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How Colorado’s caucus system works—and why the 2026 midterm elections start now

21Jan

By Jen SchumannNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

How Colorado’s caucus system works—and why the 2026 midterm elections start now

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice If you’ve ever heard the word “caucus” and quietly thought, I’m not entirely sure what that actually means, you’re not alone. Even Eric Trump has admitted he had to ask. While campaigning for his father during the 2016 election, he recalls turning to organizers and asking, “Can someone finally explain what this caucus is?” The room laughed. Not at him—more in recognition. And relatable. A lot of politically engaged adults only learn what a caucus is once they’re already in the middle of politics—sometimes years into voting. Sometimes only after they’re standing in a room where decisions are being made. And sometimes even after they’ve gone a few times. In Colorado, that late learning comes with consequences. This is ...

Merit Academy: Undeniable Change, A Model For Our Next Victory

21Jan

By Guest CommentaryNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Merit Academy: Undeniable Change, A Model For Our Next Victory

By Eric Gil | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice The success of Merit Academy in Woodland Park is no secret. When your school is ranked #5 of all K-12 Colorado Public Schools, it is hard to hide. This article is a look into the origin story of Merit Academy, led by Headmaster Gwynne Pekron. A reminder that we still hold the power to shape our children’s futures and that even when faced with centralized control, a path to real change exists. As a former charter school student and public school teacher, Merit’s story of ascension inspires me to look for ways to ensure our future. Increased attention toward public education from concerned parents is one of the many lasting outcomes of the 2020 pandemic and the subsequent shifts in education. In Woodland Park, this ...

A new session, same defiance: How Colorado’s immigration policy put ideology over enforcement

20Jan

By Jen SchumannNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

A new session, same defiance: How Colorado’s immigration policy put ideology over enforcement

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado lawmakers are walking into the 2026 session with the budget already tight. They’re also bracing for more legal fights with Washington. New bills tied to ICE enforcement are moving early, including one that would expand the state’s ability to sue over immigration-related rights claims. That push comes as Colorado is already in federal court over immigration laws passed last session. In Senate Appropriations on April 11, Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer zeroed in on SB25-276's price tag, asking whether its costs would come out of the legislature's roughly $7.5 million set-aside for new mandates and litigation risks. The answer was a quick "Yes"—no hesitation, no alternative funding source offered. Democrats introduced Senate Bill...

Homelessness Isn’t Just About Rent: Denver’s Spending Tells a Bigger Story

20Jan

By Shaina ColeNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Homelessness Isn’t Just About Rent: Denver’s Spending Tells a Bigger Story

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Denver once bought a motel to help move people off the street. Two years later, it made headlines for trying to sell that same property for ten dollars. Denver’s homelessness debate almost always circles back to housing. Rents are high. Wages trail behind. Even when Denver adds housing, the gap doesn’t seem to close. From there, the “it’s housing” argument almost writes itself. But recent data suggest the drivers run deeper than housing alone. A January 2026 analysis from the Common Sense Institute looked at homelessness trends across the country and found that while housing affordability matters, it is not the strongest factor tied to homelessness — especially when it comes to people living on the...

From Misunderstanding to Malice. Why Conservatives Finally Speak Plainly

20Jan

By Guest CommentaryNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

From Misunderstanding to Malice. Why Conservatives Finally Speak Plainly

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice For decades, many conservatives believed silence was a virtue. They assumed that if they spoke carefully, clearly, and charitably, they would be understood. When their views were mischaracterized as racist, cruel, or hateful, they often withdrew. Not because they agreed with the accusation, but because they did not want to be mistaken for something they were not. That assumption was wrong. The problem was never widespread misunderstanding by good people. The problem was intentional distortion by bad actors. Language was not being misheard. It was being weaponized. Moral accusations were not mistakes. They were tactics. Once you understand that distinction, everything changes. If your opponent is honestly...

SB26-005: Colorado Bill Opens State Suits for ICE-Related Rights Violations—Even Against Private Actors

19Jan

By Shaina ColeNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

SB26-005: Colorado Bill Opens State Suits for ICE-Related Rights Violations—Even Against Private Actors

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado lawmakers have introduced Senate Bill 26-005—legislation that would allow lawsuits in state court when an individual claims their rights under federal law have been violated as a result of civil immigration law enforcement. This bill creates a new state-level cause of action tied specifically to immigration enforcement activity. Its reach is broad. The text applies to “any person whether or not under color of law,” language pulled directly from the bill as introduced. The prime sponsors of the bill are Sen. Mike Weissman, Sen. Julie Gonzales, Rep. Javier Mabrey, and Rep. Yara Zokaie. It has been sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee—which Weissman chairs. That matters. He will be able to control how f...

Colorado’s prisons are on the verge of total collapse.

19Jan

By Guest CommentaryNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Colorado’s prisons are on the verge of total collapse.

By Ahnaf Kalam | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado's prisons are on the verge of total collapse. As of late 2025, state facilities are operating at nearly 98% capacity, while being severely understaffed. Men's prisons alone are projected to run out of beds entirely in the next fiscal year unless drastic measures are taken to reduce the population or add capacity. Inmates are backing up into county jails which were never designed or funded for long-term state housing, while prison staff face mandatory overtime, burnout, and reduced security and rehabilitation programs. And yet, amid this crisis, the Colorado Department of Corrections has found it in its budget to staff a full-time, taxpayer-funded practitioner of "gender-affirming care" for prison inmates. ...

Beyond the baby bust: Parents quietly exit Colorado public schools

19Jan

By Guest CommentaryNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, Red State, Top Stories

Beyond the baby bust: Parents quietly exit Colorado public schools

By Christian Horstmann | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Our public schools lost 10,000 students this year. Is there another reason beyond the baby bust and a population pinch? Colorado’s public schools just posted their steepest enrollment slide since the pandemic: down more than 10,000 students this year, affecting each of our top ten largest districts and many others statewide.1 Denver Public Schools alone lost about 1,200 students2 and the district is already projecting another 6,000 by 20293 – almost certain to trigger even more school closures on top of the ten that have already been shuttered over the last few years. Interestingly, overcrowded classrooms were presented during recent school board campaigns as an issue to address, but the opposite sce...

Know Your Enemy: Lies That Look Like Truth

18Jan

By Drake HunterNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, Devotional, Top Stories

Know Your Enemy: Lies That Look Like Truth

By Pastor Drake Hunter | Commentary, Elevating Life Church So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine… rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up. ~ Ephesians 4:14 15 ~ A vivid memory from my time in the Air Force keeps coming back to me. We were practicing in low visibility in rural Germany (Büchel - 1989) at dusk, navigating unfamiliar terrain under mounting pressure. Everything seemed correct on paper—landmarks matched, instruments confirmed our location, and the plan felt solid. Yet, I had a strange feeling that something wasn't quite right. It wasn’t fear, but a sense of discernment. I paused and said, “Hold up. Something doesn’t match.” Some colleagues rolled their eyes, ...

When Rhetoric Escalates: How Polarizing Language Shapes Public Conflict

16Jan

By Shaina ColeNo Comments

Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

When Rhetoric Escalates: How Polarizing Language Shapes Public Conflict

By Shaina Cole | Commentary, Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Political speech extends well beyond the moment it’s expressed. Words travel. They settle into public discourse and shape how authority, disagreement, and risk are understood over time. Research shows that rhetoric does more than mirror tension. In certain conditions, it redirects it—especially when government leaders frame conflict in threatening or moral terms. That context helps explain why the White House published an article titled “57 Times Sick, Unhinged Democrats Declared War on Law Enforcement.” The article quotes Democrat state governors, congressmen, and other public figures whose statements the administration has characterized as contributing to a hostile environment for federal la...

Your Values.
Your Voice.

How Colorado’s caucus system works—and why the 2026 midterm elections start now

Merit Academy: Undeniable Change, A Model For Our Next Victory

A new session, same defiance: How Colorado’s immigration policy put ideology over enforcement

Homelessness Isn’t Just About Rent: Denver’s Spending Tells a Bigger Story

From Misunderstanding to Malice. Why Conservatives Finally Speak Plainly

SB26-005: Colorado Bill Opens State Suits for ICE-Related Rights Violations—Even Against Private Actors

Colorado’s prisons are on the verge of total collapse.

Beyond the baby bust: Parents quietly exit Colorado public schools

Know Your Enemy: Lies That Look Like Truth

When Rhetoric Escalates: How Polarizing Language Shapes Public Conflict

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