know, reporting? But that seems to be beyond Ruth Graham’s capability. I’ll admit, it annoys me because I’m in it. And I recorded the interview so I know what I said and she leaves out anything I said tha...
The special session leaves Polis with a $783M deficit — here’s how he can fix it without new taxes
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

The special session leaves Polis with a $783M deficit — here’s how he can fix it without new taxes

By Russ Minary | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Governor Polis recently called—and lawmakers have now concluded—a special session aimed at addressing the estimated State budget deficit of $1.2 to 1.6 BILLION. That means that every man, woman and child in CO has to pay $208 more this year. That’s in addition to all of the other current local, county, state, sales and special district taxes they are already paying. But kids don’t pay taxes; adults do. I think CO taxpayers and citizens already pay enough in taxes. While lawmakers passed roughly $300 million in tax changes during the session, the ball is now in Gov. Polis’ court. He has been given authority to sign the bills and make deep spending cuts, up to $300 million, to close the remaining $783 million gap. Rather than a...
Colorado’s Shift Left Sparks Growing Resentment in Neighboring States
State, Approved, Commentary, Fleeting West

Colorado’s Shift Left Sparks Growing Resentment in Neighboring States

By Wes Flynn | Commentary, Fleeting West (Substack) Coloradans were once known for being friendly, modest, and considerate. That reputation has fundamentally shifted thanks to the last three million people who arrived and steamrolled the place. I remember a time when meeting people and telling them that I'm from Colorado was met with intrigue and positive reception. Prior to the last 20 years or so, Coloradans were recognized as being friendly, modest, and maybe a little idiosyncratic due to our orientation to the outdoors and not paying much mind to the domestic space. Our roads were friendly and safe, our cities were quiet and friendly, and like most westerners, we really just wanted to go our own way and do our own thing and stay off the radar. But that reputation has fundament...
Democrats cry “conspiracy” as Trump appoints Heather Honey to DHS election watchdog role
The Federalist, Approved, Commentary, National

Democrats cry “conspiracy” as Trump appoints Heather Honey to DHS election watchdog role

By Shawn Fleetwood | Commentary, The Federalist Election systems expert Heather Honey has been sworn in at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a deputy assistant secretary, leading elections integrity for the Trump Administration, and the left is losing its mind. Honey, a long-time open-source investigator, has spent years analyzing every aspect of how elections are administered, looking for vulnerabilities that leave election systems open to exploitation. Her investigations have led to lawsuits aimed at changing or clarifying election laws in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Maine, and Tennessee, where she helped rewrite election legislation. Honey was the lead investigator on President Trump’s criminal defense team supporting his Jan. ...
One third fixed two thirds punt: Colorado’s special session shrugs off hard cuts
ScottKJames.com, Approved, Commentary, State

One third fixed two thirds punt: Colorado’s special session shrugs off hard cuts

By Scott K. James | Commentary, Scott K. James Dems filled about $253M of a $783M gap by ending tax breaks, then handed the real cuts to Polis and the reserves. One-third fixed. Two-thirds punted. The Denver Post reports that the Special Session Show wrapped after Democrats plugged about $253 million of a $783 million shortfall by ending tax breaks and other revenue moves. Roughly $530 million still yawns open. That hot potato now rolls to Gov. Jared Polis, who is expected to mix mid-year cuts with a deep dip into reserves. Eleven bills head to his desk. The biggest moneymaker, HB25B-1004, auctions tax credits for a one-time cash hit this year while sacrificing future revenue. The Post also notes the partisan script. Democrats...
Senator Sullivan’s “just another form” gun law remark goes unchecked by media as sheriffs warn of crippling costs
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Senator Sullivan’s “just another form” gun law remark goes unchecked by media as sheriffs warn of crippling costs

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Senator Sullivan's dismissive rhetoric goes unchecked by the liberal media Let me start with a quote from Post "reporter" Nick Coltrain's article linked at bottom. "SB-3 does prohibit the sale of many semiautomatic weapons -- unless the purchaser has completed a firearm education course. The bill was heavily amended while it made its way through the legislature and Sullivan now describes it as a 'permit-to-purchase' law. People who follow the law haven’t lost access to anything in recent years -- and won’t under this law, Sullivan said. But laws need to change as society changes, he said. Sullivan likened the new gun laws to the shift toward widespread adoption of seatbelts in cars a few generations ago. It didn’t ha...
A political refugee in Colorado: The painful choice to leave my homeland
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

A political refugee in Colorado: The painful choice to leave my homeland

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice After months of prayer, deliberation, and heartbreak, my wife and I have made the decision to leave Colorado. We’ve accepted an offer on our home in Castle Rock. For the first time in my life, I am saying goodbye to the state of my birth - the mountains where I learned to hike, the skyline I memorized as a child, the people and culture I have served, fought for, and loved.  This was not an easy decision. This is pain. This is grief. This is exile. But I am not moving for a job. I’m not moving for a change of scenery. I am leaving because Colorado has made it abundantly clear that I no longer have a voice in the government of my own state.  I am a political refugee. My family is being forced out, not by a singular...
Vote-By-Mail Endangers Public Confidence in Elections
National, Approved, Commentary, The Federalist

Vote-By-Mail Endangers Public Confidence in Elections

By John and Andy Schlafly | Commentary, The Federalist Sandwiched between Trump’s high-powered meetings with foreign leaders, Trump took the time to prioritize ending fraud-prone mail-in voting. Slightly more than half of our country – 28 states – permit mail-in voting without any documented reason or excuse. Earlier this month, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Judge James Ho began his decision in favor of a voter ID law in Texas by declaring, “Mail-in ballots are not secure.” The vast majority of the world agrees and has banned the permissive mail-in voting that is allowed here. Our postal service was never intended to conduct elections. That is not its mission. The delivery standards of our postal service have been declining, such that postmarks are no longer consiste...
Littleton proves citizen power still matters in Polis’ Colorado
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, Local

Littleton proves citizen power still matters in Polis’ Colorado

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Littleton voters get a say because they wouldn't have it any other way. The City of Littleton tried to stuff a Polis-inspired density mandate down the throats of their residents late last year. Residents did exactly what they should have: they went to the city council meeting in numbers and told them their thoughts on the measure. The city council wisely decided to postpone the measure pending a group of residents putting gathering signatures and putting it up on the November ballot. There is more detail in the Complete article linked at bottom, but the part I want to focus on here is the Littleton voters and what their actions mean for you (and not just with regard to density). Pay attention to what your lo...