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‘This is our Alamo!’: Gun owners rallying March 11 against SB 3 in Colorado House committee
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‘This is our Alamo!’: Gun owners rallying March 11 against SB 3 in Colorado House committee

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice A bill which some gun advocates say would lead to extinction of their rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution is scheduled for a hearing Tuesday, March 11, in the House's Judiciary Committee. Senate Bill 25-003, led through the upper chamber by Sens. Julie Gonzales and Tom Sullivan, prohibits the transfer, sale and purchase of semiauto firearms with certain exclusions permitted to allow the bill to clear the Colorado Senate on a 19-15 vote, with all Republicans and three Democrats opposed. At issue is whether, in the interest of stemming mass shootings in the state, if Coloradans should sacrifice constitutionally-provided gun ownership rights. Sullivan says the measure works to enforce the "high-capacity magazine ban" from 2014, but othe...
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10 months after hailstorm closed it, Rep. Boebert is demanding reopening of Yuma post office
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10 months after hailstorm closed it, Rep. Boebert is demanding reopening of Yuma post office

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice On the Eastern Plains of Colorado, tornadic storms delivering high wind, hail and damage can be commonplace. Property can be damaged by multiple storms a year. While Adams and Weld counties are known to be the state's top targets for tornadoes, all of Eastern Colorado sits within "Tornado Alley," so coined by U.S. Air Force meteorologists. One of those storms about 10 months ago delivered large hail to Yuma, Colo., and resulted in the closure of the local post office. Some in Yuma recall hail being larger than a baseball and up to the size of a softball. U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Windsor, is pleading to get the post office reopened. "I am writing to address the ongoing closure of the Yuma Post Office, which has remainedinoperable due ...
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Former City Councilman argues for greater transparency in Grand Junction’s election filing process
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Former City Councilman argues for greater transparency in Grand Junction’s election filing process

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Three days. That’s all the time a Grand Junction resident has to challenge a candidate’s petition. But there’s one problem: the public doesn’t even know when the clock starts ticking. The City of Grand Junction claims that residents can challenge election petitions, yet the necessary documents aren’t posted publicly and CORA requests take as long as the objection window itself.  Former Grand Junction City Councilman Kraig Andrews learned this firsthand after reading a Rocky Mountain Voice article that included redacted candidate filing petitions.  With his experience in local government and an eye for detail, Andrews noticed discrepancies that raised concerns about how the city reviews and certifies election ...
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Judge rejects Denver Public Schools’ attempt to block Trump ICE guidance
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Judge rejects Denver Public Schools’ attempt to block Trump ICE guidance

By Melanie Asmar | Chalkbeat Colorado A federal judge on Friday rejected Denver Public Schools’ attempt to reinstate a federal policy that treated schools as “sensitive locations” where immigration enforcement should only take place if there is immediate danger to the public. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico said there is little practical difference between the prior policy, the last iteration of which was issued in 2021 under former President Biden, and a pair of memos issued by the Trump administration in January. “The concern was that there would be no limitations or no protections for schools, necessarily, under the new memo,” Domenico said in a ruling from the bench. “That is an overstatement. And the fact that there have been no actions on school property in the ...
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In Covid-19 hangover, Colorado employers debate whether to require in-person work
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In Covid-19 hangover, Colorado employers debate whether to require in-person work

By Nicole Brady | Denver 7 News Five years since so many of us set up home offices during the COVID-19 pandemic, more employers are reevaluating remote and hybrid work arrangements. In February, Aurora City Council passed a resolution directing council-appointed city leaders to encourage full-time employees to work in person at least three days a week. A city council resolution states that in-person work “fosters collaboration, reduces isolation, and creates healthier boundaries between work and personal life.” The City of Denver and State of Colorado continue to allow hybrid work arrangements, despite downtown businesses owners saying economic activity has suffered. Governor Jared Polis’ office sent a statement to Denver7 saying its flexible work arrangement “helps the state recruit...
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Colorado Democrats lead federal bill to revitalize Colorado public lands
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Approved, State, The Center Square, Top Stories

Colorado Democrats lead federal bill to revitalize Colorado public lands

By Elyse Apel | The Center Square Three U.S. congressmen from Colorado have reintroduced the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act, which combines four previously introduced Colorado public land bills into one piece of legislation. Over a decade in the making, supporters of the CORE Act say it will protect public lands, safeguard outdoor recreation and boost the state’s economy. “The CORE Act is a model for how legislation should be done,” said U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado. “Ranchers, hunters, hikers and local officials all came together to protect our most sacred lands and invest in our outdoor recreation.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE CENTER SQUARE
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GOP Chair Race: Brita Horn Responds, Others Remain Silent
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GOP Chair Race: Brita Horn Responds, Others Remain Silent

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff With less than three weeks until the March 29th election for Colorado GOP Chair, Rocky Mountain Voice reached out to all declared candidates with key questions about their vision, fundraising strategy, approach to unaffiliated voters, and stance on Proposition 108. So far, Brita Horn is the only candidate to respond. Darcy Schoening, Lori Saine and Kevin McCarney have yet to reply, and we will be reaching out to Richard Holtorf and Jeremy Goodall this week for their positions. Brita Horn's Answers: Why are you running for Chair? My heart is on fire for Colorado, not to sow discord or pit different factions against each other— I’m here to bring us together with a clear, strategic, and winning plan. Our party has lost its purpose with division ...
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Richard Holtorf, retired Army colonel, former state House whip and cattle rancher, will seek Colorado GOP chair
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Richard Holtorf, retired Army colonel, former state House whip and cattle rancher, will seek Colorado GOP chair

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice Richard Holtorf, a former state representative and the chairman of the Washington County Republican Party, announced Saturday in an exclusive interview with Rocky Mountain Voice his intention to seek the chairmanship of the Colorado Republican Party. "As a longtime Republican in the state of Colorado, knowing the dire straights the party is in due to a failed strategic plan by previous leadership and the enormous infighting because of that," Holtorf said, "and analyzing the field of candidates, I felt Colorado Republicans deserved the best candidate possible." After attending Akron High School in a small Eastern Colorado town where he still resides, some would argue Holtorf had three successful careers, and this could be his fourth. He ser...
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ICE says Tren de Aragua Venezuelan gang members have been arrested in El Paso County
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ICE says Tren de Aragua Venezuelan gang members have been arrested in El Paso County

By Tyler Dumas | KRDO-TV This week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) notified the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPCSO) that they have located, identified, and arrested several suspected Tren de Aragua (TDA) Venezuelan gang members in El Paso County, the sheriff's office said. Sheriff Joseph Roybal announced in February that the EPCSO would be collaborating with ICE and assisting with criminal investigations and arrests. READ THE FULL STORY AT KRDO-TV
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Liberty-loving Rep. Ken DeGraaf has a ‘calculated’ approach to lawmaking that prioritizes freedom
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Liberty-loving Rep. Ken DeGraaf has a ‘calculated’ approach to lawmaking that prioritizes freedom

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Ken DeGraaf laughed in response. Loud and unapologetic. The question? Whether he considered himself the "apex predator" of liberty in Colorado politics. "I’m not sure about ‘apex predator,’" DeGraaf said, still chuckling. "I’m just voting the way the Constitution tells me to. That’s really all there is to it. If that puts me at the top of the food chain, then I think that says more about the state of our legislature than it does about me." In a Democrat-controlled government, where individual liberty is often an afterthought, the El Paso County Republican's unwavering constitutional approach makes him stand out, even among his own party. The Liberty Scorecard is one source which attempts to measure legislators. In t...
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