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Colorado’s Campaign Against Christians Continues
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Approved, National Review, State

Colorado’s Campaign Against Christians Continues

By Andrea Picciotti-Bayer | National Review The state will provide preschool education only to children of parents who are happy to subject them to progressive ideology. ‘Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” For many parents, Proverbs 22:6 offers powerful guidance as another school year begins. One group of Catholic parents in Colorado takes this directive to heart and wants to partner with Catholic preschools for the education and formation of their little ones. They are demanding that the state’s universal preschool program allow them to use the public benefit at their schools of choice. It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that the intolerant demands of progressive ideology are at issue. READ MORE AT NATIONAL REVIEW
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Colorado rep shares treatment for depression to ‘de-stigmatize mental illness’
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Approved, News Nation, State

Colorado rep shares treatment for depression to ‘de-stigmatize mental illness’

By Carie Canterbury | News Nation Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.) on Monday opened up about her experience with depression, revealing she is seeking treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and wants to “de-stigmatize” mental illness. Caraveo, in a statement Monday, said she, “like many Americans, struggle with depression,” and the symptoms became “more severe” in recent months. “As a doctor, I always urge my patients to take care of their health first and receive the support that they need,” she said, adding, “I decided to take my own advice and seek treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center.” “I’m sharing this today because I believe we need to de-stigmatize mental illness — in Colorado and across our country. It is my hope that the millions of people who struggl...
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Some counties did not lower levies as assessments increased, gouging taxpayers, Rep. Taggart says
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Some counties did not lower levies as assessments increased, gouging taxpayers, Rep. Taggart says

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice The reason lawmakers in the 74th General Assembly are back in session boils down to one reason, Republican Rep. Rick Taggart says. Some county governments did not adjust their mill levies while property owners received assessment increases in a double-whammy. "I understand they are concerned, but they had a windfall and could have helped our taxpayers by adjusting their mill levies," Taggart said. "Quite honestly, had they done that we probably wouldn't be here today. [Amendment] 50 and [Prop.] 108 probably wouldn't exist. That's the reason why we are here." He used two counties as examples of the gouging taxpayers have faced. "Adams County had additional revenues of $288 million. That's an increase of 23.3%," Taggart said. "In my caree...
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Special session ‘robbing the taxpayers of their money’ caused by deception on Gallagher repeal, Rep. Bradley says
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Special session ‘robbing the taxpayers of their money’ caused by deception on Gallagher repeal, Rep. Bradley says

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice It is simply Day 2 of the 74th General Assembly's special session, but it has already become contentious. Take, for instance, the mere mention of the Gallagher Amendment by Douglas County Republican Rep. Brandi Bradley. "This body deceived the people and here we are five years later without property tax relief," she said. That deception, she says, was the repeal of the Gallagher Amendment in 2020. It set forth property tax guidelines for the state for 38 years, but was undone in 2020 by voters. "The voters voted out Gallagher," countered Democrat Rep. Marc Snyder. "Voters did vote out Gallagher in the misplaced trust that it would be replaced," said Republican Rep. Ken DeGraaf. So, for the second time in 10 months, lawmakers have ...
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‘DEVASTATED’, the story of fentanyl in Colorado, will be shown Thursday in Fort Morgan
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘DEVASTATED’, the story of fentanyl in Colorado, will be shown Thursday in Fort Morgan

By DRAKE HUNTER | Rocky Mountain Voice The equivalent of a capacity school bus is killed each week by fentanyl, making the drug the leading cause of death for those ages 18 to 45 in America. It has been termed by the Drug Enforcement Administration as the "deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced." The story of fentanyl in Colorado, as told by the movie DEVASTATED, has been shown for the second time in Morgan County on the Eastern Plains this week. DEVASTATED delves into the stories of parents who have lost children to the drug, with members of law enforcement, addicts, dealers, politicians and the medical community participating in the movie. "The fentanyl issue is not only an epidemic issue statewide, but it is a monster in our own backyard affecting every aspect of o...
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Rep. Holtorf offers cattle class 101 to ‘city slickers’ in special session tax discussion
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Rep. Holtorf offers cattle class 101 to ‘city slickers’ in special session tax discussion

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice What is the impact of rising taxation on a cattle ranch or agricultural operation? That's what Eastern Colorado rancher Richard Holtorf asked what he termed "city slickers" in the Colorado Legislature to consider Tuesday as he offered a master's class in the costly prospects of cattle-raising, while perhaps straying from the topic at hand. "To run cattle, you have to have grassland," Rep. Holtorf said. "To have grassland, you have to own or lease grassland. There is a property tax element to that." In Eastern Colorado where Holtorf ranches, many cattle raisers and agriculture producers work on 640-acre "sections" of land or larger. The land is dry and most cattle raisers restrict grazing to no more than a head per 15 acres, or supplement w...
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Liberty Scorecard releases six position points to guide lawmakers in special session
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Liberty Scorecard releases six position points to guide lawmakers in special session

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Members of the 74th General Assembly are not the only ones working overtime during a special session called by Gov. Jared Polis. So is Liberty Scorecard Colorado. The team behind Liberty Scorecard has released six position points to guide the special session, after review of bills proposed for the session's single focus of property tax relief. The House and Senate convened the special session Monday, with Democrat House Speaker Julie McCluskie lamenting two special sessions and a regular session all within about 10 months. "When we concluded our regular session in May, we came together and delivered a bipartisan property tax bill that reduced rates, capped growth and permanently fixed our antiquated property tax system," she said. "It was ...
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Despite going over budget last year, school lunches will still be free for Coloradans in 2024
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Approved, Chalkbeat Colorado, State

Despite going over budget last year, school lunches will still be free for Coloradans in 2024

By Yesenia Robles | Chalkbeat Colorado Colorado is still offering free school meals this school year, even though the program has ended up costing more than state officials predicted. While an advisory group tries to come up with long-term solutions that may mean changes in future school years, state lawmakers decided to continue funding the program in the short term, so the program won’t change for this school year. READ THE FULL STORY AT CHALKBEAT COLORADO
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Making quick work of special session assignment, property tax bills clear first hurdles
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Approved, kdvr.com, State

Making quick work of special session assignment, property tax bills clear first hurdles

By Gabrielle Franklin | Fox 31 News The agreement between Colorado property tax initiative supporters, the governor and a group of lawmakers passed its first committee on Monday afternoon. Another measure seeking to gain voter approval to put property tax measures on the ballot also advanced out of committee. Both measures passed with a vote of 8-3. The House Appropriations Committee worked on the marquee negotiated agreement. While leaders on both sides of the aisle made clear they were ready to get to work on property taxes, their members made it known they had concerns about the pre-negotiated deal on the table. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Colorado’s fee-based enterprises skirt TABOR, increase revenue by 3,000%
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Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Colorado’s fee-based enterprises skirt TABOR, increase revenue by 3,000%

By Scott Weiser | Denver Gazette In 1992 voters enacted the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to constrain the growth of government by requiring voter approval for tax increases. Since then, the state government has built a new structure to avoid that requirement. The creation of TABOR-exempt state-owned “enterprises” has allowed government to increase fees from 46% of total state spending in 1996 to 71% of state spending in 2023 without requiring approval from taxpayers, according to a new report released by the Common Sense Institute, a non-partisan research organization “dedicated to the protection and promotion of Colorado’s economy.” “Fees are a rapidly growing and significant cost for Coloradans,” said Kelly Caufield, Executive Director of the Common Sense Institute. “At the end of ...
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