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Home Archives for Colorado Politics

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

More Reasons to Make Sure Senate Bill 180 Doesn’t Simply Stall, But Dies

It's encouraging news that the Colorado state senate keeps putting off a vote on Senate Bill 180. The Democrats would seem not to have confidence in the votes to override local control, impose collective bargaining, raise the cost of government services, and threaten the rights of our state's police officers and firefighters. If you need more reason to understand why SB 180 is a bad idea, and why you should keep the pressure on and tell your state senator to vote against it, you should listen to this new iVoices podcast I recorded with Stan Greer from the National Institute of Labor Relations Research: What might seem on the surface like a nice thing to do for our public safety employees is really bad public policy when you take a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, PPC Tagged With: amok, bad idea, bad public policy, closer look, Collective Bargaining, Colorado, confidence, cost, Democrats, Democrats Gone Wild, employees, encouraging news, firefighters, government services, impose, iVoices, legislative session, local control, National Institute of Labor Relations Research, override, podcast, police officers, pressure, public safety, Reason, rights, Senate Bill 180, special labor interests, Stan Greer, State Capitol, state senate, threaten, understand, vote

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Just What Did Colorado Ethics Watch Learn from Media Matters’ Demise?

Colorado Ethics Watch's Chantell Taylor has filed an especially frivolous complaint, reports Face The State. While a frustrating annoyance, it's also a badge of honor for Fort Collins city council candidate Andrew Boucher, who is running a tireless and effective pro-liberty campaign. The uncanny timing and sheer desperation of this complaint makes me wonder if Colorado Ethics Watch has been watching what happened to their state sister Media Matters (after all, they have the same rich Lefty sugar daddies as part of their common affiliation with the Colorado Democracy Alliance), and whether the group has observed the right lesson from its demise. Does Ethics Watch believe that the plug was pulled on Media Matters because the phony … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, liberty, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Andrew Boucher, annoyance, badge of honor, butt, campaign, candidate, Chantell Taylor, city council, Colorado Democracy Alliance, Colorado Ethics Watch, common affiliation, complaint, curious, demise, effective, existence, Face the State, Fort Collins, frivolous complaint, frustrating, impelled, jokes, Lefty, Media Matters, organization, phony watchdogs, pick up slack, plug, pro-liberty, pulled, recently-departed, reports, right lesson, sheer desperation, sugar-daddies, theater of the absurd, timing, tireless, uncanny

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Help Save Us From the Political Chaos in Colorado House Bill 1299

So Democrats have moved the bill to destroy the Electoral College (HB 1299) to the floor of the state senate. Time for a last-ditch effort to make your voices heard and stop this legislation. Via Amy Oliver, Rossputin has posted this excellent and timely information explaining why it would be such a terrible idea. If you care about the Republic, follow the link and take action: contact your state senator and Governor Bill Ritter. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, liberty, National Politics Tagged With: Amy Oliver, bill, Bill Ritter, Democrats, destroy, electoral college, excellent, floor, follow, Governor, information, last-ditch effort, legislation, link, Republic, Rossputin, state senate, state senator, stop, take action, terrible idea, timely, voices

2/7/2026 By Ben 2 Comments

Senate Bill 57 School Transparency Defeated But Not Forgotten

It's been a full week since the establishment education lobby and Democrats on the House Education Committee teamed up to kill the spending transparency in Colorado's Senate Bill 57. Amazingly, this little bill that (almost) could in our Colorado state legislature is still making national waves. From an essay written by Paul Miller and published today by American Thinker:This past week in Colorado, Senate Bill 57, also called the Public School Financial Transparency Act, which simply require public school districts to put their spending online, died in committee. How could any responsible public official forbid parents from seeing how their tax-dollars are spent educating their children? The answer to that question is simple: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, PPC Tagged With: accountability, alive, American Thinker, Ben Hummel, brilliant, campaign contributions, cartoon, children, coincidental, Colorado, Colorado Spending Transparency, Democrats, essay, establishment education lobby, favor, fight, House Education Committee, important, kill, lampooning, link, lobbying associations, members, National Education Association, national waves, neutral position, online, opposition, parents, Paul Miller, politicians, provide, public official, Senate Bill 57, spending transparency, state legislature, take a hike, tax dollars, taxpayers, testimony

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

What a Weekend: Human Achievement Hour, “Green” Energy Taxes, & You

My big regret from a low-key weekend? That I somehow forgot to celebrate Human Achievement Hour. Kudos to all those who did, and made a statement for liberty. It's most interesting to me that this weekend's events closely follow the discovery that the infamous solar panels on the Denver Museum of Nature and Science likely won't come close to paying for themselves while state lawmakers seek to induce school districts into installing cost-inefficient "new" "green" energy. Speaking of higher taxes and energy prices for consumers like you and me, Paul Chesser takes on the cap-and-trade folly in the new American Spectator. At least here in the Denver area our big snow has all but melted away ... for now. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Climate Hysteria, Colorado Politics, Energy, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: American Spectator, cap-and-trade, celebrate, consumers, cost-inefficient, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, discovery, energy prices, folly, Human Achievement Hour, installing, kudos, liberty, melted away, Paul Chesser, school districts, snow, solar panels, state lawmakers, statement, taxes, weekend

2/7/2026 By Ben 4 Comments

Ryan Frazier Dominates Competition in DougCo U.S. Senate Straw Poll

El Presidente has some potentially earth-shaking news (for active lovers of liberty and the handful of Colorado political insiders who are paying attention at this point, that is): Despite the weak and transparent efforts of the liberal Dead Governors to marginalize his campaign with ridicule, Aurora city councilman Ryan Frazier not only won but dominated the competition in a U.S. Senate straw poll among the conservative Douglas County GOP faithful (complete with video of Frazier's Saturday speech at the Douglas County Lincoln Day dinner). Other names in the straw poll included former Congressman Bob Beauprez, popular radio talk show host Dan Caplis, Weld County district attorney Ken Buck, and businessman Cleve Tidwell. This result … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: 2010, Aurora, Bob Beauprez, businessman, campaign, city councilman, Cleve Tidwell, Colorado, competition, Congressman, conservative, Dan Caplis, Dead Governors, District Attorney, dominated, Douglas County, earth-shaking news, edged, El Presidente, faithful, Ken Buck, liberal, Lincoln Day dinner, lovers of liberty, marginalize, Mark Hillman, mentioning, Michael Bennet, momentum, national pundits, non-candidate, paying attention, political insiders, radar, Radio talk show host, Republican, ridicule, Rocky Mountain Right, Ryan Frazier, Saturday, selected, speech, straw poll, transparent efforts, U.S. Senate races, Weld County

2/7/2026 By Ben 7 Comments

Leondray Gholston Brings Fresh Blood Beside Experienced Dick Wadhams in Colorado GOP Leadership

Update: El Presidente has more of the details surrounding what went down at today's state party officer elections. I was not able to attend today's Colorado Republican state central committee meeting in Castle Rock, but I've had a chance to follow developments remotely. As reported at Rocky Mountain Right, Dick Wadhams was comfortably re-elected to the chairman's position. The more competitive race was for vice-chair, in which DougCo GOP reports on Twitter that Leondray Gholston beat out Nathan Chambers on the 3rd round of voting. For many conservative grassroots supporters, Gholston's election represents a new and exciting direction for the state party. Let's hope their optimism is justified. Certainly, Gholston's passion, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, My Life, PPC Tagged With: archived, attendance, Blog Talk Radio, candidate recruitment, Castle Rock, central committee meeting, chairman, Colorado, competitive, conservative, dedication, developments, Dick Wadhams, direction, DougCo GOP, elected officials, enthusiasm, episodes, exciting, fundraising, gentlemen, grassroots, high-tech communications, justified, Leondray Gholston, limited government, Nathan Chambers, national defense, new, office, optimism, passion, personal responsibility, plans, proceedings, re-elected, reports, Republican, Republican Party, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Rocky Mountain Right, state, strength, strong, supporters, Twitter, unify, vice-chair, voter registration, work together

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Card Check Bill’s Fading Prospects a Relief for Colorado’s Michael Bennet

Big Labor is really bummed out today with the news that U.S. Senator Arlen Specter won't be backing their Orwellian-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) (you can watch his floor speech here) -- at least for this year. No Republican votes (and many shaky Democrats) means union officials won't be able to invoke the 60 votes needed for cloture to take away workers' rights to the secret ballot and impose costly binding arbitration. This has got to spell a little relief for Colorado's newly selected U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. EFCA has put Bennet in a bind, but if the political signals are clear that the legislation won't pass he might have the cover he needs. At this point, my guess is Bennet will take the path of least resistance within … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: actual damage, Arlen Specter, Big Labor, binding arbitration, Bob Beauprez, boondoggle, business leaders, card-check, challengers, clear, cloture, Colorado, costly, EFCA, Employee Free Choice Act, floor speech, high-profile, invoke, least resistance, legislation, likely result, Michael Bennet, moderate, newly-selected, Orwellian, political campaign, political signals, preclude, primary, relief, Republican, rights, Ryan Frazier, secret ballot, shaky Democrats, slate, target, U.S. Senator, union officials, votes, workers

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Tune in Sunday to Hear the Lovely Mrs. Virtus Discuss Homeschooling

It's not often I get to sing the praises of the lovely Mrs. Virtus here on my blog. But hopefully this atones a bit for previous shortcomings. Tune in to Backbone America with John Andrews this Sunday, April 5, during the 5:00 PM (local Mountain Time) hour -- around 5:20, to be precise -- to hear an interview with the lovely Mrs. Virtus on homeschooling and parental rights. You can hear it live streaming on the 710 KNUS website. The lovely Mrs. Virtus (better known to many as Marya) will discuss her new in-depth report Colorado’s Homeschool Law Turns Twenty (PDF) - a true call to vigilance for homeschoolers and other supporters of educational freedom - as well as her experiences at Homeschool Day at the Capitol. If you can't wait … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, General, liberty, My Life Tagged With: 710 KNUS, audio, Backbone America, call, educational freedom, experiences, Homeschool Day at the Capitol, homeschooling, in-depth, interview, iVoices, John Andrews, live streaming, lobbyist, lovely, Marya, Mrs. Virtus, parental rights, podcast, praises, previous shortcomings, report, sing, Sunday, supporters, Treon Goossen, veteran, vigilance, volunteer

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Don’t Miss Latest RMA Blog Talk Radio with Scott Starin, Dave Williams

A day late, hopefully not too many dollars short ... If you missed last night's edition (the 19th) of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio, go check it out. Guests for this week are Scott Starin - former Congressional candidate and current chairman of the Boulder County Republican Party - and Dave Williams - co-founder of the Gadsden Society. You can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, My Life Tagged With: Blog Talk Radio, Boulder County Republican Party, candidate, chairman, co-founder, Congressional, Dave Williams, Gadsden Society, guests, Mount Virtus, podcast, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Scott Starin, sidebar, widget

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Inside

  • About Ben
  • Archives
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
    • Colorado Ballot 2014
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • The Westfield Gardener
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Writer / Editor For Hire

About Me

Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

Recent Posts

  • AI-Enhanced Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of Teen Innovation
  • My Baker’s Dozen of Top 2023 Reads
  • Common Learning Disabilities in Children
  • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
  • The Christmas Music Countdown You’ve Been Looking For: 2022 Edition

Colorado News

  • Colorado Senate News
  • Complete Colorado
  • Independence Institute
  • Loveland Politics
  • The Colorado Observer

National News and Politics

  • Drudge Report
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  • National Review
  • Politico
  • Real Clear Politics
  • Reason
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Blogs Extraordinaire

  • American Thinker
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  • E!! The True Conservative Story
  • EIA Intercepts
  • Evangelical Outpost
  • Hugh Hewitt
  • Instapundit
  • LaShawn Barber
  • Lileks
  • Little Green Footballs
  • Michelle Malkin
  • NRO's The Corner
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  • Red State

Completing the Blogroll

  • Alarming News
  • Black Five
  • Blogs of War
  • Eduwonk
  • Flypaper
  • Fraters Libertas
  • Historical Conversations
  • IMAO
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Christian Commentary et al.

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Conservative and GOP Sites

  • Backbone America
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  • Colorado Republican Party
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Colorado Blogs

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Other Sites

  • Technorati
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Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

  • Reclaim the Blue
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  • View from a Height

To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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