Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Public Policy

Study adds evidence that wolves can cost Colorado ranchers beyond livestock losses
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Study adds evidence that wolves can cost Colorado ranchers beyond livestock losses

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project The link below was sent in by a reader. It profiles a study out of University of California, Davis which purports to put a price on how much a single wolf in an area can cost a rancher. It’s right there at the top; the image heading this post is the title. I’ll leave it to you to read through the details of the study, note its methods, and come to your own conclusions on the validity of the estimate. For my part, I’m somewhat skeptical of the number itself. I do not at all doubt that wolves put economic costs on ranchers. I do doubt the exact figure and am skeptical in general about estimates.** Rather than looking in depth at the estimate and the method, however, I want to bring something to your attention. This...
Federal Judges Rebuke Colorado Immigration Judge Over Repeated Bond Hearing Errors
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Federal Judges Rebuke Colorado Immigration Judge Over Repeated Bond Hearing Errors

By Michael Karlik | The Denver Gazette Multiple federal judges in Colorado have freed people from immigration custody after determining that one immigration judge violated their directives for properly conducting bond hearings. For nearly a year, Colorado’s U.S. District Court has faced a flood of habeas corpus petitions from those in immigration detention. The most common allegation is that the government is improperly denying bond hearings to people who are eligible by law. Colorado’s judges have largely agreed with that argument, and the Denver-based federal appeals court recently handed down a binding interpretation of the law confirming that view. However, that has not ended the legal battle. Federal judges, in granting habeas petitions, have t...
Colorado Lawmakers Grapple With Strict Rules for $200 Million Rural Health Program
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Lawmakers Grapple With Strict Rules for $200 Million Rural Health Program

By: Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Members of the Colorado legislature’s new Commission on Medicaid raised concerns Wednesday about the federal Rural Health Transformation Program created under H.R. 1. The bipartisan, bicameral commission, created in the last legislative session to guide implementation of Medicaid changes under H.R. 1, met Wednesday to begin shaping its recommendations. Cristen Bates, deputy Medicaid director at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, told members that Colorado is slated to receive $200 million in federal funding each year for the next five years to support rural health care initiatives. CMS requires states to apply for the Rural Health Transformation Program by November, with awards expected by year’s...
What democracy is: An open letter to Jay Tutchton
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

What democracy is: An open letter to Jay Tutchton

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project I wrote recently (see the first link below) about how a political agenda has hijacked the CPW Commission and they're really not bothering to hide the ball anymore. I mentioned to someone in the comments on that post that I'd heard Commissioner Jay Tutchton had remarked about the nature of the commission's votes and democracy. The second link below is to a Yahoo reprint of a 9News article which has the quote I couldn't find for the commenter. Quoting from that piece: "Yesterday was 6-5, today was 6-5. I'm happy with democracy working," said James Tutchton, the commission's chair." Said another way, Mr. Tutchton, somewhat resignedly, commented that the vote going the way he wanted on the day prior vs. the da...
Medical Watchdog Urges AMA and Major Groups to Reject Transgender Surgeries for Minors
The Daily Signal, Approved, National

Medical Watchdog Urges AMA and Major Groups to Reject Transgender Surgeries for Minors

By Tyler O’Neil | The Daily Signal FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The medical watchdog group Do No Harm is calling on 10 major medical associations to explicitly condemn transgender genital surgeries on minors. “Professional medical societies that endorse so-called gender-affirming care in minors bear tremendous responsibility for the harm done to American children in the name of gender ideology,” Dr. Kurt Miceli, a psychiatrist and chief medical officer at Do No Harm, told the Daily Signal in a statement on the letters. Do No Harm sent ten largely identical open letters Wednesday morning, addressing the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Medical Asso...
Federal Judge Dismisses Mesa Sheriff Challenge to Colorado Immigration Law
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Federal Judge Dismisses Mesa Sheriff Challenge to Colorado Immigration Law

By Michael Karlik | The Denver Gazette A federal judge dismissed a challenge from Mesa County Sheriff’s Office leaders last week to a Colorado law limiting public employees’ cooperation with immigration authorities, concluding that the plaintiffs did not allege they engage in any conduct that the law would prohibit. In a July 17 order, U.S. District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher noted that lawmakers only forbade the sharing of personal information “for the purpose of” immigration enforcement. Even then, the law contains exceptions for authorized criminal investigations or necessary duties. “The Court respects that Plaintiffs’ wish to ensure they understand, both for individual reasons and on behalf of the agencies they head or work for, the current bounds of the law ...
Colorado Gun Owners Could Become Decisive Voting Bloc
The Gazette, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado Gun Owners Could Become Decisive Voting Bloc

By: Chris Dorsey | Commentary, The Gazette That oversight has shaped elections before, and it may do so again.  Donald Trump’s election demonstrated what happens when millions of Americans who view the Second Amendment as a fundamental constitutional liberty conclude that the future of that right is on the ballot. Many constituencies contributed to Trump’s victories, but few matched the discipline, organization, and intensity of gun owners.   The National Rifle Association, despite its well-publicized internal challenges in recent years, remains one of the most influential grassroots political organizations in the country. For decades, it built a political machine that educated members, graded candidates, mobilized volunteers, and reminded voters that el...
Colorado Right To Hunt And Fish Measure Clears Key Ballot Hurdle
The Steamboat Pilot, Approved, State

Colorado Right To Hunt And Fish Measure Clears Key Ballot Hurdle

By: Ali Longwell | The Steamboat Pilot Opponents of the measure are concerned it could limit wildlife management flexibility and spur legal challenges. A group seeking to establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish in Colorado has cleared a major hurdle on its way to the November 2026 ballot.  On July 8, supporters of what’s currently known as Initiative 302 submitted over 180,000 signatures to Colorado’s Secretary of State.  “This commitment by the people demonstrates the energy behind preserving our heritage here in the Centennial State this November,” said Dan Gates, founder of Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management, in a news release. “Now it’s time to get it across the finish line and codify this in the state constitution so c...
House Approves Permanent Daylight Saving Time Bill Sending Measure to Senate
Newsweek, Approved, National

House Approves Permanent Daylight Saving Time Bill Sending Measure to Senate

By Alice Gibbs and Amanda Castro | Newsweek The House on Tuesday approved a measure to end the twice‑yearly ritual of changing the clocks, handing President Donald Trump a political win, who has pushed for permanent daylight saving time despite objections from sleep experts and lawmakers in states that would see much later winter sunrises. The proposal now heads to the Senate, where its fate remains uncertain. The House approved the bill by a bipartisan 308-117 vote, one of the strongest congressional showings yet for ending the twice-yearly clock change. However, Senate leaders have not committed to bringing it up for a vote, and some senators have already indicated opposition, meaning the measure faces a more difficult path despite broad House support. The Sunshine P...