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Colorado’s quiet transformation leaves working communities behind
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado’s quiet transformation leaves working communities behind

By Scott James | Commentary, Scott K. James I am sounding the alarm on the quiet erosion of Colorado’s values, warning of a top-down agenda that’s silencing everyday citizens. Not the Colorado of glossy tourism ads and climate conferences. The real Colorado. The one where: Kids worked ranches and feedlots, not “sustainability internships.” You and I went to Northeastern Junior College, Aims, CSU, UNC, CU – not Cornell, Yale, or Harvard – and that was good, solid, honest. We measured a person by whether they showed up and worked, not by what panel they spoke on. A neighbor expanding his cow–calf operation was a reason to crack a beer, not a reason to clutch pearls about “emissions.” Colorado used to be: Free. Pragmatic. Op...
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SMART Act hearings offer rare oversight of Colorado state agencies
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

SMART Act hearings offer rare oversight of Colorado state agencies

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project SMART act: speak up at state department/division hearings The Colorado SMART act (see the first link below for the bill) is the formalism by how our state legislature provides oversight of various governmental agencies. Reading through the bill makes me nod with approval while at the same time pegging my scoff meter. What I mean is that the language is lofty, and I’m not sure how much genuine oversight happens. The good news is that (regardless of the effectiveness of the oversight) a SMART act hearing is your chance to speak up if you have comment about a particular department or division of a department. I will use the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee as my example for this ...
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Colorado’s systems have failed Tina Peters again and again
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Colorado’s systems have failed Tina Peters again and again

By RMV Editorial Board On December 8, 2025, three events collided in Colorado that no honest observer can dismiss as coincidence. A federal judge dismissed Tina Peters’ habeas corpus petition, admitting she raised “important constitutional questions” about whether a state court punished her for her speech, then refused to consider those questions because of the Younger doctrine. Hours later, Colorado’s Department of Corrections moved Peters into Isolation Detention Observation: twenty-two hours a day in a concrete cell, lights on around the clock, no yard time and a single explanation—“this is for your safety.”  That same afternoon, the United States Department of Justice opened a civil-rights investigation into Colorado’s prisons and youth facilities, citing po...
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Colorado’s Agricultural Economy Depends on Affordable, Reliable Energy
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Colorado’s Agricultural Economy Depends on Affordable, Reliable Energy

By Matthew Gonzales | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado’s agricultural industry is one of the state’s greatest economic drivers. With more than 195,000 jobs and roughly $47 billion in economic output each year, it not only feeds the state - it feeds the region and beyond. And like any industry built on tight margins and year-round operations, it depends on one thing to stay competitive: affordable, reliable energy.  That’s why the role of natural gas in Colorado deserves more attention in statewide energy discussions. Natural gas powers irrigation equipment, heats greenhouses, dries grain, and keeps storage and food processing facilities running. It’s the backbone of the infrastructure that gets food from farm to table.  And that energy cost doesn’t stay in the field...
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One window for public input: PUC delays all gas-case comments until January 14
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Approved, Colorado Accountability Project, Commentary, State

One window for public input: PUC delays all gas-case comments until January 14

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Save your comment for the PUC til January I have to fix an earlier goof. In an earlier newsletter (see the first link below), I invited people to sign up for the Dec 10th PUC meeting to speak about their recent natural gas decision. I have since learned that if you are planning on speaking to the PUC on the 10th, you are not allowed to speak about this particular issue. Before talking about why, let me first remind you (and encourage you) to save your comments for January. You should still have the opportunity to speak up January 14th virtually, so I encourage you to do so. Details on how to sign up for that meeting will be forthcoming along with my prepared testimony on or about January 10th. Returning to the pres...
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Colorado Progressive Tax Plan Advances Seeking End to Flat Tax and TABOR Limits
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Approved, Complete Colorado, State

Colorado Progressive Tax Plan Advances Seeking End to Flat Tax and TABOR Limits

By Sherrie Peif | Complete Colorado DENVER — After years of voter-approved measures scaling back Colorado’s income tax rate, proponents of significantly higher government spending have cleared a major hurdle at the state Title Board towards raising taxes by $4.1 billion annually.   Proposed Initiative #181 would replace Colorado’s flat income tax with a so-called “progressive” tax where taxpayers are charged higher rates based on their income.   The initiative is being put forth by the Bell Policy Center, a progressive nonprofit led by former Colorado state rep. Chris deGruy Kennedy, who while in office advocated multiple times for such things as reducing refunds under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) and universal healthcare. The Title Board gave the green light to move forw...
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Colorado Courts Deliver Split Decisions on TABOR in 2025
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Complete Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado Courts Deliver Split Decisions on TABOR in 2025

By Rob Natelson | Commentary, Complete Colorado During 2025, Colorado appellate courts issued two important decisions construing the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR. One continued the judiciary’s long practice of defeating and weakening TABOR. The other decision, however, was a rare victory for Colorado taxpayers. Background The Colorado Constitution, like the charters of almost all other states, includes terms restricting public debt, taxes, and spending. Such terms are called “tax and expenditure limitations” or “TELs.” State constitution-writers started to insert TELs during the mid 19th century, after several states went bankrupt from overspending. This helps explain why the Colorado Constitution, as adopted in 1876, included some very strict TEL...
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Secretary Griswold’s Reckless Assault on Election Integrity
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Secretary Griswold’s Reckless Assault on Election Integrity

By Michael J Badagliacco, “MJB” | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold's recent statement rejecting the U.S. Department of Justice's request for voter registration data is not just misguided; it is a blatant act of partisan obstruction that undermines the very foundation of the American Republic. By declaring that the DOJ "can take a hike" and lacks any "legal right" to this information, Griswold has elevated political theater over her sworn duty to uphold federal law. Her rhetoric, laced with unfounded accusations of election subversion, dismisses a straightforward federal effort to verify citizenship and ensure only eligible Americans vote. This is not about "sensitive" data or federal overreach. It is about enforcing the law to p...
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Caught between two governments: Whistleblower says Colorado’s DEI system collides with a federal ban
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Caught between two governments: Whistleblower says Colorado’s DEI system collides with a federal ban

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice When managers in the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) logged into their Nov. 6 virtual meeting, the agenda read like a standard operational update. But on the list sat two items that created angst: the statewide EDI/Colorado for All report due in December and the launch of a 2026 Inclusive Leadership cohort.  Those initiatives, part of Colorado’s expanding equity and inclusion system, set the stage for a clash with a different set of requirements now coming from D.C. The moment in the meeting Rich Guggenheim, the program manager who oversees plant certification inspections for Colorado’s nursery and seed industries, signs off on several USDA pest survey grants. When Inclusive Leadership came up, he ...
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A fee by any other name? Colorado’s climate charge faces a constitutional reckoning
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

A fee by any other name? Colorado’s climate charge faces a constitutional reckoning

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado’s climate fee law, SB24-230, is now at the center of a constitutional fight, but the lawmakers and advocacy groups that once championed its goals have offered no explanation as the legal questions mount. SB24-230 took effect in July and is expected to pull in more than $175 million next year from oil and gas producers. Lawmakers insist those charges are "remediation fees," meant to cover environmental damage they say comes from drilling. Advance Colorado views the structure differently. Executive Vice President Kristi Burton Brown stated, “That’s not the standard. A real ‘fee’ has to fund a service being received by the person paying. ‘Fees’ are not designed to be penalties for industries the state doesn’t favor, and no ...
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