Rocky Mountain Voice

Rocky Mountain Voice

El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen Announces Run for Colorado Attorney General
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen Announces Run for Colorado Attorney General

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice District Attorney of El Paso County Michael J. Allen has declared his intention to run for attorney general in Colorado. Allen served in the Navy and is in his second term as district attorney for Colorado’s Fourth Judicial District. His announcement comes as the state grapples with rising auto theft, higher insurance costs, and continued overdose deaths.Allen framed the decision as a gradual one. Allen framed the decision as a gradual one. “It was a long time coming to make the decision,” Allen said. “I’ve had people reaching out to me really starting January of 2025 — both statewide, local folks, and then even national folks — trying to talk me into running.” For Allen, the question was not simp...
Strategy First: Obey Before You Engage
Rocky Mountain Voice, Devotional, Top Stories

Strategy First: Obey Before You Engage

By Pastor Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”  ~ Proverbs 16:25 (ESV) ~ Before acting, consider who is guiding you—God or man. The divine plan or human influence. Or, good versus bad influence. We live in a world that prizes action. People, society, and negative influences often push us with "make the move," urging us to take a shot, trust our instincts, and do what feels right. This advice is everywhere, and on the surface, it seems empowering—even virtuous. But trusting feelings over God’s guidance can lead to uncertainty. Remember Michel de Montaigne's words: “A lost soul without a well-established aim loses itself.” That’s chaos. In genuine conflict, no...
The War Within: Why 2026 Isn’t About Doing More—But Surrendering First
Rocky Mountain Voice, Devotional, Top Stories

The War Within: Why 2026 Isn’t About Doing More—But Surrendering First

By Pastor Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:3–6 ~ New year. New theme. New direction… But before anyone rushes into new goals, habits, or spiritual disciplines, let’s slow down and be honest for a moment. Because if we’re not careful, we’ll treat Christianity like a software update—something that boosts performance without changing ownership. And that’s not the faith Jesus called us into. This year, our theme is The Art of War – Jesus Style. That phrase might sound intense—and it should. Not because we’re seeking a fight, but because we’ve finally acknowledged something most people already know deep down: Lif...
One of these scenes is not like the other! 
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

One of these scenes is not like the other! 

By Mark Salley | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice A protest is going on.  In Scenario One,  a woman starts to enter a secure area via a broken window. An officer inside the secure area, pulls his gun and shoots the woman dead. In Scenario Two,  a woman has been obstructing officers in their duty to enforce the law. The woman, using her car as a weapon, drives her vehicle toward the officer, hitting him — and being shot dead by the officer. In Scenario One, the female protestor has no weapon and has not been impeding officers in the performance of their duty.   In Scenario Two, the female protestor has a weapon — the vehicle she is driving and is using it to impede and possibly injure officers and bystanders. ...
Defense reply raises stakes in Peters appeal, asks court to order immediate release
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Defense reply raises stakes in Peters appeal, asks court to order immediate release

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice With oral arguments just days away, Tina Peters’ legal team has raised the stakes in her appeal, filing a reply that no longer asks the Colorado Court of Appeals simply to weigh jurisdiction—but to declare it already lost and order her immediate release. The reply, filed on the Jan. 8 deadline, directly challenges the Attorney General’s position that the court retains authority over the case and frames Peters’ continued imprisonment as unconstitutional.  2026-01-08 A Peters Reply to Peoples ResponseDownload Her attorneys explicitly say the appellate court should find that it lacks jurisdiction and that Peters “must be released from custody forthwith.” The filing follows Peters’ Dec. 23 motion challenging the cou...
Who decides where power lines go in Colorado? Meet CETA, the unelected authority
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Who decides where power lines go in Colorado? Meet CETA, the unelected authority

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Worried about land use for energy infrastructure? Save some time to watch CETA. There has been a lot of attention paid to Xcel Energy and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) over where and how electric infrastructure will run in this state.See, for example, Polis encouraging his cronies at the PUC to take up the appeal over Xcel's Power Pathway through Elbert and El Paso in an October 2025 newsletter linked first below for an example.There is another unelected board in this state that does similar work with far less news coverage, however.The second link below is to a 2021 bill (SB21-072) that does a whole lot of things.Screenshot 1 (from the bill's fiscal note) shows you what this bill does with regard to...
“I’m not a politician”: Montrose commissioner Sean Pond enters U.S. Senate race
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

“I’m not a politician”: Montrose commissioner Sean Pond enters U.S. Senate race

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice “I’m not a politician,” Sean Pond said. “I’m just that guy that stood up and said no to federal overreach.”  Pond said that decision eventually led him beyond local fights. Appointed to the Montrose County Commission in February 2025, Pond said the conversations didn’t stop once he took office. A question sits at the center of Pond’s campaign launch video, released Sunday, and the conversations he said ultimately pushed him into the U.S. Senate race. “What keeps you up at night?” https://youtu.be/mV7iEAuX-fM Pond said the question at the center of his campaign launch video wasn’t new. He said he began asking it months earlier, including on social media, as a way to hear directly from Coloradans about what felt...
Fascist Regime? CU Boulder Newsletter Tests University Speech Policies
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Fascist Regime? CU Boulder Newsletter Tests University Speech Policies

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice The episode has sharpened attention on a familiar but unresolved issue in higher education: when speech delivered through an official university platform stops being personal expression and starts carrying institutional weight. “I’m not trying to be divisive, controversial, or polarizing,” insisted Jennifer Ho, director of CU Boulder’s Center for Humanities & the Arts. But the January newsletter sent under the center’s name and distributed through official university email quickly did exactly that, leveling sweeping accusations against the federal government and blurring the line between personal opinion and institutional speech. Academic centers send newsletters all the time. What set this one apart...
If you’re not at the table: Why Matt Soper says counties need leverage now
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

If you’re not at the table: Why Matt Soper says counties need leverage now

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Unfunded mandates have become a flashpoint between Denver and Colorado’s counties, with local governments warning they are being asked to do more with less. State Rep. Matt Soper has been vocal in support of counties banding together through the Fix It or Fund It coalition.  He represents Delta and Mesa counties in the Colorado House and is serving his fourth term, with term limits preventing another run. The Delta County commissioner seat he is pursuing is also opening due to term limits. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent Delta and Mesa Counties in the Colorado House of Representatives,” Soper said in a campaign announcement. “As the pressures from Denver spill over into Delta County, it is important t...
Mark Baisley Launches U.S. Senate Bid, Shifts Focus From Statehouse to Washington
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Mark Baisley Launches U.S. Senate Bid, Shifts Focus From Statehouse to Washington

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado State Senator Mark Baisley has entered the race for U.S. Senate, ending his bid for governor and refocusing his campaign on federal policy decisions he says are driving affordability pressures and limiting Colorado’s ability to chart its own course. Baisley described the shift as a move from state-level problem solving to addressing issues he believes now originate in Washington. “I’m moving from being a state senator to a bigger stage in the United States Senate,” he said. He said his earlier campaign sharpened his view of where decisions affecting daily life are increasingly being made — and where he believes Colorado needs stronger representation. Cost of Living and Affordability ...