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Yes, we are having a Republican State Assembly
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Yes, we are having a Republican State Assembly

By Brita Horn | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Over the past several days, a new and unfounded rumor has begun circulating, suggesting that the Republican Party of Colorado does not intend to hold a State Assembly in 2026. This claim is false. It contradicts our legal obligations, it misrepresents our planning, and it has no basis in any action ever taken by this organization. As Chair of the Republican Party of Colorado, I want our members to hear directly from me: we are holding a State Assembly. We always have been. It is also important to recognize that within our party, there are strong and varied opinions about Colorado’s caucus and assembly system.  Some view it as a vital grassroots mechanism that ensures candidates earn support directly from engag...
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Opt out explained: Why Colorado Republicans could lose their primary ballots
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Opt out explained: Why Colorado Republicans could lose their primary ballots

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice One of the most contentious issues holding back the Colorado Republican Party is the infighting around the “Opt Out.” In September, the Republican State Central Committee (SCC) held a heated meeting to vote on whether to opt out of holding a primary election. While 75% of members present voted to “opt out,” state law requires a vote from three-fourths of the total membership of the SCC to officially make that decision. Unfortunately, the meeting sparked more confusion and anger across the party. For several years now, the “Opt Out” has become a litmus test for loyalty, labeling anyone who disagrees a RINO (Republican In Name Only). But I don’t believe that most Republicans understand what “opting out” actually means—and it’s ...
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SMART Act hearings offer rare oversight of Colorado state agencies
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

SMART Act hearings offer rare oversight of Colorado state agencies

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project SMART act: speak up at state department/division hearings The Colorado SMART act (see the first link below for the bill) is the formalism by how our state legislature provides oversight of various governmental agencies. Reading through the bill makes me nod with approval while at the same time pegging my scoff meter. What I mean is that the language is lofty, and I’m not sure how much genuine oversight happens. The good news is that (regardless of the effectiveness of the oversight) a SMART act hearing is your chance to speak up if you have comment about a particular department or division of a department. I will use the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee as my example for this ...
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Colorado Declines Federal Tip Relief Creating Tax Season Confusion
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kdvr.com, Approved, State

Colorado Declines Federal Tip Relief Creating Tax Season Confusion

By Shaul Turner | KDVR FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) – As the end of the year approaches, many workers who rely on tips and overtime pay may face some confusion as they prepare for tax return season. President Trump’s bill passed by the legislature provides a temporary tax break for tips but that doesn’t apply on the state level. The new federal tax break for tips allows employees to deduct up to $25,000 of tip income and is effective through the 2028 tax year, but Colorado will not follow suit. “It’ll be Christmas on the federal and no holiday season on the state,” said tax attorney Chadwick Elliot of the Denver Tax Group. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT KDVR FOX31
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What Colorado redacted from a federal prison letter—and why it matters
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

What Colorado redacted from a federal prison letter—and why it matters

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice The state confirmed it received a request from the Bureau of Prisons regarding the transfer of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters to federal custody. What the public has not been allowed to see is why the federal government made it in the first place. Colorado released a copy of the Bureau of Prisons letter earlier this month, but only after heavily redacting its substance. State officials said releasing the withheld information would be “contrary to the public interest.” The redactions removed nearly every explanation the federal government provided for why it sought custody at all. An unredacted version of the same letter, reviewed by Rocky Mountain Voice, tells a more complete and more consequential story. ...
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Colorado Faces Federal Lawsuit as Griswold Refuses to Release Voter Data
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Faces Federal Lawsuit as Griswold Refuses to Release Voter Data

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold after she refused to provide the agency with certain voter information. Last week, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division asked Griswold’s office to provide unredacted voter data, including full names, dates of birth, residential addresses, and driver’s license numbers. Federal authorities have sought voter data from more than 20 states, saying it’s part of project to ensure election security. The DOJ lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Denver, alleges that Griswold violated the federal Civil Rights Act by refusing to provide the records. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT COLORADO POLITICS
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State accessibility law exposes gap between lawmakers’ intentions and local reality
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

State accessibility law exposes gap between lawmakers’ intentions and local reality

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project How is our state’s accessibility law playing out? Part 1 If you spend your days immersed in politics, things don’t really sneak up on you; you watch a bill work its way through the process, then get signed, then get enacted. If you have other things occupying your attention, say you have kids and a family and a mortgage, bills can sometimes be a surprise. The 10 cent bag fee is a great example. Despite lots of news coverage, you didn’t see a lot of fuss about it in the public square until the bag fees were enacted, until Wal-Mart said they were just going to stop putting bags out altogether. HB21-1110 is like those bag fees, though perhaps it won’t intersect with as many lives as grocery bags d...
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Colorado’s systems have failed Tina Peters again and again
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Colorado’s systems have failed Tina Peters again and again

By RMV Editorial Board On December 8, 2025, three events collided in Colorado that no honest observer can dismiss as coincidence. A federal judge dismissed Tina Peters’ habeas corpus petition, admitting she raised “important constitutional questions” about whether a state court punished her for her speech, then refused to consider those questions because of the Younger doctrine. Hours later, Colorado’s Department of Corrections moved Peters into Isolation Detention Observation: twenty-two hours a day in a concrete cell, lights on around the clock, no yard time and a single explanation—“this is for your safety.”  That same afternoon, the United States Department of Justice opened a civil-rights investigation into Colorado’s prisons and youth facilities, citing po...
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Good News or Fake News: Peace — Real News with Integrity
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Good News or Fake News: Peace — Real News with Integrity

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice If hope teaches us to look forward, then peace teaches us how to stand firm right now. But here’s the tension every Coloradan feels—especially during the holidays: We live in a culture that profits from our anxiety. Fear sells. Outrage spreads. And when everything is loud, peace is mistaken for passivity… when in reality, peace is a kind of strength, a power that shapes who you are. Therefore, the question for you is, “What source is shaping who you are—the Good News or the fake news?” Because trusting the Good News builds confidence in the peace you carry. Or in other words, PEACE is Real News with Integrity. It’s not fragile. Peace is not the absence of conflict. Simply, peace is the inner integrity of a life aligned...
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Colorado Gives Day Sets New Record as Residents Donate $56.5 Million to Local Nonprofits
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Approved, CBS Colorado, State

Colorado Gives Day Sets New Record as Residents Donate $56.5 Million to Local Nonprofits

By Jennifer McRae | CBS Colorado Colorado Gives Day received a record-setting $56.5 million in donations, with more people donating this year than last year. More than 102,835 people donated, which is 8,100 more than last year. On Wednesday, thousands of Colorado nonprofits were celebrating the outpouring of generosity. "Colorado Gives Day makes it so easy for people to support the causes they care about," said Kelly Dunkin, president and CEO of Colorado Gives Foundation, in a statement. "The event is truly a statewide movement and donors rallied together with a record-setting year when our communities needed it most." READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
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