West
State lifts 'political' clothing ban after radio host kicked out of Capitol gallery out over pro-life shirt
The Colorado State Capitol has revoked a ban on political apparel in its legislative galleries nearly a year and a half after a Denver radio host got kicked out of the Senate gallery for wearing a pro-life sweatshirt.
“It was a total win for free speech,” Jeff Hunt told Fox News Digital. “You’re free, and it’s a better state because of it.”
Officials removed language about the ban from its website and signs inside the Capitol, according to the nonprofit Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which sent a letter to the state last month warning that its ban violated the First Amendment and appeared to only be enforced against some political ideas.
The shirt strife started on March 21, 2023, when Hunt went to the Capitol to support pregnancy resource centers during a hearing on a package of abortion-rights bills that would regulate such centers. He wore a pullover with the words “Pro-Life U” over “Colorado Christian University,” where he previously worked. The school claimed to be the most pro-life university in the country, inspiring Hunt to make the shirt.
Jeff Hunt was booted from the Colorado Senate gallery in March 2023 over this sweatshirt. The words “Pro-Life U” reference Colorado Christian University’s self-proclaimed status as the most pro-life college in the country, Hunt said. (Courtesy of JeffreyGrounds Photography)
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Hunt sat down in the Senate gallery, but after a matter of “seconds,” he said a sergeant at arms approached and led him out to the hallway where a sign was posted informing visitors that pins or apparel “expressing political statements” were prohibited in the gallery.
“Pro-life. That’s a political statement,” the sergeant at arms can be heard saying in a short video clip Hunt recorded outside the gallery.
Hunt tried to explain that his shirt was a reference to a college, not an overt political statement, but was told he could either turn the sweatshirt inside out or remain outside the gallery, he said. Hunt waited outside.
“The purpose of the policy is to avoid conflict between opposing sides on any particular issue,” Secretary of the Senate Cindi Markwell told the local outlet Westword in March 2023.
But FIRE, which takes on free speech battles across the country, heard about the clothing controversy and, in a July 16 letter, demanded Capitol officials stop playing fashion police.
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FIRE argued that the ban was overly broad and didn’t clearly define what constitutes a “political” statement. Hunt wondered whether a rainbow shirt or a shirt saying “Stand with the troops” would also be banned.
The ban also appeared to be selectively enforced, according to FIRE’s letter. Just two weeks before Hunt was led out of the Senate gallery, at least a thousand students calling for stronger gun control laws marched to the state capitol, local media reported. Many wore red shirts reading “Angels against gun violence” as they stood in the House and Senate galleries watching lawmakers work.
“Enforcing a rule differently because of a speaker’s message is repugnant to the Constitution,” FIRE attorneys wrote.
Markwell defended the disparity by pointing out that the students were protesting for increased gun control on a day when no gun bills were on the docket.
“We believe that to protect its process and the senators that the Senate is authorized to limit expression of support or opposition on matters it is debating,” she told Westword in 2023.
Students and teachers filled the Colorado State Capitol at least three times during March 2023 to protest gun violence in schools. This photo is from March 24, 2023, three days after Hunt was asked to leave the Senate gallery for wearing a “Pro-Life U” sweatshirt. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
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But that distinction didn’t appear anywhere in the written rules or on signage outside the galleries, according to FIRE.
“‘You only have free speech on days we allow you to have free speech,’” Hunt said of Markwell’s explanation. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
The Colorado House and Senate “have rescinded the rule banning ‘pins and apparel expressing political statements’” in the galleries, Markwell confirmed to Fox News Digital, though she did not elaborate on why the rule was changed. A photo published Wednesday in Westword showed the ban scratched off of a sign posted outside the gallery.
“At this point now in Colorado, you don’t have to check the calendar,” Hunt said. “You don’t have to see what day it is. Your free speech rights to wear the clothing you want to are protected at all times at the Colorado State Capitol.”
Hunt emphasized that, even though he’s a “Bible-believing Evangelical,” his win applies to those whose political opinions he disagrees with, too.
“I’ve defended the rights of people that support abortion to wear their shirts reflecting their political values down at the state Capitol as well,” he said. “I strongly believe in Second Amendment rights. And if you believe that we need to restrict those rights to prevent gun violence, you can now wear your shirt down to the Colorado State Capitol. This is a win for all Coloradans.”
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BOZEMAN, Mont. — The Bozeman Police Department received a report of a vehicle versus motorcycle collision on July 3 around 10 p.m.
The crash happened on Frontage Road and the westbound on ramp to Interstate 90.
Officials say officers and bystanders attempted lifesaving efforts on a motorcyclist who was seriously injured.
The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary findings indicate a Jeep was traveling eastbound on Frontage Road when the driver made a left-hand turn trying to enter the westbound I-90 on-ramp when the driver did not see the dirt bike.
Officials say there was no forward-facing headlamp or other lighting illuminated on the dirt bike, investigators examined the dirt bike for evidence of lighting equipment and found none.
According to a press release, there is no indication that the driver of the Jeep was impaired, and they are cooperating with the investigation.
The incident is currently under investigation.
From otherworldly red rocks to fossil beds and alpine lakes, Nevada’s state parks offer adventures far beyond the Las Vegas Strip.
Video: Visitors at Sand Harbor Beach April 29, 2020
People enjoy the warm weather at Sand Harbor Beach amid the coronavirus on April 29, 2020.
Andy Barron, RGJ
CLARK COUNTY, NV – Standing at the edge of a sea of rocks, I was transported to another world less than an hour outside Las Vegas.
Instead of water, waves of rusty red sandstone and creamy limestone crested in every direction of the Fire Canyon/Silica Dome Overlook at Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park,
I wasn’t the only one who found it otherworldly. Park signage indicated this place portrayed the fictional planet Veridian III in the 1994 film “Star Trek: Generations.”
But Valley of Fire is very real, and it’s just one of the more than two dozen state parks offering travelers a different side of Nevada.
How many state parks are there in NV?
There are 27 state parks in Nevada.
“What’s really nice is a lot of them are pretty clumped together, so you can hit multiple of them in a few days,” said Tyler Kerver, Education and Information officer for Nevada Division of State Parks.
He said even he didn’t realize how many parks there were until he started working there.
How to choose
Kerver suggests exploring parks.nv.gov and narrowing options based on what you hope to experience.
“If I was going to hike or mountain bike, I’d probably look at the Lake Tahoe-area parks, like Spooner Lake (and Backcounty) and Van Sickle,“ he said. “Maybe you just want to relax by a lake with the family. We have a few campgrounds with reservoirs.”
On a recent RV trip, my family camped at Valley of Fire near Overton and also visited Cathedral Gorge State Park near Panaca and Kershaw-Ryan State Park in Caliente. The latter two are only about 20 minutes away from each other and roughly 2.5 hours away from Las Vegas.
“If you’re looking just to get out and explore, Cathedral Gorge is definitely a great area to set up kind of a base camp, and then you can get to not only Cathedral Gorge, but all the other parks around Cathedral Gorge, all within like a day or two,” Kerver said.
My kids enjoyed exploring Cathedral Gorge’s twisty slot canyons and taking it easy at Kershaw-Ryan, which felt like a little oasis in the desert with leisurely trails, manicured gardens, a spring-fed wading pool for young kids, and a tree-canopied picnic area, where we ate lunch.
Young explorers may enjoy Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park near Austin, about 2.5 hours from Reno. The Smithsonian Institution describes ichthyosaurs as “extinct dolphin-shaped marine reptiles that flourished in the oceans” more than 65 millions years ago. Kerver said the park boasts the largest ichthyosaur fossil bed in the U.S.
“We do tours of the fossil house every summer, and you can walk right up to the actual fossils still laying in the ground,” he said. “Ice Age Fossils State Park is one of our newest ones in North Las Vegas, and that one is kind of similar … We have mammoth, bison, dire wolves, all kinds of cool fossils.”
One of Kerver’s personal favorites is Cave Lake State Park, near Ely. “It’s pretty cool, like Alpine summer camp,” he said.
What is the prettiest place in Nevada?
Pretty is subjective, but many people consider Lake Tahoe to be one of the state’s most beautiful areas.
Sand Harbor State Park, in Lake Tahoe, is the most visited park in the system with 1.2 million visitors a year, according to Kerver.
“Sand Harbor State Park is one of the only beaches in Lake Tahoe where you get lifeguards, an on-site restaurant, ample parking,” he said. “You can reserve your spot ahead of time, and you can’t really find that anywhere else in the Lake Tahoe Basin.”
Desert scenery is just as pretty, in a different way.
I couldn’t imagine a more spectacular campsite setting than the one we had at Valley of Fire, Nevada’s second-most visited state park. It also offers sparkling facilities.
“We get the reputation for having some of the cleanest bathrooms,” Kerver said. “We take that pretty seriously.”
How much does it cost to go to a Nevada state park?
Entry fees vary by park but are typically between $10 to $15.
Kerver said the parks pride themselves on accessibility.
“It’s not only ADA-accessible,” he said. “We’re maintaining a lower fee level than a lot of other places, so it’s still cheaper to get in … We really want to make sure that they are some of the least expensive places to visit and that they remain accessible to everyone.”
To save even more, travelers planning to visit numerous Nevada state parks or who live within driving distance may want to consider a $100 annual permit, which can be assigned to up to two vehicles.
USA TODAY reporter Eve Chen was provided access by RVshare. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.
By John Miller
Albuquerque Journal
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Bob Rodgers once specialized in cave rescues, but since becoming resource officer for New Mexico Search and Rescue in 2011, he has shifted from navigating underground passages to analyzing data that shows, among other things, how often his teams are deployed.
The overall conclusion hasn’t changed: New Mexico’s more than 40 all-volunteer search and rescue teams are being called out less often, even as the total number of incidents requiring their services continues to rise.
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In 2023, for example, search and rescue teams responded to about 76% of 149 incidents involving people who were lost or injured in remote areas.
That rate has trended downward in recent years, despite a slight uptick last year: Teams responded to 50% of 187 incidents in 2024, 55% of 191 incidents in 2025 and just 40% of 75 incidents as of June 10 this year.
“Throughout the state of New Mexico, the volunteers are being called less and less to participate in search and rescue incidents,” Rodgers said. “Fire departments, county sheriffs, feel they can do it without us, and if they get into a problem, they’re waiting two or three hours, if not days, before they finally realize they needed SAR.”
As the law enforcement arm of the Department of Public Safety, New Mexico State Police can deploy search and rescue teams when circumstances require. But Rodgers said county and local law enforcement agencies, which are often first on the scene, can be reluctant to request state assistance.
He cited the case of retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William McCasland, who disappeared from his Albuquerque home in late February, as a recent example.
” The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office didn’t call for search and rescue until two days after his report was overdue,” Rodgers said. “We don’t know where he’s at, and by the time we’re called in, it’s too late.”
McCasland has not been found.
Rodgers said any delay in mobilizing the proper resources for a missing person search can significantly reduce the chances of a successful outcome.
Similar concerns have surfaced elsewhere in New Mexico.
In March, Taos Search and Rescue President Delinda VanneBrightyn said the Taos County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately contact the Department of Public Safety to dispatch volunteers after two teenagers became trapped at the bottom of the Rio Grande Gorge.
“We had a very hard time getting search and rescue involved,” she said.
Taos County Sheriff Steve Miera was unavailable for comment, but he has previously said he wants to train his deputies in search and rescue techniques. For years, he and his staff have overseen responses at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, the site of numerous suicides, as well as missing person cases in the rare instances when bodies could not be located.
Still, law enforcement can benefit from search and rescue’s specialized expertise, said VanneBrightyn, who has volunteered for more than 20 years and specializes in K-9 search and rescue.
“We should be having many more missions,” VanneBrightyn said. “The sheriffs are now doing this across the state.”
A 2025 amendment to the state Search and Rescue Act requiring first responders to notify state police when a call involves “lost, stranded, entrapped or injured persons” took effect earlier this year. But state data suggests volunteer teams continue to be underused in 2026.
In some cases, declining mission numbers have caused all-volunteer teams to lose members, as volunteers find the hours they devote to training are rarely put to use.
“It has been frustrating because the sheriff doesn’t have the resources, the trained resources that we have,” VanneBrightyn said. “They are law enforcement.”
The decline in search and rescue missions in New Mexico dates to 1996, when there were 191 missions involving 4,004 personnel and 22,602 hours in the field. Rodgers said, however, that the state’s older data is less reliable than more recent records.
Speaking to the Journal last week about the state’s ephemeral waters running dry, Grant County Search and Rescue President Russ Imler said the decline in missions may also relate to more advanced wayfinding technologies, like Garmins and smartphones.
“The electronics that people carry nowadays, people aren’t getting as lost,” he said.
Meanwhile, some studies showed that search and rescue missions rose elsewhere at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2021 study by a Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and a 2022 story by PBS News Hour both concluded that missions were creeping upward as more Americans re-entered the outdoors.
When search and rescue services are needed in the Land of Enchantment, Rodgers said trained teams can provide expertise law enforcement agencies usually don’t have — like advanced land navigation, wilderness survival and technical rope rescue skills.
They also often save hours of overtime pay and other public expenses accrued by paid law enforcement, he added.
“It doesn’t cost the taxpayers a whole lot of money,” he said, adding, “I can put 30 people on a mountain someplace and leave them there, and we are self-sufficient. We run at least 24 hours without support from anybody, and it costs me — the state of New Mexico — about $200 to run a mission. I’m not paying salary. I’m not giving them overtime. I’m not even providing them food.”
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© 2026 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.).
Visit www.abqjournal.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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