The Mountain Minute: 4/8/2025

🎧 Mountain Minute – April 8, 2025
Hosted by Team RMV
Colorado politics is on fire this week, with major legislation racing through the statehouse and national trade tensions heating up. Here’s what you need to know:

Colorado News:
🔹 Legislative Blitz Passes Radical Agenda – In a single Sunday session, Colorado Democrats passed four controversial bills on abortion funding, gender mandates, out-of-state abortion pills, and parental rights in custody disputes—leaving almost no room for debate.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/04/one-sunday-four-laws-and-the-collapse-of-middle-ground-in-colorado-politics/

🔹 HB-1312 Targets Parents and Free Speech – Critics say the “Kelly Loving Act” weaponizes gender pronouns in schools, businesses, and even family court, allowing fines and custody penalties for misgendering or “deadnaming.”
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/04/cole-hb-1312-turns-pronouns-into-a-weapon-against-parents-and-schools/

🔹 ICE Enforcement Bill Raises Eyebrows – A new proposal seeks to block local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE and limit immigration enforcement in schools, hospitals, and churches. Supporters call it family protection—critics call it a public safety risk.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/04/new-democrat-bill-would-hamper-ice-prioritize-illegal-immigrants-over-rule-of-law/

🔹 Jena Griswold Jumps Into AG Race – Colorado’s Secretary of State is running for Attorney General. She’s framing herself as a defender of democracy despite recent controversy over her office’s election security failures.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/04/colorado-secretary-of-state-jena-griswold-joins-democratic-primary-for-attorney-general/

🔹 Library Book Battle Continues in Elizabeth – A judge ordered 19 previously removed books back on school shelves—but the 10th Circuit paused the ruling, keeping them off limits while the legal battle unfolds.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/04/elizabeth-schools-win-court-stay-banned-books-wont-return-yet/

National News:
🔹 50 Nations Scramble to Avoid Trump’s Tariffs – Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says calls are flooding in, but there’s no backing down: “The tariffs are coming.” Trump’s 10% levies on nearly 90 countries remain on course.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/04/us-commerce-secretary-howard-lutnick-reveals-50-nations-reached-out-to-negotiate-tariffs-warns-there-is-no-postponing/

🔹 Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on China – After China imposed retaliatory taxes on U.S. goods, Trump raised the stakes—threatening a sweeping 50% tariff on all Chinese imports unless they stand down.
Read more: https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/04/trump-threatens-additional-50-tariff-on-china/

💬 Team Update:
Heidi is recovering well from surgery! While she rests and heals, the Rocky Mountain Voice team is stepping in to bring you the latest through the Mountain Minute podcast and daily newsletter. Thanks for standing with us and with her.
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