Energy is on the ballot as voters in Colorado and across the country turn their attention to upcoming elections. Continue Reading Ahead of elections, Colorado pivotal in American energy direction | PODIUM

Colorado’s education system is at a crossroads. Student achievement in basic graduation requirements for all subjects is at a dismal level. The resulting student test scores for science, reading, writing and math hinder numerous kids from achieving their full potential. Thousands of Colorado… Continue Reading Bipartisan school-finance bills put students over systems | PODIUM

The conversation around “right-to-repair” has taken center stage in state legislatures across the nation recently — a relatively new issue that asks policymakers to empower their constituents in the name of consumer rights. Continue Reading Right to repair is not without its limits | PODIUM

Property taxes remain a hot topic in Colorado and rightly so. During COVID, economists expected home values to fall as the economy experienced a sharp recession. So in 2020, the legislature asked voters to eliminate a 40-year-old law that prevented property taxes from rising in unison with t… Continue Reading Property tax bill produced key improvements thanks to GOP participation | PODIUM

In 2022 Coloradans voted yes on Proposition 122, allowing regulated access for adults 21 and older to natural psychedelic medicines, including psilocybin, that show promise in treating a variety of mental health conditions. For nearly a year, regulators and an expert advisory board have been… Continue Reading Science supports healing power of psilocybin | PODIUM

Despite the untold potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and Colorado’s extraordinary innovation talent base, Colorado lawmakers are approaching AI legislation without soliciting input from our community. As a result, and perhaps in their haste to stop feared misuses of AI, they are rush… Continue Reading New legislation oversimplifies AI, harms innovation | PODIUM

There was a time in the state legislature when the two parties found common ground on important issues. Though it may seem a quaint relic of the past, one issue where there was broad agreement was Colorado’s groundbreaking system of public-school choice, including our dynamic system of chart… Continue Reading Upending consensus on Colorado’s charter schools | PODIUM

As someone living with a complex and autoimmune form of arthritis, I understand the importance of access to affordable and effective treatments. For years, I endured debilitating symptoms — severe pain, fatigue and inflammation — before finding a medication that improved my quality of life. … Continue Reading Colorado patients deserve transparent, affordable Rx access | PODIUM

As the Colorado state representative for Parker and the surrounding community, I am compelled to address a matter of great significance that cast a long shadow over our business community and our Chamber of Commerce last summer — the abrupt shutdown of the Parker Wine Walks by the Liquor Enf… Continue Reading Small biz struggles to survive with state shutdown of community event | PODIUM

On some level Colorado will always be an attractive place to do business. Our intangibles are nearly unbeatable — the weather, the incredible access to an outdoor lifestyle a healthy and thriving populace — but we’re concerned Colorado could lose some of its competitive edge if it’s perceive… Continue Reading Anti-oil-and-gas bill ‘a looming disaster for Colorado’ | PODIUM

Like any Coloradan with young kids, my household is a hive of activity and emotions. The pre-teen stage of parenting is rewarding. I enjoy seeing my kids form their own opinions, explore new ideas and take steps to become more independent. But it’s also challenging, especially in today’s wor… Continue Reading Colorado can address social-media victimization of kids | PODIUM

You would have to be living a solitary existence in a remote cave not to be aware of the extreme polarization of our politics. Virtually everyone is concerned by the creeping political polarization in the media, universities, and businesses. However, many of us still cling to the naïve assum… Continue Reading Science gets politicized in abortion debate | PODIUM

Last week, a district court judge in Denver ruled Colorado’s General Assembly violated the state’s Open Meetings Law by engaging in a series of meetings through an intermediary — a private company that manages what’s called “quadratic voting” — and thereby engaged in an unlawful gathering of… Continue Reading Do the public’s business in public view | PODIUM

Businesses that fuel Colorado’s economic engine can’t be blamed for cringing at the specter of the Colorado legislature’s return this month. Plaintiff lawyers, however, are not cringing.  Instead, the people who pay to put their faces on billboards along our busiest highways are licking thei… Continue Reading Legislators need a lawsuit diet | PODIUM

Religious intolerance has spiked in Colorado lately. Rather than work to tamp down anti-religious bias, the state is doubling down on discrimination by proposing to illegally ban religious schools from the state’s new universal preschool (UPK) program. Continue Reading Don’t discriminate against religious preschools | PODIUM

After fleeing for their lives from Vietnam to America in 1975, my parents and older sister began their new life in the United States. With $20 in their pockets, they moved into housing projects at 12th and Osage, my first home, and thanks to many years of hard work, determination and saving … Continue Reading Rent control is not the solution | PODIUM

Veterans are a special and unique group of people. No better or worse than others, but special and unique. At one time in our lives each one of us raised our hand, swore an oath to the Constitution and were ready to lay down our lives for our nation and each one of you. Continue Reading Honor vets by bringing communities back together | PODIUM

Small businesses are the heartbeat of the Colorado economy by employing nearly half the state��s workforce. As the president of HJB Convenience, I’ve encountered the usual struggles of running a moderately-sized business. I'm tirelessly competing with larger chains for a slice of market share… Continue Reading Give small biz a lifeline, support credit card reform | PODIUM

Everyone has a stake in defeating Proposition HH, especially small businesses, and a big reason for that is personal — literally. Continue Reading Why small businesses oppose Proposition HH | PODIUM

An appointed panel of state bureaucrats, in the process of setting prices for prescription drugs, must focus on the real-world complex consequences of its actions on patients facing rare and chronic diseases — consequences that go well beyond cost. Continue Reading Powerful state panel poses threat to patients with rare diseases | PODIUM

When you're diagnosed with a life-threatening condition like Cystic Fibrosis (CF), the challenges you face aren't just medical. The financial burden is an additional load, one that too often weighs heavily on patients and their families. But because of potential decisions that the newly-crea… Continue Reading A plea for rare disease medication access | PODIUM

Early detection of cancer saves lives. As a survivor of colorectal cancer, I am living proof of that fact. That’s why cancer survivors like me here in Colorado are strongly supporting a bipartisan bill in Congress that would dramatically expand access to new technology that can detect dozens… Continue Reading Cancer detection legislation helps save lives | PODIUM

Behind closed doors, Colorado is silently grappling with a mounting mental health crisis. The burdens of anxiety, depression and other disorders are still far too high, making an incredible impact on our families, our friends and our coworkers. Continue Reading Chaos at the top of Colorado’s mental health crisis | PODIUM

In Douglas County — where the population has grown 28% since 2010 — the demand for water and, more importantly, smart water solutions is undeniable. The county itself has set a standard for water use of 0.75 acre feet (approximately 244,500 gallons of water) per home, per year based on non-r… Continue Reading Closing the loop on water use | PODIUM

In the 1990s, a prominent class-action lawyer, Dickie Scruggs, had a revolutionary idea. Class-action lawsuits were complicated and expensive. Instead, Scruggs proposed the attorney general of Mississippi sue tobacco companies and hire Scruggs as the state’s private attorney on a contingency… Continue Reading AGs, tort lawyers unite to our detriment | PODIUM