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Federal judge extends Colorado deportation ban tied to 1798 law as legal fight escalates
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Approved, ASSOCIATED PRESS, State

Federal judge extends Colorado deportation ban tied to 1798 law as legal fight escalates

By Nicholas Riccardi | Associated Press DENVER (AP) — A federal judge has extended her order temporarily preventing the Trump administration from moving or deporting anyone from Colorado under an 18th century wartime act that has become ensnared in a U.S. Supreme Court battle. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney cited the high court’s weekend order barring removal of anyone from North Texas, where the ACLU had contended the administration was preparing to deport Venezuelans under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 without giving them the legal notice required under a prior Supreme Court ruling. Sweeney continued her freeze on removals from Colorado until May 6 and indicated she may extend it further. She required the federal government to provide 21 days’ notice to a...
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Democratic lawmakers prepare rare override of Polis veto on open records bill
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Approved, Colorado Politics, State

Democratic lawmakers prepare rare override of Polis veto on open records bill

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Democratic lawmakers, who are preparing for a fight with the executive branch over a myriad of issues, will seek an override of Gov. Jared Polis' veto on Friday of a bill that sought to increase deadlines to fulfill public records requests in Colorado. Senate Bill 77 sought to change the state's open records law by increasing the costs of open records requests, creating three classes of requesters, and extending the time a governmental entity must comply with those requests. One of the main criticisms of the bill was that it allowed the media to receive public records quicker than the general public. Polis vetoed the bill last week, citing concerns over its creation of three classes of requesters — mass media, those who seek open recor...
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Tina Peters asks court for relief, feds ask for caution—judge asks why
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Approved, denvergazette.com, National, State

Tina Peters asks court for relief, feds ask for caution—judge asks why

By Michael Karlik | Denver Gazette A federal judge on Tuesday struggled to understand why the United States government is claiming an "interest" in a relatively narrow issue related to the prosecution and conviction of former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters. Although the government now alleges Peters' state criminal case may have been politically motivated, the U.S. Department of Justice's attorney would not say what evidence, if any, the department has to that effect. When the federal government files a statement asserting it has an interest in a case, "the typical situation is, 'We have an interest, judge, that you may not know about and we want you to be aware of it,'" said Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak during a hearing. "I’m just struggling to see what you all br...
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Not political theater: Montrose federal intervention request grounded in Constitutional oath
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Approved, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Not political theater: Montrose federal intervention request grounded in Constitutional oath

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice What does it mean to defend the Constitution? Two commissioners say this is what it looks like. On April 16, the Montrose County Board of County Commissioners voted 2–1 to send a formal Request for Federal Intervention to President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Commissioner Sue Hansen abstained.  The letter, authored by Commissioner Sean Pond and finalized with Chair Scott Mijares’ signature, argues that recent legislation passed by the Colorado General Assembly—particularly SB25-003—violates constitutional rights. The message does not call for military action or oversight. Instead, it asks national leaders to review Colorado laws, advocate for liberty and support rural coun...
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Colorado Democrats ram through radical immigration bill with last-minute amendments
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado Democrats ram through radical immigration bill with last-minute amendments

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff In a move that’s drawing outrage from conservatives and constitutional advocates alike, Colorado Senate Democrats passed Senate Bill 25-276, a sweeping immigration “protection” bill, after rushing through five major amendments on third reading—sidestepping standard legislative norms and undermining federal immigration enforcement in the name of “civil rights.” Democrats hailed the bill as a firewall against what they call "mass deportation policies" under President Trump. But critics argue it's the most pro-illegal immigration legislation in Colorado history—and that it was pushed through without transparency, proper debate, or concern for the rule of law. “We are proceeding into debate around a very important bill,” said Sen. Paul Lundeen (R) during ...
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Boebert wants to pull the brakes on federal funding for proposed Front Range passenger rail project
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Approved, DENVER7, State

Boebert wants to pull the brakes on federal funding for proposed Front Range passenger rail project

By Robert Garrison | Denver7 DENVER — Rep. Lauren Boebert wants to halt federal funding for a project that would bring passenger rail service to Colorado’s Front Range. The Republican congresswoman announced Tuesday that she is seeking Elon Musk’s help stopping federal funds from going to the Front Range Passenger Rail Project, which was granted $66 million in federal money last year. The proposal would offer passenger rail service from Fort Collins through Denver and south to Pueblo. A timeline for construction or completion is not available as the project is still in the planning stages. Boebert sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) calling for a reevaluation of federal funds a...
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Colorado lawmakers pass budget cutting roads, aid to keep health care afloat
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado lawmakers pass budget cutting roads, aid to keep health care afloat

By Brian Eason | Colorado Sun Colorado lawmakers on Monday gave final approval to a $43.9 billion spending plan that cuts funding for transportation projects, local governments and dozens of social programs in order to keep up with the rising costs of health care and education. But as difficult as this year’s budget was, there was widespread acknowledgement that — one way or another — the state’s financial picture is only expected to get worse from here. “Next year is going to be very bad,” said Sen. Jeff Bridges, the Greenwood Village Democrat who chairs the Joint Budget Committee. “The cuts will be much more deep and much more painful.” The main budget bill passed the state House 43 to 21 and the Senate 24 to 11, with most Republicans opposed. From here it heads to Gov. Jared...
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Perry: Your CORA request isn’t less important than RMV’s—isn’t it nice that Polis agrees?
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Approved, State, The Sentinel

Perry: Your CORA request isn’t less important than RMV’s—isn’t it nice that Polis agrees?

By Dave Perry, Editor | Commentary, Sentinel Colorado Journalism, like beauty and pornography, is established by the eye of the beholder. Given that everyone judges the quality and depth of each of those things on a wide and sometimes wacky spectrum, whom in the government would you trust to endorse as the most fabulous or vulgar thing ever? More important, which county wonk, city clerk or state bureaucrat do you think should decide whether former gubernatorial hopeful Heidi Ganahl’s far-right “news” website, “The Rocky Mountain Voice,” is as much journalism as is the Sentinel, or the Denver Post, or Donald Trump’s Truth Social blog? In what appears to have been a well-intentioned move by this year’s state legislature to make Colorado’s critical open records law more ...
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Bennet, Weiser join Hands Off protest backed by radical activists, some sporting guillotine signs
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Approved, COLORADO PEAK POLITICS, State

Bennet, Weiser join Hands Off protest backed by radical activists, some sporting guillotine signs

By Colorado Peak Politics The political left’s lemmings with nothing better to do in Denver on Easter weekend protested the Trump administration’s efforts to save critical programs from bankruptcy through the elimination of government waste and fraud. It looks like only the Colorado politicians who recently announced campaigns for governor — U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser — took advantage of the mass anger event to fuel those flames further and capitalize on their desperate need for attention. https://twitter.com/MichaelBennet/status/1913693551541526946 Interestingly, the state’s top law enforcement guy noted that he really enjoyed the signs, many of which called for violence. https://twitter.com/pweiser/status/1913668307775103352 The Colora...
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Cole: Bureaucracy is crushing the people SSDI was meant to help
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Approved, Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Cole: Bureaucracy is crushing the people SSDI was meant to help

By Shaina Cole | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice When my mom applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in the ‘90s, it was a grueling multi-year ordeal that left her feeling invisible. She was sick, unable to work, and the wait for help stretched across years, each one heavier than the last.  Now, a loved one who applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in August 2024 is still waiting for an initial decision, caught in the same slow grind. The SSDI system, meant to be a lifeline, feels like a treadmill you can’t step off—exhausting, endless, and indifferent to the people it’s supposed to lift up. The numbers paint a stark picture.  On average, it takes about 7.5 months—roughly 225 days—to get a decision on an initial SSDI application, accord...
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