Red County, Blue State

CORA class is in session! The Colorado Open Records Act is a critical law when it comes to ensuring transparent government, and it’s accessible to all of us. In this episode, my guest Jeff Roberts from the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition (CFOIC) explains the basics of CORA to us. What’s a public record? When can a government withhold a public record from us? Are government officials allo...

Ever received a local ballot and wondered what it meant and if it mattered? Tara Meekma, candidate for Lone Tree city council, joins me to talk about the election on May 5. We talk about what city councils do and why voting in these races have an outsized impact on daily life, particularly in regard to development and growth. We also hear about the status and concerns around Hillcamp, the proposed...

Douglas County Commissioner George Teal’s luxury trip to Dubai isn’t the whole story, it’s the starting point. The fact that I can’t get a straight answer on something so specific and standard is a part of a bigger story of the commissioners’ disregard for rules and for the public it serves. It’s not abstract harm; it has a real cost. A pattern is there and in this episode, we connect the dots. Sh...

Here’s Part 2 of my conversation with Kim Turnage and Barrett Rothe of the Douglas County Lantern. In this episode, we talk about Abe Laydon’s claim that “every city and town has unanimously supported Zebulon by resolution ”, environmental concerns, wildfire evacuation plans during road construction, and wait, after hearing no swimming pool, definitely no swimming pool, there’s a pool! Thank you t...

Plans for the controversial Zebulon Regional Sports Complex move on after the Douglas County Commissioners tell us that they will take on a $100 million debt by using Certificates of Participation, a financing method that does not require voter approval. Why are they doing this? What is the risk? Why are they limiting public comment on all of this? A complete lack of trust and transparency are onc...

Hi! Good to see your face! Let’s get ready for No Kings on Saturday, March 28, 2026 and make it the biggest one ever! Go to NoKings.org to find all of the info. I’ll be at the one in Highlands Ranch at St Andrew 10:30am-12:30pm. Don’t forget to reward yourself after. Connect with me, I’d love to hear from you: emilysuyat@gmail.com or on signal: emilysuyat.87 Get full access to Red County, Blue Sta...

The City of Castle Pines is considering the annexation of Crowsnest, an parcel of land that doesn’t border Castle Pines. Yeah, you heard me. How is this possible and what does it mean for Castle Pines, Parker, Castle Rock, and the rest of Douglas County? It’s a rushed process that needs more transparency—and a clear plan for water and schools. It’s deja vu all over again in Douglas County. Donna C...

**IMPORTANT CORRECTION** I said in the podcast that Trisha Calvarese sued Eileen Laubacher and the Colorado Democratic Party. The correct info is that Trisha sued only the Colorado Democratic Party, and the requested relief (if granted) would bar Eileen from participating in caucus and assembly. Apologies for the error and thank you to the person who emailed me. I'll correct it in the next ep too....

It don’t add up, partner. George Teal may dress like a cowboy but he flies pretty fancy. In this episode, we walk through the updates regarding the results of a recent CORA request and question why the county reimbursed Teal for $17,091 when he submitted a partial receipt that failed to include required information, such as what class he flew. (Thanks to the super sleuth team who helped explain al...

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On November 20, 2025 9News reported that Douglas County’s George Teal took a last-minute, pricey trip to the Dubai Air Show (in Dubai!), paid for with taxpayer dollars . In this episode, I talk about Douglas County’s government’s travel policy —what it allows and most importantly, what it prohibits. I walk through the numbers, the open records request to find Teal’s missing airfare receipts, and t...

The county’s website says “citizen engagement is the heartbeat of effective local government.” Why, then, have the county commissioners eliminated general public comment at their business meetings? Their excuses are many—and wholly unpersuasive. Listen to find out how this happened and what you can do about it. Email me any time, I’d love to hear from you: emilysuyat@gmail.com * Attend the commiss...

Last week Shrek the Musical , the show currently running at the PACE Center, had Douglas County facebook pages all stirred up. Cast members flew rainbow flags during the musical number Freak Flag and some ticket holders not happy, including one of the major sponsors of Parker Arts. August Stoten of Sasquatch Productions joins me today to talk about the producer’s side: the request to remove the fl...

Hi! Angela Thomas returns to answer common questions around the effort to expand the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners from three members to five. While counties like Adams, Arapahoe, and El Paso have five commissioners, none achieved it through a citizen-led petition. That means Douglas County could become the first. Tune in to hear the very real ways residents can shape the future of...

On this Martin Luther King Day, the Minneapolis communities who are showing up for their neighbors peacefully and firmly are inspiring me. If you want to join local resistance movements and find your people, connect with groups such as Democracy Now DougCo (you can also go to Indivisible.org to find more events, protests, and groups) and Douglas County Activism Task Force . If meeting in-person do...

We can’t not talk about Renee Nicole Good. So we will. If you want to skip it, fast forward about 2 minutes. Peaceful protest and participation are how we fight for accountability. Learn about caucus and assembly, the statutorily mandated process by which the two major political parties organize and select candidates for the primaries. Meg Furlow, the chair of the Douglas County Democrats, is here...

It’s the new year! Flex those muscles, local muscles that is. When you learn about an issue and put your voice on the record, it makes a difference. Amendment 13 in its original form would have effectively blocked Douglas County School District from building new schools in Sterling Ranch, and the decision about new schools would have defaulted to the developer. With unhappy residents and a lawsuit...

Let’s talk about Douglas County’s proposed retail theft ordinance and why it’s more performative tough-on-crime theater than effective policy. Plus, school board accountability after the election, and a few bright-spot local recommendations Retail theft press conference The proposed retail theft ordinance George Teal wants to work with ICE Kyle Clark and Marshall Zelenger on the shoplifting ordina...

In this episode I break down the November 25 public hearing on Amendment 13, the provision that prevents Douglas County School District from building schools in Sterling Ranch. I also address a false statement made about me during this meeting. It’s more commissioner chaos and cronyism in Douglas County. Email me anytime: emilysuyat@gmail.com Links: The commissioner hearing on youtube Colorado Tim...

Sterling Ranch has been in the news for controversies regarding Zebulon and the conservative state-run charter school John Adams Academy. Lately, the developers of Sterling Ranch have proposed a sketchy change to its planned development agreement. If approved by the county commissioners, this amendment will not only hurt Sterling Ranch residents who relied on the promise of neighborhood schools bu...

My guest today is Chris Coté of Living Liberally Douglas County (UPDATED NAME: Blue Crew Social ). Need to socialize with non-maga folks before the holidays? This is your group. Find out all about the Living Liberally Douglas County and their events here . Holiday Boycott Nov 25 - Dec 2. County Commission Meeting on Nov 25 at 2:30pm at 100 3rd Street, Castle Rock CO. This is a special meeting to d...

Are you the type of person who has been known to gasp at the drama of a local school board meeting? Me too! I’m condensing this surprising 7 hour school board meeting into 20 minutes. While our national shitshow continues to unfold, take hope at local progress and good representation. Watch the whole school board meeting here . Listen on 2x speed like I do! Kyle Clark weighs in on the last-minute...

Last night, Douglas County voters sent a clear message yet again. Let’s talk about it and revel in it before we get back to work. Also, the masterclass phone call to Boebert’s office. Email me any time: emilysuyat@gmail.com Election results The call to Boebert’s office on facebook and on tik tok . You gotta watch! Get full access to Red County, Blue State at esuyat.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Brad Geiger, one of the seven current members of the school board in Douglas County School District. He’s here to talk about what the pressing concerns are in regard to our schools and wow, cultural issues are nowhere on it. Elections are a week away! Get those ballots in by Nov 4 and keep talking to your friends and neighbors. I support the Community Choice slate: Kyrzia Parker,...

Today my guest Kyrzia Parker talks with us about how to make our schools safer and why people who don’t have kids in the school district play an important role in this election. Plus, some news on Kyrzia’s opponent who is into the politics of dominance. Find out more about Kyrzia Parker here: https://www.kyrziaparker4dcsd.com/ The bad-news-first time stamp: go to 17:31 Kyrzia’s tik tok “DougCo GOP...