Vote No on Proposition KK: Defending Second Amendment Rights and Wildlife Conservation

On September 30, 2024, Anthony Hartsook, Nephi Cole, and Lori Gimelshteyn joined the show. State Representative Hartsook exposes how Democratic supermajority control silences half of Colorado’s population through procedural rules, while discussing the strain of 40-50,000 illegal immigrants on state resources NSSF representative Cole exposes Proposition KK as a tax on Second Amendment rights, debunks misleading comparisons to Pittman-Robertson conservation funding, and explains hunters’.

Single-Party Rule and Colorado’s Supermajority Crisis

Start listening at 17:00 – Hour 1

Anthony Hartsook, Republican representative for Colorado House District 44, sounds the alarm on the consequences of Democratic supermajority control in the state legislature. Hartsook, a 26-year military veteran with multiple combat deployments, describes how the “Mighty 19” Republican minority faces systematic silencing through procedural rules that shut down debate.

The Parker-area representative details how Rules 14 and 16 allow Democrats to prevent half the state’s population from having their voices heard. He connects this single-party dominance to the flood of 40,000 to 50,000 illegal immigrants straining education, healthcare, and transportation systems. The conversation turns to how legal immigrants who followed proper procedures express fury at those bypassing the system while receiving driver’s licenses and social services at taxpayer expense.

“They call us the Mighty 19 down at the Capitol, because there is only 19 of us on the Republican side. There are 46 on the Democrat side, which means they have a supermajority. And what that translates to is they not only control the agenda, but they can send things for constitutional amendments and stuff to the ballot, overriding anything the Republicans have to say.”

Anthony Hartsook, Colorado State Representative, House District 44

Proposition KK: A Tax on Your Constitutional Rights

Start listening at 34:03 – Hour 1

Nephi Cole, State Affairs and Government Relations Director for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, exposes the deceptive nature of Colorado’s Proposition KK. This 6.5% excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and accessories represents a direct attack on the right to keep and bear arms, making self-defense more expensive for the single mother struggling in a dangerous Denver.

Cole reveals how proponents are falsely conflating this state tax with the federal Pittman-Robertson Act, a hunter-supported conservation program that has generated over $1.1 billion annually for wildlife management. He explains how hunters and sport shooters transformed America’s wildlife populations from fewer than 500,000 white-tailed deer in the early 1900s to 32 million today through voluntary conservation funding. The sleight of hand attempts to hijack this success story to fund gun control priorities that were never the firearms community’s agenda.

The discussion extends to Proposition 127, which would ban hunting of mountain lions and bobcats, undermining science-based wildlife management that keeps predator populations balanced with prey species like elk, deer, and turkeys.

“And so, in effect, it just makes it, it’s just a tax on, it’s a tax on your right to keep and bear arms. And it’s long term because if you buy a handgun and you want to be professional with it, you’re going to buy ammunition. So every time you go to purchase, you’re going to be paying the piper, as it were, for the right to keep and bear arms.”

Nephi Cole, State Affairs and Government Relations Director, National Shooting Sports Foundation

America First Legal Lawsuit Against Cherry Creek School District

Start listening at 71:49 – Hour 2

Lori Gimelshteyn, founder of Colorado Parents Advocacy Network, announces a major First Amendment lawsuit filed by America First Legal against Cherry Creek School District. The lawsuit names the school board, superintendent, and notably the director of the Office of Equity, Culture, and Community Engagement, the district’s DEI office.

The case centers on Dean Patrick Hogarty, who was terminated after expressing pride in America during a mandatory “Courageous Conversations” race-based training session. Despite being assured it was a “safe space,” Hogarty faced retaliation when he disagreed with the premise that America is systemically racist. His position was eliminated under the false pretense of budget cuts.

Gimelshteyn connects this to a broader culture of intimidation and retribution in Colorado schools, where the teachers union actively funds school board candidates to maintain woke ideology. She notes that Cherry Creek, despite having the highest-paid teachers on the Front Range, sees more than half its students performing below grade level in reading, writing, and math, while building three medical clinics in four years instead of focusing on academic fundamentals.

“Yeah, there is a strong culture of intimidation and retribution in Cherry Creek School District. We have an incident reporting tool, which is how Patrick reached out to CPN at the beginning of the year. And we’ve received reports from teachers not only in Cherry Creek but across the state. And there is this just common thread of fear, fear of intimidation, fear of retribution.”

Lori Gimelshteyn, Founder, Colorado Parents Advocacy Network