Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Phil Weiser

Colorado AG Joins 21 States in Lawsuit Claiming Student Loan Program Is Politically Biased
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado AG Joins 21 States in Lawsuit Claiming Student Loan Program Is Politically Biased

By: Marissa Ventrilli | Colorado Politics Colorado has joined 21 states in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education over placing restrictions on a student loan forgiveness program for public service employees. It’s the latest lawsuit filed by Attorney General Phil Weiser, who is running for governor, against the Trump administration. He has so far pursued more than 40 lawsuits since January. According to the lawsuit, a new federal rule deems certain state and local governments and nonprofit organizations ineligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) if they are found to have engaged in “activities or actions” that are “disfavored” by the Trump Administration, such as providing services for transgender children and promoting diversity, equity...
Weiser Sues to Keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado, Claims Political Retaliation
DENVER7, Approved, State

Weiser Sues to Keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado, Claims Political Retaliation

By: Óscar Contreras | Denver7 The lawsuit, which the AG says is in response to an unconstitutional action by the federal government, is the latest in a series of developments Denver7 has been reporting over the past several years DENVER — Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said Wednesday he has filed suit against the Trump administration to prevent it from relocating U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama. At a virtual news conference earlier in the day, Weiser said President Trump’s decision last month to move command headquarters from Colorado was unconstitutional and unlawful as it violates federal law requiring public notices and reports to Congress before moving a major military headquarters location. Weiser the lawsuit was also chal...
Colorado Sues USDA for Ending Food Assistance to Needy Families
DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Sues USDA for Ending Food Assistance to Needy Families

By: Robert Garrison | Denver7 DENVER — Colorado joined 22 other states in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Secretary Brooke Rollins for suspending during the government shutdown the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser made the announcement in a Tuesday press release. The lawsuit argues the USDA acted illegally by halting food assistance despite having access to contingency funds. On Friday, the Trump administration announced it would not use the more than $5 billion in emergency funding the USDA maintains to cover the program, arguing the funds are “not available to support FY 2026 regular benefits, because the appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists.” In an interview with S...
Supreme Court to Weigh Colorado Ban on Therapy for Gender Identity Counseling
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Supreme Court to Weigh Colorado Ban on Therapy for Gender Identity Counseling

By Anna Alejo | CBS Colorado On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on a case set to determine if Colorado's ban on so-called "conversion therapy" for minors violates the free speech clause of the First Amendment. The Lee family in Wellington filed an amicus brief in support of overturning Colorado's ban on the therapy. A Colorado law passed in 2019 restricts therapists from trying to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of kids under the age of 18. They opposed the law after they say it limited access for their daughter to receive therapy that met their family's needs. "They are forbidden by law from going down that path of helping a child through their gender confusion versus further into that confusion and so there's been lots of paren...
Lawsuit and liberty on the line as Shots for Freedom launches in Colorado Springs
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Lawsuit and liberty on the line as Shots for Freedom launches in Colorado Springs

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice With just days to go, Colorado gun owners are gearing up for Shots for Freedom — a two-day range weekend and banquet in Colorado Springs that organizers say is about more than rifles, raffles or fellowship. Hosted by the Colorado State Shooting Association, the September 20–21 event is tied directly to the fight against Governor Jared Polis’ new gun law. Tickets are still available through the event signup page, with proceeds funding the group’s lawsuit against Governor Jared Polis’ recently signed permit-to-purchase law, Senate Bill 25-003. Linking a celebration to a lawsuit Organizers say the strategy is to combine culture and community with legal action. “Every round fired and every seat filled helps fund the lawsuit that will decid...
Public safety or politics? Mesa County sues Polis over sanctuary crackdown
The Daily Caller, Approved, State

Public safety or politics? Mesa County sues Polis over sanctuary crackdown

By Jason Hopkins | Daily Caller One of Colorado’s biggest counties is taking on the state’s “unconstitutional” sanctuary law after it was used to crack down on a sheriff’s deputy who helped federal immigration authorities. The Board of Mesa County Commissioners is moving forward with its lawsuit against a Democrat-led sanctuary law that prohibits local law enforcement in Colorado from sharing personal information about a foreign national with federal immigration authorities, the Daily Caller News Foundation confirmed. The lawsuit was filed after state officials sued a Mesa County sheriff’s deputy for helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and effectively forced him out of the job. “The Constitution makes clear that immigration is a federal responsibility, not something ...
Polis says Colorado isn’t a sanctuary state but the laws say otherwise
The Gazette, Approved, Commentary, State

Polis says Colorado isn’t a sanctuary state but the laws say otherwise

By The Gazette editorial board | Commentary, The Gazette Gov. Jared Polis has distinguished himself in business and politics, yet he arguably missed his true calling — doing stand-up at a comedy club. He’d leave his audience in stitches. Case in point: His thigh-slapper the other day — about Colorado not being a sanctuary state. He had us rolling on the floor. We were laughing through our tears, of course, given the toll illegal immigration has taken here. But there’s no denying the governor is a hoot. He is in fact such a natural-born comic, his familiar, “Sanctuary? What sanctuary?” routine is uproarious even when delivered secondhand by his communications staff. “Colorado is not a sanctuary state,” Polis’ office deadpanned in a news release Thursday for our news affiliate Co...
Media fig leaves and selective lawsuits: the Colorado story you’re not hearing
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Media fig leaves and selective lawsuits: the Colorado story you’re not hearing

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Journalistic fig leaves and defunding public media. It is common in news reports on defunding public media to have the reporter say some version or another of "conservatives accuse public media of political bias". You're welcome to your own thoughts on the matter, but I personally believe these accusations are grounded in reality. I present you a CPR article (linked at bottom) to show you why. It's an article about how some Colorado House Democrats went on a tour of the ICE facility in Aurora and their concerns/accusations. You'll see plenty of Democrats talking about their perspective on what they saw, on ICE, etc. To give you a sense of the gravity of some of the accusations, I provide you the following qu...
Daniel: Colorado’s political ruling class has turned common sense upside down
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Daniel: Colorado’s political ruling class has turned common sense upside down

By Bobbie Daniel | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice There was a time when Colorado ran on common sense. We valued hard work, local control, and the idea that if you played by the rules, you’d get a fair shake. But somewhere along the way, the folks running this state traded those values for political theater and personal ambition. Today, agriculture, coal mining, oil and gas, small businesses, and law enforcement — the very things that help keep our state running — are treated like the enemy. The latest example proves just how upside‑down things have gotten: the Attorney General of Colorado is suing a Mesa County deputy… for doing his job. Now, I don’t know about you, but where I come from, you don’t punish the people who keep you safe. Yet here we are — living in a state wh...
“We absolutely back the badge”: Mesa County defends deputy in federal suit
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

“We absolutely back the badge”: Mesa County defends deputy in federal suit

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Mesa County is taking Colorado’s top political figures to court. On Tuesday, commissioners unanimously voted to authorize a federal lawsuit against Governor Jared Polis and Attorney General Phil Weiser over what they called “politically motivated litigation” targeting local law enforcement under a controversial new state law. The board’s action followed a detailed legal presentation from County Attorney Todd Starr and remarks from all three commissioners defending Sheriff Todd Rowell and other named deputies. “This action is necessary to protect the constitutional rights of our employees at the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office,” Starr said. “They’re  facing imminent threats of civil liability and penalties.” At issue is Senate Bill 276, which ...