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Colorado halts TRACER after Minnesota murders so lawmakers can redact personal info
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denvergazette.com, State

Colorado halts TRACER after Minnesota murders so lawmakers can redact personal info

By Marianne Goodland | Denver Gazette State lawmakers can remove personal information before TRACER site restored TRACER, the Secretary of State's campaign finance website, was taken down on Saturday in the wake of the shootings of four individuals, including two lawmakers, in Minnesota. Two of the victims, Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, were killed in the attack by an individual who posed as a police officer. Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot but are expected to recover. According to NPR, the suspect, Vance Boelter, had a "hit list" of 45 state officials, all Democrats. He was taken into custody Sunday and has been charged with state and federal murder charges. TRACER, aka Transparency in Contribution and Expenditure Report...
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Hardin: Why the NRA-ILA legislative roundups matter more than ever
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Hardin: Why the NRA-ILA legislative roundups matter more than ever

By Amanda Hardin | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Last week, Rocky Mountain Voice partnered with the NRA-Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) to host two critical Second Amendment Legislative Roundups—first in Lakewood, then in Fort Morgan. These events weren’t just a chance to hand out bumper stickers and shake hands; they were about mobilization. Colorado’s gun owners are facing unprecedented legislative attacks, and what we saw in those rooms was the beginning of a serious response. The first event took place on June 10 at Bristlecone Shooting, Training & Retail Center in Lakewood. Over 45 citizens gathered to review the flurry of anti-gun bills that crossed the governor’s desk this year, including the newly signed Senate Bill 25-003. Attendees walked away not only wit...
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Western Heritage Lives On: Pony Express Riders Head Through Colorado Towns
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State, Fox31

Western Heritage Lives On: Pony Express Riders Head Through Colorado Towns

By Heather Willard | KDVR FOX 31 DENVER (KDVR) — Have you ever wanted to see the Pony Express operating as it once did in 1860? There’s a chance to do just that thanks to the National Pony Express Association. On Wednesday, July 11, the organization launched its annual re-ride in Sacramento, California, and if all goes well, by 7:30 p.m. on July 21, the mail carried by the riders will be in St. Joseph, Missouri. What was the Pony Express, and why are there re-rides? The Pony Express Trail crosses 1,966 miles in eight states, and at one point in American history, the Pony Express was the fastest way to deliver mail. The Pony Express began operations on June 16, 1860, according to the National Pony Express Association, and about 10 weeks later, Congress authorized a transcontinental tele...
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Justice on hold: Lawmakers race to fix Colorado’s rape kit backlog
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Top Stories, Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Justice on hold: Lawmakers race to fix Colorado’s rape kit backlog

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice A backlog of 1,369 untested sexual assault kits at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation delays justice and drives significant costs, per a June 2025 report from the Common Sense Institute. Authored by former Denver DA Mitch Morrissey and Senior Analyst Erik Gamm, the report estimates clearing this backlog could prevent 1,481 crimes—including 1,030 sexual assaults—and save Colorado $234.7 million.  The Yvonne “Missy” Woods scandal, involving manipulated DNA in over a thousand cases since 2014, worsened this crisis, exposing gaps in CBI’s processes.  Two bills, HB25-1275 and SB25-304, address these issues, as Rep. Matt Soper (R-Delta), co-sponsor of HB25-1275, detailed in a Rocky Mountain Voice interview. The Wo...
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Wolf pups den near Colorado cattle—rancher calls policy ‘the dumbest thing in the world’
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Outdoor Life, State

Wolf pups den near Colorado cattle—rancher calls policy ‘the dumbest thing in the world’

By Natalie Krebs | Outdoor Life One rancher says the Copper Creek Pack, which has a history of hunting and killing livestock, is raising pups just a quarter mile from his cattle Wolf pups have been spotted in Pitkin County, Colorado, according to several sources, including a rancher whose calf was attacked by wolves this spring. Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed that it has seen pups in an emailed statement to Outdoor Life, and that their employees are continuing to monitor four den sites.  “CPW staff have begun to get minimum counts of pups by both direct observations and indirect methods,” the spokesperson wrote. “It is important to note that sighting numbers (especially from early season sightings) are not a guaranteed number of animals since certainty in det...
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Colorado Senate Republicans elect leadership team focused on families, farms and affordability
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories

Colorado Senate Republicans elect leadership team focused on families, farms and affordability

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice As the Colorado State Senate prepares to welcome new leadership, the upper chamber’s storied traditions—from appointing its first chaplain in 1885 to its streamlined legislative process—set the stage for a fresh chapter in state governance. The Colorado Senate GOP elected new leadership this week, and two lawmakers are stepping into new roles with the weight of the session—and its unfinished business—clearly in view. The shift puts rural concerns and working family issues squarely in focus ahead of the 2026 session. Sen. Cleave Simpson (Alamosa) was named Minority Leader, taking over for Paul Lundeen. Sen. Lisa Frizell (Castle Rock) was elected Assistant Minority Leader.  “I’m honored by the trust my colleagues have placed in me to le...
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From real estate to crypto to Colorado: Eric Trump to speak at RMV Mountain Majesty Gala
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

From real estate to crypto to Colorado: Eric Trump to speak at RMV Mountain Majesty Gala

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice They didn’t want this event to happen. Activists have spent weeks pressuring the venue, trying to intimidate organizers into pulling the plug. But the Rocky Mountain Voice’s first Mountain Majesty Gala is moving forward – and Eric Trump is headlining it. His June 21 appearance comes as conservatives in Colorado work to turn energy into strategy – and frustration into action. While his last name still dominates headlines, Trump arrives not just as a surrogate – but as a strategist, builder and global voice for strength, sovereignty and innovation. With protest threats in the background, and momentum from the base up front, the Gala is already doing what it set out to do: make waves. Trump spent summers in the Czech countryside with his ...
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Parker: We need a national, armed citizen militia now
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Parker: We need a national, armed citizen militia now

By Dale Parker | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice I am not surprised at the result of the efforts of people in our state to banish firearms. No one should be surprised at the open contempt for our God given rights, protected in our Bill of Rights, that was demonstrated by requiring Ken DeGraaf to cover part of our Constitution. There is no remedy for this at the state levels.  We have to go on the offense and enact recognition of these God given rights to self protection.  The way our 2nd Amendment was penned has been glossed over for 200 years because there was no need after the American Revolution to flesh out what the Founders intended. It was recognized and taken for granted that the right to possess all arms belonged to the citizens of our country and not j...
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With 12 new laws, Colorado Democrats treat gun ownership like a public threat
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

With 12 new laws, Colorado Democrats treat gun ownership like a public threat

By Jesse Paul | Colorado Sun From limiting who can purchase most semiautomatic rifles on the market today to raising the minimum age to buy ammunition, Democrats in the legislature were busy this year imposing new gun regulations Democrats in the Colorado legislature this year passed a dozen bills imposing new gun regulations, all of which were signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis. They included measures limiting who can purchase most semiautomatic rifles on the market today, raising the minimum age to buy ammunition and aiming to improve Colorado’s response to mass shootings. While some don’t go into effect until next year, and a few are sure to draw legal challenges from gun rights groups, they represent some of the most wide-reaching changes to Colorado’s firearms laws ever a...
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DOJ requests Colorado’s 2020 and 2024 voter data—Griswold’s ‘Gold Standard’ gets tested
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Approved, kdvr.com, National, State

DOJ requests Colorado’s 2020 and 2024 voter data—Griswold’s ‘Gold Standard’ gets tested

By Heather Willard | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado’s Secretary of State revealed Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Justice asked Colorado to turn over all records that relate to the 2024 federal elections and preserve all records from the 2020 election. The election official sent an email highlighting reporting by NPR, which said the DOJ request was made on May 12. “What they’re going to do with all this data, I don’t know,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, told NPR and shared with FOX31 via email. “But I’m sure they will use it to push their ridiculous disinformation and lies to the American public.” Colorado elections noticed by Trump admin previously Colorado’s elections have been heralded by Griswold and other officials as being the “gold ...
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