Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Civil Liberties

Colorado House panel advances immigration bill after hours of testimony
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado House panel advances immigration bill after hours of testimony

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice After hours of testimony that moved between legal arguments, the House Judiciary committee advanced a sweeping immigration bill Tuesday. House Bill 26-1276 passed the committee on a 6–5 vote. The "Protect Safety of Individuals Who Are Immigrants" bill, sponsored by Reps. Elizabeth Velasco and Lorena García, focuses on how state and local entities interact with federal immigration enforcement through information sharing, task-force reporting, detention oversight and the use of public resources. Velasco told the committee the bill grew out of what sponsors saw as gaps in existing law. "This bill was written in response to issues…as well as growing concerns that we are seeing across Colorado and the nation," she said. That includ...
Multiple FBI Counterintelligence Probes Targeted Trump Allies Over Nearly A Decade
Revolver News, Approved, Commentary, National

Multiple FBI Counterintelligence Probes Targeted Trump Allies Over Nearly A Decade

By: Staff | Commentary, Revolver News We all watched as the Biden regime used federal law enforcement as a political weapon against American citizens. But nobody was targeted and harassed more than President Trump, both while he was a private citizen and the President of the United States. The bizarre and creepy investigations into his campaign and his allies went way, way beyond any normal oversight and crossed into North Korean territory. And now a new report is breaking the internet by revealing more juicy details on just how far the Deep State went to stop President Trump. According to this report, which was reviewed by investigators and members of Congress, the FBI ran several counterintelligence operations over nearly a decade targeting Trump and people on his te...
Colorado Democrats Advance Controversial Prostitution Decriminalization Plan
The Daily Signal, Approved, State

Colorado Democrats Advance Controversial Prostitution Decriminalization Plan

By Tyler O’Neil | The Daily Signal Colorado Democrats have filed a bill that could make it the first state to decriminalize prostitution, and critics warn that the bill would make the Centennial State the “Wild West” for purchasing sex and lead to an increase in human trafficking. “We have a billion-dollar budget shortfall here in Colorado, and so there’s a lot of talk about budget and affordability and cost of living,” Jarvis Caldwell, the Republican minority leader in the state House of Representatives, told The Daily Signal in an interview Wednesday. “This isn’t the Republicans’ idea of making things more affordable, by making it easier to sell yourself for sex,” he quipped. Caldwell noted that Colorado had the 10th highest rate of human traffi...
CDC Document Reveals Proposed Nationwide Quarantine Camps During Covid
Brownstone Institute, Approved, National

CDC Document Reveals Proposed Nationwide Quarantine Camps During Covid

By Jeffrey A. Tucker | Brownstone Institute No matter how bad you think Covid policies were, they were intended to be worse.  Consider the vaccine passports alone. Six cities were locked down to include only the vaccinated in public indoor places. They were New York City, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Seattle. The plan was to enforce this with a vaccine passport. It broke. Once the news leaked that the shot didn’t stop infection or transmission, the planners lost public support and the scheme collapsed. It was undoubtedly planned to be permanent and nationwide if not worldwide. Instead, the scheme had to be dialed back. Features of the CDC’s edicts did incredible damage. It imposed the rent moratorium. It decreed the ridiculous “six feet of...
Colorado Bill To Decriminalize Prostitution Sparks Sharp Debate At Capitol
kdvr.com, Approved, State

Colorado Bill To Decriminalize Prostitution Sparks Sharp Debate At Capitol

By Anna Coon | KDVR DENVER (KDVR) — A bill that would decriminalize prostitution in Colorado is drawing sharply divided reactions from lawmakers and advocacy groups. Supporters argue the measure would improve safety, while opponents warn of broader social consequences. The proposal, introduced by four Democratic lawmakers, would remove criminal penalties for adults who buy or sell consensual commercial sex. It would also prohibit local governments from banning consensual commercial sexual activity. The policy is also backed by the ACLU, and if passed, Colorado would become the first state to fully decriminalize prostitution. Supporters say the legislation would reduce violence against sex workers, curb human trafficking and slow the spread of disease by allowing...
Colorado’s Original Constitution Was a Bold Blueprint for Liberty
Complete Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado’s Original Constitution Was a Bold Blueprint for Liberty

By Rob Natelson | Commentary., Complete Colorado This year marks the 150th anniversary of the original Colorado Constitution, which in a recent column I called “an extraordinary testament to human freedom.” The state constitution remains in effect today, but in a mangled form far less protective of liberty than when it became effective on August 1, 1876. As my prior column pointed out, the document imposed severe limitations on taxes, spending, and state debt—limitations far more restrictive than those currently mandated by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). The Colorado founders’ dedication to freedom also appeared in their constitution’s bill of rights. The U.S. Bill of Rights consists only of ten relatively short amendments; the original Colo...
Colorado Senate moves to widen red flag authority despite due process warnings
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado Senate moves to widen red flag authority despite due process warnings

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Since its adoption five years ago, Colorado’s red flag law has not stayed static. Since its passage, lawmakers have kept returning to Colorado’s red flag law, expanding it piece by piece as new concerns arise. SB26-004 is the latest revision, reviving debate over how far intervention should reach — and how much due process should accompany it. SB26-004 cleared the Colorado Senate on Feb. 3, passing on a 20–13 vote and moving to the House for further consideration. Sen. Nick Hinrichsen the only Democrat to oppose it. The bill revises the state’s Extreme Risk Protection Order system, often referred to as red flag orders, and prompted extended debate during second reading the day before final passage. Supporters s...
Federal Lawsuit Challenges Northglenn Over Church Activities At Public Park
Complete Colorado, Approved, Local

Federal Lawsuit Challenges Northglenn Over Church Activities At Public Park

By Savana Kascak | Complete Colorado DENVER–Several recent legal motions related to an ongoing lawsuit against the City of Northglenn seek dismissal of citations issued to members of three Colorado churches for hosting a public worship and charity event at a city park. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), a public interest law firm specializing in religious freedom, filed a lawsuit in federal court in November on behalf of those cited and other church members. Northglenn, with around 38,000 residents, is a home rule municipality in the north metro Denver area. Starting in July 2020, Brave Church, and The Crossing Church–both located in neighboring Westminster–as well as Next Step Church located in Thornton, began hosting religious ministry gatherings ...
SCOTUS Asked to Decide If Schools Can Punish Teachers for Off Duty Speech
Just The News, Approved, National

SCOTUS Asked to Decide If Schools Can Punish Teachers for Off Duty Speech

By Greg Piper | Just the News Appeals court said teacher who privately shared views about George Floyd riots on summer vacation caused "disruption" because of media attention. Jury rules against district that suspended student for memes about principal. Public employees may lose their First Amendment rights to express "controversial views while off the job" without suffering professional discipline without Supreme Court intervention, according to lawyers for a suburban Chicago teacher fired for Facebook posts about George Floyd's death in 2020. Judicial Watch petitioned the high court to review a 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that said the Board of Education of Township High School District No. 211's interest in "avoiding disruption" from Je...
Aurora council immigration resolution sparks warnings from police chief, draws resident response
Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Aurora council immigration resolution sparks warnings from police chief, draws resident response

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Aurora City Council took up immigration enforcement Monday night and approved a resolution criticizing federal actions it described as unlawful and overreaching. The item arrived late on the agenda. It did not immediately change city policy. But it didn’t fade into the background, either. Council members pointed to several incidents they said shaped the decision. One involved the death of a Colorado woman during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Minnesota. Others cited included reported illness concerns at the GEO ICE detention facility in Aurora and a recent arrest involving a parent and child. In the resolution’s language, council members said both U.S. citizens and immigrants...