Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Free Speech

Garbo: Boulder wasn’t a clash, it was terrorism
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Garbo: Boulder wasn’t a clash, it was terrorism

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice What happened in Boulder was an act of terrorism, plain and simple. The alleged actions of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, targeting Jews in what authorities have rightly identified as an ideologically motivated, antisemitic attack, must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. It was not a “disturbance,” or a “clash,” or a “misunderstanding.” It was hate. And it was violent, deliberate, and evil. This nation was founded on the principle that people of all faiths and backgrounds can worship, gather, and speak freely without fear. That principle was shattered in Boulder, and we cannot - must not - look away. Governor Jared Polis and Attorney General Phil Weiser deserve appreciation for calling this what it is: an act of hate-fuele...
Free speech fight hits Colorado: XX-XY Athletics sues over HB25-1312
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Free speech fight hits Colorado: XX-XY Athletics sues over HB25-1312

By Jackson Thompson | Fox News Brand founder Jennifer Sey says legislation forces Coloradans to 'adhere to an ideology that is in violation of actual truth' EXCLUSIVE: The women's activist sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics is suing the state of Colorado over a recent state law that the company claims would interfere with its ability to market its message.  The lawsuit takes aim at the state for passing a law called HB25-1312 and amending the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, which defines "gender expression" to include "chosen name" and "how an individual chooses to be addressed." The laws state Coloradans have a right to access "public accommodations and advertising" that are free of discrimination on that basis.  The company's lawsuit claims ...
Maryland school settles with student suspended for asking about American flag
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Maryland school settles with student suspended for asking about American flag

By Chris Papst | Fox 25 News Towson, Md. (WBFF) — It’s a story that grabbed national attention - a Maryland student, and prospective U.S. Marine, suspended while asking why classrooms in his high school did not contain American flags. Project Baltimore first spoke with Parker Jensen in April. Soon after, he sued Baltimore County Public Schools. And now, that lawsuit has been settled. It was just last month when Project Baltimore broke the news that Jensen, a Marine hopeful, was suspended from school for seven days, after he went to Baltimore County Public Schools headquarters to ask why some classrooms at Towson High were missing American flags. According to state law and BCPS school board policy, all classrooms must contain the flag. As a result of that suspension, J...
Hunt: Governor signs laws advancing trans agenda, sparking constitutional challenge
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Hunt: Governor signs laws advancing trans agenda, sparking constitutional challenge

By Nicole Hunt | Commentary, Townhall Just as a refreshing wave of reality-based, commonsense policy seems to be sweeping the nation, Colorado lawmakers are doubling down on “trans” policies that can only be described as absurd, unconscionable and unconstitutional. For those of us in Colorado who still believe in parental rights and free speech, the speed at which our state is descending into a dystopian nightmare is terrifying. Here in Colorado, transactivists control the State House, the Senate, and the governor’s seat. Whatever they want to do, however far they want to push the envelope, they can, and they did this legislative cycle. Some of the bills are so radical that even California’s governor refused to sign similar legislation. This session we saw two radical trans bil...
Colorado sued over law punishing ‘misgendering’: Doctors, parents cite First Amendment
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Colorado sued over law punishing ‘misgendering’: Doctors, parents cite First Amendment

By Marissa Ventrelli | Denver Gazette Several organizations and a western Colorado dermatologist have filed a lawsuit seeking to block specific provisions of a recently signed state law that, as originally introduced, would have defined "deadnaming" and "misgendering" as discriminatory acts but whose final version had been heavily modified.   The plaintiffs in the lawsuit included Defending Education, the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network, Protect Kids Colorado, and Do No Harm. Travis Morrell, a Grand Junction dermatologist and member of Do No Harm, is also a plaintiff. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Colorado Civil Rights Division members are named as defendants. All five groups believe that a person's gender identity "cannot differ from their sex ...
“Drawing the line”: School boards warn HB25-1312 oversteps on parental rights, brings policy chaos
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“Drawing the line”: School boards warn HB25-1312 oversteps on parental rights, brings policy chaos

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Board members say the bill risks punishing parents, stripping local authority, and forcing schools into the middle of contentious custody battles More than 70 school board members and education leaders have signed a letter urging lawmakers to reject HB25-1312, also known as the Kelly Loving Act. Jason Jorgenson, secretary of the District 11 Board of Education and a lead organizer of the opposition letter, said HB25-1312 “risks encouraging youth to pursue a path of gender transition without appropriate parental involvement.” Andrea Haitz, president of the District 51 Board of Education, warned that the bill “risks placing schools in an even more precarious legal position, especially when parents disagree on matters like gender identity or p...
Clock runs out on social media bill: lawmakers shield themselves and Polis from historic override
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Clock runs out on social media bill: lawmakers shield themselves and Polis from historic override

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice The Senate overrode the governor’s veto. The House never even had to say no. In Colorado politics, sometimes the clock matters more than the votes. 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.  But when the bill reached the House, members voted 51–13 to lay over the override until after the legislative session ended. As reported by The Colorado Sun, the maneuver guaranteed the bill’s death without a formal vote, allowing lawmakers to av...
Free speech or safer feeds? Colorado reacts after Senate overrides veto of social media bill
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Free speech or safer feeds? Colorado reacts after Senate overrides veto of social media bill

By Marissa Ventrelli | Denver Gazette Several groups on Friday lauded the Colorado state Senate's veto override of a bill that seeks to impose certain regulations on social media platforms in the hopes they would crack down on users who violate their rules, while critics called the bill censorious and argued it would give tech companies "too much power" to "de-platform" people. The Senate voted to override the governor's veto on a 29-6 vote. The state House is expected to hold its override vote next week. Senate Bill 086 would require social media companies to evaluate reports of policy violations within 72 hours. If a user is found to have violated the policy, the platform must remove that person or entity within 24 hours. The bill would also require social media companies to sub...
Turning Point USA launches at Valor Christian: Courage, character, and a little wild West spirit
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Turning Point USA launches at Valor Christian: Courage, character, and a little wild West spirit

By RMV Staff | Rocky Mountain Voice It was more than just another Tuesday morning at Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado—it was a full-on Turning Point. Nearly 50 students, faculty, and guests gathered for the official launch of Valor’s new Turning Point USA chapter, and let’s just say, the energy was more electric than a Bronco game on a Sunday afternoon. Gabby Reichardt, the Rockies High School Field Representative for Turning Point USA, called the launch a personal milestone. “I'm super proud to have a chapter at Valor as my alma mater and it was definitely a target school of mine for a long time.” She added, “Having a community surrounding the students who want to help support the chapter is really great. And that's definitely part of our broader high school ...
Polis faces pressure as veto showdown looms on sweeping social media bill
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Polis faces pressure as veto showdown looms on sweeping social media bill

By Bente Birkeland | CPR News On November 8, 2020, Chelsea Congdon’s life changed forever.  She and her husband had invited friends over for a backyard party at their home in Old Snowmass. They were building a bonfire when a car from the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Department pulled up.  “The policeman came and found us there and let us know that our son Miles had died in Boulder and his body had been discovered that morning,” she recently recalled to CPR News. “It felt very unreal. And it feels as if your entire life just shatters on the floor and for some reason, you’re still standing. I mean, it doesn’t make any sense. It’s impossible to put together losing a kid.” Her son, Miles Brundige, was a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Colorado. He’d grown up big ...