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Coloradans are clamoring for ‘unity, action and hope’ Minority Leader Lundeen tells Senate
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Coloradans are clamoring for ‘unity, action and hope’ Minority Leader Lundeen tells Senate

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice It's a tough time to be a Coloradan, Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen summarized for the Colorado Senate as the 75th General Assembly opened this week. "In recent years, our state has been burdened with policies that are at best heavy-handed, at worst suffocating," he said. Such as, Lundeen said, regulations, fees and the hated 10-cent per-bag fee each time a Coloradan goes to the mini-mart or the grocery store. They are policies that "weigh heavily on the families we are here to serve," Lundeen said. Some have estimated the 10-cent bag fee is a $500 annual tax for the average family. The Republican warned that economic anxieties of Coloradans are real, tangible and growing. "We have passed policies that overreach," he said. "Laws th...
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Ganahl: A response to Gov. Polis’ State of the State address
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Ganahl: A response to Gov. Polis’ State of the State address

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Note: The following is a loose translation of Heidi Ganahl's response to Gov. Jared Polis' State of the State address Thursday to members of the 75th legislature. Hi there it’s  Heidi Ganahl, and today I’m here to set the record straight on Governor Polis’ rosy vision for Colorado. While his speech may sound polished, it paints a very different picture than the reality Coloradans are facing every day. Let’s talk about the challenges that weren’t mentioned — or were glossed over. 1. Economic and infrastructure failures: Governor Polis likes to tout Colorado as a land of opportunity, but for many, it’s become a land of unaffordability. Seniors on fixed incomes are being driven out, families can barely afford groceries, and vehi...
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CPW Commission denies petition to pause wolf introduction on 10-1 vote
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CPW Commission denies petition to pause wolf introduction on 10-1 vote

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice In a highly-emotional hearing that lasted more than six hours, Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners took testimony from nearly 100 people concerning whether or not the Commission should vote to approve or deny a petition to pause the wolf introduction program, until all of the mitigation tools were in place and funded. The petition was submitted by groups in 63 of the 64 Colorado counties, and included organizations such as the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Colorado Farm Bureau, Club 20 and Colorado Wool Growers Association, as well as several local livestock and stockgrowers' associations. Although Commission Chairman Dallas May, from Southeastern Colorado, warned the atte...
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Garbo: Zuckerberg ends ‘fact-checking’ in quiet admission of guilt, but fails to acknowledge Facebook’s assault on free speech
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Garbo: Zuckerberg ends ‘fact-checking’ in quiet admission of guilt, but fails to acknowledge Facebook’s assault on free speech

By C. J. Garbo Mark Zuckerberg’s recent announcement that Meta is ending its controversial ‘fact-checking’ program in favor of a ‘community notes’ system marks a subtle, but unmistakable, admission of failure. While Zuckerberg frames this decision as a return to Facebook’s roots of free expression, it is far more than a cultural shift — it is an indictment of years spent suppressing speech, silencing dissent, and betraying the fundamental principles of open dialogue that Facebook was founded upon. When Zuckerberg speaks of “getting back to our roots,” it is soft, carefully curated language designed to sidestep accountability. The reality is far harsher. Facebook didn’t merely stray from its roots; it became a willing enforcer of censorship, bowing to pressure from govern...
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Mijares bridges Montrose divides with whiskey bar, now hopes to do so in office
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Mijares bridges Montrose divides with whiskey bar, now hopes to do so in office

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Montrose County Commissioner-elect Scott Mijares never set out to run for office. His path to becoming a public servant started at Wild Horse Wine and Whiskey, a Main Street business he and his wife, Julie, opened in 2021.  Mijares doesn’t fit the typical image of a bar owner.  “People ask me all the time, ‘What’s your favorite whiskey?’ And I tell them, ‘I don’t drink,’ ” he said. “I might take a sip here or there just to be educated, but I learn about the whiskey from the people I serve it to.” The bar business isn’t about indulging in drinks for Mijares. “We talk politics at the Wild Horse,” Mijares said.  “Both our guests and sometimes myself get asked to join the conversation. Our mantra is, the more talk ...
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House Republicans launch 23 policy positions in 25-second video to open session
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House Republicans launch 23 policy positions in 25-second video to open session

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice If Republican House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese did not make it clear enough Wednesday in her address to the Colorado House upon the opening of the 75th General Assembly, the caucus simplified her words. In a 25-second video also released Wednesday, the caucus shared 23 items which it pledges to address during the session. The first item was the topic of the day on Wednesday: affordability. “This session, the House Republicans remain steadfast in addressing the issues of importance to Coloradans,” she said. “Affordability remains at the forefront of our discussions. You will see that in our legislation.” https://twitter.com/COHouseGOP/status/1877394769120235677 The caucus is further expected to focus on lowering crime, defend TAB...
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Letters: Media should have allowed Jimmy Carter’s funeral to air uninterrupted
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Letters: Media should have allowed Jimmy Carter’s funeral to air uninterrupted

The coverage of the funeral of President Jimmy Carter is another example of the disconnect between Big Media and the audience.  Who tunes in to watch such moments in history?  What do they expect to see and hear? Tuning in at random to CBS, the service began and, after some speakers, the service continued, with music including very moving performances from the Navy Choir.  Unfortunately, if viewers continued to watch on most networks, the music and some other elements of the service were muted, so that the network correspondents could impress viewers with more of their pontification.  Did these networks honestly think most people tuned in to hear these discredited Fake News talking heads yammer on in the middle of Jimmy Carter’s funeral? Give credit where cr...
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‘We need our roads fixed’: ‘Peltonia’ Sen. Byron Pelton opens 75th session with reminder for Gov. Polis
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‘We need our roads fixed’: ‘Peltonia’ Sen. Byron Pelton opens 75th session with reminder for Gov. Polis

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, claims to have already been at work for his constituency as the 75th General Assembly opened Wednesday. Luckily, for Pelton, he ran into Gov. Jared Polis, and offered a gentle nudge, as Pelton — who claims to be from a place called "Peltonia" — is apt to do. "The governor was talking to his transportation team and I reminded him that, in rural Colorado, where most of the money is generated in this state — $47 billion of agriculture money — that we need our roads fixed, especially in Senate District 1," Pelton said. It should not be a foreign subject to the governor. Pelton's predecessor in District 1, Jerry Sonnenberg, once famously said: "We have potholes so big you better be wearing your spurs to hang on." ...
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Minority Leader Pugliese pledges Republicans will find solutions for all Coloradans in 75th session
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Minority Leader Pugliese pledges Republicans will find solutions for all Coloradans in 75th session

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice When Rose Pugliese left behind her children to begin the 75th General Assembly in Denver, as children will do she was asked why she did the job of Colorado House minority leader. "Because the people trusted me to be there, to be their voice," she answered. "They didn't just do that for me, but for everyone there." The 75th legislative session officially opened at 10:09 a.m. Wednesday in the Colorado House. Pugliese addressed the House as the minority leader following the Speaker's election. "This session, the House Republicans remain steadfast in addressing the issues of importance to Coloradans," she said. "Affordability remains at the forefront of our discussions. You will see that in our legislation." Among the areas where the Republ...
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One early moment in 75th Legislature demonstrates unity of House Republican caucus
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One early moment in 75th Legislature demonstrates unity of House Republican caucus

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice What's the difference between the Republican caucus in the Colorado House of Representatives and the U.S. House? Unity. On Wednesday, as the Colorado House opened the 75th General Assembly, Republicans displayed unity by unanimously supporting Minority Leader Rose Pugliese to become the Colorado House Speaker. Although her nomination might simply be viewed as symbolic, with Republicans in the minority and Democrat Julie McCluskie later elected on a party-line vote, it showed the caucus to have unified under Pugliese. "It is important to have people on both sides of the aisle for [members] to vote on," said Rep. Scott Bottoms, R-El Paso County, in his nomination of Pugliese. "When we take back the House in a few years, I expect Democrats to...
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