by Ashe in America | Jul 18, 2024 | Feature Story Bottom Left
ASHE IN AMERICA — OPINION
The clear takeaway from the June 25 Colorado primary is that Centennial State voters are a diverse bunch with wide spectrum of priorities and ideas. While ballot measure advocates race to obtain enough signatures by the August 6 deadline, the ballot for candidates is set — and somewhat surprising.
DSA Loses Bigly
Members of the far-left Colorado Democrat Socialists of America (DSA) won’t be returning to the State House next year.
Representatives Elisabeth Epps (HD6) and Tim Hernández (HD4) lost their primaries in June, after prominent Democrats, including Governor Polis, endorsed the DSA candidates’ “more moderate” challengers, and national money flooded the local races. Kyra deGruy Kennedy, wife of Chris deGruy Kennedy (HD30), who was also endorsed by DSA, lost her contest as well, failing to keep her husband’s seat in the family.
Epps and Hernández faced escalating criticism from their Democrat colleagues, last session and during the campaign, for their anti-Israel advocacy and their refusal to toe the party line — often breaking with the establishment on key votes.
The pair also faced criticism from their Republican colleagues for their outsized focus on disarmament, enabling crimes against children, and flying foreign flags on the floor of the People’s House.
According to 9 News, and most corporate media, “These decisions by voters mark a shift back toward moderate Democrats and away from far-left progressives.”
That’s certainly the narrative Democrats are selling voters this cycle. “No, seriously, we’re really not communists!”
Republicans Remain Divided
Over in CD4, Greg Lopez won Ken Buck’s vacant seat, and he was sworn into office in D.C. on July 8. Lopez will occupy the seat for the rest of the year, a welcome outcome for CD4 constituents who have been without representation since Ken Buck resigned in March.
Why did Buck resign? Colorado Peak Politics nailed the answer to that question earlier this month, writing, “Lopez replaces Ken Buck who resigned in March during the middle of his term because he was fed up with Republicans and wanted to spend more time with his CNN family.”
Lopez is not running for the seat in November, and Lauren Boebert won the nomination. She will face Trisha Calvarese in the general. Calvarese came up short in the special election, losing to Lopez by more than 39,000 votes, or 24%.
More GOP establishment picks were victorious in CD3, Boebert’s current seat, and CD5, where Ron Hanks and Dave Williams lost to a couple of Jeffs: Jeff Hurd and Jeff Crank, respectively. Current State Rep Gabe Evans handily won the primary in CD8, though he faces a tough contest against Democrat incumbent Yadira Caraveo in November.
Local races on the Republican side saw mixed results between America First and establishment candidates. Adriana Cuva lost her bid for Senate District 12, and Saundra Larsen failed to prevail over former GOP Chair Kristi Burton Brown for State Board of education.
In other races, America First candidates were victorious, including Highlands Ranch resident Matt Burcham’s triumph over Lora Thomas for HD43, and former State Rep Kevin Van Winkle’s nomination for Douglas County Commissioner.
Eyes On The General
CD3, CD4, and CD5 should be reliably Republican seats, but CD8 is a toss-up. If Evans were able to pull off the upset, and Republicans hold their three current seats, then half of Colorado’s federal representatives would be Republican. Talk about shifting voter sentiment in Colorado!
Still, the race in CD3 will reveal whether Boebert’s hardships in 2022 were a “her problem” or signal of a changing local electorate.
The balance of power under the dome is arguably more important than the Presidential race, though you wouldn’t know it from the wall-to-wall media coverage of Biden’s obvious dementia and Democrat panic. While most of the primary candidates for State government ran unopposed, the results of actual contests indicate a mixed bag from voters.
Republicans seek to flip a few vulnerable seats in both chambers, hoping to restore some sense of balance after a particularly tumultuous 74th General Assembly. For now, it appears McCluskie is on track to retain the gavel in the 75th.
For America First Coloradans, this seems unthinkable, given the absolute state of our state. Unfortunately, those are the results. In November, Coloradans must vote like our lives depend on it.
A quick look around confirms that, at the minimum, our ways of life most certainly do.
Ashe in America is a writer and activist. Find all her work at linktree.com/asheinamerica.
by Ashe in America | Jun 20, 2024 | Feature Story Bottom Left
The primary is happening now, so be sure to get out and vote. so is the race for petition signatures. Election season is in full swing, and it’s not just candidates and campaigns fighting for your support in November. It includes many lobbies and their ballot initiatives as well.
It’s rumored that the November 5 ballot is going to be as thick as a book, with an overwhelming number of issues coming before Centennial State voters. Ballot initiatives can hit the ballot one of two ways: The People or the General Assembly.
The People
If the people craft an amendment, get it through the Title Board, and gather enough signatures, then their initiative will be included on the ballot.
Two such populist ballot initiatives have already qualified, with many still in the signature gathering stage.
- Abortion Access and Funding (Constitutional Amendment): Amends the state’s constitution to enshrine abortion into law and removes a constitutional ban that prevents state money from going to abortion services. Because this measure is adding text to the constitution, it will need at least 55% to pass.
- Property Tax Cap: A proposed cap on property taxes that kicks in whenever property tax revenues are expected to grow faster than 4% per year for the entire state. Critics of the cap are concerned about inequities as property tax rates vary from city to city and county to county.
Many other groups are still gathering signatures for a wide range of initiatives. For example, there are three proposed Constitutional Amendments focused on preserving caucus and banning ranked choice voting and jungle primaries. Learn more at ColoradoCounts.com, and be sure to sign the petitions so that Colorado voters can decide how we want our elections administered — rather than billionaire special interests.
The Legislature
In addition to the people’s initiatives, there are also seven referred by lawmakers during the last legislative session, which are summarized here below from CPR reporting and the Bill Text on the Colorado General Assembly website.
- Changes to Election Deadlines (Constitutional Amendment): This constitutional amendment, requiring 55% to pass, designates earlier deadlines for various election activities to give the Secretary of State and county clerks more time to finalize the ballots. There are tradeoffs, including that the People will now have less time to collect signatures.
- Removing the Same-Sex Marriage Ban (Constitutional Amendment): The initiative would strike a portion of the state constitution that reads: “Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state.” Because the measure removes, rather than adds, to the state constitution, it only needs a simple majority of voter support.
- No Bail for First Degree Murder Defendants (Constitutional Amendment): Requiring 55% to pass, this constitutional amendment would make first-degree murder suspects ineligible for bail. This change stems from an unintended consequence of Colorado’s repeal of the death penalty in 2020, which states that only people charged with “capital offenses” can be denied bail — and first-degree murder no longer meets that criterion.
- New Judicial Discipline Board (Constitutional Amendment): Following a string of judicial scandals, this amendment establishes a new independent judicial discipline board, made up of judges, attorneys and members of the public. Requiring 55% to pass, the referred constitutional measure cleared the legislature nearly unanimously.
- Expanding Veteran Access to Property Tax Exemptions (Constitutional Amendment): Currently, what’s known as the homestead exemption is limited to veterans with a service-related disability rated as 100% permanent. If 55% if voters agree, eligibility will expand to cover around 3,400 more veterans. The constitutional amendment cleared the state legislature unanimously.
- New Tax on Guns & Ammo: A 6.5% excise tax on gun and ammunition sales, to be paid by gun dealers, gun manufacturers, and ammunition vendors (and likely passed through to customers). The money raised by the tax would supposedly fund behavioral health and gun violence prevention.
- TABOR Exemption for Sports Betting: Asks voters to let the Colorado government keep and spend all of the tax revenue it collects from sports betting, originally estimated to yield about $29 million each year. State economists now believe the 10% tax will bring in significantly more than that in coming years, and state officials are addicted to spending.
There will likely be additional measures following the signature deadline in August. Colorado voters need to pay attention this election season and vote their values, or we may have a whole new state constitution soon.
Either way, this year’s ballot is going to be a beast.
Ashe in America is a writer and activist. Find all her work at linktree.com/asheinamerica.
by Ashe in America | May 20, 2024 | Feature Story Bottom Left
ASHE IN AMERICA — OPINION
The end of the legislative session is always a sigh of relief, but the end of the 74th General Assembly feels like we just negotiated a ceasefire.
Basic liberty has been under direct assault since Speaker McCluskie gaveled in this national punchline on January 10, 2024, and several Colorado activists, legislators, and independent media deserve our recognition and gratitude for preventing worse outcomes.
First, let’s talk about the children.
This session saw unprecedented attacks on child safety, such as eroding parental authority and legalizing grooming across education and foster care. Erin Lee and protectkidscolo rado.org, “a broad coalition of parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens,” have been working nonstop this session to advocate “for policies that promote children’s well-being.” Lee and team are currently petitioning for ballot initiatives to combat the rainbow communists’ legislative “wins” — all of which make kids more vulnerable to predatory adults.
If you think predatory adults in our state are a myth, check out The Colorado Show where we’ve detailed the alarming volume of recent arrests for crimes against children. Representatives Brandi Bradley (R-HD39), Stephanie Luck (R-HD60), and Scott Bottoms (R-HD15) are also recognized for officially opposing this sinister agenda.
Next, let’s talk about guns.
Disarmament was a high priority for the radicals under the dome, and they succeeded in passing many of their most aggressive infringements upon our inalienable right to self-defense. In just 120 days, McCluskie and pals passed seven unconstitutional “laws” which, according to the decision in Marbury vs. Madison (1803), are immediately null and void.
These include new powers and funding for CBI to infringe upon Colorado gun owners (SB-003) and a new registry via credit card companies (SB-066), as well as campus vulnerability (SB-131), new taxes (HB-1348), and permits (HB-1353), and more.
But it could have been much worse.
It’s not worse due the incredible advocacy of Taylor Rhodes, Ian Escalante, and Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, who whipped public opposition to the anti-gun, anti-American agenda. As a direct result of their advocacy, the commies failed to mandate private insurance (HB-1270), expand restrictions on gun ownership (SB-107), and make kids more vulnerable at school (HB-1310).
Critically, RMGO led the effort to kill the “Assault Weapons Ban” (HB-1292), a broad and brazenly unconstitutional attack on gun ownership and our right to individual self-defense.
As Escalante said on X, “We got some big wins. But we MUST kick these people out of office so we can IMMEDIATELY start running bills to repeal the laws they’ve passed…” Indeed.
In addition to the activists and legislators, the line was held by unowned journalists which, in Colorado, requires courage and a strong stomach. Shout outs to the crew here at GCCC, Free State Colorado, The Chuck & Julie Show, Colorado Free Press, RinoWatch, and all the rest who have refused to back down and be silenced.
Finally, let’s talk about the 74th General Assembly’s Undeniable MVP.
One of the features of Colorado’s Rainbow Communism is banning words and phrases to limit, and even silence, debate. The Speaker took this tactic to the next level this session, and no one challenged her more than Representative Ken DeGraaf (R-HD22).
My Highlights tab on X is dedicated to Colorado, mostly clips of the legislature, and DeGraaf is featured in many of the videos, often as he is gaveled down for debunking commie arguments or otherwise embarrassing them. He’s fact- and science-based. He’s masterful and entertaining. We don’t deserve him. We need more of him.
In November, we can make that happen, but you must get informed NOW and vote for freedom and sanity in June.
What’s next?
Enjoy the ceasefire, but don’t get complacent. Relax, take a breath, even take a whole break. Be sure to give thanks to everyone who fought to protect you and your kids this session and rejoice that the ruling class is finally leaving the dome.
Then refocus. And if you haven’t been involved to this point, get focused.
As we head in earnest into riot, I mean, election season, remember that freedom is only possible by constantly struggling for it. Self-governing is an action verb.
See you at the special session.
Ashe in America is a writer and activist. Find all her work at linktree.com/asheinamerica.
by Ashe in America | Apr 19, 2024 | Feature Story Bottom Left
ASHE IN AMERICA — OPINION
On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, House Republicans in the Colorado General Assembly attempted to impeach Secretary of State Jena Griswold. The effort ended as quickly as it began, with all eight Democrats on the Judiciary Committee voting against allowing the resolution to proceed.
The Impeachment Resolution charged malfeasance in office and accused the Secretary of weaponizing her office for political gain and to interfere in the upcoming election. The US Supreme Court’s 9-0 opinion on the matter proves that the Anderson v. Griswold endeavor was frivolous theater, but the entirety of the Centennial State establishment has circled the wagons to make the election interference appear to be a legitimate legal effort.
That is, the accepted truth among the Colorado establishment is that the entire US Supreme Court got it wrong. The mental gymnastics required here are astounding.
No one was under oath during the Griswold impeachment proceeding, raising foundational questions about its legitimacy. Also, why was this resolution allowed to be heard in the first place? Its greatest accomplishment was providing Colorado Democrats a platform to propagate their false reality.
For hours the eight committee Democrats screeched about “insurrection” and “democracy,” reaching a fever pitch when the Secretary’s four witnesses joined the chat. These witnesses patted themselves on the back for being nonpartisan and true “defenders of democracy!” Notably, two of her four witnesses are associated with leftist lawfare outfit Common Cause, and one of them was an attorney for the petitioners in the 9-0 case. The other is a county clerk who is rumored to be Jena’s chosen predecessor.
Another witness for the Secretary was Harry Dunn, the Capitol Police Officer that reportedly lied, under oath, during the J6 Committee hearings, about the death of fellow officer Brian Sicknick.
From Tucker Carlson: “There’s nothing wrong with asking for a moment of silence in memory of Officer Brian Sicknick, we welcome that. You are not supposed to lie in a congressional hearing, and he just did. There is zero evidence to support the claim you just heard that Officer Sicknick died from injuries at the Capitol. But of course, Harry Dunn just said it anyway.”
In January, Dunn was quoted in The Guardian, “Today, I’m running for Congress, to stop Trump’s Maga extremists and ensure it never happens again.” A glowing feature of Dunn in February in RollCall states, “Dunn hopes these voters will agree with him that the most important issue heading into the 2024 elections isn’t something as pedestrian as transportation funding or quotidian as the economy, but instead is the existential threat from the GOP’s MAGA wing.”
Did you hear that, Colorado voters? The threat of your America First friends, family, and neighbors is much more important than the open border, the fact that you can barely afford meat and milk, and the multi-front global war we’re paying for. Ignore all that and, instead, demonize your countrymen to help the regime keep its power.
Division is useful when your goal is to destabilize. It appears division is all these authoritarians have.
In addition to her witnesses, Secretary Griswold spoke in her own defense, whining about how fair she is and trying, again, to pretend that she was a neutral actor in the whole affair. Jena is committed to the hilarious narrative that she was just the respondent, doing her duty, defending democracy. As a reminder, Jena was running around the nation squealing that the top Republican Presidential candidate is an “oath breaking insurrectionist,” both before and after her fever dream was overturned 9-0.
She’s still doing it. During the hearing, the secretary claimed, “Colorado voters do trust me,” — to chuckles in the room and a hilarious response on X — and declared, “House Republicans are trying to impeach me for saying the undeniable truth, and I want to clearly say to the Republicans on this committee, Trump is an oath-breaking insurrectionist. He is a danger to our country and our democracy,” Griswold said. What a conspiracy theorist.
She continued, “I will not be stopped by this proceeding from doing my job and protecting our constitution and our democracy.” It’s glaringly obvious why no one was under oath.
The resolution failed, after hours of nonsense.
Be vigilant during the upcoming Election season, Colorado. The people running our elections equate “Our Democracy!” with a radically progressive elections agenda that prioritizes access and equity over accuracy and public trust.
And they will do anything to protect it.
Ashe Epp is a writer and activist. You can find all her work at Linktree.com/asheinamerica.
by Ashe in America | Mar 18, 2024 | Feature Story Bottom Left
ASHE IN AMERICA — OPINION
In 2016, Trump said, “We’re gonna win so much you may even get tired of winning, and you’ll say ‘Please, please, it’s too much winning. We can’t take it anymore. Mr. President, it’s too much.’ And I’ll say ‘No it isn’t. We have to keep winning. We have to win more.’”
He was roundly mocked for this statement over the years, as the war with the deep state played out before our eyes.
Who’s doing the mocking now?
On Monday, March 4, in a stunning rebuke of the Colorado Supreme Court, the Trump-deranged petitioners, and our crazy-eyed Secretary of State, the U.S. Supreme Court decided 9-0 to reverse the decision removing President Trump from the ballot.
The national reaction was glorious. Marc Elias was apoplectic that the court cut off additional lawfare angles for election interference. Keith Olbermann immediately cried out to dissolve the Supreme Court. Shenna Bellows of Maine immediately withdrew her unilateral “Trump ban,” and all other legal challenges on the 14A grounds were rendered moot.
Locally, Jena Griswold did a press circuit with zero self awareness about how embarrassed she should be and, in the days that followed, she tried to pretend like she wasn’t colluding with the petitioners to bring the case. In an interview with ABC News, Griswold stated:
“To be very clear on two issues: I did not bring this lawsuit. Actually, Republican and unaffiliated voters in the state of Colorado filed this lawsuit” — LOL — “because they believed it is not a good thing to have a disqualified candidate on a ballot that could lead to the disenfranchisement of unaffiliated and Republican voters. Second, I also think it’s noteworthy that I have always said that I will follow the Supreme Court’s decision. Fighting for democracy is never the wrong thing to do.”
It’s true that Griswold was the respondent, not the petitioner, in the case, but it’s hilarious that she thinks anyone believes she wasn’t in on the strategy. Also, “democracy” is newspeak for despotism.
The court ruled that the Congress requires implementing legislation to remove a Presidential candidate on 14th Amendment grounds — a move that was criticized by the four female justices in their concurring opinions. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) immediately began working on such legislation. It’s doubtful Speaker Johnson would ever allow such a bill to hit the floor, so this is really just (another) coping mechanism for Democrats and other TDS sufferers.
The best part of the ruling is that the American People can clearly see the election interference.
How do I know that?
Well, the very next day, March 5, voters in 16 states, including ours, cast their ballots in Super Tuesday primary elections, and it was an absolute blow out. Trump took Colorado by 30 points, proving why the regime, via the petitioners, tried so hard to disqualify him.
Nikki Haley dropped out the next day.
Another highlight of Super Tuesday was the role that “uncommitted” voters played in the Democrat Primary. These totals passed 10% in some states, and, here in Colorado, totaled 47,640 voters, or 8.6%.
The “vote uncommitted” movement, a protest vote led by Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American Congresswoman, to show numbers and push Biden on Palestine. The uncommitted coalition’s numbers are problematic for Biden, especially considering RFK, Jr. will erode his support in November.
Primary turnout was 828,769 for the Republican ballot, and 540,481 for the Democrats, but many of those Republican votes may actually be Democrat voters crossing over for the open primary. That said, there is no shortage of Trump-deranged voters in the Colorado GOP.
Still, Trump may still win the Colorado electoral votes.
You will recall that, in 2020, the safest and most secure election ever — obviously — Colorado voters allegedly agreed to enter the National Popular Vote Compact (NPVC). The NPVC is an agreement by several (16) states to award their state’s electoral college votes to the candidate that wins the popular vote.
President Trump may well win the popular vote in November. Trump had 47% of the popular vote in 2020 (allegedly), and this year there is a third party candidate. Despite what the Democrat pundits tell you, Trump has not lost support. That’s a very silly assertion that is not based in fact.
If Trump wins the popular vote, then Colorado — after fighting so hard to keep Trump off the ballot — will have to award their electoral votes to President Trump. Can you imagine?
So much winning.
Ashe Epp is a writer and activist. You can find all her work at Linktree.com/asheinamerica.
