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Bill to provide ranchers confidentiality in reporting of wolf depredation losses sailing through legislature
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Bill to provide ranchers confidentiality in reporting of wolf depredation losses sailing through legislature

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice Relief from a state reporting requirement on ranchers most impacted by the reintroduction of wolves could soon be on its way. Senate Bill 25-038, introduced in the Senate by Western Slope Sens. Marc Catlin and Dylan Roberts, requires the confidentiality of personal information for anyone filing a claim related to wolf depredation or other damages. It sailed out of the House's Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee this week on a 13-0 vote and passed second reading on the House floor by voice vote. The bill earned a rare 35-0 vote of support in the Senate, before advancing to the House. When a new batch of wolves were released in the state earlier this year, it was done so with secrecy, Republican Rep. Ty Winter notes. "We thi...
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Garbo: An open letter to RINO Watch Colorado — my self-nomination
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Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Garbo: An open letter to RINO Watch Colorado — my self-nomination

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice To the courageous, yet anonymous, arbiters of Republicanism at RINO Watch Colorado: I am writing to self-nominate to RINO Watch Colorado — not as a concession to any purity test, but as a challenge to this misguided and fruitless crusade. I do so as a strong grassroots conservative in Colorado, unwavering in my commitment to the U.S. Constitution, to limited government, to the fundamental liberties enshrined in our Bill of Rights, and to the preservation of the values that made this nation great. If believing that the Republican Party must grow stronger by educating, inspiring and persuading — not by shunning, purging and dividing — makes me a RINO, then I must self-nominate. As a Colorado native, I have lived, b...
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‘Jurassic Park’ alarm systems debated in HB 1060 reading on House floor
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘Jurassic Park’ alarm systems debated in HB 1060 reading on House floor

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice Some private property owners are turning back the clock to install 19th century alarms, and a bill in the state legislature aims to define the practice. House Bill 25-1060, by Delta County Republican Rep. Matt Soper and Arapahoe County Democrat Rep. Chad Clifford, seeks a uniform definition of an electronic fence detection system which can cause an alarm to signal a property owner or others, a flashback to the ADT of yesteryear. "These things look like Jurassic Park," Clifford said. "It is an alarm system that goes all the way back to the 1800s." But some find the bill to be an overreach, like Republican Rep. Dan Woog, who was among the opposition in the House's Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee. The measure advanced...
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Rep. Weinberg asks ‘Why do we need a bill?’ during reading of HB 1226
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Rep. Weinberg asks ‘Why do we need a bill?’ during reading of HB 1226

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice As House Democrats were slamming one bill after another through on readings Thursday, Larimer Republican Rep. Ron Weinberg wanted to know why one of them was a bill on the floor at all. "If we want this on the agenda, why don't we put this on the agenda?" he asked. "Why do we need a bill?" His concerns were related to House Bill 25-1226, which would instruct the state's health care review interim committee to study billing practices. The bill, by Morgan County Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson, cleared the House's Health & Human Services Committee on an 8-4 vote, splitting Republican support on the committee. Johnson responded the bill was necessary to have the issue as part of the health care review agenda. "I've heard stories of peopl...
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Severance Chief Ken Chavez honored in House for combined 81 years in law enforcement, military
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Severance Chief Ken Chavez honored in House for combined 81 years in law enforcement, military

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice A man who has a combined 81 years experience in law enforcement and the military was honored Thursday on the floor of the Colorado House. Ken Chavez, who serves as the Severance police chief, was noted by Republican Reps. Ryan Armagost and Lori Garcia Sander. "Thank you for your many years of dedication to safety in Colorado," Garcia Sander said, noting he had opened a "debt-free new police department" in Severance. For 45 years, Chavez has worked in law enforcement. "In that time, he also served 36 years and retired as a colonel in the National Guard," Armagost said, noting he had served with special forces in Colorado. Chavez also served with Denver and Severence SWAT units. "He's had a very highly decorated career," Armagost said....
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Western Slope officials supporting the nuclear option for energy
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Western Slope officials supporting the nuclear option for energy

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Jump started in the past year by Gov. Jared Polis’ clean energy mandate and the imminent closing of the Craig Station Power Station, local governments have been studying new technologies — such as small modular nuclear generation and technologies that allow spent nuclear fuel to be recycled and repurposed. In consideration of lost jobs and lost revenue to counties that will devastate historical fossil fuel energy counties, and seeing the increase in energy demands in the future related to AI technologies, data centers, semiconductor industries and quantum technology, local governments are working to keep those communities in their jurisdictions employed and electrified. Elected officials that make up the members of the ...
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Black belt, Army career prepared Rep. Hartsook for the fight under the Golden Dome
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Black belt, Army career prepared Rep. Hartsook for the fight under the Golden Dome

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice He holds a black belt in judo and has a knack for spotting nonsense. Douglas County Republican Rep. Anthony Hartsook has the background of an Army veteran and the ability to take on "fees" — what Republicans call taxes — with calm precision, and sometimes a grin. You could say he stands out in the capitol's chaos. A sixth-degree black belt since his teens, he’s built for focus. “I’ve been doing judo since I was a teenager,” he says. That’s years of flipping foes and dodging blows. Now he’s sidestepping political traps.  Sometimes he cracks a smile about it.  “I’ve commented that we should put boxing gloves on down in the well [the speaking podium on the floor]. And just go, ‘Last guy standing, bill passes,’”...
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Sen. Lisa Frizell, announcing she has been diagnosed with breast cancer, pledges to fight for her health and district
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Sen. Lisa Frizell, announcing she has been diagnosed with breast cancer, pledges to fight for her health and district

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice Douglas County Republican Sen. Lisa Frizell has joined the ranks of the more than 5,000 Coloradans who annually receive a breast cancer diagnosis, she told members of the Colorado Senate on Wednesday. "I'm a really, really private person, and I don't share this information lightly," Frizell said. Her cancer was caught through a routine screening, she said. "I have a heart of gratitude that my cancer has been caught early," Frizell said, encouraging those in the chamber and others throughout Colorado to "get a mammogram every year. Do it even though it is inconvenient and intrusive. Do it because it can save your life." The decision to publicly announce her diagnosis stemmed from a desire for transparency with her constituents in Colorad...
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In 75th Legislative Session of extreme anti-gun bills, there are a few bills gun owners can get behind
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

In 75th Legislative Session of extreme anti-gun bills, there are a few bills gun owners can get behind

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice A swing for the fence by Republican Rep. Ron Weinberg to affirm the Second Amendment rights of Coloradans in law was killed this week in committee, but even Mickey Mantle struck out once in every five at-bats. House Bill 25-1164, the constitutional carry bill by Weinberg, was killed by the House's State, Civic, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee on a party-line, 8-3, vote Monday. It was supported by Republican Reps. Scott Bottoms, Brandi Bradley and Stephanie Luck. There are 29 states with constitutional carry laws. The bill would have simply allowed anyone who can legally possess a firearm to be unrestricted from doing so by the state, or at least as unrestricted as anyone with a concealed-carry permit. The measure would have repealed...
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In plea to free-spending lawmakers, Minority Leader Lundeen advises of ‘clear and present danger’
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

In plea to free-spending lawmakers, Minority Leader Lundeen advises of ‘clear and present danger’

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice In his William B. Travis moment Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen symbolically drew a line in the sand and asked members of both legislative chambers to join him in a cessation of out-of-control spending. "We have a clear and present danger," Lundeen said. The state faces a budget deficit of more than $1 billion, but bills continue to flow through both chambers with tens and hundreds of thousands in spending requests, and more. One of those is Senate Bill 25-024, which he identified as a worthwhile cause, but one he could not support. The bill asks for an estimated $3.9 million in first-year spending and the addition of 24.9 full-time equivalent employees in the state's judiciary and public defender offices. In the second year...
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