Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

State

AGNC and Craig urge Congress: Let displaced coal workers access retirement without penalty
No Comments
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories

AGNC and Craig urge Congress: Let displaced coal workers access retirement without penalty

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice They built the grid. Now they’re fined for surviving. Colorado coal workers plead for relief amid forced transition fallout. In Craig, a coal worker with $60,000 in retirement savings could lose $6,000 of it overnight—just for trying to survive after losing his job. That’s the reality hundreds of families are facing in Northwest Colorado, where coal plants and mines are shutting down years ahead of schedule and federal tax law is punishing livelihoods already in freefall. Now, the Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado (AGNC) and the City of Craig are calling on Congress to change that. The two entities are urging passage of the Energy Worker Penalty Waiver Act, a federal bill that would exempt displaced coal workers from the standard 1...
Read More
Colorado Agriculture Under Siege from Regulation and Rewilding
No Comments
State, Approved, denvergazette.com

Colorado Agriculture Under Siege from Regulation and Rewilding

By Rachael Wright | The Denver Gazette Janie VanWinkle is contemplating something she never thought she’d ever consider — selling the family ranch after four generations of living and working in Colorado. “The political environment is so toxic that if we do speak up at all, it falls on deaf ears,” said VanWinkle, a Western Slope rancher. “This is no longer an agriculture-friendly environment or atmosphere. Five years ago, I could never imagine having this conversation with my family.” Colorado's agricultural industry is the state's second-largest economic driver, accounting for more than $47 billion in activity and employing more than 195,000 people. The export of Colorado cattle as of 2024 generated nearly $4.5 billion, making Colorado one of the 10 producers in the nation. Th...
Read More
Outdated Systems and Bureaucracy Stall Critical Water Projects in Colorado
No Comments
State, Approved, The Colorado Sun

Outdated Systems and Bureaucracy Stall Critical Water Projects in Colorado

By Jerd Smith | The Colorado Sun A new report says that using new technology, and streamlining processes are among factors that allow other states to issue permits much faster Colorado lags far behind neighboring states when it comes to keeping special permits critical to stopping pollutants from entering streams current, a new report says. Colorado’s backlog has, at times, surged to 70%, while six other states surveyed have fairly few lapsed wastewater treatment permits, according to the report, with Arizona and Oregon, for instance, showing permit backlogs of just 10%. The analysis was commissioned last year to help the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and state lawmakers understand why the situation has deteriorated and how it can be fixed. The per...
Read More
Governor Issues Disaster Order as Wildfires Sweep Western Colorado
No Comments
State, Approved, denvergazette.com

Governor Issues Disaster Order as Wildfires Sweep Western Colorado

By Nick Smith | The Denver Gazette After several lightning strikes set parts of western Colorado aflame two weeks ago, five wildfires have consumed 42,431 acres as incident management teams make headway on containment. A drought in the West, hot temperatures and powerful wind gusts have allowed the fires to thrive while crews have had to deal with challenging mountainous terrain. The Turner Gulch, Sowbelly, South Rim and Wright Draw fires prompted several evacuations and caused Gov. Jared Polis to issue a disaster declaration. This allowed the state to mobilize its resources, including supplies, equipment and personnel, to assist in battling the blazes. The declaration also allowed Colorado to request aid from FEMA and other federal agencies, should that become necessary. The d...
Read More
Garbo: Why real conservatism demands judgment, not just an algorithm
No Comments
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Garbo: Why real conservatism demands judgment, not just an algorithm

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In Colorado political circles, the Liberty Scorecard has become a popular benchmark for judging whether a state legislator is a “true conservative.” It’s cited in primaries, shared in campaign materials, and weaponized in internal party battles. On its face, it’s a helpful tool - shining light on legislative votes and offering a snapshot of where elected officials land on key liberty-related issues. Used wisely, it can inform voters and hold lawmakers accountable. But here’s the problem: many conservatives are no longer using the Liberty Scorecard as a tool. They’re using it as a final verdict. This shift from tool to litmus test is not only unwise - it’s politically self-defeating. Treating the Liberty Scorecard as the defi...
Read More
Restoring Education: Veteran educator Priscilla Rahn invites teachers to reconnect and rebuild
No Comments
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories

Restoring Education: Veteran educator Priscilla Rahn invites teachers to reconnect and rebuild

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice This August, as educators across the country prepare for a new school year, veteran teacher and author Priscilla Rahn is offering something more than just a back-to-school refresher—she’s offering a movement. With over three decades of experience in public education, Rahn has worn nearly every hat in the system: teacher, principal, teacher evaluator and higher education mentor. Now in her 32nd year, she’s channeling that experience into her new book, Restoring Education in America: An Inspirational Teacher Toolbox, along with a powerful professional development book study designed to reignite teachers’ passion and purpose. “I was inspired to write the book because I’ve observed how professional development has changed,” Ra...
Read More
Colorado gun dealers say new license law is death by paperwork
No Comments
completecolorado.com, Approved, State

Colorado gun dealers say new license law is death by paperwork

By Savana Kascak | Complete Complete DENVER—A new Colorado law subjecting gun dealers already regulated by the federal government to onerous state licensing and regulatory burdens is more about a hostile legislature stifling gun rights than anything else, according to some in the firearms industry. House Bill 24-1353, Firearms Dealers Requirements and Permit, requires federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) also obtain a $400 state permit issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) that must be renewed every three years. Employees must complete an annual training course on gun safety and storage and get fingerprinted for a criminal background check. DOR agents can conduct random on-site inspections at any point to ensure the law is being followed. Governor Jared Polis...
Read More
42 Percent of Colorado Roads in Poor Condition as CDOT Spending Soars
No Comments
State, Approved, DENVER7

42 Percent of Colorado Roads in Poor Condition as CDOT Spending Soars

By Danielle Kreutter | Denver7 DENVER — Across the state, there has been no significant improvement in infrastructure over the last five years, according to the latest "report card" from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Colorado received a cumulative grade of "C-," the same as the last study the ASCE conducted in 2020. The report looks at more than a dozen different types of infrastructure. The majority of the categories remained the same compared to the last report card. Roads were one of two categories that went down. Colorado roads were graded as a "D+." The overall grade for Colorado from ASCE has remained unchanged since 2020 Across the state, there has been no significant improvement in infrastructure over the last five years, according to the ...
Read More
James: Metro elites power down rural Colorado energy while calling it a ‘just transition’
No Comments
ScottKJames.com, Approved, Commentary, State

James: Metro elites power down rural Colorado energy while calling it a ‘just transition’

By Scott K. James | Commentary, ScottKJames.com As Craig faces a coal plant shutdown, rural Colorado communities are being gutted in the name of environmental virtue-signaling. Jobs, power, and people are being discarded—and the so-called “just transition” is anything but. Rural Colorado towns like Craig are being sacrificed on the altar of metro-area environmental guilt—and no amount of “just transition” branding is going to save them. In a July 19, 2025, piece for The Denver Gazette, reporter Scott Weiser rather artfully dives into the coming shutdown of Tri-State’s Craig Station—one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the state—and the ripple effect it’s having on energy, jobs, and entire communities. It’s a wonderfully written story, but the outcome sucks. Mean...
Read More
Trailblazers among us: Meet the RMV award winners changing Colorado from the ground up
No Comments
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories

Trailblazers among us: Meet the RMV award winners changing Colorado from the ground up

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice At the Mountain Majesty Gala last month, the room was on its feet. Eric Trump had just wrapped his keynote, a message aimed straight at the grassroots: Colorado is yearning to be red. But the loud applause that night wasn’t reserved only for the headliner.  It also came when everyday Coloradans—organizers, volunteers and first-time leaders—were called up for something new: the first Trailblazer Awards.  It was for the people doing the work when no one’s watching. It was a moment to take in, struck not just by who received the awards—but why. These weren’t political celebrities. They were parents, satirists, engineers and organizers.  Most had never sought attention. But they’d earned it. Here are the stories of Trailblaze...
Read More

FD863768-0ACF-495E-9D21-2EF784DFFA6B[1]

Join us at RMV's Freedom Festival

Click Here for Tickets!

This will close in 0 seconds