Colorado
Colorado Can’t Top This Southern State On Controversial Court Rulings
North Carolina Supreme Court chamber in Raleigh
getty
The Colorado Supreme Courtâs December 19 ruling to remove former President Donald Trump (R) from the 2024 ballot was unprecedented and sparked nationwide debate, but its ultimate fate will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments for the case on February 8. The same goes for the Maine Secretary of Stateâs December 28 decision to remove Trump, who is leading President Joe Biden (D) in multiple polls, from the 2024 ballot in a second state.
A December decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, meanwhile, forced a redraw of Wisconsinâs state legislative maps. As a result of those new maps, which were approved by Governor Tony Evers (D-Wisc.) on February 19, âRepublicans will now have an uphill fight to maintain their majorities this year and in 2026,â the Wall Street Journal editorial board noted, adding that âthe left could soon run all of state government.â
The Wisconsin Supreme Court, which shifted to a progressive majority in 2023, will rule later this year on a lawsuit filed by unions seeking to overturn Act 10, the landmark entitlement reform enacted by former Governor Scott Walker (R) in 2011. Act 10, which restricted collective bargaining and gave workers a say in whether or not to support a union, has since saved Wisconsin taxpayers more than $16 billion.
Should the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturn Act 10, it would drive up costs for Wisconsin taxpayers by billions of dollars moving forward. Beyond Wisconsin, some are concerned that such a decision out of a battleground state, on the heals of the ballot access ruling in Colorado, could embolden justices in other states to push the envelope and issue decisions that are akin to setting policy from the bench.
Controversial Supreme Court Rulings Are Nothing New In North Carolina
Among all U.S. residents, North Carolinians in particular are no strangers to controversial state supreme court decisions. Years before the current drama in the Colorado and Wisconsin Supreme Courts garnered national attention, North Carolina Supreme Court justices handed down multiple rulings, some of which are still being adjudicated, that have been criticized as examples of judicial activism and legislating from the bench. In that respect, the 2022 ruling by the then-Democratic majority North Carolina Supreme Court, which found that a lower court judge could overturn two constitutional amendments approved by voters, stands out.
In the 2018 general election, 57% of North Carolina voters approved a constitutional amendment to lower the stateâs personal income tax rate cap from 10% to 7%. Another constitutional amendment on that same ballot instituting a photo ID requirement to vote passed with support from 55% of voters. Yet the will of North Carolina voters was subsequently overruled by four members of the North Carolina Supreme Court, all Democrats, who issued a ruling that could pave the way for the ultimate overturning of voter-approved constitutional amendments based on an unprecedented legal theory. The theory posits that because the two measures were referred to the ballot by a legislature comprised of gerrymandered districts, the measures were illegitimate despite being approved by voters.
Though the then-Democrat-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that a trial court could overturn voter approved constitutional amendments using a novel legal theory, the Democratic justices sent the case back to the trial court for further deliberation before making a final ruling. Further developments in this case, which is now sitting with a three-judge panel, could occur as early as March.
âThe majority concedes that constitutional procedures were followed,â North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Phil Berger Jr. (R) wrote in his dissent from the 2022 decision made by his Democratic colleagues, âyet they invalidate more than 4.1 million votes and disenfranchise more than 55% of North Carolinaâs electorate.â
âWhen Democratic Supreme Court justices tried to use dubious legal ideas to block the will of the people, some of us started referring to them as the Usurper Four,â said Mitch Kokai, senior political analyst at the John Locke Foundation, a free-market think tank focusing on North Carolina. âVoters replaced two of the four Democrats with conservatives during the last election cycle. The future of the stateâs constitutional law depends on continued vigilance from voters.â
In the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans won two state supreme court races, flipping the court to a 5-2 GOP majority. Voter ID requirements will be in effect in North Carolina for the 2024 elections. Thatâs because, in April of 2023, the now GOP majority North Carolina Supreme Court upheld the voter ID law enacted by legislators weeks after the 2018 constitutional amendment to require voter ID was approved by voters. The income tax cap reduction, however, remains an unresolved matter.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D) and other Democrats, like President Biden, can be expected to talk frequently about alleged threats to democracy in 2024, with the Associated Press reporting on February 17 that it is âcentral to Bidenâs campaign messaging.â Yet it wonât be lost on North Carolinians that many of the same politicians offering warnings about threats to democracy have themselves backed a decision by four judges that went against the will of a clear majority of North Carolina voters.
Controversial state supreme court decisions go back much further in North Carolina than the past decade. In fact, the North Carolina Supreme Court is still adjudicating a three decade-old lawsuit, referred to as the Leandro case, alleging that the state is underfunding certain school districts.
State supreme court justices are selected by voters in 22 states. 14 of those 22 states hold nonpartisan judicial elections, while eight hold partisan elections. In the past few years, lawmakers in North Carolina and Ohio moved their states to partisan judicial elections, joining Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Given the heightened importance of state supreme court majorities, many believe the most open and democratic approach is to have voters decide who fills state supreme court seats and that it should be done in partisan elections in order to maximize transparency and voter information.
State Supreme Court Justice Selection Process By State
Democracy Docket
Evidence suggests putting the selection of state supreme court justices on the ballot can lead to greater voter engagement. Researchers at Michigan State University and the University of Pittsburgh examined 260 state supreme court elections across 18 states from 1990 to 2004, finding that âincreased spending significantly improves voter participation in these races.â
Recent decisions by the Colorado, Wisconsin, and North Carolina Supreme Courts have driven home the importance of state supreme court control when it comes to setting policy. Voters can put one of the two parties in charge of both the governorâs mansion and legislature. As has been demonstrated in a number of states, however, legislatively enacted and voter approved reforms can be overturned or reversed if the state supreme court is in the hands of political or ideological opponents. Expect media attention and campaign spending on state supreme court races to escalate in the coming years, and for good reason.
LAS VEGAS — Nique Clifford scored 24 points and No. 2 seed Colorado State made a Mountain West tournament-record 12 3s and beat fifth-seeded Boise State 69-56 on Saturday night for its first title since 2003.
Colorado State (25-9) will make its second straight NCAA tournament appearance on a 10-game win streak.
Boise State trailed by 10 points at the half and pulled to within five points during the first minute of the second. But Jaylen Crocker-Johnson hit consecutive 3-pointers during an 11-0 run and the Rams led 43-27. Clifford made the Rams’ 12th 3-pointer with about 10 minutes left that stretched their lead to 60-36.
Ethan Moore scored a career-high 11 points and Bowen Born added nine for the Rams. Clifford and Born each made three 3s as the Rams shot 12 of 24 from distance.
Tyson Degenhart scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half to lead Boise State (24-9).
Colorado State took the lead for good about eight minutes in and led by as many as 17 points in the first half. Boise State used an 11-4 surge to cut the deficit to 32-22 at the break. Crocker-Johnson’s layup gave the Rams their largest lead, 63-38, with 6:48 remaining.
Colorado
How Colorado Buffaloes’ Deion Sanders Recruited NFL Legend Marshall Faulk Onto Coaching Staff
Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders added legendary NFL running back Marshall Faulk to coach the same position on Sanders’ coaching staff, but how hard was it to convince Faulk to begin a coaching career? Earlier in the week, Faulk told the story to reporters after one of Colorado’s spring practices.
“I’ve been saying no to coaching since I left football. For the past like three, maybe four years, coach (Sanders) has been grooming me. You know, he’ll call me and ask me certain stuff. He’ll ask me about a player and we’ll talk about this and that: ‘Hey, come up and watch us practice.’ So he’s he’s been grooming me, and I always felt like for for what I for what I invested in the game, it took away from me with my kids,” said Faulk.
However, now that Faulk’s kids are older, he has returned to the football field as a member of Sanders’ coaching staff. Faulk joins Sanders and Buffaloes defensive analyst Warren Sapp as three members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame currently working at Colorado. In fact, Faulk’s and Sanders’ experience being inducted into the Hall of Fame might have led to the legendary running back’s hiring in Boulder, Colorado.
When talking about his relationship with “Coach Prime,” Faulk talked about the time he spent with Sanders during the Hall of Fame experience, as well as working together on TV broadcasts.
“We worked in television together at NFL network, and we spent so much time on the road. We literally went through the Hall of Fame process, we were the same year. We actually had our party together. We’ve done a lot of stuff together,” said Faulk.
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The 2025 season will be Faulk’s first year with the Buffaloes, and he inherits a running back room that returns some experience. Colorado running back Isaiah Augustave led Colorado with 384 rushing yards in 2024, and he is returning for his junior season. Additionally, the Buffaloes return running back Micah Welch who appeared in nine games as true freshman.
“Where can we improve? That’s the idea, and that’s the mindset that we have to have. And that’s what we want to instill in the football players we bring in here and that we coach,” said Faulk. “I don’t care how good you are. It’s how much better can we make you? Where can you get better? And if that’s all you do is focus on the things that you do well, then you’re not improving. I gotta take your weakness and turn it into a strength.”
A few of Faulk’s many accomplishments in the NFL include a Super Bowl ring, an NFL MVP, three Offensive Player of the Year awards, as well as Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1994. He also holds a number of NFL records, including four consecutive seasons with 2,000 yards from scrimmage. He played with the St. Louis Rams and the Indianapolis Colts during his career, but now, Faulk is a Colorado Buffalo.
Will the running back room become a strength under Faulk’s leadership in 2025?
Colorado College has had so many nights this season when the Tigers felt like they played well, but some bit of adversity went against them.
The Tigers got a bounce they desperately needed Friday night.
Sophomore defenseman Brady Cleveland scored with 3:43 remaining in the third period, and the sixth-seeded Tigers knocked off third-seeded University of Denver, 3-1, in Game 1 of a best-of-three NCHC conference tournament series Friday night at Magness Arena.
“You’re just really proud of (Cleveland),” CC coach Kris Mayotte said. “He’s come in here and worked his tail off and continued to get better. You need your big boys to be big boys in these moments, but you also need your unsung heroes to kind of rise up and get something like that for us.”
Kaidan Mbereko was fantastic in net for the Tigers, turning aside 32 shots. Matt Davis, who put together a historic postseason a year ago and led DU to its NCAA-record 10th national championship, had a strong night as well with 20 saves.
Cleveland’s shot from the top of the zone broke a DU player’s stick and re-directed into the Pioneers net to give CC its first lead of the game. It was also the first goal of Cleveland’s NCAA career, in his 52nd game.
“It’s something pretty special,” said Cleveland, who transferred from Wisconsin after his freshman season. “I think about all the extra reps and all the stuff people don’t see behind the scenes that led up to this moment. It’s pretty special knowing the hard work finally pays off. It’s something I’ll remember the rest of the my life.”
Ty Gallagher scored 32 seconds into a 5-on-3 for the Tigers to bring CC level early in the third period. DU’s Rieger Lorenz had a shorthanded chance, but barreled into Mbereko and was called for charging. It was Gallagher’s seventh goal of the season, which leads the CC defense corps.
Jack Devine gave the Pios the lead at 13:38 of the second period on a goal mouth scramble shortly after an offensive-zone faceoff. It was Devine’s 13th goal and team-leading 51st point of the season.
The Pios had a faceoff in the CC end in part because Tigers forward Gleb Veremyev was laying on the ice in pain at the other end. When DU transitioned the puck out of the defensive zone and away from Veremyev, the officials let play continue — much to the chagrin of a very animated Mayotte.
Junior center Noah Laba added an empty-netter for the Tigers in the final minute.
Despite allowing the only goal, the Tigers were much better in the middle period. Davis had very little to do in the first period, but needed to make several saves on shots from the slot in the second.
Mbereko kept the Tigers afloat despite a hot start from the Pioneers. Denver had the first 12 shots on goal of the game, and it took more than 10 minutes for CC to get its first shot on Davis.
“Unbelievable performance,” Laba said. “We know he has always has that in him. For him to go out there and show out in a big game is huge. We’re going to need him from here on out.”
DU retained the Gold Pan for the sixth straight season, winning three of the four regular-season matchups. Three of the games were tied in the third period, and the other ended up a one-goal contest.
Both of these teams got off to great starts to this season. The Pioneers set a program record by winning their first 12 games, spending eight weeks at No. 1 in both major polls. The Tigers won eight straight at the start, climbing as high as No. 8 in the national rankings.
Colorado College stumbled through January, losing seven of nine at one point, and the Tigers’ only path to an NCAA tournament bid is winning this series, then winning twice next weekend at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul, Minn.
DU entered this weekend at No. 9 in the Pairwise rankings, solidly in the NCAA field of 16, but what seed the Pios land is still to be determined.
Game 2 of this series is Saturday night at Magness, with Game 3 on Sunday evening if necessary.
“We know what they’re going to do, and they obviously know what we’re going to do,” Cleveland said. “It just comes down to who’s going to perform better. We came out on top, and we’re going to do it again.”
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