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Colorado agriculture manager faces discipline after dispute over federal grant report and DEI training
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Colorado agriculture manager faces discipline after dispute over federal grant report and DEI training

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice A Colorado Department of Agriculture manager who challenged training language in a federally tied pest survey report now faces possible discipline after an internal investigation concluded he “more likely than not” misrepresented the document. The dispute follows earlier RMV reporting that raised questions about DEI-related training references appearing in a report tied to a USDA cooperative agreement. The issue grew out of a 2025 CAPS Infrastructure Accomplishment Report tied to a USDA cooperative agreement. In one section, the document lists training entries including “Equity and Diversity” and “Inclusive Leadership.” CDA says Rich Guggenheim shared a screenshot of what it describes as a draft report and wrongly portrayed...
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The ROAD to Housing scarcity: Hidden provision in Senate housing bill may kill build-to-rent
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

The ROAD to Housing scarcity: Hidden provision in Senate housing bill may kill build-to-rent

By Booker Lightman | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice How a Senate bill to increase construction will do the opposite You may have heard about a bipartisan omnibus bill currently being debated in the U.S. Senate, called the ROAD to Housing Act. From the name, you might think it’s about promoting housing construction, and that’s indeed how it’s being sold in the media.  Yet a provision recently added to the bill, which forces build-to-rent companies to sell their homes within seven years, would cripple housing production and drive up housing costs for everyone. Why is the forced sale provision bad?  The seven-year deadline would incentivize builders to prioritize speed over quality and hide defects rather than take the time to fix them. It would...
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Colorado bill would require devices to signal when users are minors
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Colorado bill would require devices to signal when users are minors

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Across the country, lawmakers are trying to figure out how — or whether — government should step in when it comes to kids and the internet. Some proposals focus on social media platforms. Others target app stores. A few states have gone a step further, looking at the devices themselves. Colorado is now testing that approach. The proposal, Senate Bill 26-051, is titled “Age Attestation on Computing Devices.” The idea behind it is fairly straightforward: certain devices would send apps a signal indicating whether the person using them is a minor. Supporters say the goal is to give apps a way to recognize when younger users are trying to sign in. Not everyone who testified during the hearing w...
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Free to Choose Life
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Free to Choose Life

By Rep. Scott Slaugh | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Upon arriving at the Colorado State Capitol in September to be sworn in as the new State Representative for District 64, I was eager to join the state lawmaking enterprise and already had a few ideas for new legislation. Soon I was advised by veteran lawmakers to reconsider my goals.  As one of only twenty-two Republicans facing a Majority Caucus of forty-three Democrats, it would be smart to tailor at least a couple of my early bills to topics where I might find agreement with members from the Majority Caucus.  That sounded reasonable enough; what could go wrong?  I have nothing but respect for the commonsense goal of “building bridges” where possible. Because I stand firmly in support...
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What’s really true?
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

What’s really true?

By Mark Salley | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice It’s not uncommon to hear someone say “live your truth” or “that’s my truth.” But, is their “truth” really true? The bible doesn’t teach — nor does common sense allow — that everyone can have and live by their own truth. Yet, many seem to have fallen into that pit. If someone’s “truth” tells them it’s okay to drink and to drive drunk…is it really true?  Of course not. If someone’s “truth” tells them a biological boy can transition to become a girl…is it really true? Again…of course not. In the past (sadly still today) many people have been captured by believing false things to be true.  What’s the harm in believing things that aren’t true, yet pretending they are?  For st...
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Weapons of War: Spirit Over Flesh
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Weapons of War: Spirit Over Flesh

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ~ Matthew 26:41 ~ Years ago, Sherrie and I ended up at one of those unforgettable Las Vegas timeshare presentations. You probably know the kind: a free stay, free breakfast, and free show tickets, all for just '90 minutes' of your time. Before we realized it, nearly three hours had gone by. The room was dim, beach scenes played on the screen, and soft music filled the air, almost like a Hallmark movie. The salesman encouraged us, saying, “Don’t overthink this. What does your gut tell you?” I noticed couples leaning in, whispering, nodding, and dreaming about more than just numbers. In that moment, it felt right. Bu...
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He reported election irregularities. Weeks later he was fired: Now a Colorado fire chief appeals in federal court
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He reported election irregularities. Weeks later he was fired: Now a Colorado fire chief appeals in federal court

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Erik Holt says he didn’t expect reviewing surveillance footage from a polling location inside the Florissant fire station would cost him his career. Holt says the fallout came quickly. Within weeks of providing investigators the footage he believed showed election rule violations, he was out of a job. The dispute that began inside the Florissant fire station is now before the federal appeals court. Judges will review whether reporting suspected wrongdoing can cost a public employee his job. Holt is no longer fighting the appeal alone. Mountain States Legal Foundation has joined the case and is now representing him. “Public employees do not surrender their First Amendment rights when they take a government job,” said Grad...
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Insurance Turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz Could Ripple Into U.S. Energy Prices
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Insurance Turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz Could Ripple Into U.S. Energy Prices

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice The next jump in gasoline prices might not start at an oil well or a refinery. It could start in the insurance market. The change isn’t happening on the water. It’s happening in insurance offices. Marine insurers have started canceling or sharply increasing the cost of war-risk coverage for ships operating in the Persian Gulf as tensions involving Iran grow. It may sound like a technical insurance decision, but for shipping companies it can determine whether a tanker sails or waits. When coverage disappears — or becomes too expensive — ships often wait. And some already are. Shipping reports indicate vessels have slowed or anchored near the Strait of Hormuz while insurers review the risks a...
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Nine-year sentence questioned: Peters’ attorneys cite contrast with Lewis case
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Nine-year sentence questioned: Peters’ attorneys cite contrast with Lewis case

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Tina Peters’ attorneys said Wednesday they appreciate Gov. Jared Polis taking a look at her clemency request, pointing to what they believe is a sentencing disparity. Peters’ attorneys shared the statement with RMV after Polis posted about the case of former state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis while talking about clemency. They said that contrast between Lewis’ and Peters’ case is central to their clemency request. “Tina Peters is grateful to Governor Polis for considering her request for clemency,” the statement said. The defense team also echoed a comment Polis made in a recent social media post about fairness in the justice system. “As the governor said, Justice in Colorado and America needs to be applied evenly,...
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Why did nearly 500,000 Colorado voter records change after elections were certified?
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Why did nearly 500,000 Colorado voter records change after elections were certified?

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado voters are constantly told to trust the system. Trust the process. Trust the machines. Trust the results. That’s where a new complaint under the federal Help America Vote Act enters the picture. https://twitter.com/Unite4Freedom/status/2029353098318364887 It names Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and focuses on something most voters probably never think about—what happens to election records after certification. The complaint says voter participation records were modified nearly half a million times across those three election cycles. There’s one number in the complaint that’s hard to miss—487,887. Michael Cahoon filed the complaint. It’s now being circulated by electi...
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