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Rushed or responsive? Home rule proposal catches Douglas County off guard
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Rushed or responsive? Home rule proposal catches Douglas County off guard

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff On March 25, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to initiate a nine-step process to become a home rule county. If approved, Douglas would join Weld and Pitkin as the only counties in Colorado with a home rule charter.  The vote, however, surprised many residents. A source reported to the Rocky Mountain Voice that the discussion of home rule barely met the 24-hour state meeting notice requirement before it was added to a Special Business Meeting agenda.  No town halls were held in advance, and no community survey was conducted.  Instead, residents learned about the plan the day before the vote. Douglas County announced the decision, stating, “Without Home Rule, the Colorado legislature determines both the...
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Phil Weiser puts politics over Constitution in legal war against President Trump
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Phil Weiser puts politics over Constitution in legal war against President Trump

By Rocky Mountain Voice Editorial Board Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is once again putting his progressive ideology ahead of the Constitution, launching a string of lawsuits aimed at blocking President Donald Trump’s executive orders—orders designed to restore law and order, secure the border, and protect minors from irreversible medical harm. In a recent feature by Yellow Scene Magazine, Weiser is portrayed as the liberal hero "fighting back" against Trump’s return to the White House. But to conservatives, Weiser’s efforts represent a dangerous misuse of taxpayer resources, with the AG acting more like a political activist than the state’s top law enforcement officer. Targeting Trump’s Common-Sense Policies From gender-neutral bathrooms in public schools to sanctuary ...
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Gaines: Colorado Democrats blew the budget and now they want your TABOR refunds
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Colorado Accountability Project, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Gaines: Colorado Democrats blew the budget and now they want your TABOR refunds

By Cory Gaines | Colorado Accountability Project Colorado Democrats made a hash of the state's finances, but they want YOU to pay to fix it. In this post I want to flesh out some of the many assaults on TABOR and fiscal responsibility the Democrats are cooking up for this legislative session. The previous two posts were all about financial problems in this state. Problems that arose from mismanagement of state rules and money. Problems that arose from out of control spending. Problems that arose from politicians not being willing to do what families are forced to do every single day: adjust their spending to their income and choose among priorities. In this final post of the series, I want to outline some of the ways in which Colorado Democrats--the party that has completely ru...
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Hancock: SB25-086 tramples the Constitution in the name of control
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Hancock: SB25-086 tramples the Constitution in the name of control

By Michael A. Hancock | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice How SB25-086 tramples the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments in the name of “user protection” In our political age where virtue signaling often masquerades as policymaking, Colorado Senate Bill 25-086, charmingly titled Protections for Users of Social Media, stands as a masterclass in misdirection. Behind its disarming language and so-called concern for user safety lies a deeply troubling expansion of government power—one that threatens to obliterate the digital boundary between individual freedom and state surveillance. Let me be frank: SB25-086 is not about protection—it’s about control. At the heart of the bill is a brazen and unconstitutional attempt to enlist private companies into a pseudo-judicial surveillan...
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Rewriting the rules: Wolves, federal reform and a lawsuit from rural Colorado
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Rewriting the rules: Wolves, federal reform and a lawsuit from rural Colorado

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Late last year, five wolves were airlifted from Oregon to Colorado under a plan voters narrowly approved—but few knew one of them came from a pack with a history of livestock attacks.  Fewer still knew the move may have violated federal law. At the center of the controversy is a growing belief that Colorado’s wolf reintroduction bypassed environmental law and public transparency.  And a federal lawsuit now threatens to unravel the entire plan. The lawsuit that could reset the rules The National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, is one of the country’s cornerstone environmental laws — meant to ensure that federal actions don’t proceed without full environmental review and public input.  But when...
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Rep. Gabe Evans to host telephone town hall Wednesday evening
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Rep. Gabe Evans to host telephone town hall Wednesday evening

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff Colorado Congressman Gabe Evans is inviting constituents from across the 8th Congressional District to participate in a telephone town hall on Wednesday, April 2 at 6:30 p.m. MT, offering a chance for voters to ask questions directly and hear updates from Washington. The event is part of Evans’ ongoing effort to maintain open lines of communication with the people he represents. According to his office, participants can register at this link, provide their phone number, and will receive a call promptly at 6:30 p.m. to join the conversation. During the call, Evans will take live questions from constituents, who can choose to speak directly or submit their questions to a moderator. Questions will be taken in real-time, and there is no option to submit t...
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Polis greenlights nuclear power as Colorado rejects “Green New Deal”
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Polis greenlights nuclear power as Colorado rejects “Green New Deal”

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff After years of progressive opposition to nuclear energy, Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed House Bill 25-1040 into law, officially recognizing nuclear power as part of the state’s clean energy portfolio.  The move—driven by bipartisan support and grassroots pressure—marks a turning point for Colorado’s energy future, and a long-overdue recognition that nuclear energy must be on the table to meet rising power demands and stabilize the grid. The new law adds nuclear energy to the list of technologies eligible for clean energy incentives and financing, aligning it with solar, wind, geothermal, and hydrogen. While HB1040 does not mandate nuclear projects, it opens the door for utilities and private companies to begin investing in advanced nucl...
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Cole: Colorado’s gender bills sideline parents and rush kids into harm
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Cole: Colorado’s gender bills sideline parents and rush kids into harm

By Shaina Cole | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice On Friday, March 28, Colorado legislators introduced House Bill 25-1309 and House Bill 25-1312, proposals crafted to safeguard transgender youth. Their aims are well-meaning: one mandates insurance coverage for gender-affirming treatments such as hormone therapy and surgeries, while the other anchors gender identity within custody law to protect vulnerable children.  Yet, beneath these noble intentions lies a troubling prospect—lasting harm to the very youth they seek to shield, coupled with an alarming shift of authority from parents to the state. Consider HB 25-1309, which compels insurance providers to fund gender-affirming care when deemed medically necessary. The goal is clear: ensure access for transgender youth. H...
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Education Department cracks down on schools that keep secrets from parents
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Education Department cracks down on schools that keep secrets from parents

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff The U.S. Department of Education under Secretary Linda McMahon has announced a sweeping effort to enforce existing federal laws that protect parental rights in public schools. The March 28 directive reaffirms parents' authority over their children’s education and mental health records—specifically targeting public school policies that have kept parents in the dark. The action revitalizes enforcement of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), two long-standing federal laws designed to guarantee that parents are the primary decision-makers in a child’s education and well-being. “The Trump Administration understands that the immense responsibility of raising children belongs to parents, n...
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Rahn: Trump’s election order restores faith in voting
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Rahn: Trump’s election order restores faith in voting

By Priscilla Rahn | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice As a Frederick Douglass Republican and former Vice Chair of the Colorado GOP, I’ve always believed that a fair and transparent electoral system is the foundation of our nation. President Trump’s recent executive order, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” addresses critical vulnerabilities in our election system—vulnerabilities that have eroded trust and threatened the integrity of our democracy.  This order provides much-needed reforms to secure our elections and ensure that every legitimate vote is counted fairly. The executive order covers a broad range of election reforms, not just voter ID laws. While voter ID is one component, it also tackles issues like voter eligibility, mail-in vot...
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