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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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Taxed and voiceless: How a debt trap turned Meadows Metro District residents into an ATM for bondholders
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Taxed and voiceless: How a debt trap turned Meadows Metro District residents into an ATM for bondholders

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Imagine paying a $200 tax each month for a community infrastructure project that was completed decades ago. To add insult to injury, consider being told that you’ll continue doing so for 100 years.  That’s the reality for approximately 20,000 property owners who reside in Meadows Metro District (MMD), Castle Rock's largest neighborhood in Douglas County. The MMD ‘limited tax’ general obligation bonds were issued in 1989 to finance infrastructure, including roads and sewer systems. The project’s initial price tag was $57 million. But residents have paid approximately $400 million, with a remaining debt of $600 million due to a negative amortization structure.  How did a ‘limited tax’ bond turn into a debt that...
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Mesa County Commissioner advocates for fair share of transportation dollars
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Mesa County Commissioner advocates for fair share of transportation dollars

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice With an ever shrinking budget, and an ever increasing demand for state money for road repairs and construction due to increasing population and use on the Western Slope, Mesa County Commissioner, Bobbie Daniels went to the state legislature to put a spotlight on the needs of western Colorado. Her testimony highlighted the growing disparity between urban and rural infrastructure funding and the critical need for investment in the roads that keep Colorado moving. Rural communities, which already face resource limitations, are disproportionately affected. Large-scale infrastructure projects in these areas rely heavily on state and federal funding. Yet, much of the transportation budget is allocated to specialized urban pro...
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Ruehmann: NGOs and PACs took Colorado—here’s how we take it back
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Ruehmann: NGOs and PACs took Colorado—here’s how we take it back

By James Ruehmann | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In the early 2000s, Colorado was a bastion of conservative governance, with a Republican majority steering state politics. But by 2012, Democrats had orchestrated a dramatic resurgence.  Since then, Republicans failed to begin chipping away at their supermajority, until the 2024 elections. This left many conservatives wondering: “What happened?”  The answer lies in a calculated strategy that leveraged non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and political action committees (PACs) to systematically dismantle the conservative majority.  Radical far-left organizations like ProgressNow and Fair Share Action became the vanguard of this transformation, utilizing aggressive grassroots mobilization, strategic fundin...
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