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“Aptitude test for your rights?” Mesa County pushes back on SB3 in letter to the DOJ
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“Aptitude test for your rights?” Mesa County pushes back on SB3 in letter to the DOJ

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Would you need a perfect GPA to speak your mind or worship freely? Mesa County officials say Colorado’s new gun law is treating the Second Amendment that way – and they’ve asked the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene. In a three-page letter sent this month, the Mesa County Board of Commissioners urged federal authorities to investigate Senate Bill 25-003, calling it a “grotesque misuse of government power” that effectively imposes a discriminatory test on anyone wishing to lawfully own or carry a firearm. The law, which takes effect in August 2026, requires residents to complete state-approved firearms training, score 90% on a written exam and obtain conditional approval from their sheriff’s office every five years in order to receive or...
Hunter: Will you be the miracle Pastor John Waters needs?
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Hunter: Will you be the miracle Pastor John Waters needs?

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Across Colorado, churches gather each week to worship, pray, and walk in faith. From the Western Slope to the Eastern Plains, these communities share a simple but powerful calling—to love one another well. Today, that love has a chance to meet a real and urgent need. And today, that love has an urgent opportunity to shine. One of our own—John Waters, Worship Pastor at Elevating Life Church in Fort Morgan and a cherished beloved DJ on KFTM/Bob FM—is in critical need of a living liver transplant. John isn’t just a leader—he’s been a steady voice of hope. Whether preaching on Sundays or spinning tracks on the radio, he’s lifted hearts across Colorado and Nebraska. After a long and silent battle with liver disease, John’s health ha...
Analyst to reveal altered Arapahoe 2020 CVR at Tuesday Capitol press conference
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Analyst to reveal altered Arapahoe 2020 CVR at Tuesday Capitol press conference

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice A nationally recognized computer scientist will present what he says is direct evidence of vote data manipulation in Arapahoe County's 2020 election – and altered ballot records in a newly released 2025 file – at a May 27 press conference at the Colorado State Capitol. Dr. Walter Daugherity, a Harvard-trained expert in computer science and election auditing, is set to speak at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday on the west steps of the Capitol. According to a press release circulated Wednesday, Daugherity will walk the public through four exhibits that show what he describes as "a manipulated cast vote record" and evidence that votes were changed at the ballot level. The core claim: Two cast vote records, one election Cast vote records (CVRs) are...
“They didn’t think I had it”: Tina Peters on evidence, betrayal and faith behind bars
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“They didn’t think I had it”: Tina Peters on evidence, betrayal and faith behind bars

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice In a jailhouse visit marked by resilience, revelation and restrained emotion, former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters offered a window into the chapter of her life that has largely unfolded behind bars.  For two-and-a-half hours on May 18, we sat across from each other in a controlled visitation room. No pens or paper were allowed, so what follows is drawn from a memory still sharp with immediacy, and a recorded voice memo I made in my truck just moments after we said goodbye. Peters wore standard prison-issued clothing and a DOC patch with her name and inmate number sewn on. I bought her a cappuccino from the vending machine and a Butterfinger, which I had to unwrap and place on a paper plate before handing it to her across the table. She ...
Out on bond, out of control: Decades of Colorado’s soft-on-crime policies under fire
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Out on bond, out of control: Decades of Colorado’s soft-on-crime policies under fire

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice A series of violent incidents in Denver during April 2025 has intensified scrutiny of Colorado’s criminal justice reforms, with critics contending that lenient policies on bail and sentencing have compromised public safety.  Five recent cases, documented through court records, booking reports and social media posts from the advocacy account @dobetterdnvr, reveal a troubling trend: offenders with extensive criminal histories, released on low or no-cost bonds or parole, allegedly committed murders, assaults and attempted murders – leaving multiple victims. https://twitter.com/dobetterdnvr/status/1919768043120628140 Yet, this issue is not new – historical cases stretching back decades suggest a persistent pattern of reci...
Out of order: Was DNC vice chair David Hogg undone by procedure—or politics?
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Out of order: Was DNC vice chair David Hogg undone by procedure—or politics?

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice When your bylaws mention gender 47 times and Robert’s Rules is 816 pages long, what could possibly go wrong? David Hogg says the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is trying to “fast-track” his removal as vice chair. The party insists it’s just following procedure. But veteran parliamentarian Gregory Carlson says what happened may violate one of the most basic principles of Robert’s Rules of Order – you can’t go back and undo a vote after the meeting is over. “Usually, you can't overturn something that's already happened on procedural grounds,” Carlson said. “You have to challenge it at the time that it’s happening.” A procedural cleanup – or political hit job? Back in February, Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta were el...
The COvid Chronicles May 8–15, 2020: C&C made headlines. Polis made an example. Colorado made up its mind.
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The COvid Chronicles May 8–15, 2020: C&C made headlines. Polis made an example. Colorado made up its mind.

By Rocky Mountain Voice Editorial Board This fourth installment of RMV’s COvid Chronicles picks up where the last left off – but this time, the spark became a blaze. We split this chapter into two parts to capture the rapid escalation. Part one chronicled the mounting tensions. Part two reveals the eruption. The governor’s enforcers tried to make an example of C&C. Instead, they created a rallying cry. In just seven days, Colorado witnessed threats, shutdowns, viral videos and a surge of defiance that no press conference could contain. Counties revolted, small towns reopened and sheriffs made it clear: the edicts had lost their teeth. These are the COvid Chronicles for May 8-15, 2020… COvid Chronicles catch-up• Introducing The COvid Chronicles: How fear and force reshape...
Devotional: In life’s fast lane, choosing the wrong road to a path of folly happens easily
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Devotional: In life’s fast lane, choosing the wrong road to a path of folly happens easily

By Pastor Drake Hunter | Commentary, Elevating Life Church We live in a world where countless roads claim to lead to success—express lanes to happiness, toll-free routes to purpose, and flashy detours promising fulfillment in the Eternal Now. And many folks, good-hearted and well-meaning, are sprinting full speed ahead. But here’s the kicker: what if the road you're on is the wrong one? The evidence is sobering. A growing number of Christians find themselves drained rather than fulfilled, weary instead of flourishing, spiritually stuck in a cycle that feels more like surviving than thriving. So, let’s ask the question straight up: If you’re on a path that doesn’t lead to life, what good is it—even if it’s dressed up in church clothes, labeled “faith”, with a dash of success? ...
Silent signature, rising resistance: HB1312 becomes law, but parents vow to fight on
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Silent signature, rising resistance: HB1312 becomes law, but parents vow to fight on

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 25-1312 into law on Friday, May 16, without a press conference, social media announcement or public ceremony. While the bill, known as the "Kelly Loving Act," was hailed by progressive lawmakers as a milestone for transgender rights, many Coloradans who opposed the bill say the governor's quiet signature is a telling indication of just how controversial the legislation had become. Parental rights groups and faith-based organizations who protested HB25-1312 throughout the session say the final version still undermines their fundamental freedoms. They argue the amendments stripped from the bill prove public pressure worked – but insist what remains is a direct threat to families, schools and the Constitution. ...
Notarfrancesco: TRAILS goes beyond SEL—it’s activism wrapped in therapy language
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Notarfrancesco: TRAILS goes beyond SEL—it’s activism wrapped in therapy language

By Kelly Notarfrancesco | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Should teachers in Colorado K-12 classrooms be performing daily assessments on the thoughts and feelings of your children? At the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, Pueblo D70 School District controversially implemented a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum which Superintendent Ronda Rein described in an email from September 24, 2024 as a “daily assessment of thoughts and feelings.” SEL is promoted to parents and school administrators as the panacea for kids’ mental health concerns, and SEL advocates believe the concepts benefit students by providing important emotional training which leads to academic success, healthy relationships, and proper civic engagement. Opponents of SEL are concerned that the le...