Rocky Mountain Voice

Rocky Mountain Voice

Liberty Scorecard releases six position points to guide lawmakers in special session
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Liberty Scorecard releases six position points to guide lawmakers in special session

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Members of the 74th General Assembly are not the only ones working overtime during a special session called by Gov. Jared Polis. So is Liberty Scorecard Colorado. The team behind Liberty Scorecard has released six position points to guide the special session, after review of bills proposed for the session's single focus of property tax relief. The House and Senate convened the special session Monday, with Democrat House Speaker Julie McCluskie lamenting two special sessions and a regular session all within about 10 months. "When we concluded our regular session in May, we came together and delivered a bipartisan property tax bill that reduced rates, capped growth and permanently fixed our antiquated property tax system," she said. "It was ...
‘Their property taxes have gone up exponentially’: Rose Pugliese addresses Mighty 19 in opening of special session
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘Their property taxes have gone up exponentially’: Rose Pugliese addresses Mighty 19 in opening of special session

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice When the second regular session of Colorado's 74th General Assembly closed earlier this year, lawmakers believed they had reached consensus on a property tax plan. Senate Bill 24-233, led by Republican prime sponsors Rep. Lisa Frizell and Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, cleared the House with about two-thirds of Republicans supporting the bill and just two Republicans in the Senate opposed. Then a pair of citizen initiatives on the subject earned enough support to reach the fall ballot and lead Gov. Jared Polis to call a special session on property tax. That special session opened Monday, with many on the political right opposed to the deal that allowed for the special session to be called. "We did good work [with SB 24-233]," said House Minority Lea...
First bills of special session released by sponsors, including five by Republicans
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

First bills of special session released by sponsors, including five by Republicans

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Nine bills in the Colorado House and two more in the Colorado Senate are set to be introduced in the special session of the 74th General Assembly, along with others which have not been pre-released. The special session, called by Gov. Jared Polis, opened at 10 a.m. Monday. The special session has a singular purpose to address property tax in an effort for lawmakers to avoid citizen-led Prop. 108 and Constitutional Amendment 50 from reaching the ballot. Following is a glance at the Republican bills set to be introduced: Senate Bill 24B-0009, by Republican Sens. Mark Baisley and Kevin Van Winkle, would require the property tax levy of a special taxing district to be calculated by dividing the actual value of the property by the total actual ...
Grice: The last person in the room caused this nightmare in America
Approved, Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

Grice: The last person in the room caused this nightmare in America

By Rick Grice | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice For three-plus years now, a constant topic of conversation among most sentient observers of the American political scene has been, “Who do you really think is actually running the White House?”  Susan Rice? Barack Obama? Lately, Jill Biden?  Who?  I know that in countless conversations I’ve had during the Biden-Harris presidency, that very question has come up repeatedly. Now we know the answer: Kamala Harris.  She has boasted that for every major decision made during the Biden-Harris regime, she was the last person in the room.  Whether or not one believes that assertion, she claimed it so she must, without exception, be held to it.  Therefore, she signed onto, and by inference, agreed with every disas...
Republicans oust leadership in meeting Chair Williams calls ‘fraudulent’
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Republicans oust leadership in meeting Chair Williams calls ‘fraudulent’

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice BRIGHTON -- About 77 Republicans and another 105 by proxy gathered at a church here for the second time in a month Saturday to decide the future leadership of the party. At issue for some was the leadership of Chairman Dave Williams, along with Vice Chairwoman Hope Scheppelman and Secretary Anna Ferguson. In decisions which are sure to be disputed by others in the party and certainly its leadership, all three elected leaders were taken out by the faction and replaced by well-known rivals of Williams during what his allies have termed a "so-called" meeting that is "illegal". Michael Allen, the 4th Judicial District attorney, accused Williams of attacking other Republicans, abuse of position to divert party funds to his personal campaign and...
Williams: Colorado Republican Party will sue to prevent special session
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Williams: Colorado Republican Party will sue to prevent special session

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Members of the Colorado Legislature are set to convene in a 74th Special Session on Monday at the Colorado State Capitol Building to settle the issue of property tax. Gov. Jared Polis called the session to prevent two propositions from advancing to the ballot and for a voter decision on the matter come November. One of those measures, Prop. 108, this week qualified for the ballot, Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced. And that is where the Colorado Republican Party believes the matter should stay -- in the hands of the voters. The party will sue to prevent legislators and the parties which filed the measures -- Advance Colorado -- from deals to undo the process and negotiate a different property tax outcome, Republican Party Chairman...
Sonnenberg: It is ‘a great day for all’ in Logan County
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Sonnenberg: It is ‘a great day for all’ in Logan County

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice High winds and a daily summer storm hit the Eastern Plains again Friday, a common weather feature for this time of the year, but Josh Sonnenberg is hopeful to avoid it just once, on Saturday. The chairman of the Logan County Republican Party is hosting the organization's annual scramble golf tournament and dinner at Riverview Golf Course. "Every year, we host this tournament and it is a great day for all of us to join together and enjoy each other's company," he said. "Win or lose, at the end of the day, we have all celebrated together and are excited and rejuvenated to finish out this election cycle." He sent a "last call" email Friday morning to Logan County Republicans that tournament and dinner sports were still available. Contact Sonn...
RFK, Jr., says, Dems are party of ‘censorship and corruption’, before he endorses Trump
Approved, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

RFK, Jr., says, Dems are party of ‘censorship and corruption’, before he endorses Trump

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is the son of Bobby Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, this week watched his former political party nominate a President without a single primary vote or without publishing her policy. He had attempted to run in that primary, but claims to have been frozen out by the party. The Democratic National Convention arrived a month after Kennedy watched his former political party -- a party in which both his father, uncle and other Kennedy family members had served -- oust a sitting president of the United States, one they elected. "In an honest system, I believe that I would have won the election," Kennedy said Friday in a press conference. "The kind of system my uncle and father thrived in -- a syste...
Sloan: The legacy of ‘free stuff’ Biden government will continue with Harris
Approved, Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

Sloan: The legacy of ‘free stuff’ Biden government will continue with Harris

By Kelly Sloan | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Kamala Harris finally hinted at something resembling policy on Friday when she revealed snippets of her economic program, and it was every bit as horrifying as one would imagine. It was essentially a combination of spending sprees, price controls and offers of “free” stuff – meaning paid for by someone else. In other words, it was a prescription for more of the same, only writ large.  Whether she wants it to or not – more pointedly, whether Democratic campaign advisors want it to be or not – Harris’ campaign offers largely a continuation of the Biden administration and its legacy. Which is what, exactly? Well, domestically that legacy will almost certainly be the inflation that has dominated the economy for the last three-a...
Analyzing a super-minority in Colorado’s legislature and what it means for governance
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Analyzing a super-minority in Colorado’s legislature and what it means for governance

By Amanda Hardin | Rocky Mountain Voice In state politics, the term "super-minority" might not be as familiar as "super-majority," but it plays a crucial role in shaping the legislative landscape. In Colorado, the House of Representatives has already placed Republicans in a super-minority status, and the Senate is just a few seats away from potentially following suit. To understand the significance of this shift, let's explore what a super-minority is, how it impacts governance, and what it means for the balance of power in Colorado. What is a super-minority? A super-minority occurs when one political party holds significantly fewer seats than the other, making it nearly impossible for them to influence or block legislation without some support from the majority party. In the C...