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Daniel: This is your moment, Governor—veto SB25-003 and protect liberty
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Daniel: This is your moment, Governor—veto SB25-003 and protect liberty

By Bobbie Daniel | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Yesterday, the Mesa County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt a resolution opposing Colorado Senate Bill 3. We took this action out of a deep commitment to the foundational principles that have shaped not just Mesa County, not just Colorado, but the very idea of America itself. The Colorado legislature passed Senate Bill 3 with a troubling disregard for the constitutional framework that defines our Republic. It imposes sweeping restrictions on the lawful ownership, sale, and transfer of commonly owned firearms by burdening individual citizens with costly, bureaucratic hurdles and treating law-abiding people as if they are criminals. In our system of government, individual rights are not permissions granted by...
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The fine print of SB25-063: Speak up about inappropriate books in schools, get doxxed
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The fine print of SB25-063: Speak up about inappropriate books in schools, get doxxed

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice When Colorado lawmakers debated Senate Bill 25-063—titled the “Freedom to Read Act”—most eyes focused on the usual battle lines: controversial books, age appropriateness and the role of librarians. But tucked inside the bill is something less publicized—and more dangerous to parents who dare to speak up. Under Section 4(f), any parent who requests that a book be reconsidered for a school library will have their name made public. That request becomes a CORA-able document, meaning it falls under the Colorado Open Records Act. And in today’s politically charged environment, that’s all it takes to make someone a target. Rep. Ken DeGraaf, who opposed the bill during the April 3 House floor debate, warned that the measure gives...
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Hancock: Chris Wright is the voice of energy sanity America needs
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Hancock: Chris Wright is the voice of energy sanity America needs

By Michael A. Hancock | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Why Secretary Chris Wright Is Exactly What America’s Energy Policy Needs Now Confidence in experience is never misplaced, least of all in the arena of energy policy. Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy under President Trump, spoke frankly at a recent luncheon hosted by Colorado’s Ladies 4 Liberty. Secretary Wright exemplifies precisely why deep industry expertise is indispensable in government service.  An entrepreneur by background, Wright’s appointment is more than symbolic—it signals a tangible shift towards practicality and rational policy grounded in real-world energy economics. At its core, Wright’s philosophy centers on a straightforward, yet powerful assertion: energy availability is fundamental to human ...
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Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold joins Democratic primary for attorney general
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Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold joins Democratic primary for attorney general

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced Monday that she is seeking the Democratic nomination for attorney general in next year's election, promising to "stand up to Donald Trump to protect our rights and freedoms." "Attorneys general are on the front lines of defending our rights and our freedoms, which are under massive attack from Elon Musk and Donald Trump," Griswold told Colorado Politics prior to her campaign launch. "And I have a proven track record of standing up to MAGA extremists and Donald Trump over the last six and a half years of serving as secretary of state, and I hope to continue that as attorney general." Added Griswold: "I think we're at a tremendous risk nationally when there's a president who does not believe in ...
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One Sunday, four laws and the collapse of middle ground in Colorado politics
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One Sunday, four laws and the collapse of middle ground in Colorado politics

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice With the clock ticking on the legislative session, Colorado Democrats made their move—advancing four of the year’s most polarizing bills in a single day – Sunday. The marathon legislative blitz was notable not only for its controversial content, but for how it was executed: through rare weekend floor time, party-line votes and multiple Rule 16 motions that cut off debate and silenced opposing voices. https://twitter.com/RepCaldwell/status/1908586233632071742 "Because of the actions today, I would request that this bill be read at length—and every other bill after this," said Rep. Ron Weinberg, responding to the procedural move that ended discussion on one of the bills.  House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese added, "Col...
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Enos: Abortion, parental rights and gun grabs—Colorado’s radical trifecta
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Enos: Abortion, parental rights and gun grabs—Colorado’s radical trifecta

By Colleen Enos | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice While continuing to grapple with Colorado’s $1.2 billion dollar shortfall, the state will be losing $250 million in pandemic-related federal funding for healthcare from the American Rescue Plan Act. The federal government is implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Cost Efficiency Initiative. Coloradoans may believe that our Democrat-led state legislature will surely cut back on bills with a fiscal impact, but that would be an incorrect assumption; they just tweak the fiscal note. SB25-183, Coverage for Pregnancy Related Services, would be more appropriately named “Taxpayer-funded Abortion Coverage.” This bill adds abortion coverage to Colorado’s state Medicaid insurance. Howev...
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[UPDATED] Ganahl: Colorado GOP’s New Leadership Faces Rogue Holdouts as Williams’ Allies Cling to Power
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[UPDATED] Ganahl: Colorado GOP’s New Leadership Faces Rogue Holdouts as Williams’ Allies Cling to Power

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice The Colorado Republican Party’s newly elected leadership, led by Chair Brita Horn, is battling a desperate power grab by ex-Chairman David Williams and his allies. They refuse to let go despite the Colorado Republican State Central Committee’s (SCC) move to dismiss a contentious lawsuit.  Horn, alongside allies Nancy Pallozzi and Todd Watkins, champions a fresh start, but Williams’ appointees—particularly the shadowy Colorado Republican State Party Controversy Investigative Committee (CRSPCIC) led by Matt Arnold—are digging in, in a legal standoff that seems more about ego than justice. The roots lie in 2024’s chaotic primaries, where Williams’ endorsed candidates didn’t fare well (14 of 18 lost). This sparked former Jefferso...
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Griswold sues against Trump’s executive order on elections but is a case study for it
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Griswold sues against Trump’s executive order on elections but is a case study for it

By Rocky Mountain Voice Editorial Board When Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced that she was joining a multi-state lawsuit to block President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) on election integrity, she declared the action a defense of democracy itself. “We will not wait on the sidelines while Donald Trump tries to legislate from the Oval Office and defies the Constitution,” Griswold said in an April 3 press release. But while Griswold accuses President Trump of federal overreach, her own record suggests a pattern of constitutional violations that have unfolded under the banner of election protection.  In fact, her treatment of Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters has become a case study in why federal oversight of elections—as President Trump’s EO proposes—may be more nec...
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95,000 petitions delivered to the Capitol, urging Polis to veto SB25-003
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95,000 petitions delivered to the Capitol, urging Polis to veto SB25-003

By Tori Ganahl | Rocky Mountain Voice A group of conservative leaders took a bold stand for gun rights today at the Colorado State Capitol. Between Rocky Mountain Gun Owners (RMGO) and the Colorado State Shooting Association, nearly 95,000 petitions were delivered on Thursday calling on Governor Jared Polis to veto SB25-003, the controversial “safety training” bill that critics say imposes unconstitutional restrictions on the Second Amendment. The Capitol demonstration came just one day after Colorado’s Republican congressional delegation issued a formal letter to Governor Polis demanding a veto of SB25-003.  The letter—organized by U.S. Representative Jeff Crank and signed by Lauren Boebert, Jeff Hurd, and Gabe Evans—called the bill “one of the most restrictive gun ownership...
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AGNC: Democrats’ TABOR lawsuit a “legislative betrayal” against Colorado taxpayers
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AGNC: Democrats’ TABOR lawsuit a “legislative betrayal” against Colorado taxpayers

By Tori Ganahl | Rocky Mountain Voice Democrats in the Colorado legislature are pushing forward with a plan that would fundamentally alter the state's tax system—starting with a lawsuit aimed at dismantling the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR). At the heart of this effort is House Joint Resolution 25-1023, which directs the General Assembly’s Committee on Legal Services to file a lawsuit in state court challenging the constitutionality of TABOR.  Their argument? That allowing voters to decide on tax increases and imposing limits on government spending violates the “republican form of government” guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution​. Simply put: Colorado Democrats are claiming that the very act of asking taxpayers for permission to raise taxes is unconstitutional. This ...
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