Rocky Mountain Voice

Rocky Mountain Voice

Gaines: Phil Weiser spends your tax dollars suing Trump and backing gun control
Colorado Accountability Project, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Gaines: Phil Weiser spends your tax dollars suing Trump and backing gun control

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project There but for the grace of God goes Colorado I was corresponding with someone recently and they mentioned something interesting. This person is a lawyer and said they were in a 10th circuit (Federal) courtroom recently and overheard an appellate case out of New Mexico about gun control. I am not sure if you remember, but New Mexico's governor made quite a splash a while back by declaring a public health emergency related to guns, trying essentially to use that to take away the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of that state. Those orders, and later iterations of same, have been working their way through the courts ever since. The first link below is to that case if you're curious. This person asked a neighbor...
Out of order: Was DNC vice chair David Hogg undone by procedure—or politics?
Approved, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Out of order: Was DNC vice chair David Hogg undone by procedure—or politics?

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice When your bylaws mention gender 47 times and Robert’s Rules is 816 pages long, what could possibly go wrong? David Hogg says the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is trying to “fast-track” his removal as vice chair. The party insists it’s just following procedure. But veteran parliamentarian Gregory Carlson says what happened may violate one of the most basic principles of Robert’s Rules of Order – you can’t go back and undo a vote after the meeting is over. “Usually, you can't overturn something that's already happened on procedural grounds,” Carlson said. “You have to challenge it at the time that it’s happening.” A procedural cleanup – or political hit job? Back in February, Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta were el...
The COvid Chronicles May 8–15, 2020: C&C made headlines. Polis made an example. Colorado made up its mind.
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

The COvid Chronicles May 8–15, 2020: C&C made headlines. Polis made an example. Colorado made up its mind.

By Rocky Mountain Voice Editorial Board This fourth installment of RMV’s COvid Chronicles picks up where the last left off – but this time, the spark became a blaze. We split this chapter into two parts to capture the rapid escalation. Part one chronicled the mounting tensions. Part two reveals the eruption. The governor’s enforcers tried to make an example of C&C. Instead, they created a rallying cry. In just seven days, Colorado witnessed threats, shutdowns, viral videos and a surge of defiance that no press conference could contain. Counties revolted, small towns reopened and sheriffs made it clear: the edicts had lost their teeth. These are the COvid Chronicles for May 8-15, 2020… COvid Chronicles catch-up• Introducing The COvid Chronicles: How fear and force reshape...
Devotional: In life’s fast lane, choosing the wrong road to a path of folly happens easily
Approved, Commentary, Devotional, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Devotional: In life’s fast lane, choosing the wrong road to a path of folly happens easily

By Pastor Drake Hunter | Commentary, Elevating Life Church We live in a world where countless roads claim to lead to success—express lanes to happiness, toll-free routes to purpose, and flashy detours promising fulfillment in the Eternal Now. And many folks, good-hearted and well-meaning, are sprinting full speed ahead. But here’s the kicker: what if the road you're on is the wrong one? The evidence is sobering. A growing number of Christians find themselves drained rather than fulfilled, weary instead of flourishing, spiritually stuck in a cycle that feels more like surviving than thriving. So, let’s ask the question straight up: If you’re on a path that doesn’t lead to life, what good is it—even if it’s dressed up in church clothes, labeled “faith”, with a dash of success? ...
Silent signature, rising resistance: HB1312 becomes law, but parents vow to fight on
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Silent signature, rising resistance: HB1312 becomes law, but parents vow to fight on

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 25-1312 into law on Friday, May 16, without a press conference, social media announcement or public ceremony. While the bill, known as the "Kelly Loving Act," was hailed by progressive lawmakers as a milestone for transgender rights, many Coloradans who opposed the bill say the governor's quiet signature is a telling indication of just how controversial the legislation had become. Parental rights groups and faith-based organizations who protested HB25-1312 throughout the session say the final version still undermines their fundamental freedoms. They argue the amendments stripped from the bill prove public pressure worked – but insist what remains is a direct threat to families, schools and the Constitution. ...
Notarfrancesco: TRAILS goes beyond SEL—it’s activism wrapped in therapy language
Approved, Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Notarfrancesco: TRAILS goes beyond SEL—it’s activism wrapped in therapy language

By Kelly Notarfrancesco | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Should teachers in Colorado K-12 classrooms be performing daily assessments on the thoughts and feelings of your children? At the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, Pueblo D70 School District controversially implemented a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum which Superintendent Ronda Rein described in an email from September 24, 2024 as a “daily assessment of thoughts and feelings.” SEL is promoted to parents and school administrators as the panacea for kids’ mental health concerns, and SEL advocates believe the concepts benefit students by providing important emotional training which leads to academic success, healthy relationships, and proper civic engagement. Opponents of SEL are concerned that the le...
The COvid Chronicles May 1–7, 2020: Seven days that set the stage for open rebellion
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

The COvid Chronicles May 1–7, 2020: Seven days that set the stage for open rebellion

By Rocky Mountain Voice Editorial Board This third installment of RMV’s COvid Chronicles is divided into two parts — for good reason. The first week of May set the stage for something bigger: the breaking point. As pressure mounted and defiance spread, Colorado crossed from quiet frustration into open resistance. Part one captures the fuse. Part two will show the wildfire. May began just like April ended – edicts from above, fear from the press and politicians telling Coloradans to stay home, shut up and stay six feet apart. But by the first week of the month, cracks were showing.  From Castle Rock to Colorado Springs, citizens, sheriffs and small-business owners weren’t waiting for permission. They had bills to pay, kids to raise and a Constitution they weren’t willing to qu...
Sencenbaugh: DEI and CRT may sound noble, but they’re driving academic mediocrity in schools
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Sencenbaugh: DEI and CRT may sound noble, but they’re driving academic mediocrity in schools

By Robert Sencenbaugh | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice If you are on the left or the right, Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the average classroom does not look like one tends to believe. Both are far more subtle. Thus, any debate on these issues devolves into both sides yelling at one another with neither actually listening. During a House Oversight Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) declared, “We can stop with the nonsense because K-12 was not teaching critical race theory…in our country K-12 is not learning critical race theory. Just for those who are unfamiliar.”  Having taught in both Texas and Colorado, I can tell you that she is not being completely honest. While she is correct ...
Denver approves executive pay hikes while facing budget shortfall and reserve drop
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Denver approves executive pay hikes while facing budget shortfall and reserve drop

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice A set of salary increases for top Denver officials is drawing criticism, as the city faces continued financial strain and modest pay growth for most employees. The raises are included in the 2025 budget—totaling $1.76 billion—which the Denver City Council approved on November 12, 2024.  On May 6, the City Council’s Finance & Governance Committee approved nearly $500,000 in pay increases for 12 charter-appointed department heads. These changes are expected to add over $216,000 to general fund expenditures this year, with individual increases ranging from 4% up to an eye-catching 43%. The new salaries are scheduled to take effect on July 1. The move has sparked frustration among some observers, who point to small...
McWilliams: Social-emotional learning teaches empathy—but through whose lens?
Approved, Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

McWilliams: Social-emotional learning teaches empathy—but through whose lens?

By Jennifer McWilliams | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Social-emotional learning (SEL) is championed as a way to instill empathy, emotional strength, and relationship building skills in students. Sounds perfect for K-12, doesn’t it? Think again. SEL is designed to push a leftist agenda on students and transform their attitudes, values, beliefs and worldview towards “leftist radical ideology.” It promotes specific emotional behaviors that force kids into lockstep conformity, crushing their individuality and critical thinking, all while hiding behind the facade of “mental health.” An ongoing challenge to stopping this is that parents are deceived into thinking SEL is teaching their children life skills in a way they approve. They hear “Social Emotional Learning’s flowery la...