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Rep. Anthony Hartsook’s massage trafficking bill advances in House committee hearing
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Rep. Anthony Hartsook’s massage trafficking bill advances in House committee hearing

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff A bill by Rep. Anthony Hartsook, R-Parker, which would add certain mandatory criminal background investigation requirements of massage facilities in an effort to curb human trafficking, advanced Tuesday in the Colorado House. Colorado has seen numerous arrests in the past few years related to human trafficking at massage parlors, including in Denver in 2022 and in Jefferson County in 2023, Hartsook wrote in a press release. House Bill 24-1371 would advance discretionary local regulatory authority of massage establishments to a requirement. “This bill will establish a mandatory national fingerprint background check of all employees and owners for these types of facilities,” Hartsook said. “It will deter bad actors from trying to move to Colorado and...
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El Paso County Republicans Caldwell and VanderWerf qualify for ballot
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Approved, El Paso County, Rocky Mountain Voice

El Paso County Republicans Caldwell and VanderWerf qualify for ballot

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice The petitions of two more Republican candidates have been verified by the Colorado Secretary of State's office, qualifying them for a place on the primary ballot. Stan VanderWerf, a candidate for Colorado Senate District 12 in western El Paso County, and Jarvis Caldwell, a candidate for Colorado House District 20 in northern El Paso County, both have qualified for the ballot. VanderWerf submitted 1,983 signatures, with 1,144 accepted by the Secretary of State. Caldwell submitted 2,166 signatures, with 1,297 accepted by the Secretary of State. The threshold to qualify for both offices is 1,000 signatures. A record of all accepted and rejected signatures, including reasons for each rejection, is on file with the Secretary of State.
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Mesa County to partner through $300K grant to improve mental health care access
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, Western Slope

Mesa County to partner through $300K grant to improve mental health care access

By The Rocky Mountain Voice Appropriated by Senate Bill 22-196, a $300,000 grant from the State of Colorado has allowed Mesa County Behavioral Health to collaborate with Mind Springs Health to enhance access to mental health care in Western Colorado. The grant focuses on early intervention and prevention in the criminal justice system, a Mesa County press release reads. It targets at-risk adults, aiming to stabilize and support them through improved intervention strategies. “We are grateful for the support of the 196 Grant, which enables us to expand our reach and deepen our impact, providing critical behavioral health services to those in need,” said Lisa Mills, Mesa County's behavioral health director. “Our contract with Mind Springs represents our ongoing commitment to enhancin...
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Sloan: Biden’s betrayal of Israel in war with Hamas
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Approved, Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

Sloan: Biden’s betrayal of Israel in war with Hamas

By Kelly Sloan | Special Contributor, The Rocky Mountain Voice Back in October, in the stunned aftermath of the worst collective massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, Presideent Joe Biden told the Israelis and the world that the U.S. would stand by them. He pledged American support, including armaments. It was a good moment, one civilized nation pledging its solidarity with another in the face of barbarity. Five months later, Biden informed the Israelis that they were essentially alone. On March 25, the UN Security Council voted on yet another morally bankrupt resolution calling for a unilateral and unconditional cease fire in the war in Gaza, and this time the United States abstained. In all previous iterations of this and other UN resolutions like it, which stop just short of...
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BREAKING NEWS: Mayor of Georgetown, CO Throws Paw into Presidential Race
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Approved, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

BREAKING NEWS: Mayor of Georgetown, CO Throws Paw into Presidential Race

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff GEORGETOWN, Colo. (Rocky Mountain Voice) - In a surprising turn of events, the beloved Mayor of Georgetown, Parker The Snow Dog, has announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States. Known for his fluffy charm and unwavering dedication to his constituents, Parker aims to bring a fresh perspective to the highest office in the land. At just 5-and-a-half years old, Parker boasts a youthful energy that rivals that of any seasoned politician. In dog years, he’s younger than either presidential candidate, signaling a shift towards a more vibrant leadership style. Unlike many politicians, Parker has a squeaky clean record. The only thing he did on January 6th was eat treats. Additionally, he’s never fallen up a flight of stairs, demonstrating ...
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Griswold certifies Presidential primary election, reports 38.7% turnout
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Griswold certifies Presidential primary election, reports 38.7% turnout

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice A little more than one-third of registered Colorado voters cast a ballot in the state's Presidential primary election, Secretary of State Jena Griswold reported Monday. She has certified the election, making the results official and final, a press release from her office reads. Certification follows each county’s bipartisan canvass board submitting their official abstract of votes to the Secretary of State’s Office. There were 1,464,836 ballots casts among 3,788,458 active, registered voters, resulting in a turnout of 38.67%. Unaffiliated voters cast 38.4% of all ballots, a total of 562,699 ballots. In the Democratic Party primary, there were 177,117 ballots cast, with 31.4% of those ballots cast by unaffiliated voters. In the Republican ...
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Minority whip’s report details long bill, ‘good and bad’ bill hearings on tap in House this week
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Minority whip’s report details long bill, ‘good and bad’ bill hearings on tap in House this week

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice Final approval was looming Monday for the "Long Appropriations Bill" in the Colorado House, and Minority Whip Richard Holtorf said Saturday he would be in opposition to the proposal to increase spending by more than $2 billion. Republicans were able to pass a few amendments "aligning with pressing needs of our constituents" to improve the spending bill, a statement in the weekend "Mighty 19 Minute" newsletter reads. The adopted Republican amendments included $2 million for a ninth-grade success grant by Rep. Rose Pugliese, $6.1 million for senior services by Rep. Mary Bradfield, $434,783 for the Colorado Access to Justice Cash Fund by Rep. Matt Soper, $1.0 million for the Veterans Service-to-Career Program by Rep. Anthony Hartsook and Hol...
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No April fools, Monday’s gas price ranges from $2.94 in Broomfield to $4.82 in Pitkin County
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

No April fools, Monday’s gas price ranges from $2.94 in Broomfield to $4.82 in Pitkin County

AAA projects an uptick in spring pricing related to market conditions, Ukraine targeting of Russian oil infrastructure By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice The trip to the grocery store or from the Western Slope into the mountains for a getaway could cost you a bit more than anticipated this spring, AAA is projecting in an April 1 report. In Colorado, a gallon of regular gasoline was priced at an average of $3.07 on Monday, about the same as a week prior and 13 cents higher than a month ago, data on the AAA gas price monitor reads. Those with diesel vehicles presently are getting a little bit of a break, with the current average of $3.69 coming in at 9 cents below the month-ago average. “Uncertainty of the impact of Ukraine’s targeting of Russia’s oil infrastructure like...
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Devotional: Pursue ‘a good life’ to attain ‘the good life’
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Devotional: Pursue ‘a good life’ to attain ‘the good life’

By Drake Hunter | Guest Commentary Have you observed the world and noticed its unraveling state? It's undeniable; things are falling apart (Genesis 3:24)! What was familiar is now collapsing, and life is slipping away at an alarming pace. This disheartening reality goes against the notion life is meant to be good, very good (Genesis 1:31)! So, what went wrong? Essentially, people began exchanging “a good life” to chase “the good life,” leading to the deterioration of ourselves, our relationships, and our world. But there is hope, and we must seize it if we just believe and “Arise From the Fall.” The distinction between having “a good life” and attaining “the good life” hinges on a single word, and placing faith in the wrong one can lead to a collapse of life. Generally, people ...
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Auto accident prevents Fabbricatore from competing for nomination in special election
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Auto accident prevents Fabbricatore from competing for nomination in special election

By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice HUGO -- The Republican Congressional Vacancy Committee convened here Thursday evening with nine candidates vying to be nominated to a place on the 4th District Congressional special election ballot. But, there should have been 10 candidates. John Fabbricatore was unable to participate when he was involved in an auto accident on the way to Hugo, reads a social media post he wrote. "I was involved in a vehicle accident that disabled my vehicle and kept me from making it to the event in Hugo, before the first round of votes were cast," he wrote. The committee ruled he must be in attendance for his nomination to be entertained, Fabbricatore wrote. Nine candidates were nominated, and he would have been the 10th. His campaign manager a...
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