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Rep. Jeff Crank ‘totally opposed’ to ‘just unconstitutional’ SB 3, he says in town hall
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Rep. Jeff Crank ‘totally opposed’ to ‘just unconstitutional’ SB 3, he says in town hall

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice As he debates the policy of the day in Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo. Springs, has an eye on Colorado's General Assembly. He's concerned with the passage of Colorado Senate Bill 25-003 out of the Senate and to the House. The bill would prohibit the transfer, sale or purchase of a semiauto firearm not on a government-approved list and not without the taking and passage of government-prescribed classes some gun owners call a "permission slip". It has been called the most extreme gun bill in the country's history. Rep. Ryan Armagost, the co-founder of the House's Second Amendment Caucus, and Rocky Mountain Gun Owners have said the bill could be heard in the House's Judiciary Committee March 11 or 12, although it has not been add...
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Sanctuary mayors broke laws, engaged in ‘an act of treason’ and should be prosecuted, some Republicans say
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Sanctuary mayors broke laws, engaged in ‘an act of treason’ and should be prosecuted, some Republicans say

'We don't ask anyone's status at the time of arrest' — Denver Mayor Mike Johnston By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice At least one member of Congress is referring criminal prosecution of Denver Mayor Mike Johnston to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, on grounds he violated his oath and U.S. law, and another alleges him to be a traitor to the country. Those were but two of the allegations the mayor faced during a marathon hearing Wednesday on Capitol Hill in the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee pertaining to sanctuary cities. He was joined on a panel by the mayors of Boston, Chicago and New York City. "I've heard you say Denver's crime went down, well Aurora's crime went up," said U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Windsor, Colo., who visited the city this summer ...
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Colorado House’s Judiciary Committee advances bill to add 15 judges
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado House’s Judiciary Committee advances bill to add 15 judges

By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics Colorado's House Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to establish 15 new judgeships throughout the state by a vote of 9-2 on Tuesday. Senate Bill 24 is the Judicial Department's top priority this year. As originally proposed, it would have added 26 judge seats in the trial courts and three seats on the Court of Appeals. The numbers did not come close to the projection calculated by a series of recent workload studies, which estimated Colorado needs approximately 43 more district judges, 20 more county judges and six appellate judges. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Grand County ranchers will receive almost $350k in compensation for animals lost to wolves last year
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Grand County ranchers will receive almost $350k in compensation for animals lost to wolves last year

By Tracy Ross | The Colorado Sun Two ranchers who lost livestock to wolf attacks in Grand County will receive nearly $350,000 in compensation for losses reported starting a year ago after the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission unanimously approved the payment during its monthly meeting Wednesday.  Farrell Livestock will receive $287,407.63 for sheep and cattle losses and Bruchez and Sons will receive $56,008 for cattle losses. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Gov. Polis, House Speaker deal would lessen bite on school funding, but still be $50M hit
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Approved, CBS Colorado, State

Gov. Polis, House Speaker deal would lessen bite on school funding, but still be $50M hit

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado K-12 schools in Colorado will lose $50 million instead of $150 million under a new proposal by Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie.  The proposal allows districts to continue to use an average enrollment over several years to calculate per pupil funding. Governor Polis budget request called for ending rolling averages. Still, his Budget Director Mark Ferrandino says he now supports a gradual move to a single year count and is waiting for school districts' feedback before signing off on the proposal.  READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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JBC weighing the closure of correctional facilities in Western Colorado
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

JBC weighing the closure of correctional facilities in Western Colorado

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Local and state officials, both Republican and Democrat, on the Western Slope are rallying against proposed budget cuts that would close the Delta Correctional Facility and Rifle Correctional Facility, both minimum security prisons. The group of lawmakers includes Republicans Rep. Matt Soper and Sen. Marc Catlin and Democrats Rep. Elizabeth Velasco and Sen. Dylan Roberts. “The Joint Budget Committee (JBC) is considering closing the Delta Correctional Facility due to a $1.2 billion shortfall in the state budget. This decision is moving quickly and we need to take action now to protect local jobs and our community,” Soper posted to his constituents on social media. Providing his constituents with further information ab...
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In Department of Justice inquiry to Tina Peters’ case, the question is whether she is a political prisoner
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

In Department of Justice inquiry to Tina Peters’ case, the question is whether she is a political prisoner

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice If an election official was sentenced to nine years in prison, you might assume they had been caught stuffing ballot boxes or rigging results. But, what if they were convicted for preserving election records? That’s the case of Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk, whose actions led to a landmark prosecution — one that has now drawn scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice.  Federal authorities are stepping in to review whether her sentence was excessive and whether her prosecution was influenced politically. The case also beckons scrutiny over the intersection of election integrity, the rule of law and the fair application of justice. The DOJ’s Statement of Interest, filed March 3 by Acting Assistant Att...
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With measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico, is it time for Colorado to worry?
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

With measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico, is it time for Colorado to worry?

By John Ingold | The Colorado Sun The ongoing measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico is edging closer to Colorado, at least geographically. Four cases — and possibly a fifth — have been reported in the Texas Panhandle county of Dallam, which sits about 35 miles south of Colorado’s southern border, separated by the Oklahoma Panhandle. This doesn’t mean an outbreak is imminent in Colorado, of course. But state health officials have been getting ready in case one is. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Prosecution of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters to be reviewed by Justice Department
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Prosecution of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters to be reviewed by Justice Department

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics The U.S. Department of Justice has announced it will review the Colorado case that led to the prosecution of former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters. In May 2021, Peters was convicted of multiple felonies and misdemeanors related to a security breach involving election equipment at the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder's Office. The Justice Department's intervention is connected to a federal lawsuit Peters filed against the Larimer County Sheriff, seeking to be released from jail while the appeals process moves forward. Peters was sentenced to nine years in prison, with six months to be served in county jail and the rest in state prison. She was convicted of four felonies, including three counts of attempting to influence a public se...
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Campaign finance complaint against Jena Griswold to be investigated
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Campaign finance complaint against Jena Griswold to be investigated

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics The Colorado Department of Law said it will investigate a campaign finance complaint against Secretary of State Jena Griswold tied to a website proclaiming a run for governor. The Jan. 14 complaint from The Public Trust Institute, which is represented by Suzanne Taheri of West Group Law, alleged that Griswold “expended funds on a gubernatorial campaign and had a website dedicated to a gubernatorial run but has not registered a committee or filed a candidate affidavit for governor.” The website — jenaforgovernor.com — first surfaced in August but was taken down soon after 9News reported its existence on Dec. 20. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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