Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: State News

Jefferson County Brothers Accused of Stealing $12 Million From Medicaid Program
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Jefferson County Brothers Accused of Stealing $12 Million From Medicaid Program

By: Matt Kyle | The Denver Gazette Two Jefferson County men have been indicted on a slew of charges alleging they fraudulently obtained $12 million from Medicaid. James Andrew Heath, 33 and Jared Parker Heath, 37, were indicted on June 12 in Denver District Court. They are accused of defrauding Colorado’s Medicaid optical program by falsely billing Medicaid for glasses and other materials through their business QuickSpex LLC, according to a news release from Attorney General Phil Weiser. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Colorado Man Charged in Alleged Medicaid Kickback Scheme at Adult Daycare
kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Colorado Man Charged in Alleged Medicaid Kickback Scheme at Adult Daycare

By Adam Rosen | KDVR DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado man faces 12 charges relating to a Medicaid fraud scheme concerning an Arapahoe County adult daycare center, according to a pair of releases. Attorney General Phil Weiser and Peter McNeilly, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, announced that Mohamed Elias Omer faces 12 counts of offering and paying illegal remuneration, or illegal kickbacks, to convince Medicaid beneficiaries to attend Nadina Adult Daycare Center LLC. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT KDVR
Colorado’s July Laws Reshape Firearm Sales and Wildfire Insurance Rules
kdvr.com, Approved, State

Colorado’s July Laws Reshape Firearm Sales and Wildfire Insurance Rules

By Maddie Rhodes | KDVR DENVER (KDVR) — Several Colorado laws are set to go into effect starting in July. While Colorado laws get passed all the time, the effective date is sometimes delayed to make sure people have time to comply with the law before there are penalties. Usually, several laws go into effect in January at the start of the year and in July, just past the halfway point of the year. In January, laws surrounding gun show requirements and deceptive pricing practices went into effect. Now, laws including the sale of firearm ammunition and property insurance policies are going into effect on July 1. Colorado laws going into effect Here are some of the laws going into effect: New requirements for sale of firearm ammunition House...
Colorado Governor Candidate Victor Marx Ordered to Return Excess Campaign Donations
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado Governor Candidate Victor Marx Ordered to Return Excess Campaign Donations

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Victor Marx often points to his prolific fundraising as proof he's the undisputed frontrunner in the race for governor of Colorado. He's also a political enigma as a first-time candidate, with no statewide name recognition, who has participated in just one debate, and yet has raised more than his two Republican opponents combined. It's something that just didn't sit right with Darcy Schoening, who has worked for the Colorado Republican Party and run for office herself. "I don't really have a dog in this fight. I just started investigating Victor Marx because I thought the public needed to know who he is," she said. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
DOC Lifts Statewide Visitation Ban At Most Facilities Following Deadly Prison Incident
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

DOC Lifts Statewide Visitation Ban At Most Facilities Following Deadly Prison Incident

By Jesse Sarles | CBS Colorado The Colorado Department of Corrections has lifted its suspension on visitations at all facilities statewide except one after a 27-year-old inmate and a 59-year-old inmate were killed and another was injured in an incident over the weekend at a southern Colorado prison. DOC spokesperson Alondra Gonzalez said the violent incident happened on Saturday in Las Animas at the Bent County Correctional Facility. No staff members were hurt. A lockdown was enacted right away. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
Denver Public Schools Grows Bureaucracy While Student Population Declines
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Public Schools Grows Bureaucracy While Student Population Declines

By: Nicole C. Brambila | The Denver Gazette Meanwhile, the district employs 262 fewer teachers compared to 5 years ago. Denver Public Schools (DPS) has operated with thousands fewer students than its peak enrollment in 2019 but it has grown its administrative ranks back to nearly their pre-pandemic level, a Denver Gazette analysis of state staffing data shows. This finding mirrors a statewide trend identified in a report by the Common Sense Institute (CSI) that found Colorado school districts continued to grow their administrative staff despite declining student enrollment. In the past five years, districts across the state have added more than 250 administrators, a 13.1% increase, according to CSI. State data shows Colorado has lost more than...
Polis Signs New Law Allowing Lawsuits Against Licensed Counselors Despite Free Speech Concerns
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Polis Signs New Law Allowing Lawsuits Against Licensed Counselors Despite Free Speech Concerns

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed a bill enabling individuals who underwent “conversion therapy” to seek damages from practitioners, calling it harmful and ineffective as he also moved to prohibit state funding for it. Conversion therapy refers to practices that attempt to counsel people on their choices of sexual orientation or gender identity. Critics argue that these efforts are ineffective and can cause harm, while supporters contend that decisions about participating in such practices should be left to families. House Bill 1322 — sponsored by Reps. Alex Valdez, D‑Denver, and Karen McCormick, D‑Hygiene, along with Sens. Lisa Cutter, D‑Evergreen, and Kyle Mullica, D‑Thornton — would allow individuals to bring civil claim...
Colorado Drivers Face $75 Tickets Under Expanded Automated Speed Enforcement
MotorBiscuit, Approved, State

Colorado Drivers Face $75 Tickets Under Expanded Automated Speed Enforcement

By Saajan Jogia | MotorBiscuit While you must not speed on public roads, even if you do, Colorado’s new automated vehicle ID system (AVIS) will track your average speed and send you a ticket if it exceeds 10 mph. This renders a speed-camera-tracking app on your smartphone useless, as the new system works in a very different way. According to a report by Motor1, AVIS is being used only on certain roads and highways in Colorado, but since it uses your average speed and not the speed recorded at one particular spot, it could be more accurate, meaning motorists with a heavy foot will have to be wary of this system. How Does AVIS Work? AVIS uses not one but multiple cameras to calculate a car’s average speed at different intervals. That means on a long stretch o...
Tina Peters Cleared In Prison Assault Case After January Scuffle
Colorado Public Radio, Approved, State

Tina Peters Cleared In Prison Assault Case After January Scuffle

By Ava Kian | CPR News Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who is currently serving a nine-year sentence for her role in tampering with Mesa County’s election equipment in search of election fraud, was found not guilty of assault after shoving another inmate last January in state prison. She was found guilty for the lesser charge of “unauthorized absence” after being in a restricted area where she was not assigned, Corrections Department spokeswoman Alondra Gonzalez-Garcia said. It’s not a criminal charge, but instead an internal process used to address behavior. Gonzalez-Garcia said the determination was after reviewing evidence, including video footage, medical anatomical forms for both inmates involved, and witness testimony. One of Peter’s attorn...
Report Ties Colorado’s Fentanyl Death Surge To Weaker Drug Laws
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Report Ties Colorado’s Fentanyl Death Surge To Weaker Drug Laws

By Jacob Mauk | Colorado Politics Overdose deaths from opioids rose in Colorado, diverging from the national trend, which has been decreasing, according to a new study from a think tank. In its new report, the Common Sense Institute said synthetic opioid overdose deaths in Colorado have grown by 17% since November 2024, the third-fastest growth rate in the country. The only states with higher spike rates are Arizona and New Mexico, according to the report. If Colorado had followed the national trend, some 1,600 lives could have been saved, the study said, adding the opioid deaths represented a cost of roughly $18.3 billion. “While this number does not encompass the entire value of human life, it does indicate that lives lost due to fentanyl and other opioids red...