Free State Colorado
06.03.202523:43
Election Transparency bill KILLED this week in the State House!
HB25-1193: Vote Transparency Protocol Act would have required "ballots to be assigned vote tracking numbers and voters to be assigned voter identifier numbers."
It's not surprising the the Ruling Party of Colorado does not want change the election system... even if it means more transparency and trust!
Watch Hannah and Brandon discuss this bill in this clip from our Legislative Livestream!
HB25-1193: Vote Transparency Protocol Act would have required "ballots to be assigned vote tracking numbers and voters to be assigned voter identifier numbers."
It's not surprising the the Ruling Party of Colorado does not want change the election system... even if it means more transparency and trust!
Watch Hannah and Brandon discuss this bill in this clip from our Legislative Livestream!
06.03.202513:31
Denver police release body-worn camera footage of officer-involved shooting at Paco Sanchez Park
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axDWjXd11Tw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axDWjXd11Tw
06.03.202513:14
Happy Thursday Colorado!
It's almost time for Farmer's Market season!
Are you planting anything this year?
It's almost time for Farmer's Market season!
Are you planting anything this year?
06.03.202519:10
Labeling requirements for Lab Grown Meat?
HB25-1203: Misbranding Cultivated Meat Products as Meat passed committee this week at the Colorado State Legislature.
What do you think? Should there be a requirement to label "cultivated meat products" in Colorado?
Watch Hannah and Brandon discuss this bill in the clip from this week's Legislative Livestream.
HB25-1203: Misbranding Cultivated Meat Products as Meat passed committee this week at the Colorado State Legislature.
What do you think? Should there be a requirement to label "cultivated meat products" in Colorado?
Watch Hannah and Brandon discuss this bill in the clip from this week's Legislative Livestream.
06.03.202513:28
EDITORIAL: Colorado’s Legislature sabotages the local crime fight
Ruling Democrats at the state Capitol have demonstrated for years they don’t want to fight crime. Now, they’re trying to undermine the crime fight by Colorado’s cities, as well.
Having enacted “sentencing reform” several years ago at the state level — i.e., surrendering to criminals through watered-down penalties — the Legislature next aims to shut down local efforts to hand out stiffer sentences.
House Bill 25-1147 prohibits municipal courts from imposing harsher sentences than state courts for the same crimes.
Yep, these are the very same politicians who made Colorado No. 1 in the nation for auto theft for two years in a row thanks to their 2021 legislation that slashed sentences for that and other crimes. And yet, they want to prevent local jurisdictions from cleaning up the state’s mess.
HB25-1147, which passed the House Judiciary Committee last week, would make it as hard under local municipal laws as it already is under state law to keep petty career criminals — serial shoplifters; robbers; auto thieves; street-level drug dealers — in jail.
Aurora is a case in point. Colorado’s third-largest city has been besieged by auto theft and shoplifting in recent years, prompting its City Council to crack down with mandatory jail time for repeat offenders.
HB25-1147 would roll back that sensible policy response.
https://denvergazette.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-colorado-s-legislature-sabotages-the-local-crime-fight/article_5648de54-cce2-5191-bb72-6c6b58a7b21c.html
Ruling Democrats at the state Capitol have demonstrated for years they don’t want to fight crime. Now, they’re trying to undermine the crime fight by Colorado’s cities, as well.
Having enacted “sentencing reform” several years ago at the state level — i.e., surrendering to criminals through watered-down penalties — the Legislature next aims to shut down local efforts to hand out stiffer sentences.
House Bill 25-1147 prohibits municipal courts from imposing harsher sentences than state courts for the same crimes.
Yep, these are the very same politicians who made Colorado No. 1 in the nation for auto theft for two years in a row thanks to their 2021 legislation that slashed sentences for that and other crimes. And yet, they want to prevent local jurisdictions from cleaning up the state’s mess.
HB25-1147, which passed the House Judiciary Committee last week, would make it as hard under local municipal laws as it already is under state law to keep petty career criminals — serial shoplifters; robbers; auto thieves; street-level drug dealers — in jail.
Aurora is a case in point. Colorado’s third-largest city has been besieged by auto theft and shoplifting in recent years, prompting its City Council to crack down with mandatory jail time for repeat offenders.
HB25-1147 would roll back that sensible policy response.
https://denvergazette.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-colorado-s-legislature-sabotages-the-local-crime-fight/article_5648de54-cce2-5191-bb72-6c6b58a7b21c.html
06.03.202501:48
Last week, Rep. Jarvis Caldwell joined our Legislative Livestream to discuss the 2025 Legislature, immigration legislation and how you can have an impact!
Watch Rep. Caldwell, Michael Vance, Legislative Director for the Libertarian Party of Colorado Libertarian Party of Colorado and Brandon Wark from Free State Colorado in this clip!
Watch Rep. Caldwell, Michael Vance, Legislative Director for the Libertarian Party of Colorado Libertarian Party of Colorado and Brandon Wark from Free State Colorado in this clip!
06.03.202516:24
This week, House Democrats narrowly defeated HB25-1190, The Tamale Act, which would have allowed small businesses, entrepreneurs, and local cooks the ability to legally sell their food products.
Rep. Ryan Gonzalez's pro-liberty bill would have expanded Colorado's Cottage Food Laws, which are out-of-date.
Watch this clip from Hannah Goodman and Brandon Wark that is from this week's Legislative Livestream
Rep. Ryan Gonzalez's pro-liberty bill would have expanded Colorado's Cottage Food Laws, which are out-of-date.
Watch this clip from Hannah Goodman and Brandon Wark that is from this week's Legislative Livestream
06.03.202513:28
Colorado legislature's executive committee cancels 10 committees, citing budget concerns
Citing fiscal worries, legislative leaders on Tuesday approved a proposal to put 10 interim and year-round committees on hold that would otherwise meet once the legislature concludes its 2025 session on May 7.
They also said they would not accept lawmakers' requests for new interim panels, known as "letter committees,” this year.
The Executive Committee of the Legislative Council, comprised of the six top leaders of the House and Senate, cited budgetary constraints as the reason for holding interim committees.
https://www.coloradopolitics.com/news/colorado-legislature-fiscal-constraints/article_d0234f28-f9ef-11ef-b12c-432dc11a7a73.html
Citing fiscal worries, legislative leaders on Tuesday approved a proposal to put 10 interim and year-round committees on hold that would otherwise meet once the legislature concludes its 2025 session on May 7.
They also said they would not accept lawmakers' requests for new interim panels, known as "letter committees,” this year.
The Executive Committee of the Legislative Council, comprised of the six top leaders of the House and Senate, cited budgetary constraints as the reason for holding interim committees.
https://www.coloradopolitics.com/news/colorado-legislature-fiscal-constraints/article_d0234f28-f9ef-11ef-b12c-432dc11a7a73.html
05.03.202516:36
Left-Wing Violence in Colorado! Anti-Trump Extremist Threats Supported by Democratic Insiders?
New video: https://youtu.be/tJdfWAmJ10c
Anti-Trump extremism has already led to destruction at a Loveland Tesla Dealership, threats against a Severance family for their "Ultra Maga" banner, and celebrations of violence at Denver protests.
To make matters worse, groups like ProgressNow Colorado have been highlighting and celebrating Luigi Mangione, the suspected murderer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
ProgressNow works closely with Democratic Party candidates, and is one of the organizers for the Anti-Trump rallies.
It's been less than two months since President Trump was inaugurated, and Colorado is already seeing a rise in left-wing anti-Trump violence.
In the video, Brandon discusses these recent incidents. If you are aware of any other situations, please let me know!
New video: https://youtu.be/tJdfWAmJ10c
Anti-Trump extremism has already led to destruction at a Loveland Tesla Dealership, threats against a Severance family for their "Ultra Maga" banner, and celebrations of violence at Denver protests.
To make matters worse, groups like ProgressNow Colorado have been highlighting and celebrating Luigi Mangione, the suspected murderer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
ProgressNow works closely with Democratic Party candidates, and is one of the organizers for the Anti-Trump rallies.
It's been less than two months since President Trump was inaugurated, and Colorado is already seeing a rise in left-wing anti-Trump violence.
In the video, Brandon discusses these recent incidents. If you are aware of any other situations, please let me know!
06.03.202513:31
Trump’s tariffs hit one of Colorado’s most valuable resources – craft beer
Like everything else, beer has gotten more expensive in the past several years. So has the cost to produce it. Now Colorado’s craft brewers, businesses on which Colorado created a culture and a reputation, are girding for even higher costs. As President Donald Trump lobs tariffs at the United States’ largest trading partners, prices are poised to go up on everything from aluminum cans to grain.
Those higher costs are likely to be passed on to Colorado’s beer drinkers. That could be a further drag on an industry already struggling with declining sales.
“At some point, it just gets too expensive,” said Dave Thibodeau, president and co-founder of Durango-based Ska Brewery. “And I think we're up against that threshold or we will be with these tariffs.”
https://www.cpr.org/2025/03/05/trump-tariffs-impact-colorados-craft-beer/
Like everything else, beer has gotten more expensive in the past several years. So has the cost to produce it. Now Colorado’s craft brewers, businesses on which Colorado created a culture and a reputation, are girding for even higher costs. As President Donald Trump lobs tariffs at the United States’ largest trading partners, prices are poised to go up on everything from aluminum cans to grain.
Those higher costs are likely to be passed on to Colorado’s beer drinkers. That could be a further drag on an industry already struggling with declining sales.
“At some point, it just gets too expensive,” said Dave Thibodeau, president and co-founder of Durango-based Ska Brewery. “And I think we're up against that threshold or we will be with these tariffs.”
https://www.cpr.org/2025/03/05/trump-tariffs-impact-colorados-craft-beer/
06.03.202513:28
Transparency advocates frustrated over limited access to government records consider ballot measure
Almost a year after Colorado lawmakers frustrated transparency advocates by exempting themselves from parts of the open meetings law, a coalition of residents seeking more access to government records and meetings says it’s drafting a potential ballot initiative to strengthen “the public’s right to know.”
The group is calling itself “Team Transparency,” and it’s been meeting monthly in Denver to talk through proposals to send to voters in 2026.
It’s also uniting and attracting groups that have found themselves at opposite ends of political issues in the past.
Jon Caldara of the libertarian-leaning Independence Institute said he’s working to strengthen the transparency laws with other groups he’s had many disagreements with, including the League of Women Voters.
“We all want to be able to watch government as it does its work. We want to see what they are doing,” Caldara said last week. “Government should be more and more open. It surprised me to find out that Colorado is only one of two states that don't live stream their committee meetings.”
Caldara said the group is finalizing a first draft of a constitutional amendment.
The details of the transparency ballot question are still being worked out. But Jeff Roberts of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition said there are lots of ideas.
They range from tightening the open meetings rules for public officials to capping research fees for public records. The cost of obtaining those records recently jumped to $41.37 per hour.
“And it's been very difficult to get legislators interested in reforming the way those fees are calculated,” Roberts said at the Capitol last month. “It has been very difficult to get legislators interested in actually improving access.”
https://www.cpr.org/2025/03/05/potential-ballot-measure-government-records-transparency/
Almost a year after Colorado lawmakers frustrated transparency advocates by exempting themselves from parts of the open meetings law, a coalition of residents seeking more access to government records and meetings says it’s drafting a potential ballot initiative to strengthen “the public’s right to know.”
The group is calling itself “Team Transparency,” and it’s been meeting monthly in Denver to talk through proposals to send to voters in 2026.
It’s also uniting and attracting groups that have found themselves at opposite ends of political issues in the past.
Jon Caldara of the libertarian-leaning Independence Institute said he’s working to strengthen the transparency laws with other groups he’s had many disagreements with, including the League of Women Voters.
“We all want to be able to watch government as it does its work. We want to see what they are doing,” Caldara said last week. “Government should be more and more open. It surprised me to find out that Colorado is only one of two states that don't live stream their committee meetings.”
Caldara said the group is finalizing a first draft of a constitutional amendment.
The details of the transparency ballot question are still being worked out. But Jeff Roberts of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition said there are lots of ideas.
They range from tightening the open meetings rules for public officials to capping research fees for public records. The cost of obtaining those records recently jumped to $41.37 per hour.
“And it's been very difficult to get legislators interested in reforming the way those fees are calculated,” Roberts said at the Capitol last month. “It has been very difficult to get legislators interested in actually improving access.”
https://www.cpr.org/2025/03/05/potential-ballot-measure-government-records-transparency/
27.02.202515:19
Why is Colorado's Legislature so extreme in 2025?
Rep. Ken DeGraaf explains this and much more in our recent interview.
In this video, Rep. DeGraaf shares his insight into the Legislature, explaining the ideology that drives the Democrats.
If you want to better understand the nature of Colorado politics, listen to Rep. DeGraaf’s explanation of how policy becomes law, and we all suffer for it.
Rep. Ken DeGraaf explains this and much more in our recent interview.
In this video, Rep. DeGraaf shares his insight into the Legislature, explaining the ideology that drives the Democrats.
If you want to better understand the nature of Colorado politics, listen to Rep. DeGraaf’s explanation of how policy becomes law, and we all suffer for it.
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