Hidden Fees, TABOR Workarounds, and the Cost of Closed-Door Government

On June 5, 2026, Kim Monson opened the Friday show with a Medal of Honor tribute to D-Day staff sergeant Walter D. Ehlers and turned to a recurring theme: who decides how Coloradans’ money is spent, and how much the public gets to know about it. Engaged citizen Mike Rawluk traced hidden fees and a Denver Water plan to clear a mountain creek of fish. Spartan Defense co-owner Teddy Collins flagged new firearm rules taking effect August 1 and made the case for his state Senate run. Erin Meschke recapped the 2026 legislative session and the maneuvers around the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Molly Lamar reported on closed-door decisions and a budget shortfall at the Cherry Creek School District.

Tax Dollars, Hidden Fees, and the Reach of Government

Start listening at 18:59 – Hour 1

Mike Rawluk, an engaged citizen who works with the Ralston Valley Coalition, said he sat in on an Arvada urban renewal meeting and pressed officials on what return taxpayer dollars actually produce. He connected that to SB24-184, the $3-a-day congestion impact fee Colorado added to rental cars to fund transit, which the American Rental Car Association is challenging at the Tenth Circuit on the argument that it illegally targets airport customers.

Rawluk also described a Denver Water proposal he found on a consent agenda: a plan to clear a Grand County creek of a hybridized trout by pouring in a plant-derived poison that he said kills everything in the water, diverting the creek for two years during a drought at a cost of about $300,000. He cited research that links the chemical to Parkinson’s disease. He also raised a privacy concern about the Whisker Labs Ting, a small device that insurers encourage homeowners to plug in to watch for electrical fire hazards. Rawluk said it constantly measures a home’s electricity use and sends that detailed data out to be analyzed, which he sees as one more way private life is tracked.

“I think anything that the electeds are voting on should actually be read and heard and understood.”

Mike Rawluk, Ralston Valley Coalition

Colorado’s New Firearm Rules and a State Senate Run

Start listening at 65:58 – Hour 2

Teddy Collins, co-owner of Spartan Defense in Colorado Springs, said a new state regulation taking effect August 1 will require a license to purchase certain magazine-fed firearms, and he urged buyers to act before the rules tighten. He argued that a decade of one-party control has made Colorado one of the most regulated and expensive states in the country and called for rolling those policies back.

Collins said he is running for Colorado Senate District 4 and was the only candidate to emerge from his party’s assembly onto the ballot, which sets up a general-election contest in November. He pointed supporters to his campaign and to Spartan Defense for firearms and training.

“With the new regulations that are going into effect in August, license is going to be required in order to purchase some automatic magazine-fed firearms.”

Teddy Collins, Co-Owner, Spartan Defense

The Legislative Session and the Push Around TABOR

Start listening at 73:52 – Hour 2

Erin Meschke, who writes the Substack the reluctant activist and tracks bills at the Statehouse, said she submitted roughly 100 testimonies during a session of more than 600 bills. She pointed to two measures awaiting Governor Polis’s signature, HB26-1289 and HB26-1223, that she described as major workarounds of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, and she urged listeners to ask the governor for vetoes on a list of bills still pending.

Meschke said SB26-135 will reach voters as Prop NN and would permanently raise the TABOR cap under the banner of education funding. She also flagged three citizen initiatives from protectkidscolorado.org headed to the ballot and a road-funding fight tied to Initiative 175.

“But this is going to turn into Prop NN on your ballot, and it’s going to permanently take away TABOR under the guise of education.”

Erin Meschke, the reluctant activist

Cherry Creek’s Closed Doors and a Budget Crisis

Start listening at 106:58 – Hour 2

Molly Lamar, who closely follows the Cherry Creek School District, said the district has lost a superintendent, an HR chief, a special education director, and a board member to scandal, and now faces a $23 million deficit. She said the board filled a vacancy in a closed-door executive session, passing over applicants with stronger budget experience.

Lamar said the board planned to choose a superintendent search firm in another closed session, and she pointed to a 13-page memo describing a pattern of intimidation under the district’s chief financial officer. She asked residents to attend the Monday board meeting and stay engaged.

“Continuing to go into executive session and lock us out should not be tolerated.”

Molly Lamar, Cherry Creek Parent Advocate