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Colorado Springs Gazette-- “SB200 was promoted as a civil rights measure to ban discrimination in Colorado against homosexuals, bisexuals and transgenders when buying a home, renting an apartment or using public accommodations. But Focus on the Family and Colorado Family Action call it an invitation for sexual predators and transgendered people to use restrooms meant for the opposite sex.” Read more>> |
| Denver Post-- “A gay and lesbian Democratic group and conservative Christian lobbyists are battling over a bill expanding protections against discrimination in public life based on religion and sexual orientation. Senate Bill 200 would ban discrimination based on a person's religious beliefs or sexual orientation — including transgendered people — in places of public accommodation, housing practices, family planning services and 20 other public spheres.” Read more>> |
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Citizenlink.org/StopLight -- CitizenLink Editor, Stuart Shepard, wonders where CNN found all the plants at the recent Republican YouTube.com debate. Read more>> See also: Merry Tossmas;
Digging out more CNN/YouTube plants;
CNN Defends Its Use of Democratic Supporters in Republican YouTube Debate |
| Denver Post - "Booze and beer are up for debate at the Capitol next year, and lobbyists hope people are tired of the Sunday liquor ban and grocery stores without wine. State legislators are considering changing both laws, as well as letting art galleries and jewelry shops hand out free glasses of Chianti. Lawmakers have tried lifting the Sunday liquor ban a few times, most recently in 2005." Read more>> See also: Booze for sale Sundays? |
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Denver Post - "The city administration has pulled a diversity training video after a white employee said it unfairly singled out white people as racist and sexist. The eight-minute video, entitled 'Laughing Matters,' depicted a character named Billy making off-color sexist and racist jokes." Read more>> See the protested diversity video here along with an article from Rocky Mountain News: Denver pulls controversial diversity video |
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Denver Post - "Colorado voters have only two weeks left to register with a political party if they want to participate in the Feb. 5 presidential caucuses. The registration deadline is Dec. 5. Voters can switch parties, and unaffiliated voters, who make up about one-third of the state's electorate, can register with a party in order to take part in the caucuses. Colorado, which usually holds its caucus in the third week of March, is now one of more than 20 states that are holding, or planning to hold, their presidential caucuses or primaries Feb. 5. Both Democratic chair Pat Waak and GOP chair Dick Wadhams wanted the caucuses moved up so Colorado would have more of a voice in the presidential nomination." Read more>> Also: Click here for a map of all Colorado counties with links to their respective clerks and recorders' websites. From your county's website, you can find information on how to register to vote or how to amend your existing voter registration to include your preferred political party affiliation. |
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CFI EDITORIAL COMMENT: Can anyone say "boondoggle"? This plan lacks substantive or objective recommendations for increasing academic performance and rather emphasizes throwing money at the problem by extending already failing school hours for kindergarten and pumping extra dollars into classrooms without any demand for increased student achievement. This is a potential disaster for Colorado's children and for our state budget.
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CFI EDITORIAL COMMENT: How much more new spending will this legislature propose during the 2008 session? $30-40 million for schools plus $500 million in new bond issues plus $1.1 billion for health care. Don't forget that some estimates of the Democrat plan for health care in Colorado have been in excess of $20 billion. So much for "responsible government."
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| CitizenLink - "The attacks on Christmas are in full swing. And so far, the prize for trampling on First Amendment rights goes to Fort Collins, Colo., which is considering banning red and green lights from city property because they might be linked to religion. The city's Holiday Display Task Force soon will make recommendations to the City Council on a policy that allows only white lights and "secular" symbols such as icicles, snowflakes and unadorned greenery." Read more>> |
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Colorado Senate News - "Lawmakers at the Capitol reacted with disbelief today at a report in the Rocky Mountain News that Boulder's public schools will eliminate the time-honored distinction of recognizing their top high school graduates." Read more>> See also: No more competition: Boulder says bye-bye to valedictorians; Education 2008: Raising the Bar |
| Denver Post - "The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to proponents of a ballot initiative seeking to amend the state constitution in 2008 to define personhood as a fertilized egg." Read more>> See also: Anti-abortion group gets court's OK; Unborn to be defined as 'persons'? Colorado proposal would use loophole Blackmun created in 'Roe'; ANALYSIS: Will Children in the Womb Receive Constitutional Protection in Colorado? |
| Rocky Mountain News - "Gov. Bill Ritter said Thursday he may ask voters to approve a tax increase next year to pay for either health care, transportation or higher education. But he emphasized that while all three priorities need extra funding, only one of them should wind up on the ballot. Colorado voters are too fiscally conservative to approve more than one tax increase at a time, he said. 'That is certainly one of the most important conversations we'll have in the Capitol complex in the coming months,' Ritter told the legislature's Joint Budget Committee. 'I don't think we can go for all three. That would be unfair to voters and would demonstrate a lack of leadership on my part and on the part of the legislature.'" Read more>> See also: Ritter vows to limit requests for '08 tax hike to "one thing"; Warm welcome for Ritter's first budget; Gov. Ritter tells voters to expect one major ballot question in '08 |
| LifeNews.com - "Colorado's Catholic bishops are speaking up against a new abortion center Planned Parenthood is building in Denver that will also house its regional headquarters. Planned Parenthood has come under fire for hiding its identity during the building approval process by creating a front business to file paperwork under and using the name of the company that sold the land to it." Read more>> See also: Colorado Planned Parenthood Abortion Center Was Also Built in Secret |
| AP - "Democratic Governor Bill Ritter has turned down a challenge from his Republican predecessor to debate Ritter's order allowing state government workers to join unions. Former Governor Bill Owens issued the challenge this week, saying Ritter's administration continues to criticize his. Ritter has said a lack of communication between managers and workers when Owens was governor made things worse during a major computer crisis. Ritter said his union order will encourage cooperation and communication. Owens accused Ritter's administration of making excuses. Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer says the computer problem is a fact, not an excuse." Read more>> See also: Ritter won't debate Owens on state-worker decision |
| Coloradoan (editorial) - "Gov. Ritter has made a move that appears contradictory to his own campaign principles by signing an executive order Friday that would open the door to unionization of state workers. This Freaky Friday move is problematic for its lack of public process, unknown cost to state government and obvious questions about political motivation ... This decision will harm Ritter politically, but more important, it could harm a state already in a budgetary stranglehold. Ritter should revoke the executive order immediately, open the dialogue about unionization and restore trust in the public process." Read more>> See also: Briefs: GOP lawmakers say Ritter "badly betrayed" them; Republican Lawmakers Oppose Ritter's Plan to Unionize; Roberts criticizes Ritter's move to recognize unions; Republicans will try to stop Ritter's order; Ritter rejects GOP call for a union bill review period; GOP drafts bill to reverse union order |
| Rocky Mountain News - "Former Gov. Bill Owens stepped into the debate over new union powers for state workers by criticizing, for the first time, his Democratic successor. Owens, in an appearance on the Mike Rosen show on radio station KOA, told guest host Jon Caldara he objected to Gov. Bill Ritter's use of an executive order to give state workers the right to collective bargaining. Ritter released the order Friday afternoon, a time critics suggest was planned to minimize attention to the changes. 'I do object to using an executive order in this case,' Owens said. 'I think this is something that should have gone through the legislature. Legislators should be put on record. In a representative democracy, it's something that ought to be debated, and in fact, introduced, amended, and voted upon, and Gov. Ritter has avoided all of that." Read more>> |
| Colorado Springs Gazette - "El Paso County elected officials are planning ways to circumvent the Democratic-led state Legislature and require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Clerk & Recorder Bob Balink said Wednesday he is willing to enact a proof of citizenship policy in the county so that it could be challenged in court. A court ruling, he said, would determine the policy's constitutionality and the Legislature would be forced to debate the matter. 'If the law says that you must be a citizen to vote and we're not requiring proof that you are, then we're not following the law,' Balink said." Read more>> See also: County clerk pushes for GOP voter-registration plan, chides legislative Dems |
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EDITORIAL NOTE: See two links below where CFI President/CEO Jim Pfaff is interviewed on local Denver stations
See the video of CFI President Jim Pfaff intereviewed on this issue separately by Fox 31 and 9 News. See Also: DPS panel: Offer birth control; Entire Task Force Report; Task force: Give teens birth control |
| New York Times - "As a Jewish player who attended a Catholic high school and a Lutheran university, Jason Hirsh knows what being a religious minority feels like. So last December, when he was traded to the Colorado Rockies, Hirsh wondered if what he had heard about his new organization was true. Now, Hirsh said not once during the season had he felt uncomfortable with the place Christianity occupies within the organization." Read more>> |
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Colroadopols.com - "Gov. Bill Ritter today submitted his Fiscal Year 2008-09 budget proposal - his first comprehensive spending plan since taking office in January - to the legislature's bi-partisan Joint Budget Committee. The proposal, which would take effect July 1, calls for a total appropriation of $18 billion, up from $17.1 billion in the current FY07-08 budget. The recommended General Fund appropriation is $7.5 billion, a balanced 6 percent increase from this year's $7.1 billion." Read more>> See also: Budget focuses on health care, education, solar energy; Ritter budget thinks outside prisons' walls: The governor touts efforts to reduce recidivism. Critics say he's being lax on safety; Budget stresses colleges, insurance; Governor releases '09 fiscal budget; Ritter proposes 2008-09 budget; Ritter's budget focuses on health care, education, solar energy |
| Rocky Mountain News - "As they have several times, a group of abortion foes marched in front of the home of Gary Meggison, senior vice president of the The Weitz Company Rocky Mountain Business Office. The reason: The company has been hired by Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains to renovate and expand a building at East 38th Avenue and Pontiac Street in the Stapleton neighborhood. The 52,000-square-foot, $6.4 million facility will house administrative offices and a health clinic when it opens in about a year." Read more>> |
| EDITOR'S NOTE: Every person who cares about the values and life and family need to participate in the political process not just next November, but also during the legislative process which begins at the State Capitol in Denver in January. Though Governor Ritter explains some key issues which will be considered this next session and on the ballot next year, it is important to note also that many bills will be introduced which will have a major impact on the family and education as well. 9News - "Gov. Bill Ritter (D-Colorado) told YOUR SHOW he wants Coloradans to determine the top priority facing the state and participate in a plan to address it at the State Capitol next year. The governor answered viewer questions on topics like the possibility of an anti-ticket-scalping law, mental health, a state fire marshal, access to renewable energy and what he hoped to accomplish in the 2008 legislative session. Ritter said he wanted a conversation among citizens and state lawmakers about top priorities like health care, transportation and education. He has formed commissions to study all three topics and recommend solutions, but the governor says he will be patient in asking voters for their help solving problems." Read more>> |
| Dogflu.ca - "It is being reported by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter that he is said to launch a 2-month state-wide outreach program to gain valuable feedback pertaining to health care reform from business, civic and health care leaders. The meetings will feature health officials from 9 Colorado communities in an attempt to further the ability of the state to provide health care for up to 800,000 residents who currently do not have any. Lamar will host the first such meeting on November 7th, with 2 more being held in metro Denver on Dec. 5 and 6." Read more>> |
| Coloradoan.com - "Less than two hours after voting to uphold President Bush's veto of legislation expanding a state-federal health insurance program for low-income children, Colorado Rep. Marilyn Musgrave pitched an alternative proposal Thursday that would give parents tax incentives to buy private health insurance." Read more>> |
| Rocky Mountain News - "Colorado public school students could face tougher graduation requirements and mandatory high school exit exams under an education plan presented Tuesday by Republican lawmakers. High school graduation requirements vary from district to district, and some lawmakers believe that hurts students academically." Read more>> |
| Denver Post - "A health care proposal that requires all Coloradans to buy their own health insurance would cover nearly 89 percent of the state's 790,000 uninsured - but would need the state to come up with $1.4 billion in funding. That was the initial evaluation of the proposal drafted by the state's blue-ribbon health care reform commission." Read more>> |
Making the grade: Most GOP education ideas get passing marks |
| The Gazette - "It's still a few months until the 2008 legislative session begins, but lawmakers are already laying out their agendas. On Tuesday, Republicans unveiled their ideas for improving public education in the state. Some of the ideas look as if they could get some traction in the Democrat-controlled Statehouse ... Bipartisan support could propel [a uniform testing requirement] to the governor's desk and House Speaker Andrew Romanoff seems to be on board. 'I think there is a core set of skills and knowledge that every child ought to master to get a diploma in Colorado,' Romanoff said." Read more>> |
| NewWest.com -- "Just ten months into Gov. Bill Ritter's administration, the nickname 'Back Room Ritter' is already gaining traction. And rightly so - this is a man who likes to make important decisions without public input." Read more>> |
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NOTE: The liberal dogma that is developing around calls for a nationalized single payer health care systems is becoming a more consistent proposition by democrat elected officials, including here in our state. The article we quote just below as well as the link to speaker Andrew Romanoff's comments in support of the SCHIP program are providing us a look into the consistent pattern of touting the needs of children to support a program which has as its end goal nationalized, and in the case of Gov. Ritter and Speaker Romanoff, a state-wide single payer system.
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| Grand Junction Sentinel -- "Gov. Bill Ritter will unveil a major climate change action plan next month that will rely on the Legislature to enact new policies aimed at reducing the state's influence on global warming, he said Saturday." Read more>> |
| Grand Junction Sentinel -- "The nation's No Child Left Behind law should remain, along with some of its most controversial planks, the Colorado commissioner of education said Monday." Read more>> |
| 9News.com -- "A panel of business, civic and academic leaders convened by the University of Denver are working towards delivering recommendations to Colorado state legislators about the future of the state constitution. Colorado's Constitution has been changed 47 times since 1980 while the U.S. Constitution has been changed 27 times since 1787 when it was initially ratified. "This is more than just an academic exercise," said House Speaker Rep. Andrew Romanoff (D-Denver), who spoke to the Strategic Issues Panel last month about the problems state lawmakers face dealing with sometimes contradictory messages from voters." Read more>> |
| TheDenverChannel.com -- Saying the Republican Party no longer represents her values, GOP state Rep. Debbie Stafford of Aurora announced Thursday she is switching parties, becoming the 40th Democrat in the House of Representatives. Stafford, 55, is a counselor and a minister from Aurora who represents Arapahoe and Elbert counties. State Republican Party chairman Dick Wadhams said Stafford was on the way out the door and that the change would not have a major effect on votes. "This is not exactly a profile in courage, since she is term-limited and cannot run for re-election in that House district," Wadhams said. Read more>> |
| Grand Junction Sentinel -- "Polling data issued Thursday shows five-term Congressman Mark Udall, D-Colo., and former three-term Congressman Bob Schaffer, R-Colo., are running neck and neck among Colorado voters for the state's open U.S. Senate seat. The Ciruli Associates poll showed 35 percent of Colorado voters support Schaffer and 36 percent of voters support Udall. Twenty-one percent of Colorado voters are undecided in the race, according to the poll." Read more>> |
| Denver Post -- "The debate over strict high-school graduation requirements will pick up at the Capitol next year, as two lawmakers push a plan more rigorous than Colorado's college-entrance demands. The legislature struck down a proposal last session that would have required all public high-school students to take four years of math and three years of science. The new approach is more extensive and includes the arts: four years each of math and English, three years each of science and social studies, two years of foreign language, and one year each of physical education and art or music." Read more>> |
| Denver Post editorial by fmr. State Senator and State Treasurer, Mark Hillman. Read the article>> |
Colorado Insights: Sen. Josh Penry and Rep. Rob Witwer on Education Reform |
| On the Colorado Insights program Sunday, we spoke with Sen. Josh Penry and Rep. Rob Witwer about the need for education reform in Colorado. Go to our media page and click on the Colorado Insights podcast to listen to the entire interview. Read the article by Sen. Penry and Rep. Witwer on the critical need for education reform. |
| Are you concerned that your kids might be hanging out with the wrong crowd? Well, the “wrong crowd” might not be just other kids anymore—you might need to keep an eye their teachers, too. On April 10, 2007, students at Boulder High School were encouraged by panelists to freely engage in sexual activity and use drugs. Read more>> |
| Boulder High School students, calling our nation's Pledge of Allegiance tantamount to religious oppression, have begun staging mass walkouts when the Pledge is recited during school hours. The students, rejecting any form of silent protest, have chosen instead to disrupt the original recitation of the Pledge with a rendition all their own. Read more>> |
| Colorado Family Institute's President and CEO, Jim Pfaff, will be giving a one minute radio update on local radio stations. Have you heard them on your favorite station? If not, call them and ask them to carry the Colorado Family Minute. Click here to go to our media page to find out how you can download and listen now. |
2007 Colorado Springs Municipal Voter Guide |
| Do you now where your Colorado Springs municipal candidates stand on the issues? Check out the 2007 municipal election voter guide here at the Colorado Family Institute website. The election is on April 3, so pull down your copy of the guide now! And print up a copy for your friends too. |