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Republican Hartsook and Democrat Nilemo talk housing, crime, presidential preference in HD44
coloradopolitics.com, State

Republican Hartsook and Democrat Nilemo talk housing, crime, presidential preference in HD44

By Iris Pixler | Colorado Politics In House District 44 for the Colorado General Assembly, Republican Anthony Hartsook looks to continue his work by being elected to a second term, while Democratic opponent Alyssa Nilemo aims to win the newly redrawn district this November. No matter who wins, both candidates face a shifting political landscape in Douglas County and continued rapid growth. At first glance, you might think they have little in common. Still, Hartsook and Nilemo are fighting to represent the new district encompassing Parker, Stonegate, Sierra Ridge, Meridian Village, and Stepping Stone in Douglas County. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
Caldara: Colorado’s political future under Proposition 131
Commentary, completecolorado.com, State

Caldara: Colorado’s political future under Proposition 131

By Jon Caldara | Commentary, Complete Colorado Out of the 14 statewide ballot questions, which by the way ties the record, it’s Proposition 131 that would bring the most political change and disruption with its jungle primaries and ranked-choice voting general elections. Assuming voter fatigue doesn’t keep voters from reaching this down-ballot issue, it’s the last of the statewide questions, it should pass. This is a prediction not an endorsement. It will pass because of its more than $15 million in funding, and because there is no effective or funded campaign against it, and generally voters are frustrated with both major parties. READ THE FULL STORY AT COMPLETE COLORADO Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not neces...
Ganahl: Exposing Colorado’s election failures, how citizen pressure uncovered what officials tried to hide
Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Ganahl: Exposing Colorado’s election failures, how citizen pressure uncovered what officials tried to hide

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice During my run as the GOP Nominee for Governor in 2022, I talked to voters acrossColorado that didn’t trust our elections. 25% of Republicans didn’t vote. After the race, Idecided to dig in and see if I could find a way to restore trust for voters in the process. A month ago, I held a press conference to announce the results of that two-yearinvestigation backed by a dedicated team of researchers. We reported that we foundshocking gaps in our so-called “gold standard” elections.  Watch it here. Over 20 well-coordinated media pieces against me were published after that, withvarious politicians and their paid “experts” spouting prepared statements and similartalking points, calling me a conspiracy theorist and “reckless.” They hope...
Armstrong: Punishing the innocent with Colorado’s Proposition KK
Commentary, completecolorado.com, State

Armstrong: Punishing the innocent with Colorado’s Proposition KK

By Ari Armstrong | Complete Colorado Imagine the screams from the left if, instead of facing a ballot measure to allow for tax-subsidized abortions, Colorado voters instead saw a measure to tax abortions to fund mental health for women dealing with matters pertaining to fertility, pregnancy, and raising children. “This is punishing people for exercising their basic rights,” we would hear. “This is not how we should fund essential services,” the chorus would chant. And the critics would be right. But, when it comes to new taxes on guns and ammunition, the same people who would don sackcloth and ashes over an abortion tax are all cheers and grins. Why the double standard? Abortion good, guns bad, is the basic orientation of our dominantly Democratic legislature. We get more of ...
Copeland: Colorado’s sex-trafficking crisis, an intersection of immigration and crime
Commentary, denvergazette.com, State

Copeland: Colorado’s sex-trafficking crisis, an intersection of immigration and crime

By Dr. Tom Copeland | Commentary, Denver Gazette Immigration and crime are two of the top issues in this November’s election, according to polls. Where those two issues intersect tragically is sex trafficking, a $150 billion global industry. According to a recent investigative report by The Free Press, sex and labor trafficking of minors in the United States has more than tripled in the past four years — at least gauging by the number who have escaped slavery. That largely coincides with the opening of the southern border. Colorado is not immune to this trend. There is “market demand” for trafficked migrants; a recent bust in Florida arrested scores of johns, not just traffickers. Investigators with Shepherd’s Watch, a nonprofit which tracks commercial sex trends and identifies po...
Final take in 3rd District: One candidate has misled with deception, half-truths and lies; we support vote for Hurd
Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Final take in 3rd District: One candidate has misled with deception, half-truths and lies; we support vote for Hurd

By Editorial Board | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Adam Frisch and the Democrats are at it again. In Colorado Congressional District 3, once again the Frisch campaign, in cahoots with the Colorado Democrats, is spending money and sending flyers to voters in support of a third-party candidate who can’t win. This time they are promoting Libertarian James Wiley, who is running in an attempt to suck votes away from Republican Jeff Hurd. The flyers promote Wiley as the only strong Trump supporter in the race, and mock Hurd’s long career as an attorney. They neglect to say that his work as an attorney was solely focused on fighting back against federal bureaucrats' overreaching regulations that were hurting local rural schools, farmers and ranchers,  and businesses in addi...
Prop. KK is a 6.5% tax on gun owners, firearm retailers that with local tax is ‘more like 30%’
Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Prop. KK is a 6.5% tax on gun owners, firearm retailers that with local tax is ‘more like 30%’

By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Proposition KK has turned Colorado's gun stores like Jerry’s Outdoor Sports into the front line of a battle over 2nd Amendment rights. Tim Holt, owner of Jerry’s Outdoor Sports, is speaking out. He argues Proposition KK targets the wallets of responsible gun owners and threatens small businesses. If Prop. KK passes, a 6.5% excise tax will be added to firearm and ammo sales. It would tax manufacturers, dealers, retailers and ammo vendors. The stated goal appearing in Colorado's Blue Book is to raise $39 million a year for victim services, mental health and school safety. Proponents say the tax is vital for public services. Critics say it's adding more unfair burdens on lawful gun owners. For Holt, Prop. KK is another restric...
O’Dea: Prop 130 enables us to ensure Colorado community safety
coloradopolitics.com, Commentary, State

O’Dea: Prop 130 enables us to ensure Colorado community safety

By Joe O'Dea, Colorado Politics Our police officers are the cornerstone of our community’s safety. These men and women, who protect us every day, risk not only their lives, but the well-being of their families to serve us. Yet, it has become increasingly difficult to find individuals willing to make such sacrifices, and departments throughout the state are struggling to recruit and retain qualified officers. For these officers, not only are the risks high, but the rewards remain low. The average Colorado police officer’s salary is roughly $60,000, according to Zip Recruiter. And as the number of police per capita continues to fall, the danger they face rises. In fact, violent and property crime rates still remain higher than they were before the pandemic. For those ...
Colorado Airbnb host faces $16K in damages after suspected migrant gang members ‘destroy’ property
Fox News, State

Colorado Airbnb host faces $16K in damages after suspected migrant gang members ‘destroy’ property

By Taylor Penley  | Fox News Cigarette butts, gum, cans, empty bottles and bags of drugs littered an Airbnb property hidden away in the Colorado mountains after one guest's brief stay turned into a longstanding problem brought on by suspected gang-related chaos, leaving host Karen Martiz facing thousands of dollars in repairs while the property remains damaged and temporarily useless.   "I have put all my energy and love into this property to make it beautiful for my guests. It's a beautiful place. Everybody loved it. We have been hosting for two years and this was the first time that I showed up here and my house was completely destroyed. I couldn't believe it," Martiz told Fox News early Wednesday. The property located in Evergreen, west of Denver, is marked as a "no-s...
Ballot drop-off and polling locations in Colorado
Fox21, State

Ballot drop-off and polling locations in Colorado

By Sarah Ferguson | Fox 21 News Election Day 2024 is right around the corner and many voters have already filled out and mailed in or dropped off their ballots ahead of next Tuesday, Nov. 5. On Tuesday, all ballots must be received by the county clerk by 7 p.m. and there are several locations across Colorado where voters can either drop off their ballots or vote in person. On the Colorado Secretary of State’s website, people can search polling and drop box locations in their area by simply typing in their address. Once complete, voters are taken to a map of county locations where additional information is available including; days of the week and hours each location is open, suggested routes, along with details regarding registration, election rules, and ballot information. REA...