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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MISSOULA, Mt. — Karsen Beitz arrived at Montana with no scholarship offers, one remaining walk-on spot and no guarantee that his track career would last.
Now, the former Sentinel High School standout is one of the fastest athletes in Montana history.
Beitz, a Missoula native and junior sprinter for the Grizzlies, has turned an unlikely college opportunity into a record-setting career. He owns Montana’s 100-meter and 200-meter program records and enters next week’s Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships as one of the top sprinters in the league.
Coming out of high school, Beitz was a football and track athlete without a Division I offer.
“I was upset about it,” Beitz said. “But at the same time, I was fine with just going to college and living a normal college life.”
That changed after conversations between Sentinel coach Dylan Reynolds and Montana coach Doug Fraley.
“You may not think he’s a D-I prospect based on his times,” Reynolds told Fraley, “but I’m just telling you, if he gets in the right program, he’s going to be a D-I runner.”
Fraley had one walk-on spot left on his roster. He brought Beitz into his office, talked with him and decided to take a chance.
“I liked him. We had a good conversation, so I decided to give him the last walk-on spot,” Fraley said. “I’m sure glad I did.”
Beitz became a Division I athlete in his hometown, but his first goal was modest. He wanted to prove he belonged and earn a scholarship.
He did that quickly.
As a freshman, Beitz placed at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships and helped Montana’s 4×100-meter relay reach the podium with a school-record performance.
“There was no doubt he earned that scholarship,” Fraley said.
Beitz continued to climb in 2025. He placed second in the 200 meters at the Big Sky indoor meet, but a hamstring injury kept him out of the outdoor championships.
“It sucked to deal with,” Beitz said. “But I’m young and still had two years left, so I shifted my mindset to how I could come out these next two years.”
He has not looked back.
Beitz won the 200 meters at the 2026 Big Sky indoor championships, the first individual conference title of his track career. His time of 21.09 seconds edged Idaho State’s Alex Conner by one-hundredth of a second.
“I think the best part about it was seeing how happy Doug was,” Beitz said. “He was jumping up and down, gave me a big hug. After last year, I knew what I was capable of, so to go out there and do it was amazing.”
Then came the outdoor season.
In April, Beitz broke Montana’s 58-year-old 200-meter record, running 20.55 seconds at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate in Long Beach, California. The previous record had stood since 1968.
Two weeks later, he added the school’s wind-legal 100-meter record, running 10.25 seconds at the Bengal Invitational in Pocatello, Idaho. Which broke a 44-year-old program record and gave Beitz both sprint marks.
“He’s a really competitive guy, and he wants to be the best in the Big Sky,” Fraley said.
The records have not left Beitz satisfied. They have made him hungrier.
“You have all these goals and numbers in your mind,” Beitz said. “Then once you hit those numbers, you’re not satisfied. There’s just more numbers to chase.”
The next chase begins at the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships, scheduled for May 13-16 in Portland, Oregon.
After college, Beitz hopes to follow his mother’s footsteps and become a pharmacist. Maybe even the world’s fastest pharmacist.
“If I’m running around the hospital talking to doctors,” Beitz said, “I’ll do it pretty fast.”
From a walk-on few people noticed to a conference champion and school-record holder, Beitz has become Montana’s fastest man — and he is not done running.
Alex LaRosa hit for a .262 batting average in 50 plate appearances for the Bishop Gorman baseball team through its 32 games played entering Thursday.
But with a chance for the Gaels to punch their ticket to the Class 5A state tournament, LaRosa came up with the biggest swing of his season.
LaRosa hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning and broke a tie game, which proved to be the deciding run in Gorman’s 8-4 win over Centennial on Thursday night at Durango High in a 5A Southern Region winners bracket final.
The Gaels (28-6) have qualified for the 5A state tournament, which begins May 14 at Las Vegas High. The Gaels also advance to Saturday’s 5A Southern Region title game at 10 a.m. Saturday at Durango.
“My teammates, they just push me to be better in everything to do,” LaRosa said. “I know if I get on, they’re going to to get the job done and score me. My job, hitting in the bottom of the lineup is making sure I get on base anyway I can. I just put a good swing on the ball and it got out.”
Centennial falls to the losers bracket final and will play either Arbor View or Palo Verde at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Durango to determine Gorman’s opponent for Saturday and the South’s second spot in the state tournament. Arbor View and Palo Verde play in an earlier elimination at 4 p.m. Friday at Durango to determine Centennial’s opponent.
”It feels good, we fell short the last couple of years (of reaching the state tournament),” LaRosa said. “It just feels good to finall be in it and hopefully we keep going and win it.”
LaRosa’s blast was much needed after a disastrous bottom of the fifth inning for Gorman. The Gaels led 4-0, but Centennial (25-10) cut into the deficit when Jaxon Burr singled which scored Chase Hurley, who led the inning off with a triple.
Then Jake Turner hit a fly ball to left-center field, and as Gorman center fielder DeMari Hall and Logan Grubbs dived for the ball, they collided and the ball went all the way to the wall for a two-run, inside-the-park home run.
Four batters later, Gorman catcher Austin Argenta threw to first base to pick off runner Trevor Henson, but Argenta’s throw was wild and sailed into left field, scoring Kane Barber from second, tying the game.
“I had just given a speech right before we went out to hit that we were good, we weren’t losing this game,” LaRosa said. “We’re still in this game and the dugout went crazy. We just exploded after that.”
LaRosa, who finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, followed up with his home run in the top of the sixth, which hit the top of the left field fence. That caused a brief discussion between the three umpires before they confirmed it was a home run.
“I was just looking for a fastball to drive into the gap so my teammates could drive me in, but I got lucky, back spun it and it got out of here,” LaRosa said. “At first, I thought it was gone and then I looked up and the ball bounced back in the field.
“Then the (umpire) told me it was a home run and I kind of blacked out. It was a surreal feeling.”
Grubbs added an RBI single in the top of the seventh for Gorman. Chase Wilk was 2-for-4 with a home run in the second, a run scored during a three-run Gorman fourth inning and an RBI on a ground out in the seventh.
Justin Rodrigues had a two-run double in the fourth capped off the fourth inning for Gorman, which put the Gaels ahead 4-0. Rodriguez went 2-for-4 and recorded the final three outs on the mound for the Gaels.
Hurley and Burr each had two hits and a run scored for Centennial.
“It feels good, just returning to a national powerhouse that we were,” LaRosa said. “It’s the standard to be in the state tournament every year and compete for that state championship. So it feels good to bring the culture back to Gorman.”
Other 5A baseball results
No. 2S Arbor View 11, No. 2M Faith Lutheran 3: At Durango, Devin Martin’s two-run home run capped off an eight-run fourth inning for Arbor View, which helped the Aggies (30-7) roll past Faith Lutheran (16-15) in a 5A Southern Region elimination game.
In the fourth inning against Faith Lutheran, the Aggies scored twice on bases loaded walk, a wild pitch, a two-run single from Rhett Bryce and an RBI single by Angelo Ugarte before Martin hit his home run.
Martin finished with three RBIs and Ugarte added two RBIs. Rookie Shepard and Kingston Kela each recorded an RBI for Faith Lutheran.
No. 3M Palo Verde 7, No. 2D Desert Oasis 5: At Durango, Stone Amsden’s grand slam highlighted a seven-run seventh inning to give Palo Verde the lead, and the Panthers (26-8) held on to beat Desert Oasis (26-8-1) in an elimination game.
Desert Oasis, the Desert League’s No. 2 seed, led 4-0 entering the seventh. Owen Anderson and Matthew Simmler each had an RBI single, and Kyle Johnson scored in a wild pitch before Amsden’s homer put the Panthers, the Mountain League’s No. 3 seed ahead.
Amsden finished 2-for-4 for Palo Verde. The Panthers had just six hits.
Lincoln Guillermo was 2-for-4 with a home run for Desert Oasis, and Brody Griffith was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Landon O’Dell had an RBI single for the Diamondbacks and Aidan Smith added an RBI and a run scored.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
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