Rachel O’Bryan: "Eight years after recreational marijuana was legalized in Colorado, the data show kids pay consequences when adults approve a commercialized marijuana market. Official state data released on Aug. 3 report an alarming increase in teen use of ultra-potent pot products in the form of dabs and vapes."
After the 2018 midterm election gave Democrats control over both chambers of the General Assembly and every statewide office, I wrote in these pages: to earn back voters’ trust, Republicans must offer a positive, pro-growth vision for Colorado addressing our state’s biggest challenges. As … Continue Reading
Matt Knoedler: "Let’s play 'Confess your unpopular opinion.' Here’s mine: sometimes it is good to talk politics on social media." Continue Reading
Mayor Michael Hancock: "The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world as we know it. It has threatened our health, safety and economy, and transformed the way we live our lives. We often hear about the impacts of this virus at the state and federal level and the decisions being made there to protect people and slow the spread of the virus. What we might hear less about, however, are the local leaders on the front lines of our state who are charged daily with providing for their residents and implementing the public health measures that keep them safe." Continue Reading
Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District is as diverse and difficult to campaign in, and represent, as any district in the country. Many districts have constituencies with different values, but the various regions of Colorado’s 3rd are radically different communities. The issues that matter to … Continue Reading
The 3rd Congressional District is a complex one. Comprised of 29 counties and a land mass the size of the state of Florida, it is as big as it is diverse. The 3rd CD has been historically a swing district and arguably, always competitive. Former Republican U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis held it for… Continue Reading
Beth McCann: "I agree with much that is being discussed about systemic racism in our country, but damaging and destroying property, both governmental and private, is not an effective way to call for change. As Denver district attorney, I am prosecuting people who cross the line from lawful protest to violent and illegal action." Continue Reading
Do you know anyone with 43 years of education? According to Ballotpedia, a person needs this much formal education to read and comprehend the ballot initiative to repeal Colorado's Gallagher Amendment. Continue Reading
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette recalls her friendship with the late John Lewis and his commitment to justice. Continue Reading
Erin Egan: "As Congress debates how to provide additional relief to Americans during the pandemic, it is essential that the next coronavirus relief bill provide support to frontline workers and the people we care for in Colorado by increasing funding for Medicaid. This funding is essential to ensure we’re delivering quality care and saving lives." Continue Reading
Billy Wynne: "While it's far from the final answer on abuse of power and institutional violence against Black lives, SB 217 was an important act of anti-racism and every legislator who supported it — including all but one Senate Republican and a majority of House Republicans — should be applauded." Continue Reading
Auto industry lobbyist Tim Jackson’s July 22 Colorado Politics commentary against “permanent restrictions on cars” concludes with the declaration that “common sense can prevail in these difficult times” ("Our cars are getting us through COVID. Literally"). Fine, but that may have been the on… Continue Reading
Tim Jackson: "Drive-in movies are back, joined by drive-in concerts, drive-through graduations, drive-by birthdays and car parades to honor health care workers." Continue Reading
In November 1988, Colorado voters approved an amendment to our state constitution in order to limit the growth of state government by limiting our state legislators to no more than 120 days (four months) of general session lawmaking power each year. Continue Reading
I understand that we have all been bombarded with numbers and statistics about COVID-19. The daily, almost hourly, updates on numbers of cases, numbers in hospitals, and numbers of deaths are almost mind-numbing, and decision-makers at all levels of government order/recommend/suggest various… Continue Reading
One of the more well-intentioned but misguided proposals getting national press lately has turned up in Colorado. It’s a mandate that would drive the cost of housing even higher across our state by saddling every new homeowner with a rooftop array of more expensive solar panels — whether the… Continue Reading
Amanda Wheerler: "The Trump Administration recognized an opportunity to save thousands of small businesses across Colorado ... One Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation that must be on the list to alter per this executive order is the pre-market tobacco application (PMTA) that would destroy approximately 125 small vapor businesses, like mine, across Colorado." Continue Reading
Ken Buck: "The Princeton name change is part of a larger movement of destruction. As Americans watch in horror and disbelief while statues, national monuments, and even war memorials are removed and defaced, we are left to wonder: What is the end goal of all of this destruction? When will it stop?" Continue Reading
Dennis Gallagher: "There is an important principle which lies at the root of the Gallagher Amendment, the fate of which voters will decide in this November's ballot. Former Gov. Ann Richards of Texas hit the nail on the head: 'Life isn't fair, but government should be.'" Continue Reading
From the COVID-19 pandemic to the tragic death of George Floyd that sparked protests and calls for justice, recent months have brought significant change to law enforcement and our communities. Continue Reading
If something doesn’t feel right, it likely isn’t. Kids know this. In the name of justice children raise their voices, often kicking and screaming. In fact, most will complain even when the imbalance is in their favor. Continue Reading
Mike Foote: "In every election this fall, from county commissioner to U.S. senator, the candidate who earns the most votes will win the election. This is true everywhere in Colorado and throughout the country, with the exception of one office: the presidency." Continue Reading
George Athanasopoulos: "By the time you read this, Republican Lauren Boebert will have shocked Colorado’s political establishment by defeating five-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District. Reverberations of this race will be felt around the country, with political prognosticators on all sides attempting to rewrite their own erroneous pronouncements while simultaneously trying to digest the consequences of an incumbent’s defeat." Continue Reading
It’s always a good idea for our health care industry to prioritize increasing access to medical services. But during times of crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic we are experiencing today, reducing regulations and expanding access to critical care becomes not only prudent, but crucial. Continue Reading
Mark Hillman: "In Denver, shots were fired into windows at the State Capitol which was vandalized with graffiti. Miscreants sprayed obscenities on the marble marker at the Ralph Carr Judicial Building, ignorant that Gov. Carr had refused to send Japanese Coloradans to internment camps during World War II. They vandalized memorials to Colorado’s Civil War soldiers and to Armenian victims of genocide. Gov. Jared Polis and Mayor Michael Hancock did nothing to protect these public landmarks." Continue Reading
I’ve spent the last four months talking to the hardest hit small businesses throughout our state, and it has led me to one conclusion: While Colorado has established itself as a leader on small business recovery, it will take a broader, more comprehensive approach to policy making to help Ma… Continue Reading
As a native Coloradan and mayor of the small mountain town of Nederland, I love this state, and I’m grateful to call it home. I’m also deeply worried about its future — especially when I see growing evidence of the threat climate change poses to Colorado. As a scientist, I know we are at a c… Continue Reading
Bill Jerke: "You couldn't have asked for a better neighbor than the oil and gas industry in 2013 when Weld was hit with a monstrous flood of biblical proportions." Continue Reading
KC Becker and Steve Fenberg: "The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything we have seen in recent history. In a short amount of time, this public health crisis has transformed our realities, shattered societal norms, and exposed glaring gaps in our system. This pandemic has taught us some tough lessons, one being that we don’t have many of the necessary provisions in place to protect people, our communities, and the economy." Continue Reading
We celebrate Pride Month each June through different but additive lenses. To many, Pride is a celebration of the progress made in the decades-long push toward true equality. To others, it serves as a present-day assessment of where we stand as a society, with an eye on the future and the wor… Continue Reading
Suzanne Staiert: "In John Hickenlooper’s desperation to find anyone to blame but himself for his ethics problems, I suppose it should come as no surprise he eventually would land his sights on the person who presented the case against him before the state's Independent Ethics Commission. Unfortunately for me, it was my turn." Continue Reading
Rachel O’Bryan: "The children suffer harm from the commercialization and normalization of this drug. The U.S. Surgeon General recently said that no amount of marijuana use is safe for the developing brain of an adolescent." Continue Reading
Hal Bidlack was very fortunate and privileged to have received a good education in public schools; fortunately; so were the both of us ("BIDLACK | Public funds aren't for private schools," June 9). But not everyone has enjoyed that experience. Far too many kids are trapped in failing public… Continue Reading
The COVID-19 crisis has decimated businesses, especially small and independent employers across Colorado. From farmers to construction to real estate, breweries, and tourism, every industry is hurting. While the state slowly lifts restrictions and businesses start opening their doors, small-… Continue Reading
Dan Haley: "Colorado Politics columnist Paula Noonan recently insinuated that the oil and natural gas industry had something to do with the firing of a former University of Colorado professor, Dr. Detlev Helmig, and former Boulder Daily newspaper reporter John Spina. Neither is correct, which is why her April 30 column ("NOONAN | Plot thickens — along with the methane — in firing of a CU prof and a reporter") was laced only with innuendo instead of facts." Continue Reading
Kelly Sloan: "The cumulative effect of all these bills is rather like a tornado coming along and tearing down the house you were just starting to rebuild after getting hit by a hurricane." Continue Reading
Paula Noonan: "What a mess this nation is in. Except for the coronavirus, it’s a result of struggles of our own making. Shouldn’t 2020, the very beginning of a new millennium, become the time when we vow to change how we treat each other?" Continue Reading
Barry Farah: "Though churches are gradually opening their doors — there are restrictions. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' executive order requires they maintain social distancing, reduce occupancy, and require an advanced reservation. Let’s compare that to the current protesters." Continue Reading
Steve Peck: "Each policy merits debate, but the broader issue of governmental excess is more urgent. The recent steps taken by state officials have far-reaching consequences that change the essence of our social contract." Continue Reading
While it is difficult to predict how the pandemic will evolve in a few months, most Colorado school districts are planning for a hybrid model of in-person and online learning in the fall. What this looks like is still unclear, but preliminary discussions in many school districts have student… Continue Reading
Wayne Williams: "Colorado’s 64 county clerks this week will mail out ballots to 3.5 million Coloradans. Having served four years as Colorado’s 38th secretary of state, I want to highlight some of Colorado’s election protections and why Colorado’s voters can be assured that the mail ballot they cast will be counted accurately." Continue Reading
The state legislative leadership announced that when the General Assembly came back in May, the mantra would be “fast, friendly and free.” The impression was that legislators understood the gravity of our current health and economic crisis and would only deal with critical items such as the … Continue Reading
You don’t have to be a doctor to know that pollution in our air and in our water is bad for our health. It also doesn’t require an advanced degree to draw the correlation that having that same pollution rain down on your house or seep into your yard year after year and generation after gener… Continue Reading
Following the death of George Floyd and the ensuing protests, I’m left simply grieving for our nation, asking, “Can we be better?” Continue Reading
Toren Mushovic: "Are Americans ready for federal troops — regardless of which party controls Washington — to occupy our cities and use force on our citizens to quell disorder?" Continue Reading
Dave Davia: "In the blink of an eye, our world changed. As COVID-19 swept Colorado and the nation, our economy came to a standstill. Businesses shuttered, schools closed, people dug in and even lawmakers suspended their work." Continue Reading
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, schools across Colorado were forced to close their doors and turn curriculum over to online learning in a matter of days. Having been a cyberschool parent and advocate for more than 15 years, I understand the challenges that educators and parents faced during… Continue Reading
Doug Robinson: "The marijuana industry hasn’t let the COVID-19 pandemic distract it from its single-minded fixation on congressional approval of the so-called SAFE Banking Act. The proposal would spur billions of dollars of new investment in marijuana companies by granting them greater access to the banking system. It would also bring the marijuana industry a step closer to its ultimate goal: full-scale national marijuana legalization." Continue Reading
Former Mayor Wellington Webb: "I'm urging the Denver City Council to place this issue on the November ballot because all voters should have a say. This charter amendment is to protect not only the Park Hill Golf Course but future parks, and the city attorney is wrong to say this easement does not cover the 155 acres that the golf course sits on." Continue Reading
Tailgating on the highway presents an obvious danger: drivers in a reckless hurry, traveling too fast, following the car ahead too closely. When someone taps the brakes, a chain reaction ensues, and the resulting collision is far worse than if everyone had been driving cautiously and responsibly. Continue Reading
