Rocky Mountain Voice

State

Appeals Court Finds Denver Judge Improperly Terminated Father’s Custody Rights
State, Approved, The Denver Gazette

Appeals Court Finds Denver Judge Improperly Terminated Father’s Custody Rights

By Michael Karlik | The Denver Gazette Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday determined the evidence did not support a Denver judge’s ruling terminating the legal relationship between a father and his child. A three-judge Court of Appeals panel identified numerous instances where the facts contradicted the trial judge’s findings that the father lacked stable housing and was unable to be “a full-time parent.” “The uncontested evidence showed that father could provide appropriate care for the child during all of the parenting time allotted to him. The juvenile court, though, appeared to expect father to prove his ability to care for the child full-time, rather than requiring the (government) to prove that, notwithstanding his success at family time, father was unable or unwill...
“God’s timing, not mine”: Rose Pugliese on closing one chapter and trusting what comes next
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

“God’s timing, not mine”: Rose Pugliese on closing one chapter and trusting what comes next

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice  Rose Pugliese describes her resignation from the Colorado House as one of the hardest decisions of her life, shaped by prayer, sacrifice —  and the voices of her children. “I truly want to follow God’s path and I think part of God’s path for me now is making sure I prioritize my children,” she explained. For the House minority leader and single mom, that path now means stepping back from the Capitol and returning to Mesa County. Her choice, effective Sept. 15, came during a week she described as overwhelming — from the Evergreen school shooting to the assassination of Charlie Kirk to the grief of 9/11 remembrances.  What finally cut through the politics was a child’s honesty. “Mommy, we feel like you’re not OK, and we want you t...
State school trust lands were meant to fund education, not environmental agendas
GregWalcher.com, Approved, Commentary, State

State school trust lands were meant to fund education, not environmental agendas

By Greg Walcher | GregWalcher.com A land ownership checkerboard exists in nearly every state because of an oddity called “state school trust lands.” The federal government granted those lands at the time of statehood, under the Land Ordinance of 1785. Thomas Jefferson’s system divides and records land into townships, each with 36 one-square-mile sections. New states entering the union were each given 2 sections per township, to be held in trust to fund public schools. State Land Boards were created to manage those lands – in my state of Colorado it’s 4 million acres. The Board was charged with administering the lands “in such a manner as will secure the maximum possible amount” for the school fund. The Lincoln Institute of Public Lands explains, “That singularity of purpose continues...
BLM opens 130,000 acres in Colorado to boost oil and gas production
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

BLM opens 130,000 acres in Colorado to boost oil and gas production

By Jason Blevins | The Colorado Sun Planned lease auctions started Tuesday, with one of the largest offerings in more than 20 years that set a revenue record as the Trump administration reverses Biden-area slowdown The BLM on Tuesday leased 14 oil and gas parcels spanning 7,895 acres in Colorado for more than $6.7 million, setting a revenue record in one of one of the largest state lease sales in at least 20 years.  And more are coming as the BLM plans the largest sale in more than two decades in March 2026 and the second largest in December, with a total of 174 parcels spanning nearly 124,000 acres offered in both auctions. The pending auctions reveal the Trump administration’s stark shift from President Joe Biden, who offered fewer acres of public land for oil and g...
Tourists may soon pay double or triple in lodging taxes in 7 Colorado counties
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Tourists may soon pay double or triple in lodging taxes in 7 Colorado counties

By Jason Blevins | The Colorado Sun Chaffee, Custer, Eagle, Gilpin, Routt, Ouray and Park counties hope voters will approve increased lodging taxes — allowed under new legislation — to pay for budget shortfalls As revenue flowing into local governments ebbs, more communities are looking to visitors to pay bills.  At least seven counties will ask voters this November to double or triple the local lodging tax outside cities and towns to pay for roads, police, housing and early child care. These are the first counties to deploy a law passed this year — Senate Bill 1247 — that allows voters to raise county lodging taxes to 6%, up from 2%, to pay for infrastructure, conservation, emergency services and sustainable tourism policies.  Commissioners in Chaffee,...
Board of Education clash over science standards reveals how politics steers Colorado classrooms on climate change
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Board of Education clash over science standards reveals how politics steers Colorado classrooms on climate change

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Politicizing climate change Let me start with a quote from the CPR article linked at bottom. The article is about how the Colorado State Board of Education recently amended science standards. "The board’s lengthy discussion reflects how a topic the scientific community agrees on — that human activities cause global warming — can become political outside of scientific circles." The article then proceeds to detail how conservative/Republican members of the Board of Ed sought amendments to some of the science standards around global warming. There is, conversely, little to nothing about the liberal/Democratic board members, save for some snappy comebacks included by CPR's Brundin. As for the Republican members, th...
Shoshone Water Rights Could Bolster Fish, Wildlife and Recreation on Colorado River
State, Approved, The Colorado Sun

Shoshone Water Rights Could Bolster Fish, Wildlife and Recreation on Colorado River

By Shannon Mullane | The Colorado Sun Allowing the state to use Shoshone’s water rights to help the environment could save fish and improve the aquatic environment, according to state studies. Colorado water officials will gather in Durango this week to decide whether a pair of powerful Colorado River rights can be used to benefit the environment.  The Colorado River District, supported by a broad Western Slope coalition, has entered into a $99 million agreement with Xcel Energy to buy two key water rights tied to Shoshone Power Plant, located on the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs. Part of the deal is to add a newly approved use to the existing water rights: keeping water in the river to help the aquatic ecosystem.  That environmental use, called an in-stream flow ri...
Elon Musk Slams “Soft-on-Crime” Policies in Clash With Governor Polis
The Western Journal, Approved, State

Elon Musk Slams “Soft-on-Crime” Policies in Clash With Governor Polis

By: Michael Austin | The Western Journal Elon Musk confronted Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis over a violent criminal released back on the streets, prompting a response from the official that failed to acknowledge how he signed a law allowing such circumstances to arise. The exchange came after Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams revealed to residents that under Colorado law, he was forced to release Debisa Ephraim, who was deemed incompetent to stand trial, into the public on Monday. Ephraim was arrested on second-degree murder and assault charges after he allegedly attacked residents in an unprovoked manner, per a report from CBS News. Reams remarked in a video that Ephraim has had several encounters with police. “It is a very violent crime, and how rapidly this person ha...

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