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From the ashes of division: Horn, Phelan and Andrews chart a new course for Colorado GOP
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From the ashes of division: Horn, Phelan and Andrews chart a new course for Colorado GOP

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice "We’re like a great football team," Russ Andrews told delegates at the Colorado Republican Party reorganization meeting on March 29. "But when we take the field, we block and tackle each other. That has to end." It was a sentiment echoed by the party's newly elected leaders Brita Horn (Chair), D. Lee Phelan Sr. (Vice Chair), and Andrews himself, who was elected Secretary. The three swept their respective races after a day of pointed speeches, surprise withdrawals and shifting alliances that ended with a new leadership slate promising to put unity and effectiveness over factional infighting. Contests, concessions and realignment Lori Saine, who came in second to Horn in the chair race, struck a note of resilience. She t...
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Ganahl: Our loyalty is to the truth, not political convenience
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Ganahl: Our loyalty is to the truth, not political convenience

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice As the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished.  Especially from your own party if you’re a republican in Colorado. Yesterday, March 27, the Rocky Mountain Voice team received a tip that there were over $100,000 in campaign finance violations in two committees run by Darcy Schoening, a candidate for Chair of the GOP, and that another news organization was about to break the story.  With the lack of balance in our Colorado media, we were concerned this would be a one sided “hit piece” so we decided to write our own piece to approach it in a fair way.  I had endorsed my friend Brita Horn for GOP Chair early in the race (personally, not as the President of RMV) before Darcy had jumped in as a candidate.  W...
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Ballooning Medicaid costs, TABOR limits expose flaws in Colorado’s big government spending spree
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Ballooning Medicaid costs, TABOR limits expose flaws in Colorado’s big government spending spree

By Rocky Mountain Voice Editorial Board After years of overreach and unchecked government growth, Colorado lawmakers are now scrambling to plug a $1.2 billion hole in the state budget — a crisis largely of their own making.  Colorado budget writers voted Wednesday night to finalize a 2025–26 budget plan that slashes transportation funding, eliminates programs, and kicks key decisions down the road — all while Medicaid spending surges out of control. Despite the so-called “cuts,” the budget still grows to over $16 billion. But massive increases in Medicaid — particularly long-term care for seniors and the disabled — are eating up the budget at an unsustainable pace. Democrat lawmakers admit the problem is only getting worse. “Next year, I see our fiscal challenges compounding,...
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Cole: Colorado lawmakers scrolled while your safety was debated
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Cole: Colorado lawmakers scrolled while your safety was debated

By Shaina Cole | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In a state where crime surges and citizens rely on their Second Amendment rights for protection, you’d hope lawmakers would take their duties seriously. Yet, during debates on Senate Bill 25-003—a measure slashing Coloradans’ ability to defend themselves—several representatives checked out.  Rep. Meghan Lukens (D) played Tetris, Rep. Sheila Stewart (D) and Rep. Javier Mauro (D) scrolled TikTok, Rep. Tisha Mauro (D) browsed Instagram, and Rep. Matthew Clifford (D) surfed Facebook—all while colleagues argued over a bill that could leave Coloradans defenseless.  Their minds seemed made up, uninterested in the arguments put forth by their colleagues.  And on March 24, 2025, with Lukens casting the deciding vote,...
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RMV Contributor: When public office becomes a family business on the taxpayer’s dime
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RMV Contributor: When public office becomes a family business on the taxpayer’s dime

By RMV Contributor | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Elon Musk has exposed the grift of the politically-connected who abuse their access and offices to convert public dollars to private gain using tax-funded, non-governmental organizations (NGOs, typically non-profits). We have uncovered a local politician here in Colorado who appears to be doing this – and both she and several family members are benefitting financially. The politician in question is Lorena Garcia, the state house lawmaker for District 35, representing parts of Adams and Jefferson Counties.  Garcia was appointed to the Colorado legislature in early January 2023 after Adrienne Benavidez resigned for unspecified reasons (the mess created by questionable resignations and vacancy appointments in Colorado i...
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Holistic health practitioners fight back against HB25-1220’s threat to medical freedom
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Holistic health practitioners fight back against HB25-1220’s threat to medical freedom

By Tori Ganahl, Rocky Mountain Voice A new bill moving through the Colorado General Assembly, HB25-1220, is drawing sharp criticism from holistic health practitioners and nutritionists, who argue it amounts to government overreach that could criminalize alternative health practices and limit consumer choice. Proponents say the bill is necessary to protect public health by ensuring only qualified professionals provide medical nutrition therapy (MNT). The legislation would create the State Board of Dietetics and Nutrition, with the authority to license, regulate, and discipline professionals practicing medical nutrition therapy. Under the bill, individuals offering nutrition services must obtain a state license by September 1, 2026, or face penalties, including a class two misdemean...
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Hancock: Progressives set the stage, but Congressman Evans skipped the guillotine
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Hancock: Progressives set the stage, but Congressman Evans skipped the guillotine

By Michael A. Hancock | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice When political opponents are summoned not for conversation — but for execution. By now, the script is all too familiar. A group of self-styled “concerned citizens” — usually bearing placards, hashtags, and an unshakable belief in their moral certitude — convenes a town hall. They claim to be opening a forum for “dialogue” with their congressional representative.  But the scene is less Lincoln-Douglas debate and more kangaroo court. Their goal? Not to converse but to corner. Not to listen, but to lambast. And when the lamb refuses to volunteer for the slaughter, the howling begins. Such is the latest political scenario in the district of Congressman Gabe Evans, a conservative legislator whose greatest sin — acco...
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Boebert hosts telephone town hall to connect with 4th District voters
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Boebert hosts telephone town hall to connect with 4th District voters

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff Rep. Lauren Boebert is inviting Coloradans in the 4th Congressional District to participate in a telephone town hall on Wednesday, March 26 at 7 p.m., offering constituents a chance to hear directly from their representative and ask questions about the issues impacting their lives. The event is open to residents of the 21 counties spanning eastern Colorado, including communities like Wellington, Windsor, Severance, Loveland, and surrounding rural areas in Larimer County. Registration must be completed by 4 p.m. Wednesday at boebert.house.gov/media. “I’m looking forward to sharing directly with constituents from all 21 of our counties about the work I’m doing to protect their liberties and stand up for our values in Congress,” Boebert said in a stateme...
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Did Grand Junction’s City Council enable a pay-to-play deal?
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Did Grand Junction’s City Council enable a pay-to-play deal?

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice When the City of Grand Junction accepted a $3 million donation from Intermountain Health (St. Mary’s Hospital) in exchange for naming rights to its new Community Recreation Center (CRC), the deal looked like a win for the community.  But behind that vote lies a contract process that critics say gave some bidders an unfair advantage — a deal many providers never had a fair shot at. A formal ethics complaint filed with the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission (CIEC) accuses city officials of shaping a public request for proposals (RFPs) in a way that prioritized money over merit.  Among concerns that contributions guided the RFP process, there’s also allegations that some engaged in negotiating discussions lo...
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Tristan: Democrats are betting on fear to win back power
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Tristan: Democrats are betting on fear to win back power

By George Tristan | Guest Columnist, Rocky Mountain Voice Nearly all the plexiglass barriers have been removed from checkout lines in grocery stores. It is rare to find any of the 6-foot spaced markers that facilitated social distancing. And thankfully, toilet paper is back in full supply on store shelves. However, the fear of COVID lives on. Many people still wear masks – some even don gloves.  A law enforcement officer recently refused to shake my hand when I extended mine to thank him for his service.  Undoubtedly, the most significant recent example of the effect of fear on the human psyche, was the pandemic. The daily uptick in the global death toll gripped the world in fear. It drove the masses to stand in line to inject an experimental drug into their veins tha...
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