In this episode of The Kim Monson Show, we delve into the pressing concerns of current legislation, highlighting the complexity that often leaves citizens in the lurch. Kim discusses the delicate balance between freedom and force and the essential role that legislative clarity plays in maintaining freedom. We also explore the inspiring stories of Medal of Honor recipients, with a focus on the incredible bravery of Salvatore A. Giunta. His story serves as a turning point as we contemplate the challenging battle of ideas facing America today.
SPEAKER 11 :
It’s the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 05 :
An early childhood taxing district? What on earth is that?
SPEAKER 11 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 05 :
I don’t think that we should be passing legislation that is so complicated that people kind of throw up their hands and say, I can’t understand that.
SPEAKER 11 :
Today’s current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 05 :
And it’s not fair just because you’re a big business that you get a break on this and the little guy doesn’t.
SPEAKER 11 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let’s have a conversation.
SPEAKER 05 :
Have a conversation, and welcome to the Kim Monson Show. Thank you so much for joining us. You each are treasured, you’re valued, you have purpose. Today, strive for excellence, take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body, my friends. We were made for this moment in history. And thank you to the team. That’s Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Amanda, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. Happy Friday, Producer Joe. Happy Friday, Kim. And we’re supposed to get snow today. And we certainly could use the moisture. And I hope that we have a really snowy March because we need it, most definitely for springtime and summertime and our water levels. So I’m looking forward to that. Hey, check out our website. That is Kim Monson dot com. And we just revamped everything. We have created two new things. We’re calling this the three presses and is the Kim Monson show broadcast. and the second press is our newsroom and check that out and go to the website and click on the newsletter tab and sign up for uh actually you’ll get the weekly newsletter so make sure you’re and if you’re getting that you’re not automatically going to get the newsroom the newsroom comes out or the daily digest at in the afternoon we’ll probably start that i think we hope to next week but we’re We have our stories are on the website under news and articles. And we did a very important piece yesterday regarding Tina Peters and calling on Jared Polis to release her. He’s had indicated that he is kicking that around. And so we did a really important piece on that. So check that out. But make sure that you’re signed up for that. And so that’s our second press. Our third press is our community. where we will have a modern salon where we will connect we’ll contemplate uh what’s going on we’ll converse we’ll and we’ll have in-person town halls we’ll have virtual town halls classes and work under freedom of the the press to talk about these ideas converse about them and reclaim this colorado that we love the American that we love, and the American dream. So join us. We have three different levels, $50, $100, or $200, and you get special things in each one of those. But join us. And thank you to all of you who are joining as we speak. We will be starting our classes probably mid-April. And so those are the three presses. And it is a big deal what we are doing. are creating here. And so we’d love to have you be part of that. So check out the website and you can email me at Kim at Kim Monson.com. And I do thank all of you who support us. And as you know, we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something’s a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. And it’s not compassionate. nor altruistic to take other people’s stuff, whether or not it’s their rights, property, freedom, livelihood, opportunity, childhood, or lives via force. And force, obviously, is control. And it could be with a weapon, policy, unpredictable, an excess of taxation, fees, fear, coercion, government-induced inflation. the agenda of the World Economic Forum and globalist elites, and they use the United Nations, this Colorado state legislature, this governor, and then also we see this playing out at the county, the local, the school district, and special district levels. And on the show, we focus on the issues and the people behind those issues, but we really try to stay out of all the personality fighting that is so prevalent in politics. I want to say thank you to Laramie Energy for their gold sponsorship of the show because it is reliable, efficient, affordable, and abundant power from naturally occurring hydrocarbons such as oil, natural gas, and coal that powers our lives, fuels our hopes and dreams, and empowers us to change our own personal climate. And if you have any challenges with your own personal climate, being warm in the winter or cool in the summer, reach out to Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. And all my sponsor information is on the website. You can text me at 720-605-0647. And also our word of the day is I have read half of George Washington’s farewell address. And I just got a treasure trove of words of the day. So I need to read the other half. But this is one of the words and it was indissoluble. And it’s spelled I-N-D-I-S-S-O-L-U-B-L-E. And it’s incapable of being dissolved, decomposed, undone, or destroyed. And we need to make sure that this American idea and our Constitution are indissoluble, although there are efforts to There are those in public office that are putting in policies that will destroy our state and our country. And our Constitution should be honored, and if that’s the case, this American idea will be indissoluble. So your challenge is to use the word indissoluble in a sentence today. And next thing, our quote of the day comes from the Medal of Honor quote book, which I would highly recommend. It’s been published by the Center for American Values in Pueblo. And they’re just quotes that are very inspirational as you think about what these men did to be awarded the Medal of Honor. And the Medal of Honor is not won, it is awarded. And Drew Dix and Brad Padula are the co-founders of the Center for American Values. But this is the first quote in the book for the War on Terror. And this is… Hold on here. I need to make sure that I have… This is for Salvatore… A. Ginta. And this is, it was actions that he took on October 25, 2007. And it says, Specialist Salvatore A. Ginta distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty and action required. with an armed enemy in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, on 10-25-2007. While conducting a patrol as team leader with Company B, 2nd Battalion Airborne, 503rd Infantry Regiment, Specialist Ginta and his team were navigating through harsh terrain when they were ambushed by a well-armed and well-coordinated insurgent force. While under heavy enemy fire, Specialist Ginta immediately sprinted towards cover and engaged the enemy. Seeing that his squad leader had fallen and believing that he had been injured, Specialist Genta exposed himself to withering enemy fire and raced towards his squad leader, helped him to cover, and administered medical aid. While administering first aid, enemy fire struck Specialist Genta’s body armor and his secondary weapon. Without regard to ongoing fire, Specialist Genta engaged the enemy before prepping and throwing grenades, using the explosions for cover in order to conceal his position. Attempting to reach additional wounded fellow soldiers who were separated from the squad, Specialist Guente and his team encountered a barrage of enemy fire that forced them to the ground. The team continued forward and upon reaching the wounded soldiers, Specialist Guente realized that another soldier was still separated from the element. Specialist Guente then advanced forward on his own initiative. As he crested the top of the hill, he observed two insurgents carrying away an American soldier. He immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other. Upon reaching the wounded soldier, he began providing medical aid as the squad caught up and provided security. Specialist Guenta’s unwavering courage, selflessness, and decisive leadership while under extreme enemy fire were integral to his platoon’s ability to defeat an enemy ambush and recover a fellow American soldier from the enemy. Specialist Salvatore A. Ghent’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Company B, 2nd Battalion Airborne, 503rd Infantry Regiment, and the United States Army. And he said this. He said, everyone welcomes recognition, but the ones who truly deserve it most are those Americans who gave their lives for this country. And that’s Salvatore A. Salgenta, United States Army. And, my friends, we can take such… inspiration from these stories of these men and these Medal of Honor recipients. And we are in a great battle of ideas that is raging now, and we must honor the sacrifices that have been made by engaging in this battle of ideas. And I also want to mention the USMC Memorial Foundation. So to order the book, let me go back to that. Medal of Honor Quote Book Center for American Values. That website is AmericanValuesCenter.org. And then next Saturday on the 14th, Rain or Shine. Paula Sarles will be honoring her birthday, her 77th birthday, by standing for seven hours out at the memorial and reading the names of our heroes, telling stories. She’d love to have people come out and join her and make a contribution by going to usmcmemorialfoundation.org. And you can see the president’s challenge there as well. But we are in this grand battle of ideas. And Action And has reached out to me several times to remind me that our political party caucuses are occurring, the Republicans right now. And you can get information about your particular caucus by going to collogop.org. And I think she said Jefferson County is tomorrow. Several of the counties have already had theirs. Douglas County was last night. And I came away from the caucus troubled because we were at one of the local high schools and We said the Pledge of Allegiance and had to bring our own flag because there was no American flag in the classroom. However, there was a large gay transgender flag on the wall. And of course, there was all kinds of computers as well. And I’m looking this, I know that our children need to be computer literate, but I really think that we need to move away from using computers to teach kids and get back to having teachers at the front of the classroom teaching kids. And I really, I think pen and paper is very important. But I was troubled that there was this large, a transgender pride flag that was prominently displayed in this classroom because this agenda is really, it’s focused more on the physical, the carnal things of humans instead of thinking about the greater things that we can be, the big ideas, the great music. And one other thing is my understanding, when you see these flags and you see the black stripe in those, my understanding is that is affirming man-boy relationships. We’ve got to protect our children from these people that would use our children and prey upon them. And when you have this flag so prominently displayed on the wall, it’s just sending every day, just affirming that message, affirming that message, affirming that message, instead of, and I think preparing our kids possibly to become victims. And so I was very troubled about that. uh from from my caucus last night but do attend your caucus and if if your county still not had that you can get that information by going to c-o-l-o-g-o-p.org and we have these important discussions because of our sponsors and one of those is the roger maggot state farm insurance team And they can create a plan for you. They can bundle your insurance together. And in doing so, they might be able to save you a lot of money. The only way to find out is give them a call. That number is 303-795-8855. Like a good neighbor, the Roger Manga team is there.
SPEAKER 04 :
We are number one. In 2024, Newsweek reported that Colorado has the most car thefts in America. The Roger Mankin State Farm Insurance team knows that when you need to make an insurance claim, the financial strength of your insurance company is important. State Farm consistently receives high marks for the company’s financial condition and ability to pay claims. For that peace of mind to know that you’re working with a financially strong company, contact the Roger Mangan team now at 303-795-8855 for a complimentary appointment to assess your insurance coverage. That’s 303-795-8855. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
SPEAKER 02 :
and owner of Radiant Painting and Lighting, Karen Gorday knows that your home is one of your most important assets. That’s why Karen Gorday and her team at Radiant Painting and Lighting use only high quality paint for your interior and exterior projects. At the heart of Radiant Painting and Lighting are values that guide everything they do. Integrity, transparency, respect, and care. Radiant Painting and Lighting goes above and beyond to ensure your satisfaction and comfort throughout your project. Make your appointment now by going to paintwithradiant.com That’s paintwithradiant.com
SPEAKER 12 :
To learn more, reach out to Kim at At Kim at Kim Monson dot com. Kim would love to talk with you again. That’s Kim at Kim Monson dot com.
SPEAKER 05 :
It’s Friday. Welcome back to the Kim Monson show. And be sure and check out Little Richie’s. And that’s spelled L.I.L. Then R.I.C.C.I.S. And they’re located in Parker and in Golden. And they’re your local neighborhood spot where you can get authentic New York style pizza and pasta. And it’s a great place where teams celebrate and families meet up. And they’ve got great calzones. Saturdays is a day that you can take advantage of that. You buy one calzone, you can get the second calzone half off. And that, again, is at Little Richie’s in Parker and in Golden. And we are into election season. And any candidate that reaches out to me, I will get them on the show and have one of those candidates on the line right now. And that is Hope Scheppelman. And she is running for Congressional District 3. Hope, welcome to the show. Hi, good morning, Kim. Thank you so much for having me. Well, it’s good to have you. And tell us, first of all, a little bit about Hope Scheppelman.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes, ma’am. And so I was your guys’ former vice chairwoman of the Colorado Republican Party. I am a Navy veteran, a critical care nurse practitioner. I’ve been married to my amazing husband, Steve Sheppelman, for 20 years. And we live in Bayfield, Colorado, which is in La Plata County.
SPEAKER 05 :
Running for CD3. Tell us why.
SPEAKER 07 :
The main reason I am running for Congressional District 3 is because the people in the Colorado’s 3rd District deserve a true America First and rural Colorado fighter. What we have seen here is that people are feeling their conservative voices are no longer being heard up in Washington. Career politicians… have forgotten who they work for. That’s for sure. And we’ve been seeing that this last midterm in the last few weeks. And too many of them are really just pleasing special interest groups and forgetting that the hardworking people here at home
SPEAKER 05 :
I have watched some of the things that have happened on the Western Slope. I’ve been concerned about bipartisan support for some of these, well, I’m thinking of like the Gunnison outdoor project where there’s been bipartisan support that ultimately, I think, could restrict access to our public lands. What’s your thoughts about that?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes. And thank you for that question because actually that is the, um, what kind of was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. Um, when our sitting Congressman, uh, Jeff heard who is, uh, he’s a freshman incumbent signed onto a bill with Bennett and Hickenlooper who are most progressive senators, um, to lock up 730,000 acres of our public land surrounding six counties. here in colorado’s third that was very concerning because what it’s actually going to do it is going to restrict those ranchers to send up their cattle up to the high country it is also going to hurt our timber harvesting we saw here in the third district we had two of the hugest fires this summer the lee and the elk fire And if that prohibits the forest industry to go up and mitigate as well as bring down that downed timber, that is definitely now a timber box for the fires to continue. And what it is also going to do is hurt our mining industry. And within those six counties, we need to really use the resources we have. And we have precious minerals that we can start mining in Gunnison County. Lastly, in Delta County, once oil and gas wells go expired, you will not be able to drill again. And what the progressive left is really trying to say is under this bill is they are going to utilize this. They know how to manipulate words. They’re saying this is for conservation and wilderness. If you go on to Bennett’s website, you will see 16 NGOs that went around for the last 10 years talking to those counties and really manipulating them and persuading them to vote in this way. So when you are really truly going against the America first, what we ended up actually voting for President Trump, I jumped in. And President Trump saw that. He saw not only just with the Gunnison Outdoors Resource Protection Act, he saw that with Jeff Heard’s vote against the tariffs. And, um, president Trump ended up actually revoking, um, and withdrawing his endorsement from, uh, Jeff heard and endorsing me because of the fact that he is now, uh, president Trump sees that I will, uh, focus truly on America first agenda, making America richer, stronger, bigger, and beautiful.
SPEAKER 05 :
Talking about, it’s affectionately known, I think, as like GORP. I think it is. It’s the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act. And yes, so both Democrat senators, I think, are on that as a sponsor, as well as Jeff Hurd, right, Republican?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes. So Jeff Hurd is actually the primary House sponsor here. He ended up sponsoring this bill back in May of 2025. And he is stating that his constituents wanted him to sign on to this bill. Again, if you actually do go and look at Bennett’s website, the constituents are NGOs. They’re very left-leaning. Sure, we know there’s some people that may have came over the fold, but no, Jeff Hurd is the primary house sponsor. This bill is in his committee. He said he needed a seat at the table, and that’s actually a complete lie. This bill is actually in his own committee, and so he would be able to… make any type of uh you know of vetoes or um decisions uh to to uh uh debate it um or even uh to say no we don’t want to your name onto a bill and you are now the primary house sponsor you are now telling your constituents you are okay with the federal government overreach you are okay with locking up 730,000 acres of our public land we know we need less restriction less regulation and he went against the grain on this and a lot of people a lot of ranchers a lot of farmers are A lot of miners and people just in the public are mad about this. This actually is going to restrict any ability. There’s over 200,000 acres. If you go on to Bennett’s website, there’s over 200,000 acres restricted. solely for wilderness and you uh will not be able to walk on take your motorbikes or anything hunt bike this is actually uh this is actually propping up biden’s new green deal
SPEAKER 05 :
watching this not only here with the gunnison outdoor resources protection act but this is a movement throughout the country that under the guise of i think people hear hear something and they think oh that that’s going to be for hiking and biking and that we’ll have access to it. But ultimately, we’re seeing this not only with this project, but throughout the West, this will ultimately prevent human interaction. And to your point, it will prevent cattle ranchers from being able to access public lands where they’ve grazed for years and years and years, which affects our food source. You mentioned managing our forests. I had talked to someone a number of years ago that said the Indians would manage the forests because in the spring when there was the runoff and there was a lot of moisture, they would do controlled burns of the forests. because they knew if they didn’t take care of the forest they were going to have huge fires and so that that’s uh timber management is so important and then also mining and so the this would would be the step in the direction to prevent this and so this is i think one of the most important issues that we are facing particularly here in colorado and the west hope uh shepelman
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes. And we also have to look at what’s truly at stake. Like you said, for our ranching industry here right now, we’re also concerned about our droughts, right? Like right now the snowpack is as low as it’s ever been. So we worry about what it’s going to be coming up in this summer and being able to manage those fires if, if, somewhere to happen. Mitigating, like you said, is the biggest thing that we can do to prevent forest fires. And then lastly, there’s also a waterhead up there. There’s the Gunnison Waterhead And that it really hasn’t been touched and talked about too much. And we’ve got to really be concerned because Colorado is when we talk about water, it is the lifeblood of Colorado. And so there is the Gunnison headwaters that is going to be part of this whole thing. And when the feds come in and start talking, Taking control, yes, we have local control when it comes to, you know, our Colorado water systems and stuff like that. And we’re always talking about the Colorado Compact and what is the allocation for our ag facilities. And our ranchers and just downstream. But we also have to think about what’s at stake. If, in fact, this takes hold and if it gets out of committee and goes to the House and passes the Senate and gets up to the president’s desk. We also have to worry about if the federal government can reallocate that water for any certain reasons. And that gives away local control to the federal government. And when the federal government comes in and says, hey, we’re here to help, we have to question that. So you’re absolutely right when it comes to mitigating forests. We also need to be conservationists and concerned. We’re all conservationists. We’re all concerned about the way that we protect our lands, our public lands. But this is the wrong way of doing it. When you’re locking up land, and you are restricting the ability, even forest industry, to get up there, that is actually a huge concern. And then lastly, I wanted to let you guys know that Governor Polis thanked Jeff Hurd publicly for putting his name onto that bill. And that was a huge red flag for me. Hope Scheppelman, how can people get more information about you? Yes, absolutely. You can go to hope for F O R colorado.com. Um, look my website up. Um, and also you guys, we were just endorsed by president Trump. Um, and so he sees a true fighter in, in this campaign in me. He knows I will always put America first. I will fight for the rural communities and be your voice up in Washington.
SPEAKER 05 :
Hope for spelled out Colorado.com. Hope, thanks so much and good luck. Thanks so much, Kim. Have a wonderful day. And we have these important discussions. It’s important to have these real discussions about the issues that we’re facing. And it happens because of all of your support and also our sponsors. We’ll be talking with the owner of Spartan Defense in the next hour, and that is Teddy Collins.
SPEAKER 09 :
When Coloradans want the very best in firearms, they go to Spartan Defense, conveniently located in Colorado Springs. As the largest family-owned and operated gun store in the state, they offer an impressive inventory, including brands you won’t find anywhere else in Colorado. Owner Teddy Collins says their selection is built to serve everyone from first-time buyers to serious firearms enthusiasts. Spartan Defense also offers training and an advanced shooting simulator designed to help you carry confidently and with purpose. And if you’re shopping for the best deal, they’ll match any competitor’s price on any firearm as long as it’s above their cost. Learn more about the impressive firearm inventory and next-level training at SpartanDefense.com. That’s SpartanDefense.com.
SPEAKER 15 :
The metro real estate market is ever-changing. If you are looking to buy a new home, there are opportunities that the metro real estate market has not experienced for a while. Award-winning realtor Karen Levine with REMAX Alliance has over 30 years’ experience as a Colorado realtor, and she can help you buy… that new home sell your home purchase a new build or explore investment properties karen levine can help you successfully navigate the complexity of real estate transactions call karen levine at 303-877-7516 that’s 303-877-7516 you want karen levine on your side of the table
SPEAKER 10 :
John Bozen and the attorneys at Bozen Law know how overwhelmingly life can feel after an accident or injury. That’s why Bozen Law can help guide you, support you, and fight for the full compensation you’re owed. Whether you were hurt on the road, at work, or in a hospital, the Bozen Law team is ready to stand by your side and help you move forward. Backed by decades of combined legal experience, Bozen Law can help you pursue justice and compensation after 60 serious accidents. Call Bozen Law at 303-999-9999 for a complimentary consultation. That number is 303-999-9999. Call Bozen Law now.
SPEAKER 01 :
All Kim’s sponsors are in inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Monson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmonson.com. That’s Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 11 :
Thank God it’s on.
SPEAKER 05 :
Friday, welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. And be sure and check out our website. It’s new, revamped. Join our community. You have the join button there at the top. And then click on the newsletter icon and join our newsroom, our daily digest that goes out. These articles that we are… writing are just really amazing. And so be sure and check that out. But the freedom of information is so important. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press. And I’m pleased to have on the line with me, Jeff Roberts. He is the executive director of the Freedom of Information Coalition. Jeff Roberts, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER 14 :
Hi, Kim. Thanks. Good morning.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, good to have you. And Jeff, I continue to see at the local, the county, and the state level tapping down of voices, of public comment, making it more difficult for people to peek under the hood and see what’s happening in government. And so that’s what you’re all about, yes?
SPEAKER 14 :
It is, yes. The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition has been around since 1987, so next year will be 40. But for the past 13 years, we’ve been extremely active. I was hired in 2013 to take this all-volunteer organization and turn it into an everyday resource for the public and journalists in Colorado to make sure that they know their rights under Colorado’s open government laws. So those are the public records laws, the open meetings law, court access rules. We also advocate for government transparency and, as you said, press freedom.
SPEAKER 05 :
It seems to me that there’s a battle regarding this between, I call them PBIs, politicians, bureaucrats, and interested parties, and the people that they are supposed to be serving, and that is we the public. And particularly here in Colorado, it seems like there’s a battle going on. Would you say that’s correct?
SPEAKER 14 :
I would say that that’s correct. And I think it probably happens everywhere to some extent. But we are a nonpartisan organization. I should mention that. So one of the things I do is I run a hotline, a freedom of information hotline. And I’ve responded to I think it’s 7,260 inquiries to that hotline. So I hear every day from people who are either just wanting to know something about how they access the records and proceedings of government, but a lot of them are also very frustrated because they’ve run into roadblocks. And so I hear about that all the time. Maybe I have a skewed take on this a little bit because I hear about the problems. But generally, I also see things that make me also feel like, I think what you’re saying, that it’s becoming a little bit less transparent. And one of the things that we focus on is legislation. So yesterday actually ended up being a good day for government transparency in Colorado because we were able to defeat an open records bill that would have made records less open. And the way it would have done that would be to give the government more time to process your records request. This is the third year in a row there have been bills like this in the legislature. It doesn’t sound so bad on its face, giving the government a little bit more time, but there’s already a lot of problems, a lot of obstacles that people encounter when they try to obtain public records in Colorado, excessive fees. are a big obstacle, wrongly applied exemptions to the law, and then delays. And what we argued yesterday and have been arguing for the last three years or so when these bills have come up is that there’s nothing a person can do when a government slow walks their records request. You can’t go to court over that. Putting it into law to give them even more time, and this bill would have given them three weeks to provide records in many, many circumstances, just in our mind was not necessary. It gives the government a little bit more of an excuse to slow walk it. There were a few positive things in the bill, but they weren’t enough for us to support it in light of the the negative things that it did.
SPEAKER 05 :
What was that bill number on that, Jeff?
SPEAKER 14 :
That was Senate Bill 107. And if you go to our website, which is coloradofoic.org, you’ll see the featured item. I write a lot about these issues. I’ve published about 800 blog articles about open government and First Amendment issues in Colorado. The main featured item there is an article I wrote about yesterday’s hearing yesterday. The other things that you’ll see on our website, we publish a very extensive guide to our sunshine laws. So we make that free, available to anyone. Our mission is to make sure that people understand their rights. So we put this out there for people to And they can use that resource. If you go there, it’s called the Sunshine Laws Guide. It’s part of the tab on the top that you can click on. And then if people still have questions, they can contact me. And we have lawyers on our board. So I am not a lawyer. I’m a former journalist at the Denver Post. But we have lawyers who are experts in this part of the law. And after working with it for 13 straight years, I’m pretty familiar with it as well. So we help people navigate this, strategize how to push back, that kind of thing.
SPEAKER 05 :
It seems sometimes daunting when people interact with a government agency about trying to get information about something. So if somebody was wanting to get information, just walk me through this step. How would that work? And many times, the government agency will come back and say that it will be expensive to try to get that information. So what does all that look like?
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, it doesn’t have to be hard. Sometimes it’s actually very easy. So whatever it is that you’re interested in, the first thing I would do is go to that government entity’s website and poke around on there, and there may be some really good information there. And governments should be doing as much as they can to post records and information online in this day and age, I think, so people don’t have to make records requests for them. But if they get to the point where they do need to make a records request, we have all sorts of resources in our guide about, you know, advice on how to do that. The first thing you want to do in your records request is to make sure that you’re asking for records. You’re not asking the government a bunch of questions to answer. You want to ask for records that hopefully contain information that helps you answer the questions that you’re interested in. And we even have a template letter on our website that people can use. A lot of governments want you to use their form or their portal, and they’re permitted to do that. And so you make a request. You want to be as specific as you can. If you know the records that you’re interested in, help the – the government agency, find those records that you’re interested in as quickly, as efficiently as possible, because that can save you time and money. So in Colorado, The law says that the government entity can charge you for what’s called research and retrieval, finding the records, reviewing the records for information that either cannot be released or they have discretion not to release, possibly redacting the records. And they can charge after a first free hour or they can charge up to $41.37 an hour. So if you multiply $41.37 by 5, 10, 15, 20 hours, public records suddenly become very expensive sometimes. And sometimes they’re so expensive, someone is shut out from access. So you want to do as much as you can to narrow that request and have hopefully a conversation with the records custodian to help them find the records that you’re interested in. And sometimes it ends up being kind of a negotiation.
SPEAKER 05 :
in this day and age of A.I. that a government entity could should be able to use A.I. to to speed up that process? Yes.
SPEAKER 14 :
I think I think that that is becoming more common. I think maybe a lot of governments are still trying to figure that out, how to properly use AI to help process records requests. I don’t know if anybody’s completely figured it out, but there are absolutely people working on that. It can work both ways. It possibly can help the government become more efficient in that way, but you also need to trust it. You don’t want it to withhold records that maybe you’re entitled to or do the opposite thing. So I think it’s still being worked on, but I think that there are ways to do this. I think for things like body cam footage is a You know, a very frequently requested public record now, and there are limitations on that and actually different categories of body cam footage. But that could be one area where AI might help. Identify, for instance, like if a minor is depicted in the body cam footage and the police need to blur that minor’s face. You know, is there a way I can help with something like that, for instance? I think all those things are being worked on and maybe, you know, that’s the next kind of thing we’ll see.
SPEAKER 05 :
This is so important. Government transparency is so important so that we know what is going on. And Jeff Roberts, executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, this is what he works on on a regular basis. We’re going to continue the discussion for everything regarding mortgages. And the mortgage market has been a bit volatile, but there could be opportunity there. Reach out to Lauren Levy.
SPEAKER 17 :
Many seniors are feeling squeezed because of inflation, higher property taxes, and increasing costs of living. If you’re 62 or older, a reverse mortgage may be the solution. Reverse mortgages can be complicated, so it’s important that you understand the process and work with a trusted professional. Mortgage expert Lorne Levy will help you craft solutions for your unique circumstances, whether a reverse mortgage, first mortgage, or a second mortgage. If you’d like to explore how a reverse mortgage might help you, call Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881. That’s 303-880-8881. Call now.
SPEAKER 09 :
I’ll go tell them. Quickly. assemble at my father’s house the kim monson show is our modern day sybil luddington bringing us the latest breaking news in the battle for truth and freedom ben’s plumbing heating and cooling is proud to stand with kim will you stand with us get engaged with the issue that keeps you up at night so that you can influence your school and community with truth and justice And for quality craftsmanship at a fair price, call or text Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling at 303-995-1636. That number again is 303-995-1636.
SPEAKER 12 :
We’ll be right back. Force. Force versus freedom. Tune in to The Kim Monson Show each weekday, 6 to 8 a.m. with encores 1 to 2 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. on KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM. The KLZ website, the KLZ app, and Alexa. Play KLZ. Shows can also be found at KimMonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes.
SPEAKER 05 :
and welcome back and your financial freedom is shaped by more than numbers it’s shaped by planning for the realities of your life at mint financial strategies jody hinsey and her team help you assess your current reality while planning for your future additionally mint financial strategies helps you navigate through your emotions regarding the economy your career and the market while encouraging you to evaluate family dynamics that can influence your financial well-being. These insights help Mint Financial Strategies to design a plan that fits your life. So take that step towards financial freedom. Call Mint Financial Strategies. That number is 303-285-3080, 303-285-3080. And we are talking with the Executive Director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, Jeff Roberts. And Jeff, you mentioned the Senate Bill 107 that… in committee yesterday, which that’s a pretty big deal. And also looking at the bill, it had bipartisan support. So this is pretty remarkable that this bill that could have made it more difficult to access government records died. So tell us just a little bit more about what happened on that.
SPEAKER 14 :
Sure. Yeah. So this, as I mentioned, was the third year that Senator Kathy Kipp has tried a bill like this the past couple of years. I can’t remember the first year, but for sure last year there was also bipartisan involvement in this bill. Senator Janice Rich, Republican from Grand Junction, also sponsored the bill in the Senate. And, yes, I mean, it is a bipartisan, it was a bipartisan bill. The vote in the committee, the Senate committee, did not fall along party lines. It was three to two. There was one Republican who voted for it and one Democrat who voted for it. So you can’t look at it necessarily like that. But, you know, it’s complicated. Kind of a complicated thing. You have a lot of people who are in government, local government, school districts, school district associations, the municipal league supporting this bill. Their argument there is that they’re being inundated with a lot of records requests. And I understand that that is happening. There’s more and more people generally, I think, submitting records requests. But that’s also part of the job of government is to respond to those records requests. We’ve had the Colorado Open Records Act in law since 1968. And so this has been in government for a long time. It’s something that is extremely important for people to understand what government is doing. And so the fact that people are using it is in our minds a good, important thing. There are people that maybe try to overwhelm government with Rutgers requests, but I don’t think that’s most people. And so there is a balance that needs to happen between the records requester and the government. But in this case, this bill, Senate Bill 107, was weighted very heavily in favor of the government. and its needs as far as responding to records requests versus the requester’s rights to public information in a timely fashion. What was interesting about this year’s bill compared to last year’s bill, which the governor vetoed, He vetoed last year’s bill because he was not only concerned about weakening the open records law, but that it created three different categories of records requesters. The public journalist, as defined by the state’s press shield law. And commercial requesters, people who request public information and then may use that information to solicit business for pecuniary gain is how they put it. And so the governor vetoed that bill, which passed the legislature last year. And in order to avoid a veto, Senator Kipp and Senator Rich introduced a bill this year that did not differentiate between the public and journalists. It did differentiate between everyone and commercial requesters, but not. They were ready to take that out of the bill specifically to avoid a veto by Governor Polis. And Senator Kipp said that in the hearing yesterday. But ultimately, it came down to. uh, legislators, uh, siding with, uh, basically what we’ve been saying that it’s, it’s really important for the public to have access to the records of government in a timely way. Um, and, uh, that’s what, um, uh, Senator, uh, Katie Wallace, who, um, heads the, the state affairs committee that this came up, uh, in that was her reasoning. And, um, And so I think it’s done for the year. We’ll see if it comes up a fourth time next year.
SPEAKER 05 :
Jeff Roberts, coming in on the text line, a request again for your website. What’s your website?
SPEAKER 14 :
The website is coloradofoic.org. So that’s F as in Freedom of Information Coalition, coloradofoic.org.
SPEAKER 05 :
Jeff, we have just a few minutes left. I’ve been concerned and wondering if this falls under things that you look at, and I’m seeing public comment being limited or actually going away at county commissioners, city councils. Is that anything in your wheelhouse at the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition?
SPEAKER 14 :
It is. It’s more of a It’s more of a free speech than a direct freedom of information issues, but it’s certainly related, and it really is about the public’s… access to their elected officials. So I think it’s all interconnected. And yes, we have seen a trend in Colorado and I think elsewhere where public bodies are struggling with what to do with public comment. There have been disruptions in a lot of places. We certainly saw that in the city of Aurora. And so how do you do this in a way that lets everybody be heard but still preserves decorum and allows them to have their meeting and all that? There was a lawsuit in Aurora, which was just settled last week. And the city of Aurora, the Aurora City Council will definitely under this settlement provide public comment, open public comment, meaning people can talk about whatever they want. It doesn’t have to be related to something on the agenda for the next three years. The flip side is the Douglas County Commission, which has decided not to have public comment. And one of the commissioners was quoted as saying that they just weren’t hearing anything new from the public. And I think there’s a problem with that. I think people want to be able to talk to their elected officials. Public comment is the most direct way to do that. And, you know, so the open meetings law is, says nothing about public comment. There’s nothing in there that requires a public body in Colorado to have a public comment period. It is something that public bodies choose to do and make rules for, and they do that because their community wants it. So I think it’s something that ought to be provided as much as possible. And, you know, there are There are challenges that come with that, but I think that it’s extremely important for the public to be able to talk back to their local elected officials.
SPEAKER 05 :
I’ve moved to calling them elected representatives to remind all of us that they’re representing us, we the people. Jeff Roberts, this is really great work that you’re doing. And again, that website is coloradofoic.org, correct?
SPEAKER 14 :
That is correct.
SPEAKER 05 :
Okay. Well, it is important that we be able to be engaged and informed, and Jeff Roberts and the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition is doing great work. Jeff, let’s stay in touch. This is so important, and I really appreciate the great work that you’re doing.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thanks for having me on, Kim.
SPEAKER 05 :
And our quote for the end of the show, I was looking for perseverance quotes because I used the Medal of Honor quote book from the Center for American Values. And I found this from Thomas Edison. I loved it. He said, I never failed once. It just happened to be a 2,000-step process. So my friends today, be grateful, read great books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate and listen well, live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideals, and like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you. God bless America. Stay tuned for hour number two.
SPEAKER 18 :
I don’t want no one to cry But tell them if I don’t serve
SPEAKER 13 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
SPEAKER 11 :
It’s the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 05 :
An early childhood taxing district? What on earth is that?
SPEAKER 11 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 05 :
I don’t think that we should be passing legislation that is so complicated that people kind of throw up their hands and say, I can’t understand that.
SPEAKER 11 :
Today’s current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 05 :
And it’s not fair just because you’re a big business that you get a break on this and the little guy doesn’t.
SPEAKER 11 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let’s have a conversation.
SPEAKER 05 :
Let’s have a conversation, and welcome to our number two of the Kim Monson Show. Thank you so much for joining us. You each are treasured, you’re valued, you have purpose. Today, strive for excellence, take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. My friends, we were made for this moment in history. And thank you to the team. That’s Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Amanda, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. It is Friday, and we’re supposed to get some moisture today, which that’s blessed news, Producer Joe. Happy Friday, Kim, and we are definitely getting some moisture looking out this window right now. Awesome. That is just awesome. And check out our website. We have revamped it. We have launched the three presses of the Kim Monson community. It’s the Kim Monson Show broadcast. It is the Kim Monson Newsroom broadcast. Amazing news articles there. We did a very important piece regarding Tina Peters and Governor Polis thinking about issuing clemency for her. We would call on him to show mercy and compassion and release her and then our community. And so join us in the community. The join button is at the top there. Sign up for the newsletter. There’s a newsletter button there as well. And then our news and articles, you can find those. under those buttons on the website as well. And so be sure and check all of that out. You can email me at kim at kimmonson.com. I thank all of you who are part of all of this because we are truly an indie. We are an independent voice. on an independent station as we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. Remember, if something’s a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. Wanted a couple of things. First of all, Proposition 108 has made the ballot. So congratulations to all. Everyone from Protect Kids Colorado who worked so hard to make that happen. This came in from Patty McKernan, and then I talked with Yvonne Paez last night and got a text message from Lori Gimmelstein. All of these people have worked so hard with so many others at Protect Kids Colorado. And, of course, congratulations to Erin Lee and Kevin Lundberg on that as well. They’ve been real leaders on that. But this is from Patty. McKernan on the text message, she said, coming up for air and wanting all of you to know 108 is on the ballot. 91% of the signatures were valid. That is amazing. Today they will get packets to cure for 109 and 110. This is remarkable. And I think 108, I think that’s the one that the children are not for sale. I think that’s the one that it is. If Patty’s listening, if you can text me, just let me know. Or Yvonne, let me know. But I think that’s what that one is. So congratulations to everyone there. And our word of the day is indissoluble. It’s incapable of being dissolved, decomposed, undone, or destroyed. And our Constitution, our American idea says, should be indissoluble. And I pulled this from George Washington’s farewell address. I had a treasure trove of words of the day. Our quote of the day is from Salvatore A. Sal Genta, United States Army Medal of Honor recipient. He was born in 1985. These are actions that he took on October 25, 2007. in the corn ball valley in afghanistan during the war on terror he said everyone welcomes recognition but the ones who truly deserve it are those americans who gave their lives for this country and i’d highly recommend that you have the medal of honor quote book on the shelves of your Freedom Library at home. You can order that by going to AmericanValueCenter.org. That’s AmericanValueCenter.org. And it also reminds me when I read these quotes and these stories, and we did the complete citation, in our number one, how important it is also to support the USMC Memorial Foundation. And so next week, Paula Sarles, the president, will be doing her president challenge. And there’s a ribbon at the top of the website at usmcmemorialfoundation.org. And you can check that out as well as early bird pricing for their golf tournament, which will be in May. and you can get all that information by going to usmcmemorialfoundation.org and our bill of the day i did not get to that and that’s in the first hour but it’s house bill 26 1278 local government approval of transmission lines and the sponsors on this are um oops hold on Bill Track 50 is Representative Chris Richardson, Senator Rod Pelton and Senator Mark Schneider. So there is bipartisan support on it. And it’s concerning the preservation of local land use authority by requiring local government approval before an investor owned electric utility may commence a condemnation proceeding for high voltage transmission infrastructure. So this is saying that for example excel out in albert county in the future i don’t think that it’s retroactive but in the future you have to get that excel would have to get local approval before starting imminent domain this is a very very important bill i think it was heard in committee yesterday i think carrie giblets had texted me and said it would be heard yesterday and i i i i think that it’s working its way through the legislature from what i can tell and again that’s house bill 26 1278 and a cut is is in favor of this particular bill and so you make your voices heard go to coloradotaxpayer.org and click on cut engaged and we selected four bills this week that you can make your voices heard on and it’ll probably take you a maximum of two minutes to do that So be sure and make your voices heard quickly. I know life is, you’re all busy and there’s so much going on down at the state legislature, but make sure that you do that. And this happens, all of this happens because of our great sponsors. And another great sponsor of the show is Hooters Restaurants. How I got to know them is a really important story about freedom and free markets and capitalism and government. And I call them PBIs, politicians and bureaucrats and interested parties that are really more about government control instead of representing the people. And so I so appreciate Hooters restaurants. And on Saturdays, actually, it’s a great day to take the family. With the purchase of an adult entree, kids will eat free. And so I bring the family, catch the game, and let Hooters Restaurants handle the food and the cleanup. And again, I appreciate their sponsorship of both the Kim Monson Show and America’s Veterans Stories. And these discussions are so important. And I think we have Teddy Collins on the line. We don’t have Teddy Collins on the line with Spartan Defense. Teddy is very busy right now, of course, running a business. as well as running for Colorado Senate District 4. But Spartan Defense is the largest family-owned firearm store in the state, and it is pretty impressive. They’re located kind of on the east side of Colorado Springs, and be sure and check out their website. That website is SpartanDefense.org. dot com Spartan defense dot com and just wanted again mention a couple things check out our newsroom and the pieces that we are publishing are so important we really are working on and journalistic integrity to bring both sides at the issue Ford regarding many things that we talk about on the show but then I do share my perspective on that as well so go to Kim Monson dot com And you can click on the news button and you will see these important pieces that we’ve done. We also did a piece on the Colorado bill that would force counties into five commissioner boards with ranked choice voting. So that’s a really important story. And then also we had talked with Susan Kochavar. about Colorado. They talk about affordability for everyday people all the time, but actually what the radical activists that have taken over the Democrat Party in Colorado are doing, they’re trying to wring every dime out of individuals and small businesses. And so we talked a bit about House Bill 1289, which is a 70-page, Measure heading to the Finance Committee on March 16th. And I know that the team are my fellow board members at the Colorado Union of Taxpayers. We’re going to be looking at that this weekend. And join us. ColoradoTaxpayer.org is the website. It’s $25 a year, $2.08 a month, which is less than most cups of coffee out there these days. And when you see these folks, say thank you to them. That’s Steve Dorman, Greg Golianski, Russ Haas, Bill Hamill, Rob Knuth, John Nelson, Wendy Warner, Marty Nielsen, Ramey Johnson, Mary Jansen, Dave Evans, Corey Onazorg, Paula Beard, and Ray Beard. All volunteers doing enormous amount of work to watch the legislation. Down at the State House, our criteria is how does it affect the taxpayer? How does it affect Tabor, Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights? How does it affect property rights and parental choice in education? And we get to talk about this because we are an indie, an independent journalism organization. And it happens because of our sponsors and for everything regarding your insurance. You might be able to save some money if you talk to the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance Team. That number is 303-795-8855. Give them a call. Like a good neighbor, the Roger Mangan Team is there.
SPEAKER 04 :
costs to ensure your home, apartment, auto, boat are increasing. Inflation, high taxes, grocery prices are squeezing Coloradans’ budgets. How can you save money? When you bundle your insurance coverage with the Roger Mink and State Farm Insurance team, you may save money on your insurance premiums. The only way to find out is to reach out to the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance team for a complimentary appointment. Call the Roger Mangan team now at 303-795-8855. That number again is 303-795-8855. Like a good neighbor, the Roger Mangan team is there.
SPEAKER 02 :
Karen Gorday and her team at Radiant Painting and Lighting are dedicated to integrity, transparency, respect, and care as they work with their clients. Karen and her team promise to provide honest and dependable service that you can trust with clear communication so that they get it right the first time. Radiant Painting and Lighting goes above and beyond to ensure satisfaction and comfort through your project. Make your appointment now by going to paintwithradiant.com. That’s paintwithradiant.com.
SPEAKER 12 :
To learn more, reach out to Kim at Kim at Kim Monson dot com. Kim would love to talk with you again. That’s Kim at Kim Monson dot com. It’s right.
SPEAKER 05 :
It’s Friday. Welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Thank you so much for joining us. Our website is kimmonson.com, and we have rolled out our newsroom, and so sign up for our daily digest. I think we’ll get that started this next week, as well as join the Kim Monson community. And a couple of things to button up before we get to Paige Hauser, who is the policy director with the Center for Renewing America. A couple of things on that Prop 108 for Protect Kids Colorado, which is going to be on the ballot this November. Congratulations to everyone that’s worked so hard to get all of those signatures to make that happen. And yes, that is the one to button up. uh protect kids from sex traffickers and then this house bill 1278 that i mentioned regarding local approval for these industrial transmission lines before the um the companies can go out, which is crazy to me, use eminent domain to take people’s land. It was voted down yesterday. So thank you, Gammy. Thank you, Patty, for letting me know that. And Patty said that the reasoning was to have government serve the masses instead of protection of property owners. And protection of property is inherent in the whole American idea. So thank you to all of you for keeping those details there. And so pleased to have Paige Houser on the line with the Center for Renewing America. Paige, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me this morning, Kim. And it’s been a little while since we’ve talked. And you, the Center for Renewing America, is right there on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., talking to congressmen and women as well as senators regarding legislation. There’s so much going on. But I think my first question is the SAVE Act, which basically, my understanding is, is that would require… ID to vote, is that correct?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, it’s a big thing probably going on in Washington and has been for a couple weeks now. It passed the House with no problem. It’s called the Save America Act, and you’re right, it’s basically a national voter ID requirement. And the other part is that you would have to prove citizenship when you register to vote in federal elections. So it’s a basic election integrity bill, especially in the wake of four years’ worth of open borders under President Biden and basically the invasion of millions of illegal immigrants into the country. It’s like the bare minimum of what would be required to secure our elections. It passed the House no problem. It’s an 80-20 issue, and by that I mean political support amongst average voters is, yeah, they think you should have to show an ID to vote in an election. And so it should be a no-brainer. The Senate should be able to pass it. Even you should be able to get some Democrats to support it. And yet that hasn’t been the case. And traditionally, the way that the Senate has been operating, you need 60 votes to pass any piece of legislation in order to overcome the filibuster or what is also called the cloture rule. So to end debate on a bill, you have to get 60 votes. However, that is not the only way that you can pass something in the Senate. And so we and other people on the right groups, coalitions, have been pushing the Senate to bring, especially Senator or Leader Soon, to bring the Save America Act to the Senate floor under the two-speech rule, which is using the existing Senate rules to pass the bill. And you can do that with a simple majority, 51 votes. There’s a lot of hemming and hawing from the senators about how we can’t actually do that, that we would have to break the rules in order to do that, that that’s nuking the filibuster. And all of that is just a sideshow and basically not true. You can pass the bill with 51 votes. It does take a lot of work. It requires time. Unity among the Republican majority. It requires their physical presence in D.C. so that they can come to the floor and vote no on a bunch of amendments that would be offered by the Democrats. But after enough time and exhaustion of the other side, you could pass the bill with 51 votes.
SPEAKER 05 :
Some headlines that there were some Republican senators that said that they were not in favor of this. This was maybe a week or so ago. How’s that working out?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, they aren’t. Especially if you think about the Mitch McConnells of the world, the Lisa Murkowskis, Tom Telleses. These are people that don’t want to let the American people see that you can do this. So it’s kind of like the Pandora’s box. Once the Senate goes down this road and you can prove that actually you don’t need 60 votes for really important stuff if you have… the majority actually showing up and doing its job, well, then people will want more things. But if you give the mouse a cookie, if you do this one thing for this bill, well, then we’re going to have to do it again and again, and that’s just going to ruin all of what they like to do, which is go to dinners, raise money, basically do anything but actually show up and vote in the Senate. Okay.
SPEAKER 05 :
I am embarrassed, Paige, that I should know this. I think I always assumed that a simple majority would pass legislation, both in the House and the Senate. But what you’re telling me is that’s not the case? I should know this. I’m embarrassed, but maybe I’m not the only one out here in America that doesn’t know.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, no, it definitely should be enough. Fifty one votes passes legislation. But the way that the Senate has operated for the past, you know, probably 50 years or so has to has been to require cloture, which means ending debate. That’s just what that’s the word they use to end debate on any bill. You have to you can just. do a cloture vote, and to do that requires 60 votes. And so the Senate has just been operating that instead of actually debating bills and requiring senators to come to the floor and talk and debate amongst each other about the bill, they just bring the bill to the floor, file cloture on it, And then after a certain amount of time, they’ll vote on it. But the threshold to pass it will be 60 votes. And so that’s just what they do. But that is not what they have to do. That’s just what they do. And so we’ve been advocating for what we’re calling the talking filibuster, actually making the opposition come to the floor. And every senator gets two speeches on a question. So after a while, you get through two speeches, they’re done, and then you can pass the bill with 51 votes. And so that’s the goal. That’s the hope that Senator Thune, the leader, who’s the one who has to decide to bring the bill to the floor, will do that. There’s some pushback that the Senate parliamentarian will make ruling that not only will you have to have two speeches on the bill itself, but if the Democrats offer amendments, then each senator gets two speeches on that. We disagree with that, and the leader can also ignore the rule of the parliamentarian. But regardless, reconciliation bills passed. with 51 votes and unlimited amendments all the time. That’s what the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was earlier this year. That passed with 51 votes. Unlimited amendments were allowed to be offered. And you know it didn’t take, you know, six months to do that. It took a little bit of time. So I think the reality is most senators don’t like to show up and work. And this is requiring them to do that. And it is bare minimum for senators especially for what we need. Like we have an upcoming election. We need to make sure that it’s a secure election, that the ballot matters and only citizens vote. And again, I say this is an 80-20 issue. Most people support this. You should be able to get Democrats to do this. So we’re going to keep pushing it. Your callers should call their senators and say, use the talking filibuster and pass the Save America Act.
SPEAKER 05 :
Question, Obamacare, that went through under reconciliation, right? And so that was passed, this massive thing that changed everybody’s lives. Ultimately, they said that they would make health care more affordable. That’s not the case at all. But didn’t that pass just with 51? No.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, but the problem is you can only do a certain number of reconciliation bills per Congress. They’ve already done one because it’s attached to the budget process. So once a budget passes, that allows you to then do reconciliation bills. But they’ve already done it once. They could do conceivably one more before this Congress is out, but they’ve already said they don’t want to do that. And especially if you’re going to do that, you would want probably to get more than the Save America Act. You would want to do a lot like that’s what they did with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was basically put everything that they could in there and try to pass the entirety of the president’s agenda, which they got some good stuff, but it wasn’t certainly not everything they could have gotten. But the Senate has also said that they don’t want to do another reconciliation bill. It’s an election year, blah, blah, blah. But you’re right. You can pass major legislation using reconciliation at 51 votes. But you can also pass major legislation forcing senators to come to the floor, debate, and use the talking filibuster. And you can also pass it with 51 votes that way, too.
SPEAKER 05 :
This is so important because if we don’t have free, fair, honest, and transparent elections, knowing who people are voting on, then the republic is really in great danger, Paige Hauser.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, very much so. And that’s why we’re pushing this so hard, because many people are not opposed to this. The majority of people agree to vote in an election, you should have to show an ID, and you should have to prove your citizenship. So this is really a no-brainer, and it should be the bare minimum. So the pushback, even from the Republicans in the Senate, makes no sense from a political perspective. You have to wonder why they are so opposed to it, and my guess is they really don’t want to work. It is that bad for them to have to show up and vote and be in the Senate and not do all the other stuff they like to do, fundraising, dinners, basically anything but show up and work in the Senate. You know, their workday is already Tuesday through Thursday at most.
SPEAKER 05 :
So, those of us that are independent entrepreneurs probably put almost the number of hours in a day that they put in in a week, then, if that’s the case, Paige Hauser.
SPEAKER 08 :
Exactly. So, this is why the Senate will prove itself to be lazier than you think. And I think… We who want them to do this have them dead to rights, and we might actually prevail if we keep pushing them and keep talking about it and keep forcing past the Save America Act using the talking filibuster.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, we’re going to continue the discussion with Paige Hauser, and these really are such important discussions. And if you are having any challenges, though, with your personal climate, being warm in the winter or cool in the summer, whoops, hold on, I’m on the wrong one. I was going to talk about bins, plumbing, heating, and cooling, but instead we’ll mention Karen Levine. For everything residential real estate, you’ll want to have her on your side of the table.
SPEAKER 15 :
A house protects from the rain, but a home shelters from the storms of life. Additionally, homeownership has helped Americans create wealth for themselves and their families. The Colorado Metro real estate market is ever-changing and is presenting new opportunities for homebuyers that we have not seen in quite some time. If you are thinking of buying a new home or selling your home, Remax Realtor Karen Levine can help you successfully navigate the complexities of real estate transactions. Call Karen Levine today at 303-877-7516. That’s 303-877-7516. You want Karen Levine on your side of the table.
SPEAKER 10 :
John Bozen and the attorneys at Bozen Law believe that everyone deserves access to justice regardless of their financial situation. That’s why Bozen Law handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You don’t pay anything up front. And there are no hourly fees. Bozen Law covers the cost of building your case and they only get paid if they win for you. Every case is different and results vary depending on facts and circumstances. Contact Bozen Law today at 303-999-9999 to see how Bozen Law might help you. That number is 303-999-9999.
SPEAKER 09 :
Your right to keep and bear arms and your ability to protect yourself and your family is facing growing legislative and regulatory pressure right here in Colorado. Teddy Collins, co-owner of Spartan Defense, knows that’s exactly why now is the time to make sure that you own a firearm you trust and that you’re confident using it. Spartan Defense, located in Colorado Springs, is the largest family-owned gun store in the state with an inventory built for real-world needs, not just display cases. They’ll also match any competitor’s price on any firearm as long as it’s above their cost. To learn more, visit SpartanDefense.com. That’s SpartanDefense.com.
SPEAKER 01 :
All Kim’s sponsors are an inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Monson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmonson.com. That’s Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 05 :
Back to the Kim Monson Show. Check out our website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. And make sure that you click on newsletter and are signed up for not only our weekly newsletter, but our new newsroom daily digest. And then also join our new community as well. You can do all that at Kim Monson dot com. And each of us have unique goals for our lives with over 25 years of experience and the credentials of an accredited investment fiduciary. Jody Hinze and her team at Mint Financial Strategies can help you create a strategy-first wealth plan built just for you. So whether you’re preparing for retirement, planning for education costs, or navigating major life transitions, Mint Financial Strategies can design a customized plan to help you invest confidently and move forward with your daily life. So give them a call. That number is 303-285-3080 to embark on your journey to financial freedom. Paige Hauser, who is the Policy Director with the Center for Renewing America, is on the line. And next thing regarding and you’re right there on Capitol Hill. So you’ve got your finger on the pulse of everything that’s happening. Iran last last weekend, things really started to happen with with Iran. So what’s the end? There are those on the left that are just screaming about this. So what’s your thoughts on all this? Because there’s a lot of rhetoric out there about this, Paige Hauser.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, there certainly is. And I do think amongst the base of those who voted for President Trump, I mean, he ran on ending wars. He certainly was not in the neoconservative camp. He talked about ending the forever wars, not doing the nation building and the regime change of the past administration’s policy. that they pursued. He was basically the counter opposite to that and saying, I want to end wars. I don’t want to do this. So when now that he’s got a second term, you see him basically going to war. Of course, there’s apprehension, especially among the base and even on the left. But I take what the left thinks pretty much with a grain of salt. There’s a lot of Trump derangement syndrome on there, and you just can’t. Can’t really understand. I think it’s basically orange man Pat from their perspective. But from the people that voted for the president, I think that they are right to be somewhat apprehensive about this engagement. I think there was support for limited military strikes. So I think that’s also the thing. It’s trying to determine what do we mean by America first foreign policy. It’s certainly not the neoconservative policy. invade the world, regime change, do forever wars. It’s not that. But does it mean that you don’t use the military ever? And I think most people agree, no, there is good justification. for limited military strikes, especially when American interests are directly at stake. So I think you saw actually a good bit of support for the limited, very quick taking of Maduro out of Venezuela. That happened really quick. You saw the strikes against the various drug boats coming out of Venezuela. Then you saw earlier the very limited, very quick strikes against the nuclear facilities But this one seems a little bit harder to understand. And the basic reality is I think we don’t know what we don’t know. We don’t know what the intelligence was that was available to the president when he made the decision to strike Iran. We don’t know… If they were imminently about to launch missiles into our assets in the region and that’s what caused him to pull the trigger against him when he did, we just don’t know. So there could be legitimately good reasons for why he chose that moment when he did. But then I will also say it seems that the goals now on this side of it, after a couple days of bombings and… various, like the campaign going on and on, it’s hard to determine exactly what the end game is. It seems like we’re trying to degrade their ability to launch long-range missiles. We’re trying to degrade their ability to interrupt trade in the region by going after their Navy ships and sinking those. Iran’s response in attacking Iran All of its neighbors have certainly not helped them and has actually increased the coalition that’s attacking them and bringing them down. So I think that’s a good thing. But the longer this goes on, the more I think that you might see support begin to wane. You know, if it’s a quick strike and limited military action, no American boots on the ground. I think that’s good, and most people will be fine with it, and we’ll move on. We’ve got the bad guys, and we can move on. But if it gets extended into weeks and weeks, then I think you start losing support among the base. And then the final thing I would just say on our end is the House and the Senate both voted this week on what are called War Powers Authorization Act resolutions. And basically, if those had passed, they would have taken the president’s ability to continue the military strikes away. But both the House and the Senate rejected those essentially green lighting from the congressional point of view, the president’s continued engagement in the region.
SPEAKER 05 :
From a political standpoint, I think, and I know you’re based on policy, but from a political standpoint, for him to make this decision with the midterms right around the corner… We don’t know the intelligence that he had received on this, but it seems to me like there must have been something very serious for him to take this political risk to do this. And I know that you really don’t probably focus on that, but if you have a comment on that, what do you think about that, Paige?
SPEAKER 08 :
No, I mean, I do. I agree. I mean, we on the side that voted for the president and who have been opposed to the neoconservative views of basically regime change and nation building don’t want to see that continue. And so the hope is that that will be avoided and that is not what ends up happening here because I think the president will lose lots of support if this continues for a very long time and proves not to be just a limited military engagement. But yeah, like you said, we don’t know what the intelligence was that he had. So it’s hard to make an assessment about where this is all going without knowing the full picture and the full facts that he had before him. And I will say I do think it’s hard for him because the goals seem to be shifting. I don’t think that there’s been a very good laying out of what the full objective is now. I hope it’s not regime change and nation building. I hope it’s limited and not something that goes on for weeks and weeks because, like I say, I think, that that will erode his support, and that is not a good thing heading into midterm elections.
SPEAKER 05 :
Okay, last question. We’ve got just a few minutes left. We’re talking with Paige Hauser with the Center for Renewing America, and that is tariffs. And, of course, there was a Supreme Court decision regarding the tariffs that Trump had put in place. And tariffs have been used since the beginning of the country. What’s your thoughts on all that, Paige Hauser?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I think that I’m sure you’ll know that the Supreme Court decision from a week or two ago, basically the media will tell you that, oh, this is terrible for the Trump administration. It struck down his ability to do these major global tariffs that he had in place. In reality, it said under the Emergency Economic Powers Act that he was using to levy a lot of these tariffs that you can’t use that. But there are a lot of other… legal pathways or laws that allow the president to um levy tariffs so besant the treasury secretary said even this week that he expects the 10 global tariff to go to 15 and that they will just use different authorities there’s the section 122 of the Global Trade Act that allows them, the president, to put tariffs in place for 150 days, for example. So they can do that, and then that gets you to give the USTR’s office, Trade Representative’s Office, and the Department of Commerce time to do trade investigations that they can then use to justify additional tariffs. I think you’ll probably remember back in the first Trump term, that’s what they did. to basically prove that China was dumping steel into the U.S. so that they could enact tariffs on Chinese steel. So I think the administration has said it will probably take until about the end of the summer this year to basically return to the tariff structure that was in place before this Supreme Court decision. I think a really important point is what you made at the beginning, that tariffs have been used in this country from basically the very beginning, and they are a huge part of how America became the industrial manufacturing superpower of the world. And so the benefits of the tariffs, I think you’ve got almost $300 billion in revenue from just the tariffs. the rebalancing of trade, the incentivizing of reinvestment in U.S. manufacturing, all of that we can’t discount and would be lost if we just abandoned the tariff regime that the president has, that has really been a central part of his whole entire economic agenda. So I don’t think you’re going to see him abandon it. He’s certainly, they’ve moved very quickly to find alternative pathways. And I think that even the dissenting opinions and the Supreme Court decision basically laid out a roadmap of how the president could legally, in their minds, pursue these tariffs.
SPEAKER 05 :
And this has been so informative, Paige. Is there anything else that’s on your radar that you’re watching that people should be aware of? These are huge things, I think, the Save America Act, the tariffs in Iran.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, absolutely. These are all the big things that are happening right now in Washington. I would just direct people to our website or our Twitter feed. We’re at America Renewing. and americarenewingcenter.com. We have papers that go deeper into all of these issues if you really want to understand the ins and outs of tariffs and how they are important for national security and national sovereignty and protecting american workers or if you want to look at and get a rundown of the save act or how the senate could pass it using the two speech rule and 51 votes all of that is up on our website and super informative and will help your listeners get a really good handle on all of this
SPEAKER 05 :
Again, let’s see, that website is americarenewing.com, isn’t it? Do I remember that correctly? Okay, americarenewing.com. Okay, Paige Hauser, thank you so much. This has been really informative. I greatly appreciate it. Thank you. And now I’ll talk about Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. If you need any help with your personal climate, be warm in the winter or cool in the summer, give them a call. That number is 303-995-1636. And that’s Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling.
SPEAKER 16 :
There was a time in America when a man’s handshake cemented his word. At Ben’s Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, we are old school and believe in doing a job well. If there is ever an issue with the service that we have provided, we will make it right. Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling is proud to partner with The Kim Monson Show to bring truth and clarity to the issues we face in Colorado, America, and our world. Call or text Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling at 303-995-1636 for all of your plumbing, heating, and cooling needs. That number is 303-995-1636.
SPEAKER 17 :
For nearly 20 years, mortgage specialist Lorne Levy with Polygon Financial Group has helped individuals realize their hopes and dreams of home ownership, fund kids’ educations through second mortgages, and access capital by utilizing reverse mortgages. Lauren Levy works with many different lenders, and his goal is to provide home loans to his clients with the lowest interest rates and closing costs as possible. Lauren Levy pledges to help borrowers overcome roadblocks that can arise when securing a loan. Call Lauren Levy now at 303-880-8881 so that you are prepared for opportunity in the mortgage market. That’s 303-880-8881.
SPEAKER 12 :
There’s so much noise coming at us. Sometimes it is difficult to make sense of it all. How can you sift through the clamor for your attention and get to the truth? The Kim Monson Show is here to help. Kim searches for truth and clarity by examining issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. Tune in to The Kim Monson Show each weekday, 6 to 8 a.m., with encores 1 to 2 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. on KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM. The KLZ website, the KLZ app, and Alexa. Play KLZ. Shows can also be found at kimmonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes.
SPEAKER 05 :
Monson Show, be sure and check out our website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. And I had mentioned this, I think it was House Bill 1278. This was to prevent companies from using eminent domain to take people’s property for industrial transmission lines. And I heard back from Carrie. She said it was very frustrating. Most of the representatives… Did not even listen to any of the folks who came down to testify. They were talking, laughing, eating on their phones. They were very disrespectful. And this is about people’s property. This is absolutely heartbreaking. And I did want to give you the bill sponsors on that. It was Representative Chris Richardson and Senator Rod Pelton and… I’ll get the other one. Hold on. I think Senator Mark Schneider. But unfortunately that was voted down. On the line with me is Molly Lamar. And she cares deeply about our Colorado children. And she, in fact, had been a candidate a few years ago for the State Board of Education. And Molly has been keeping us up to date with the toxic environment at the administration level at Cherry Creek School District. Before we get an update on that, though, Molly, great news, Proposition 108, where our kids are not for sale for sex trafficking, is going to be on the ballot. I congratulate you. I know you’ve worked very hard on that with many others. So, Molly Lamar, welcome.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, good morning, Kim. Thank you. Isn’t that exciting? There were over between the three initiatives, there were 508,000 signatures and 108 has been verified. You know, they’re still working on 109 and 110, but just such great news that a whole slew of Coloradans have stepped up to support band together to protect kids in our state, I think that shows a lot of promise.
SPEAKER 05 :
And we’ll talk about Cherry Creek in just a minute. I mentioned this in hour number one, and I went to my caucus last night, and it was at one of the local high schools. And in the room, there was no American flag. So for the pledge, somebody had brought the flag, but there was a big… pride flag that had all of the colors in it. And I had mentioned that my understanding, the black stripe in those flags stands for man-boy relationships, which just breaks my heart. But that was prominently displayed in the classroom. So that means there is this affirmation day after day after day on that particular agenda. And I came home really troubled about that. Molly Lamar.
SPEAKER 06 :
I agree. When I ran for State Board of Education in 2022, one of the main reasons that I stepped up to serve was that my opponent wanted to introduce sex ed curriculum, including all of the LGBTQ stuff, to kindergarten through third grade. I was a kindergarten and first grade teacher. Children are learning how to tie their shoes at that age. They don’t need to be learning about sex. And, you know, unfortunately, I did not win, but I do want to encourage listeners, we need good people to stand up and push back against this stuff, to stand up to serve. Even though I didn’t win, she did have to work back some of the things that she was proposing because when we would stand up there and debate, everyone in the room thought, That is crazy that you want to teach five-year-olds about sex. You know, regardless of whether you’re talking about homosexuality or heterosexuality, five-year-olds, we’re trying to teach them how to read. And a classroom can be inclusive simply by reading. showing up and getting to work every morning. We have a lot to accomplish in our schools with reading, writing, and math. Sex should be in the bedroom at home between adults.
SPEAKER 05 :
The other thing is, is time is finite. And so classroom time taken to teach that is taken away from our kids learning how to read and write and do arithmetic. But let’s talk about Cherry Creek. There’s it used to be. OK, so we’ve got a few minutes. Tell us what’s going on.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, so the update this week is that obviously while the curtain is finally being pulled back, the people behind it are still holding the checkbook. Former Superintendent Chris Smith is gone, but of course he’s walking away with a $165,000 taxpayer-funded payout for unused leave. A pension as well.
SPEAKER 05 :
We’ve got to mention that as well. Probably a great pension.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, great pension. And meanwhile, the very leaders who enabled this toxic culture, including his wife and one of our other administrators, Tony Poole, they’re still on the payroll and on paid administrative leave. So that’s not a consequence. I think that’s a taxpayer funded vacation while our classrooms are struggling. um and i i did notice thank you um for posting that the uh cde um findings that cherry creek is guilty of not serving some of our most vulnerable students we had 11 students sit for three months who are deaf and hard of hearing without any services that’s awful that is completely unacceptable meanwhile we are spending all of that we just uncovered that the board flew in a former superintendent from Nebraska his name is Steve Joel to come and train our board members uh, on, on how to be an effective board. Um, I find it interesting that we would, one, fly in someone from out of state when we pay a lot of money for, um, the Colorado Association of School Boards services and training. Um, in addition to that, the superintendent has never served on a school board. He’s, you know, he’s been supervised by a school board, but, um, I don’t think that, again, it’s just not a good – they’re just not being good stewards of our tax dollars.
SPEAKER 05 :
As we’ve started these conversations, I had reached out to Open the Books to try to find the money regarding Cherry Creek School District. And when I heard back from them, they said that they have requested that information from Cherry Creek School District. but that cherry creek school district wanted to charge them a whole bunch of money to provide that and and so we there’s no transparency on that we do not know what those salaries are and that i think is totally irresponsible so we’ve got about a minute left molly for this weekly update uh this is really important though that people are paying attention here in cherry creek school district
SPEAKER 06 :
Yes, and I so appreciate that you continue to feature this story. We need to keep the pressure on. We are making change. They are, you know, they’re they are. at least attempting to show that they’re listening. Um, but Monday night, March 9th, we need people to show up and tell the district that things have to change. We have a school board meeting, um, and there will be, you know, they allow public comment there. Um, and we aren’t stopping until this money, um, paying these high priced consultants, um, returns to the classroom. It, it needs the, flushing dollars wasting all of these dollars instead of educating our kids that needs to stop we need to put the money back in the classroom so Monday March 9th would love to have anyone who cares about this and lives in the Cherry Creek school district show up to share their opinion and I agree get money to the classroom and people can follow me on Molly for Co Kids on Instagram or Facebook to get an update
SPEAKER 05 :
Time, what is that?
SPEAKER 06 :
It’s Molly for Co-Kids.
SPEAKER 05 :
Got it. Okay. Well, we will stay on top of this, Molly Lamar. I greatly appreciate that, and we’ll talk with you next week. Thank you, Kim.
SPEAKER 06 :
Have a great day.
SPEAKER 05 :
you as well and our quote for the end of the show i love this from thomas edison he said i never failed once it just happened to be a 2 000 step process so today be grateful read great books think good thoughts listen to beautiful music communicate and listen well live honestly and authentically strive for high ideals and like superman stand for truth justice and the american way my friends you are not alone god bless you and god bless america
SPEAKER 18 :
I don’t want no one to cry. But tell them if I don’t serve.
SPEAKER 13 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
