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Sloan: RFK Jr.’s Trump endorsement redefines the Kennedy legacy
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Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

Sloan: RFK Jr.’s Trump endorsement redefines the Kennedy legacy

By KELLY SLOAN | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice We have discovered, over these last few months, that even the surname “Kennedy” is no longer adequate insulation against the ire of the current Democratic Party. Stalwart party loyalists and an unsympathetic media never much cared for Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s quixotic attempt to unseat President Biden anyway, but his withdrawal from the race and subsequent endorsement of Donald Trump proved almost too much for some of the more hysteria-prone out there. Lawrence O’Donnell, never one for sober analysis or circumspection, called RFK jr. “the Jeffery Dahmer of the animal kingdom” – presumably a reference to his propensity for dumping dead bears in Central Park and cutting up whale carcasses for ease of transport, an activity which has evide...
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Some counties did not lower levies as assessments increased, gouging taxpayers, Rep. Taggart says
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Some counties did not lower levies as assessments increased, gouging taxpayers, Rep. Taggart says

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice The reason lawmakers in the 74th General Assembly are back in session boils down to one reason, Republican Rep. Rick Taggart says. Some county governments did not adjust their mill levies while property owners received assessment increases in a double-whammy. "I understand they are concerned, but they had a windfall and could have helped our taxpayers by adjusting their mill levies," Taggart said. "Quite honestly, had they done that we probably wouldn't be here today. [Amendment] 50 and [Prop.] 108 probably wouldn't exist. That's the reason why we are here." He used two counties as examples of the gouging taxpayers have faced. "Adams County had additional revenues of $288 million. That's an increase of 23.3%," Taggart said. "In my caree...
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Special session ‘robbing the taxpayers of their money’ caused by deception on Gallagher repeal, Rep. Bradley says
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Special session ‘robbing the taxpayers of their money’ caused by deception on Gallagher repeal, Rep. Bradley says

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice It is simply Day 2 of the 74th General Assembly's special session, but it has already become contentious. Take, for instance, the mere mention of the Gallagher Amendment by Douglas County Republican Rep. Brandi Bradley. "This body deceived the people and here we are five years later without property tax relief," she said. That deception, she says, was the repeal of the Gallagher Amendment in 2020. It set forth property tax guidelines for the state for 38 years, but was undone in 2020 by voters. "The voters voted out Gallagher," countered Democrat Rep. Marc Snyder. "Voters did vote out Gallagher in the misplaced trust that it would be replaced," said Republican Rep. Ken DeGraaf. So, for the second time in 10 months, lawmakers have ...
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‘DEVASTATED’, the story of fentanyl in Colorado, will be shown Thursday in Fort Morgan
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘DEVASTATED’, the story of fentanyl in Colorado, will be shown Thursday in Fort Morgan

By DRAKE HUNTER | Rocky Mountain Voice The equivalent of a capacity school bus is killed each week by fentanyl, making the drug the leading cause of death for those ages 18 to 45 in America. It has been termed by the Drug Enforcement Administration as the "deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced." The story of fentanyl in Colorado, as told by the movie DEVASTATED, has been shown for the second time in Morgan County on the Eastern Plains this week. DEVASTATED delves into the stories of parents who have lost children to the drug, with members of law enforcement, addicts, dealers, politicians and the medical community participating in the movie. "The fentanyl issue is not only an epidemic issue statewide, but it is a monster in our own backyard affecting every aspect of o...
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Rep. Holtorf offers cattle class 101 to ‘city slickers’ in special session tax discussion
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Rep. Holtorf offers cattle class 101 to ‘city slickers’ in special session tax discussion

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice What is the impact of rising taxation on a cattle ranch or agricultural operation? That's what Eastern Colorado rancher Richard Holtorf asked what he termed "city slickers" in the Colorado Legislature to consider Tuesday as he offered a master's class in the costly prospects of cattle-raising, while perhaps straying from the topic at hand. "To run cattle, you have to have grassland," Rep. Holtorf said. "To have grassland, you have to own or lease grassland. There is a property tax element to that." In Eastern Colorado where Holtorf ranches, many cattle raisers and agriculture producers work on 640-acre "sections" of land or larger. The land is dry and most cattle raisers restrict grazing to no more than a head per 15 acres, or supplement w...
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Liberty Scorecard releases six position points to guide lawmakers in special session
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Liberty Scorecard releases six position points to guide lawmakers in special session

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Members of the 74th General Assembly are not the only ones working overtime during a special session called by Gov. Jared Polis. So is Liberty Scorecard Colorado. The team behind Liberty Scorecard has released six position points to guide the special session, after review of bills proposed for the session's single focus of property tax relief. The House and Senate convened the special session Monday, with Democrat House Speaker Julie McCluskie lamenting two special sessions and a regular session all within about 10 months. "When we concluded our regular session in May, we came together and delivered a bipartisan property tax bill that reduced rates, capped growth and permanently fixed our antiquated property tax system," she said. "It was ...
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‘Their property taxes have gone up exponentially’: Rose Pugliese addresses Mighty 19 in opening of special session
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘Their property taxes have gone up exponentially’: Rose Pugliese addresses Mighty 19 in opening of special session

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice When the second regular session of Colorado's 74th General Assembly closed earlier this year, lawmakers believed they had reached consensus on a property tax plan. Senate Bill 24-233, led by Republican prime sponsors Rep. Lisa Frizell and Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, cleared the House with about two-thirds of Republicans supporting the bill and just two Republicans in the Senate opposed. Then a pair of citizen initiatives on the subject earned enough support to reach the fall ballot and lead Gov. Jared Polis to call a special session on property tax. That special session opened Monday, with many on the political right opposed to the deal that allowed for the special session to be called. "We did good work [with SB 24-233]," said House Minority Lea...
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First bills of special session released by sponsors, including five by Republicans
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

First bills of special session released by sponsors, including five by Republicans

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice Nine bills in the Colorado House and two more in the Colorado Senate are set to be introduced in the special session of the 74th General Assembly, along with others which have not been pre-released. The special session, called by Gov. Jared Polis, opened at 10 a.m. Monday. The special session has a singular purpose to address property tax in an effort for lawmakers to avoid citizen-led Prop. 108 and Constitutional Amendment 50 from reaching the ballot. Following is a glance at the Republican bills set to be introduced: Senate Bill 24B-0009, by Republican Sens. Mark Baisley and Kevin Van Winkle, would require the property tax levy of a special taxing district to be calculated by dividing the actual value of the property by the total actual ...
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Grice: The last person in the room caused this nightmare in America
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Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

Grice: The last person in the room caused this nightmare in America

By Rick Grice | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice For three-plus years now, a constant topic of conversation among most sentient observers of the American political scene has been, “Who do you really think is actually running the White House?”  Susan Rice? Barack Obama? Lately, Jill Biden?  Who?  I know that in countless conversations I’ve had during the Biden-Harris presidency, that very question has come up repeatedly. Now we know the answer: Kamala Harris.  She has boasted that for every major decision made during the Biden-Harris regime, she was the last person in the room.  Whether or not one believes that assertion, she claimed it so she must, without exception, be held to it.  Therefore, she signed onto, and by inference, agreed with every disas...
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Republicans oust leadership in meeting Chair Williams calls ‘fraudulent’
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Republicans oust leadership in meeting Chair Williams calls ‘fraudulent’

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice BRIGHTON -- About 77 Republicans and another 105 by proxy gathered at a church here for the second time in a month Saturday to decide the future leadership of the party. At issue for some was the leadership of Chairman Dave Williams, along with Vice Chairwoman Hope Scheppelman and Secretary Anna Ferguson. In decisions which are sure to be disputed by others in the party and certainly its leadership, all three elected leaders were taken out by the faction and replaced by well-known rivals of Williams during what his allies have termed a "so-called" meeting that is "illegal". Michael Allen, the 4th Judicial District attorney, accused Williams of attacking other Republicans, abuse of position to divert party funds to his personal campaign and...
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