Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Democrat Lawmakers

Enos: If parents can’t challenge books or protect embryos, who will?
Approved, Christian Home Educators of Colorado, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Enos: If parents can’t challenge books or protect embryos, who will?

By Colleen Enos | Commentary, Christian Home Educators of Colorado The majority in the Colorado General Assembly seems to have caught the attention of the Trump Administration. The U.S. Department of Education spokeswoman Julie Hartman told the Daily Signal that “Children do not belong to the government. They belong to parents.”  Then, on March 28th of this year, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon sent a letter to educators that included the following statement: “Under President Trump’s leadership, my Department will no longer passively accept school officials’ hostility to parental involvement. The Department stands with parents in exercising their rights to the full extent of the law.” This may be news to Colorado’s General Assembly. On April 21st, the Colorado House S...
Sanctuary showdown: Colorado Democrats pass bill while feds sue
Approved, kdvr.com, National, State

Sanctuary showdown: Colorado Democrats pass bill while feds sue

By Heather Willard | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado’s Democratic lawmakers are pushing ahead on immigration bills despite the U.S. Department of Justice filing a lawsuit Friday to challenge those laws. One of those measures, SB25-276, “Protect Civil Rights Immigration Status,” that lawmakers are pushing forward on, focuses on protecting civil rights and immigrant communities in Colorado and was passed by the House on Saturday after amendments were made. The vote was made along party lines, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed. The proposed measure includes a slew of actions that are designed to protect the civil rights of immigrants, including: Repealing the requirement for an affidavit stating that an undocumented person has applied for lawful presen...
Final week at the Capitol: Democrats target TABOR, transparency and immigration enforcement
Approved, DENVER7, State

Final week at the Capitol: Democrats target TABOR, transparency and immigration enforcement

By Brandon Richard | Denver7 DENVER — With under a week to go before they adjourn this year’s legislative session, Colorado lawmakers still have a lot of work ahead of them. Dozens of bills are still under consideration, including several controversial proposals. “It feels like 80% of the work happens in the last two weeks,” said State Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood. “Our budget was pretty late in being finalized, and so, nothing can really move until we know how much money we're working with, or in this case, how much money we're not working with.” Froelich is one of the primary sponsors of Senate Bill 25-161, which would reform the Regional Transportation District (RTD). The bill cleared its second-to-last vote in the Colorado House of Representatives on Thursday. “Th...
“Sitting on a powder keg”: Opponents slam SB25-276 for shielding illegal aliens, risking federal funds
Approved, CBS Colorado, State

“Sitting on a powder keg”: Opponents slam SB25-276 for shielding illegal aliens, risking federal funds

By Shaun Boyd | CBS News Colorado A bill aimed at protecting undocumented immigrants in Colorado has created a firestorm at the Colorado State Capitol. Supporters say it's about protecting the constitutional rights of everyone regardless of citizenship. Opponents, including Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell, say it would protect dangerous criminals. He says if the bill becomes law, his deputies will have to choose between enforcing state law and losing federal funding or enforcing federal law and facing thousands of dollars in fines. Mikesell says lawmakers are presenting a false narrative. "I want to dispel rumors and myths that really the legislators are presenting in testimony," he said. He says he has worked with federal immigration agents for nearly three decades and...
“Drawing the line”: School boards warn HB25-1312 oversteps on parental rights, brings policy chaos
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

“Drawing the line”: School boards warn HB25-1312 oversteps on parental rights, brings policy chaos

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Board members say the bill risks punishing parents, stripping local authority, and forcing schools into the middle of contentious custody battles More than 70 school board members and education leaders have signed a letter urging lawmakers to reject HB25-1312, also known as the Kelly Loving Act. Jason Jorgenson, secretary of the District 11 Board of Education and a lead organizer of the opposition letter, said HB25-1312 “risks encouraging youth to pursue a path of gender transition without appropriate parental involvement.” Andrea Haitz, president of the District 51 Board of Education, warned that the bill “risks placing schools in an even more precarious legal position, especially when parents disagree on matters like gender identity or p...
SB280 offers millions to tech giants—some say it’ll leave ratepayers holding the bill
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

SB280 offers millions to tech giants—some say it’ll leave ratepayers holding the bill

By Brian Eason | Colorado Sun With the help of generous corporate tax breaks, the state of Virginia has built up a data center industry that’s the envy of some Colorado lawmakers. The tax incentives helped bring Virginia over $9 billion in economic investments and some 75,000 jobs. In some communities, data centers make up as much as a third of the local tax base. But in the wake of a 2024 state audit detailing the growing environmental and financial costs for Virginia residents, public officials there have growing doubts over whether those jobs were worth the price. A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants Colorado to follow in the footsteps of states like Virginia that offer big tech companies a blanket sales tax exemption for data centers, the energy-hungry server far...
Montana governor urges gunmakers to ditch Colorado after new weapons ban
Approved, Fox News, National, State

Montana governor urges gunmakers to ditch Colorado after new weapons ban

By Alec Schemmel | Fox News FIRST ON FOX: GOP Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte is launching a video campaign to remind gun manufacturers in Colorado that if they move just a few hundred miles to the north, they can be free of one of the nation's most restrictive gun control bills signed into law earlier this month in their state. "Do you want to move back to America?" Gianforte is asking Colorado gunmakers, after Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed S.B. 25-003 into law earlier this month. The new law, which is slated to go into effect in August 2026, effectively bans the manufacture, sale or purchase of semi-automatic firearms that accept detachable magazines, which include most AR-15s and AK-47 rifles sold in the United States. Some tactical shotguns and a few select handguns wi...
Uber warns it may leave Colorado if new rideshare bill becomes law
Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Uber warns it may leave Colorado if new rideshare bill becomes law

By Marissa Ventrelli | Denver Gazette The largest rideshare company in the US says it will be forced to stop operations in Colorado if a bill that places certain regulations on transportation network companies becomes law.  House Bill 1291, sponsored by Reps. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, and Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, and Sens. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, would require rideshare companies to conduct background checks on drivers every six months and prohibit them from hiring applicants who have been convicted of crimes including domestic violence, stalking, and harassment. The bill also requires companies to investigate complaints about drivers within 72 hours. If the allegations are found to likely be true, they must deactivate the ...
Not political theater: Montrose federal intervention request grounded in Constitutional oath
Approved, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Not political theater: Montrose federal intervention request grounded in Constitutional oath

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice What does it mean to defend the Constitution? Two commissioners say this is what it looks like. On April 16, the Montrose County Board of County Commissioners voted 2–1 to send a formal Request for Federal Intervention to President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Commissioner Sue Hansen abstained.  The letter, authored by Commissioner Sean Pond and finalized with Chair Scott Mijares’ signature, argues that recent legislation passed by the Colorado General Assembly—particularly SB25-003—violates constitutional rights. The message does not call for military action or oversight. Instead, it asks national leaders to review Colorado laws, advocate for liberty and support rural coun...
Joondeph: Democrats are dying on the most unpopular hills in politics
American Thinker, Commentary, National, Top Stories

Joondeph: Democrats are dying on the most unpopular hills in politics

By Dr. Brian C. Joondeph | Commentary, American Thinker The phrase “the hill you choose to die on” is an expression meaning a belief, opinion, or position that one is fiercely committed to defending, even when it is impractical or contrary to one’s long-term goals. It suggests a willingness to fight or resist to the point of losing, rather than pivoting, conceding, or compromising. In the political world, most players lack conviction or principles. They are swayed by the political winds, the latest opinion polls, or the size of the most recent campaign contributions they receive. Their positions are primarily situational, influenced by their proximity to the next reelection bid or which Sunday morning talk show has invited them as guests. Democrats, finding themselves in the minor...