First amendment

Flawed filing stalls Peters’ release bid as DOJ weighs in and President Trump demanding action

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A federal judge on Monday warned former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters that her request to be released while she appeals her 2024 criminal convictions appears to be brought improperly and may be subject to dismissal.

Jurors convicted Peters for her role in a security breach of her office’s voting equipment. She is currently serving a nine-year sentence of incarceration. While the state’s Court of Appeals reviews her conviction, Peters has filed a federal petition for “habeas corpus,” a legal tool used to challenge one’s confinement. Specifically, Peters is seeking to be released on bond while her appeal moves forward in state court.

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Judge overrules Elizabeth School District, forces return of books parents objected to

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An Elbert County school district confirmed on Friday to a federal judge that it has restored 19 restricted books to library shelves after she found the school board likely violated the First Amendment rights of students and authors by removing the titles for ideological reasons.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit declined to suspend, or stay, a preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney. Previously, Sweeney ordered the Elizabeth School District to return the restricted books to libraries, and she set a specific date of April 5. The 10th Circuit put that order temporarily on hold while it took an initial look at the case, before ultimately deciding against intervention.

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Clock runs out on social media bill: lawmakers shield themselves and Polis from historic override

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Without casting a single “no” vote, Colorado lawmakers on April 28 killed a bipartisan attempt to override Governor Jared Polis’ veto of a social media regulation bill. Just days earlier, the Senate had voted 29–6 to override the veto of Senate Bill 25-086, marking the state’s first successful chamber override of a policy bill in more than a decade. 

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SCOTUS to hear religious expression case on allowing explicit LGBTQIA+ books in schools

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The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Tuesday in a case brought forth by Maryland parents against Montgomery County Board of Education members over the mandated inclusion of storybooks that “celebrate gender transitions, explore Pride parades, and introduce same-sex romance between young children.”

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Lee and Friday: We saved our daughters—HB25-1312 would’ve punished us as child abusers

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We are both mothers whose daughters went through a phase in which they believed they were boys. We never affirmed that belief, although their schools and much of the broader culture did. Eventually, our daughters recognized their true identities and ceased identifying themselves as “transgender.”

A bill under consideration in Colorado (where Ms. Lee lives) would define parents like us as child abusers.

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Hancock: HB25-1312 replaces truth with dogma and calls it progress

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From the rugged ridgelines of the Rockies now echoes a different kind of thunder — not from the skies above, but from the marble halls of Colorado’s State Capitol, where lawmakers are ushering in a bill that feels less like legislation and more like dogma.

House Bill 25-1312, ostentatiously named the “Kelly Loving Act,” is heralded as a civil rights measure. But dig past the buzzwords and you’ll find something far more troubling: a secular creed imposed with such fervor it borders on religious zealotry — and as such, possibly violates the U.S. Constitution’s Establishment Clause.

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Over 20 Colorado pastors unite in urgent call to action against HB25-1312

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“If you don’t speak up now, it may be too late.” That’s the message from a growing coalition of Colorado pastors urging fellow faith leaders to take a public stand against HB25-1312 — a bill they say undermines parental rights, criminalizes biblical truth and puts families at risk.

Pastor Jeff Anderson, Senior Advisor for Faith Outreach to Congressman Jeff Crank, sent a letter Friday afternoon to pastors across Colorado urging them to speak out against the bill. 

“We want to bring to your attention a critical issue affecting parental rights in Colorado,” Anderson wrote. “This bill includes provisions that could have significant implications for parents and families.”

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Cole: HB-1312 turns pronouns into a weapon against parents and schools

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Colorado House Democrats recently leveraged their legislative authority with a calculated one-two punch, invoking Rule 14 on April 4, 2025, to cap debate on House Bill 1312 (HB-1312), the “Kelly Loving Act,” at a scant two hours, then deploying Rule 16 over the weekend to stifle discussion entirely and push the bill to an immediate vote. 

These tools, seldom used outside of breaking filibuster gridlock, were not wielded here to clear a clogged calendar but to mute opposition to a measure poised to reshape parental rights, free speech, and family dynamics. This heavy-handed approach stripped away democratic deliberation, a move that should unsettle every Coloradan.

This isn’t about streamlining; it’s about dominance.

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Pastor Bob: For such a time as this, we must lift our voices

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I have been asked: should Christians be involved in politics? Short answer — yes! Oh some may blurt out 2 Corinthians 6:16 in response: “What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they will be my people.’ Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” This does not preclude us from voicing and practicing the way and will of God.

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More than a hat: How Bernie Lake’s fight for health became a political battleground

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After fighting a cancer battle, Bernie Lake reclaimed her life while sporting her Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) hat. After breast cancer surgery, she returned to the Durango Community Recreation Center for her first post-treatment workout, determined to rebuild her strength. 

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