The Mountain Minute: 8/26/2025

🎧 Mountain Minute – August 26
From classrooms to courtrooms, and hiring freezes to health care, here’s your sharp, unfiltered roundup of what’s shaping Colorado and the country.

Colorado News:
🔹 Election concerns – A new analysis suggests Colorado’s results may violate the 1946 Secret Ballots Amendment, raising alarms about ballot secrecy and integrity.

🔹 Special session battles – Lawmakers passed six tax bills, diverted wolf funds to health insurance, and advanced a costly AI regulation bill despite innovation concerns. Divisions over fiscal priorities, Planned Parenthood funding, and governor budget powers dominated debate.

🔹 Workforce strain – Governor Polis has frozen state hiring, leaving agencies stretched and workers under pressure.

🔹 Teachers unions – $50 million went to progressive political groups instead of classrooms, sparking outrage as educators struggle to afford living where they teach.

🔹 Educational choice – Families are demanding alternatives to a system bogged down in politics, with reform advocates saying choice is more important than ever.

🔹 Culture war at home – From social media pressures to politicized curricula, critics warn kids are being left vulnerable in ways schools won’t admit.

National News:
🔹 Immigration shift – U.S. immigrant numbers fell for the first time in decades, driven by Trump-era enforcement. Supporters say it restores order, while critics worry about economic fallout.

🔹 Vaccine trust collapse – Childhood vaccination rates have dropped below herd immunity levels, with COVID-era mandates blamed for eroding parental trust.

🔹 The expert state – A historical look back to Woodrow Wilson’s “expert state” warns that unchecked technocrats are still shaping America today, prioritizing power over accountability.

📲 Full stories at RockyMountainVoice.com
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