Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Public safety

Ballot Measure 95 Gives Colorado Voters A Say on Sanctuary State Policies
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Commentary, State

Ballot Measure 95 Gives Colorado Voters A Say on Sanctuary State Policies

By The Gazette Editorial Board | Commentary, The Denver Gazette Shooting deaths in Minneapolis involving Immigration & Customs Enforcement’s operations have stirred strong opinions about what to do with illegal immigration in our state and across the country. Many Coloradans are against ICE’s operations in Minneapolis and elsewhere, including here in Colorado, under President Donald Trump and find them to be unwarranted and dangerous.  Many other Coloradans are in full support of Trump and ICE, believing it’s more than reasonable for the federal government to apprehend and deport people here illegally. Especially when they have committed crimes over and above entering the country illegally in the first place. In the midst of that heated debate, advocacy...
State Regulators Confront Fallout From Xcel’s Wildfire Power Shutdowns
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

State Regulators Confront Fallout From Xcel’s Wildfire Power Shutdowns

By Mark Jaffe | The Colorado Sun State utilities regulators collected testimony from 4,000 businesses, households with lifesaving medical equipment and the merely annoyed as they form rules for public safety power shut-offs. In December, Rainbow Schultz was preparing for Xcel Energy’s announced shutdown of power lines to cope with high winds since her restaurant — the Jamestown Mercantile — had lost $8,000 in the utility’s safety shut-off eight months earlier. Schultz was already reducing her supplies when she was told by Xcel Energy her town of 230 in western Boulder County would not be in the shut-off area and so she stocked up as usual.  Still when the 112-mile-per-hour gust of wind came Dec. 18, Schultz found herself in the dark wi...
Who is Rob Andrews? Questions grow around leadership, accountability and public trust
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, Local, Top Stories

Who is Rob Andrews? Questions grow around leadership, accountability and public trust

By Michael Hancock | Commentary, Undercurrent Substack Every election season, voters are introduced to a carefully curated version of the candidates seeking their trust. Titles are polished. Résumés are condensed. Claims are simplified into slogans. And too often, no one pauses to ask whether the story being told actually matches the public record. Think George Santos, the former New York Republican who was expelled from Congress for fabricating his background and misusing funds. Rob Andrews’ campaign narrative is a case in point. At a recent town hall, Andrews positioned himself as a metrics-driven CEO—a leader who builds organizations, measures outcomes, and delivers results. He emphasized his experience creating “several successful businesses,” presenti...
Sheriffs and prosecutors rally behind Michael Allen for attorney general, cite courtroom experience
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Sheriffs and prosecutors rally behind Michael Allen for attorney general, cite courtroom experience

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice A handful of sheriffs and district attorneys from different parts of the state have come out in support of Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen, today, as he campaigns for Colorado attorney general. The endorsements focus on his years spent in actual courtrooms prosecuting cases and the way he’s managed to cut back on some crimes in his district. The endorsements share his ideals of real trial experience, cracking down on offenders and keeping partisan battles out of the attorney general’s office. “I’m honored to earn the support of these respected law enforcement leaders and prosecutors who have dedicated their careers to public safety. They know what it takes to hold criminals accountable and keep ...
Police Arrest 13 After Anti-ICE Protest Turns Destructive in Maple Grove, MN
Fox News, Approved, National

Police Arrest 13 After Anti-ICE Protest Turns Destructive in Maple Grove, MN

By Adam Sabes | Fox News Several of the agitators arrested outside a Minnesota hotel where they believed Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino was staying have criminal records, with one arrestee openly embracing a "disrupt disturb resist" slogan on Instagram. The agitators were outside the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Maple Grove, Minnesota, on Monday night where they had thought Bovino was staying. Arrests were made after authorities said the demonstration was "no longer considered peaceful," and declared it an unlawful assembly. Maple Grove police said its officers were responding to reports of a protest at the hotel, adding that it escalated when agitators allegedly began damaging property and throwing objects at officers. Several people ...
Red Flag Law Expansion Clears First Senate Committee On Party-Line Vote
DENVER7, Approved, State

Red Flag Law Expansion Clears First Senate Committee On Party-Line Vote

By: Colette Bordelon | Denver7 Lawmakers voted along party lines after roughly four hours of passionate testimony from supporters and opponents. DENVER — On Tuesday evening, with a 3-2 vote along party lines, Colorado lawmakers advanced the first bill of the session that wrestles with the debate over gun violence prevention and the right to bear arms. The Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee heard roughly four hours of emotional — and at times, furious — testimony regarding Senate Bill 26-004 (SB26-004), which was introduced by State Senator Tom Sullivan, D — District 27. "My son, Alex, and 11 others were murdered in the Aurora theater massacre on July 20, 2012," Sullivan said. Sullivan's goal has been to ensure gun vi...
Mayor Johnston Promises Resistance if ICE Comes to Denver
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Mayor Johnston Promises Resistance if ICE Comes to Denver

By: Colette Bordelon | Denver7 In the wake of a deadly weekend in Minneapolis, Mayor Mike Johnston said he is prepared to fight back against federal immigration enforcement in Denver. DENVER — On Monday, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston outlined his goals for the city in 2026, which included safety, affordability, and climate resilience. However, before Johnston dove into what he wants to see in Denver this year, he addressed rising community fears sparked by two deadly federal enforcement encounters in Minneapolis, vowing to protect residents if ICE were to target Colorado. "This last weekend — which I know has been a hard one for many residents of Denver — I think, not just watching the heartbreak for Minneapolis, but the uncertainty and the fear that we know...
Rising Inmate Numbers Put Pressure On Colorado To Expand Prison System
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Rising Inmate Numbers Put Pressure On Colorado To Expand Prison System

By: Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' budget director, Mark Ferrandino, is sounding an alarm. He says the Colorado Department of Corrections is limiting new admissions as it reaches capacity, and the state needs to open a new facility to house a growing number of inmates. Ferrandino urged Colorado's Joint Budget Committee to approve funding for more beds in the short-term.  "We are going to get to a place, unless the forecasts significantly change, where we are going to need additional capacity," Ferrandino told the committee.  Ferrandino said the state has closed seven prisons over the last 15 years, as Colorado's prison population has dropped by nearly 6,000 inmates. But he says the population is now growing rapidly, and the state...
ICE Investigating Use of Death Symbol Cards Left in Vehicles After Colorado Detentions
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

ICE Investigating Use of Death Symbol Cards Left in Vehicles After Colorado Detentions

By Christa Swanson | CBS Colorado Immigration and Customs Enforcement has released a statement condemning the actions of those leaving ace of spades cards, or "death cards," in the vehicles of people detained in a county in Colorado's mountains. Immigration advocacy group Voces Unidas first reported the practice on Thursday, stating that the cards were left inside abandoned vehicles in Eagle County after the detainment of nine Latino community members this week. The cards feature an ace of spades with "ICE Denver Field Office" at the top of the card and the address and phone number of the ICE detention facility in Aurora on Oakland Street. They were later found by family members. Voces Unidas The practice of leaving an ace of spades as a calling card reportedly bega...
Colorado GOP Debates Strategy to Win Governor’s Seat After Two Decades of Losses
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado GOP Debates Strategy to Win Governor’s Seat After Two Decades of Losses

By: Thelma Grimes | Colorado Politics Colorado has not elected a Republican governor since 2002. On Thursday night, four candidates offered competing visions for how the party can reverse its 20-plus years of failing to secure the seat. The discussion hosted by the Women of Weld County touched on electability, affordability, housing, and how a Republican governor would work with the Trump administration. While 20 candidates are vying to win their party’s primary contest, only four attended the debate: Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, Joshua Griffin, Joe Oltmann and Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell. Colorado’s last Republican governor was Bill Owens. The state is now considered by many to be solidly blue. Gov. Jared Polis, the current governor, won reelection i...