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Rep. Taggart appointed to serve on Joint Budget Committee in 75th Legislature
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Rep. Taggart appointed to serve on Joint Budget Committee in 75th Legislature

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Rep. Rick Taggart has been appointed to serve on the Joint Budget Committee as a representative of the Colorado House Republican caucus, House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese announced late Friday. The position is an appointment, she explained to members of the Republican caucus during Friday morning's elections. Pugliese had asked all interested persons in the position to contact her immediately. “Representative Taggart has been an exceptional advocate for the minority caucus and the taxpayers of Colorado,” Pugliese said. “With more than 30 years of executive leadership experience with major global brands and his pivotal role in diversifying the job market in Grand Junction, I have complete confidence in his continued service.” Taggert join...
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Evans campaign predicts victory in 8th District: “We are confident that Gabe will win”
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Evans campaign predicts victory in 8th District: “We are confident that Gabe will win”

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Gabe Evans is closing in fast on Democrat Yadira Caraveo, and his campaign believes he will pull out victory in the 8th District U.S. House race. A race the one-term U.S. representative Caraveo once led by a somewhat comfortable 1.59% margin has been closed to a 0.44% difference between Evans and Caraveo. As of late Friday, Evans trails by 1,321 votes. "With late ballots trending toward Gabe and with tens of thousands of uncounted ballots remaining across the district, we are confident that Gabe will win," said Alan Philp, a spokesperson for the Evans campaign. The Associated Press indicates 9.87% of the vote remains unreported. Caraveo holds 48.85% of the 297,106 votes in the race. Evans holds 48.41% of the vote. On Thursday, Evans nar...
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Pugliese elected House minority leader, Winter as assistant leader by Republicans
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Pugliese elected House minority leader, Winter as assistant leader by Republicans

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Rep. Rose Pugliese will again serve as Colorado House Minority Leader, following an unopposed election to the position Friday, Nov. 8. She will be joined in Republican House leadership by Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter, Minority Whip Ryan Armagost and Caucus Chair Anthony Hartsook. As the House Republican leader, Pugliese pledged to continue a practice of inclusion of all voices within the caucus from all areas of the state. "We have made decisions together," she said. "I think it is important to have each member of the caucus have a voice." Pugliese headed up a Republican caucus of 19 members in the 74th Legislative Session, and continues to hope a few yet to-be-decided races fall in Republicans' favor to give her more membership....
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AG Weiser’s challenge to Kroger-Albertsons merger awaiting Judge Luxen’s gavel
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

AG Weiser’s challenge to Kroger-Albertsons merger awaiting Judge Luxen’s gavel

By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice The $24.6 billion merger between Kroger and Albertsons is currently in legal limbo in Colorado. Following a lawsuit initiated by Attorney General Phil Weiser in February 2024, the state's grocery market's future hangs on Judge Luxen's upcoming decision.  Prior to trial, Weiser asserted, "In all events, the Kroger/Albertsons merger is bad for consumers, workers, farmers and communities." Kroger defended it as a way to lower prices, protect jobs and preserve competition. Attorney General Phil Weiser says the merger would "eliminate" competition between the two grocery giants." It would consolidate an already concentrated market. His lawsuit claims this would result in higher prices and reduced consumer choice. Kroger, however...
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In Grand Junction, City Council debates role in homeless solution, problem shelter
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Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

In Grand Junction, City Council debates role in homeless solution, problem shelter

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice After months of appealing to the Grand Junction City Council to do something about the criminal element that has worsened since the Homeless Day Center was located in their neighborhood, business owners and downtown residents are beginning to see progress. At the City Council workshop on Nov. 4,  Interim City manager Andrea Phillips told the Council that they had held meetings with the public as directed by Council two weeks ago, that there were approximately 45 people in attendance and all the people that came to the meeting wanted the Day Center closed immediately. She said their concerns were valid and that there were concerns generally related to the location of the Day Center. More specific concerns included safety for ...
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UPDATED: Colorado House Republicans to choose leadership Friday for 75th session via Zoom; House Dems election adds Zoom link
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

UPDATED: Colorado House Republicans to choose leadership Friday for 75th session via Zoom; House Dems election adds Zoom link

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice At least two new legislators will be selected Friday, Nov. 8, to Republican leadership when the Colorado House Republican Caucus convenes for leadership elections at 10 a.m. The election was to take place in the historic Old State Library at the Colorado State Capitol, but a winter storm caused leadership to announce a move to Zoom. You can join the meeting HERE. "We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding as we prioritize safety," the announcement from Colorado House Republicans reads. The elections set the minority party's leadership for the 75th General Assembly. Returning to the 75th General Assembly are Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter, Caucus Chair Mary Bradfield ...
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What a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate means for Americans
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National, Rocky Mountain Voice

What a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate means for Americans

By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Republicans held their first U.S. Senate majority from 1869-1871, after the Civil War. When the 119th Congress meets on Jan. 3, 2025, the seventh Republican Senate majority in history will get to work. With this Senate majority, President Trump will likely have the legislative support to enact his GOP platform without significant roadblocks. As Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kent., steps down, choosing his successor for the new majority is key. It will shape the Senate's direction. After being sworn in on Jan. 3, the next leader will be chosen. McConnell held a hearing this week to discuss election outcomes. He stressed that, by regaining the Senate, Republicans could "set the guardrails" on legislation. "One of the...
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Caraveo’s lead has declined by 0.83%, as Evans now behind by 2,096 votes
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Caraveo’s lead has declined by 0.83%, as Evans now behind by 2,096 votes

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice It is officially nearly two full days after the closing of polls on Election Night, but who the winner will be in Colorado's 8th District U.S. House race remains undecided. Republican challenger Gabe Evans presently trails Democrat Yadira Caraveo by 2,096 votes, less than one-tenth of 1% of all votes to have been counted in the district. In the past 24 hours, Caraveo's lead has gone from what could have been comfortably outside the criteria for a mandatory recount to nearing it. She leads Evans now by just 0.76%. Her lead was at 1.59% at one point on Wednesday, back when she had a 3,817-vote lead. An estimated 16.63% of votes in the race have not been reported, meaning there still could be considerable change. The 8th District is typically...
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Long after ‘the call’ there’s work being done in election offices across Colorado
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Long after ‘the call’ there’s work being done in election offices across Colorado

By BRIAN PORTER and JEN SCHUMANN | Rocky Mountain Voice When the polls close and enough ballots are counted on Election Night, voters are familiar with news agencies "calling" a winner in a race. "The call" is generally an estimation based on many factors, such as the percentage of votes counted against the anticipated total ballots cast, whether the margin is moving with each data release, if outstanding votes in a certain area might be a significant anomaly from the returned votes, and possibly a mathematical formula of what it may take to flip the race with the remaining outstanding votes. In other words, would a candidate with 35% of ballots remaining and only 20% of the vote need 90% of remaining ballots to favor him, a statistical improbability? Once all of those considerati...
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Western Slope SPEAR task force takes 28,500 illegal pills off the streets
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Western Slope SPEAR task force takes 28,500 illegal pills off the streets

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Members of a multi-jurisdictional task force, known as SPEAR (Special Problem Enforcement and Response Task Force), have intercepted 28,500 hydrocodone pills, with a street value of $285,000. Hydrocodone is an opiate that is classified as a schedule II drug under the Controlled Substance Act. According to Garfield Sheriff Lou Vallario, SPEAR received an alert from Mesa County law enforcement that a man, suspected by the DEA of multi-state crimes, was on Interstate 70 heading to Garfield County. Members of SPEAR were immediately activated and the suspect vehicle was located at the Bair Ranch rest area off I-70 exit 129 in Glenwood Canyon. When officers arrived at the Bair Ranch rest area, they found Robert Newman, a resident ...
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