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Lundberg: Colorado’s 2025 legislature—a case study in big government overreach
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Lundberg: Colorado’s 2025 legislature—a case study in big government overreach

By Kevin Lundberg | Guest Columnist, Rocky Mountain Voice The Colorado legislature is more than halfway through this year’s session.    Like the past six years of the Polis administration, this session has seen radical bills roar through the legislature with many passing on party-line votes. If the governor is consistent with what he has done in the past he will sign virtually all of these extreme bills and continue to fundamentally transform Colorado. This is a brief overview of bad, dumb and dangerous bills that are currently moving through the Colorado legislature. For a more complete listing of the worst bills I have identified, check out the weekly Lundberg Report I publish on my website, KevinLundberg.com. My criteria for bad bills are those that grow go...
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Mesa County Republican Women’s Lincoln Day Dinner to Feature Congresswoman Harriet Hageman
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Mesa County Republican Women’s Lincoln Day Dinner to Feature Congresswoman Harriet Hageman

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff GRAND JUNCTION, CO – The Mesa County Republican Women (MCRW) are set to host their highly anticipated Lincoln Day Dinner on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the Clifton Community Center. This year’s keynote speaker is none other than Congresswoman Harriet Hageman, Wyoming’s sole representative in the U.S. House and a staunch advocate for conservative values and policies. Congresswoman Hageman, known for her commitment to constitutional rights and government accountability, recently co-sponsored a bill aimed at permanently relocating the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) headquarters to Grand Junction—a move widely supported by Western conservatives who believe in local governance over federal overreach. Joining her at the ...
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Ganahl: Smears and fearmongering—The fight for John Adams Academy and school choice in Douglas County
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Ganahl: Smears and fearmongering—The fight for John Adams Academy and school choice in Douglas County

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In Douglas County, Colorado, a battle over education choice is brewing as efforts to open a new classical charter school, the John Adams Academy, face fierce opposition. Spearheading the initiative is Ellie Reynolds, a Sterling Ranch resident and mom, and Kim Gilmartin, a seasoned advocate for school choice, who has helped launch multiple classical charter schools across the state.   However, the journey to establish this school in Sterling Ranch, a rapidly growing community with no existing school, has been met with aggressive and, at times, deeply personal hostility. The John Adams Academy, modeled after three successful classical charter schools in California, aims to provide an American classical leadership education...
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UCCS under scrutiny for alleged race-based policies in higher education shakeup
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UCCS under scrutiny for alleged race-based policies in higher education shakeup

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) is among more than 50 universities facing federal investigations as part of President Donald Trump’s initiative to restore merit-based education and dismantle discriminatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. The U.S. Department of Education announced the investigations on Friday, reinforcing its commitment to ensuring that federal funding is not used to support race-based preferences in admissions, scholarships, or other aspects of student life. This move comes after a memo last month warning institutions that such policies violate federal civil rights laws and could result in a loss of federal funding. The investigation into UCCS stems from allegations that the university engaged in ra...
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Choked out: How Colorado’s regulatory maze is starving its energy producers
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Choked out: How Colorado’s regulatory maze is starving its energy producers

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Few states rival Colorado’s wealth of energy resources, but its oil and gas industry is up against increasing challenges. Small and mid-sized operators, once the industry’s backbone, are struggling with a growing tangle of regulations.  Delayed permits, overlapping oversight and rising fines are making it harder to stay in business, forcing many to reconsider their future in the state. Ryan Clark, Vice President of Engineering at Petrox Resources and a fourth-generation Coloradan working in his family’s oil and gas business, has watched small operators disappear under the weight of increased regulations. "Honestly, I don’t know if oil and gas has a future here," he said. "Growing up, this was a business people bui...
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Rio Blanco County hires deputy trained to investigate livestock depredation
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Rio Blanco County hires deputy trained to investigate livestock depredation

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Responding to concerns of livestock growers and community members, and to assist in investigating livestock depredations that occur in Rio Blanco County, commissioners have authorized the sheriff’s office to hire their first Animal and Livestock Conflict Investigator. Some have voiced concerns that, to receive compensation for livestock killed by wolves, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) must confirm the kill was caused by a wolf. When a rancher finds a dead animal, they are instructed to call CPW to investigate. Sometimes CPW could not come out to the ranch or grazing allotment for a day or two. In the meantime, other wild animals and birds were coming to the carcass and changing the “scene of the crime,” making it mor...
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Who gets to know? Lawmakers, media and watchdogs wrangle over public records access
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Who gets to know? Lawmakers, media and watchdogs wrangle over public records access

By RMV Staff | Rocky Mountain Voice Last year Democrat lawmakers created a loophole to dodge public scrutiny—and Governor Polis made it law. Now it’s easier for lawmakers to evade state open meetings law, through written and electronic communication. Republicans Sen. Byron Pelton and Rep. Lori Garcia Sander introduced House Bill 25-1242 to repeal and close that loophole. But the bill was killed in committee along party lines, reinforcing a trend toward less transparency at the state capitol. In response, a coalition of government watchdogs and media groups from across the political spectrum is pushing a ballot measure to strengthen public access to records and keep legislative meetings open. Transparency advocates, including the Independence Institute, League of Women Voters an...
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CO AG Weiser on DOJ’s review of Tina Peters’ case: “Grotesque attempt to weaponize the rule of law” 
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CO AG Weiser on DOJ’s review of Tina Peters’ case: “Grotesque attempt to weaponize the rule of law” 

By RMV Staff | Rocky Mountain Voice The DOJ is now reviewing whether federal agencies engaged in politically motivated lawfare in the high-profile case of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters. In response to the DOJ’s filing, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser urged the Denver federal court to reject its interference. The DOJ’s recent move to review Peters’ prosecution for "political bias" is a rare and unprecedented step, leading many to question whether this is a genuine concern for justice or simply an attempt to suppress dissent. Peters was sentenced to nine years behind bars for actions related to the forensic imaging of Mesa County's election management system in 2021.  The mainstream narrative has painted her as a criminal, but the DOJ’s sudden interest in reviewing h...
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Congressman Gabe Evans introduces BELOS Act to support military families
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Congressman Gabe Evans introduces BELOS Act to support military families

By Tori Ganahl | Rocky Mountain Voice In a move to honor America’s fallen service members and their families, Colorado Congressman Gabe Evans has introduced the Benefits that Endure for Lifetimes of Service (BELOS) Act, a bipartisan bill that would provide free lifetime National Park passes to families of veterans who passed away due to service-related illness or injury​. The bill is named in honor of First Sergeant Marc Belo, a decorated U.S. Army soldier who dedicated 30 years of his life to serving his country.  Belo was a first responder at the Pentagon on 9/11 and deployed three times—to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. He passed away in 2024 due to cancer linked to his military service​. Rep. Evans, a fellow veteran who served alongside Belo, emphasized the signif...
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House Democrats push “most outrageous” SB25-003 forward after 12-hour hearing
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House Democrats push “most outrageous” SB25-003 forward after 12-hour hearing

By RMV Staff | Rocky Mountain Voice The sheriff in town may be tasked with the administrative burden of weighing in on your future firearm purchase, if Democrat lawmakers have their say. Although sheriffs from El Paso, Lake, Mesa and Weld counties testified that Senate Bill 25-003 is both unconstitutional and difficult to enforce, the House Judiciary Committee advanced the legislation after twelve hours of testimony. The bill started as a full ban on manufacturing and selling semiautomatic guns but has since been watered down.  The latest version still imposes severe restrictions, requiring would-be buyers to navigate an onerous and bureaucratic process, including an additional background check, training requirements and even sheriff approval. House Republicans took to Twi...
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