Colorado Ballot Measures and Supreme Court Cases to Watch

On October 15, 2024, Kevin Lundberg, Jon Boesen, and Matt Vadum joined the show. Former state senator analyzed Colorado’s 2024 ballot initiatives, warning about Amendment 80’s child-centered language and Proposition 131’s ranked choice voting scheme that would concentrate power among wealthy donors Personal injury attorney shared practical winter driving advice as Colorado approaches its first snow, emphasizing tire safety, reduced speeds, and awareness of.

Analyzing Colorado Ballot Initiatives

Start listening at 18:55 – Hour 1

Kevin Lundberg, author of the Lundberg Report, provided a detailed analysis of Colorado’s ballot measures. Lundberg expressed particular concern about Amendment 80, the school choice measure, noting the language grants rights to children rather than parents. This distinction raises troubling questions about whether a transgender-identifying teen could use the amendment to override parental decisions about schooling.

The two found common ground opposing Proposition 131, which would establish ranked choice voting and all-candidate primaries. Lundberg warned this measure would concentrate political power in the hands of wealthy individuals while making hand-counting and election audits essentially impossible. The discussion also covered Amendment 79’s abortion measure, which Lundberg noted would repeal a portion of the Colorado Constitution without disclosing that repeal in the ballot title.

“And it also, with the ranked choice voting, makes hand counting and any reasonable election audits impossible.”

Kevin Lundberg, Former State Senator and Author of the Lundberg Report

Winter Driving Preparedness

Start listening at 63:00 – Hour 2

Jon Boesen of Boesen Law offered practical advice as Colorado approaches its first snow of the season. The personal injury attorney emphasized checking tire tread, slowing down, and maintaining awareness of other drivers who may be inexperienced with winter conditions. Boesen noted the first snowstorm consistently produces a surge in accidents, often involving drivers who relocated from warmer climates.

The attorney urged listeners to anticipate hazards, maintain safe following distances, and treat malfunctioning traffic lights as four-way stops. For those involved in accidents, Boesen stressed the importance of seeking legal consultation promptly rather than procrastinating.

“That first snowstorm produces a lot of business for me, but we don’t want our listeners involved in any of that kind of stuff.”

Jon Boesen, Boesen Law

Supreme Court Term Begins

Start listening at 70:24 – Hour 2

Matt Vadum, investigative journalist with The Epoch Times, reported on the Supreme Court’s new term. Vadum expressed frustration that the court declined to hear a challenge to Biden’s executive order directing all federal agencies to assist with voter registration and mobilization, a case Pennsylvania lawmakers brought citing concerns about partisan advantage.

The journalist highlighted an upcoming case where Mexico is suing American gun manufacturers Smith and Wesson, alleging their weapons flow to drug cartels. Vadum noted this unusual lawsuit by a foreign nation against U.S. companies tests the Protection of Lawful Commerce Act. He also previewed United States v. Skrmetti, a Tennessee case on puberty blockers for minors that will be heard next month.

Vadum observed that the Supreme Court appears to be hearing fewer cases than in previous decades, taking only about 60 oral arguments last term compared to nearly double that historically. He suggested social pressures from the Washington circuit may influence which cases the justices decline to take.

“So in the Supreme Court, as the institution ages, the justices seem to be getting more lazy.”

Matt Vadum, Investigative Journalist, The Epoch Times