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Holiday Airlift Shows Colorado Pilots’ Commitment to Serving Veterans
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kdvr.com, Approved, State

Holiday Airlift Shows Colorado Pilots’ Commitment to Serving Veterans

By Anna Coon | KDVR CENTENNIAL, Colo. (KDVR) — About 25 pilots helped spread holiday cheer across Colorado by airlifting toys, food and clothing to veterans and their families on Sunday. “We get to fly around, and we get to help people in the process, so it’s a win-win,” said pilot Liam Shetterly. As captain of the MSU Denver Aerobatics Flight Team, flying is routine for him, but this trip carried extra cargo and a special purpose. “It’s a really cool cause, I think, helping out our veterans,” Shetterly said. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT KDVR
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Colorado Repeat Offender Freed by Court Accused of Killing Mother of Three
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Fox News, Approved, State

Colorado Repeat Offender Freed by Court Accused of Killing Mother of Three

By: Julia Bonavita | Fox News Thomas Perales allegedly killed Annette Marie Valdez following years of domestic violence incidents and court violations. A Colorado repeat offender is accused of brutally murdering the mother of his children before spending several days pushing her lifeless body around in a shopping cart just a week after being released from jail. Thomas Perales, a homeless man with multiple prior arrests, is accused of killing Annette Marie Valdez after her body was discovered inside a Westminster trash can Dec. 4, according to 9NEWS.  Perales had allegedly violated a protection order taken out by Valdez numerous times and had been released from jail just a week before the alleged murder, the outlet reported. The 37-y...
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Minnesota’s Medicaid Scandal Shows Why Colorado Must Tighten the Guardrails
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Complete Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State

Minnesota’s Medicaid Scandal Shows Why Colorado Must Tighten the Guardrails

By Cory Gaines | Complete Colorado To say Minnesota has had some fraud going on is an understatement. I don’t know that I’ve seen it mentioned much in local media, but it’s a big national story. Colorado should beware taking its turn in this barrel. First, some brief background. Minnesota sought (and received) Medicaid waivers during COVID to use taxpayer dollars to fund things like subsidized housing for recipients, which ended up an impetus for massive fraud. An MPR News article gives some context, but the sheer size of the numbers are what really popped out to me: “According to the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office, DHS [Minnesota Department of Housing Stabilization] had initially predicted the housing stabilization program would cost about $2.6 mill...
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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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