Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Public Policy

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...
The rise of DSA, and a platform to rewrite the Constitution.
National, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

The rise of DSA, and a platform to rewrite the Constitution.

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Six thousand people started the Democratic Socialists of America in 1982. The number didn't move much for thirty years. Then, around 2016, it did. By July 4, 2026, DSA had 120,000 members, more than the Socialist Party of America ever had under Eugene Debs, whose dues-paying membership peaked back in 1912. Four days before that count came out, one of the new members, Melat Kiros of Denver, won a primary against a congresswoman first elected in 1996. The growth is one story. What the organization actually wants is the more important one. From 6,000 to 120,000 DSA was born from a merger, not a single founding moment. In 1982, the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee, founded in 1973, joined with the New ...
New Colorado Firearm Licensing Requirements Draw Constitutional Questions
Complete Colorado, Approved, State

New Colorado Firearm Licensing Requirements Draw Constitutional Questions

By: Mike Krause | Complete Colorado In a recent episode of  Independence Institute’s public affairs tv show, Devil’s Advocate, host Jon Calda sits down with Ray Elliott, president of the Colorado State Shooting Association (CSSA), to look at sweeping new Colorado gun rights restrictions taking effect August 1. The two zero in on Senate Bill 25-003, which slaps heavy new burdens on purchasing many commonly owned firearms, including the popular AR-platform rifle. Elliott lays out the new licensing scheme: prospective buyers of certain firearms must first obtain approval from their county sheriff, pay multiple fees, complete a state-approved firearms training course, and navigate what he describes as an increasingly burdensome financial and logistical barriers for...
Democratic Socialists Target Colorado Springs With Growing Activism And Local Campaigns
Colorado Politics, Approved, Local

Democratic Socialists Target Colorado Springs With Growing Activism And Local Campaigns

By: Debbie Kelley | Colorado Politics If further proof is needed that the political arena in Colorado Springs isn’t like matchups in Denver, the Democratic Socialists of America is a case in point, say some people involved with the local chapter of the nationwide organization. It’s admittedly been difficult for the Colorado Springs branch of the DSA to organize in the conservative-leaning El Paso County in the successful way that deep-blue Denver has, according to Chauncy Johnson, a democratic socialist who has lost two recent bids for public office. Despite turbulence, local leaders say the chapter is growing and marching toward reaching its goals. As an intermittent card-carrying DSA member for three years, Johnson said he received assistance from the all-volu...
The American Dream still depends on rewarding hard work
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

The American Dream still depends on rewarding hard work

By Gabe Evans | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice When our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, they envisioned a nation that could stand the test of time. A United States of America that not only encouraged freedom and independent thought, but that structurally safeguarded it. They believed in a nation defined by liberty, opportunity, personal responsibility, and an enduring love of country.  Today, 250 years later, we are living the future they imagined.  Our nation is known globally as the land of opportunity, where the American Dream thrives and is achievable for anyone who has the resolve to pursue it. That sense of promise is deeply personal to my family and I, as it is what led my Abuelo Cuauhtemoc Chavez — who was born in Mexico — to ...
Who’s guiding Colorado’s Medicaid Commission? A closer look at the panel shaping future policy
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Who’s guiding Colorado’s Medicaid Commission? A closer look at the panel shaping future policy

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Meet the Medicaid Commission and their newly-hired advisor. Medicaid is a big line item in the state’s budget. It’s gotten so big, and eaten up so much of our state’s money, that our legislature has gathered up a commission. SB26-187 (linked first below) creates a (quoting from the bill summary): “… commission on Medicaid (commission) to develop recommendations regarding implementation of new federal Medicaid policy changes that go into effect in 2026, 2027, and 2028 and to support Coloradans impacted by those policy changes.” This commission will meet a few times and prepare a report to be used by the legislature in the 2027 session. Quoting from the bill’s fiscal note: “Between May 13, 2026, and December...
Who will shape Colorado’s 2030 census? Nonprofit funding raises questions
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Who will shape Colorado’s 2030 census? Nonprofit funding raises questions

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project And a nonprofit shall lead them.... The Sky Hi article linked first below details how the State of Colorado plans to get out there ahead of the 2030 census to make sure we get all the “hard to count” residents we can. The census is critically important to our state. So many things from political representation to federal money to state programs run off the data the census produces. It’s probably not a surprise, then, that the state wants to get out there and make sure we count as many people as possible. And as you can see by checking a nearby calendar, we’re starting early. These counting efforts are not new. I wrote a newsletter back in 2025 (see the second link below if you want the context), covering h...
Attorneys No Longer Required to Sign Immigration Certification in Colorado Courts
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Attorneys No Longer Required to Sign Immigration Certification in Colorado Courts

By Nico Brambila | Colorado Politics One year and 12 days. That’s how long a Colorado law requiring attorneys to certify they would not use court data for federal immigration enforcement remained on the books before lawmakers repealed it. Gov. Jared Polis signed the initial legislation, Senate Bill 25-276, on May 23, 2025. That legislation extended to the courts a law prohibiting disclosure of information for the purpose of assisting in federal immigration enforcement. The governor signed the modification to that law via House Bill 26-1276 on June 4. That modification exempted the Colorado courts’ e-filing system from the requirement that users certify they would not disclose information for the purpose of federal immigration enforcement. M...