Rocky Mountain Voice

State

From Greeley to Pueblo, Front Range cities still need new water storage
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

From Greeley to Pueblo, Front Range cities still need new water storage

By Michael Booth | The Colorado Sun When a city must find its water 50 miles away and 1,400 feet underground, in an aquifer whose origins first had to be pegged to the late Cretaceous and the early Paleogene periods, and further delineated between Colorado turf on the surface or Wyoming land just a skosh to the north, while drilling two-way wells at $1 million each on the way to an eventual price tag approaching $400 million, and then filter out dissolved uranium, it would seem a stretch to call this plan the easy way out.   But for Greeley, bent on doubling its current population of 109,000 by 2060, this is indeed the simpler choice.  Greeley will store and retrieve its biggest future water supply at Terry Ranch, at the Wyoming border, because it’s the most conveni...
‘We wanted to stand up for all taxpayers’: State Supreme Court affirms taxpayer victory against water district
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘We wanted to stand up for all taxpayers’: State Supreme Court affirms taxpayer victory against water district

By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Even though it’s unlawful to increase taxes in Colorado without a vote of the people, vigilance keeps it enforced. When Northeast Coloradan residents noticed their property taxes double from 2019 to 2020, a few of them filed suit against the Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District.  Unanimously, the Colorado Appellate Court ruled in March this was a violation of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR).  The Colorado Supreme Court affirmed this ruling and denied the defendant’s appeal on Sept. 30. With help from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation’s (NTUF) Taxpayer Defense Center and Advance Colorado, James Aranci and other property owners cinched this victory reaffirming TABOR: any tax increase needs voter consent, and b...
Support Amendment 80: Constitutional right to school choice
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Support Amendment 80: Constitutional right to school choice

By Editorial Board | Editorial, Rocky Mountain Voice Ballot language: Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution establishing the right to school choice for children in kindergarten through 12th grade, and, in connection therewith, declaring that school choice includes neighborhood, charter, and private schools; home schooling; open enrollment options; and future innovations in education? How it reached the ballot: Citizen signature petition, designated agents Michael Fields and Suzanne Taheri. Background: This measure would enshrine school choice as a "right" in the Colorado Constitution. The measure would add the following language to Section 18: "The people of the state of Colorado hereby find and declare that all children have the right to equal opportunity to ac...
Heading to Colorado’s high country this weekend to see the fall colors? The Summit Co. sheriff has a warning about parking
Approved, CBS Colorado, State

Heading to Colorado’s high country this weekend to see the fall colors? The Summit Co. sheriff has a warning about parking

By Spencer Wilson | CBS Colorado The Summit County Sheriff's Office is issuing a warning to Coloradans coming up to the high country to see the changing leaves: park in designated parking spots or pay the price. That's after they issued 33 parking tickets in September, half of that being in the last two weeks while leaf peeping tourism has boomed. Sgt. Mike Schilling with the Summit County Sheriff's Office said it's more than just trying to keep people from parking wherever they please, should they find a good view of some trees. "We respond on the trails all the time ... anything from cardiac arrest to a sprained ankle and really anything in between," Schilling said of emergency medical service providers. "So any sort of illegal parking just prevents us from getting there quic...
New property tax law could result in fewer tax breaks
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

New property tax law could result in fewer tax breaks

By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice House Bill 24B-1001 was the solution in a whirlwind, not-quite four-day special session of the Colorado Legislature, aimed at addressing escalating property taxes. Now local governments are discovering how it may take away one of their tools in providing relief: tax credits. This could mean property owners and businesses will end up paying more in taxes. What the new law does Following the special session he called in late August, Gov. Polis signed this bill into law on Sept. 4. It will limit annual property tax increases. The goal is halting the surge in property taxes caused by factors including increased home prices, inflation, the Gallagher Amendment repeal, TABOR and politically-driven initiatives. When it takes ef...
Oppose Amendment 79: Constitutional right to abortion
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Oppose Amendment 79: Constitutional right to abortion

By Editorial Board | Editorial, Rocky Mountain Voice Ballot language: Shall there be a change to the Colorado Constitution recognizing the right to abortion, and, in connection therewith, prohibiting the state and local governments from denying, impeding, or discriminating against the exercise of that right, allowing abortion to be a covered service under health insurance plans for Colorado state and local government employees and for enrollees in state and local governmental insurance programs? How it reached the ballot: Citizen signature petition, designated agents Dusti Gurule and Dani Newsum. Background: This measure seeks to add the following language to the Colorado Constitution: "The right to abortion is herby recognized. Government shall not deny, impede or discriminate ag...
Does Colorado’s public pension program invest in companies that boycott Israel?
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Does Colorado’s public pension program invest in companies that boycott Israel?

By Justin George | The Colorado Sun Colorado’s Public Employees’ Retirement Association, or PERA, is barred from investing in companies that have economic prohibitions against Israel under a law passed in 2016. The law requires PERA to identify all companies that have economic prohibitions against Israel and put together a list of these companies twice a year. PERA must notify any company on the list that it could be subject to divestment if the company continues its anti-Israel policy. If the company hasn’t dropped its policy within 180 days of being notified, PERA is required to stop investing in it. This year, a Colorado house bill proposed to repeal the rule but it failed. The issue has come under greater scrutiny since Israel has been at war in Palestine since an Oct. 7, 2023...
Oppose Amendment K: Modify constitutional election deadlines
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Oppose Amendment K: Modify constitutional election deadlines

By Editorial Board | Editorial, Rocky Mountain Voice Ballot language: Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning the modification of certain deadlines in connection with specified elections? How it reached the ballot: Senate Continuing Resolution 24-002, supported by a 61-1 vote of the House and 34-0 vote of the Democrat-controlled Senate. Background: This bipartisan measure simply seeks to provide an extra week of time for the secretary of state to meet election deadlines. The bill summary cites the deadline for military and overseas ballots as reasoning for the additional time. The measure would shorten an initiative petitioner's time by a week, and shorten a referendum petitioner's time to file following a session by a week. It amends the timeline for t...
UC-Colorado Springs economic expert weighs in on port strike impact
Approved, CBS 11 KKTV, State

UC-Colorado Springs economic expert weighs in on port strike impact

By Blake Sammann | CBS 11 News As the dock workers strike at ports across the East and Gulf Coast, a Southern Colorado economist weighs on how it will affect local consumers. The strike involves up to 25,000 workers at 14 ports demanding better wages and job security. It’s expected to have an impact on the availability and prices of certain goods like imported fruit and cars. Bill Craighead, director of the UCCS Economic Forum, said he doesn’t think the strike will affect life for Southern Colorado consumers. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS 11 NEWS
Colorado Democratic candidate spends campaign money on hair, clothes, makeup
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado Democratic candidate spends campaign money on hair, clothes, makeup

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Is Democratic candidate Vivian Smotherman, who's running for one of Colorado's hottest state senate seats, violating Colorado's campaign finance laws and regulations? Smotherman has used more than $1,000 of campaign contributions to pay for clothes, hair styling and a consultant (who's also the hairstylist) on her appearance. The state's campaign finance manual doesn't specifically prohibit a candidate from spending campaign contributions on hair and clothes. Still, it states candidates "may not use contributions for personal purposes not reasonably related to the election of the candidate." The manual's only specified language on permissible use of campaign contributions for personal use is for child or dependent care. READ THE FULL STO...