Gov. Jared Polis just signed legislation to ban almost all occupancy limits, and coming rapidly toward his desk is a bill to allow ADUs on almost every single-family lot in big Colorado cities. The occupancy ban still allows cities and counties to enforce fire codes and to regulate unhealthy and unsanitary conditions, but for the most part, cities will no longer be able to restrict how many unrelated people live in a house or apartment together. Very few cities still have occupancy limits on their books, and those that do rarely enforce them. Most of the enforcement was occurring in areas near ..read more

As the Trump-Biden rematch shifts into high gear, many Americans like me are left wondering whether this is really the best we can do in a country of 330 million people. The group No Labels sought to prove that it wasn’t, that we could find two extraordinary leaders–one Republican and one Democrat—to run for president on a unity ticket and offer a better path forward for America. Against withering attacks from the two-party system, No Labels built the infrastructure and secured the ballot access necessary to launch such a ticket. They opened the door for candidates to run, but no one walked th ..read more

The Colorado House of Representatives passed a bill to ban the sale, purchase, manufacturing, importation, and transfer of so-called assault weapons. House Bill 1292 defines an assault weapon as a semi-automatic rifle, shotgun, and pistol with large capacity or detachable magazines, pistol grips, a folding or adjustable stock, and other features. Coloradans could continue to possess the firearms they currently own but would be fined if caught violating the law. Gun shops could lose their state license. All House Republicans and nine Democrats voted against the bill which faces dimmer prospects ..read more

I’ve completed 17 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles in the past 14 weeks. Mostly by myself. Over that same time, I also cut way back on booze, halved my phone screen time (okay, it’s maybe 30% less), and gone on a dozen hikes. All without losing a single cardboard piece. I never really saw myself as a puzzler, but it’s become a nice way to put aside the problems of the world and focus on something else for five or 10 minutes, or for a couple of hours. It helps with my sometimes short attention span, and puzzles are extremely satisfying to finish. And while 17 puzzles might sound like a lot, it’s noth ..read more

Last year, Donald Trump’s Supreme Court rolled back 50 years of clean water protections. Many of Colorado’s rivers, streams and wetlands now have no clean water protection. What is the state legislature doing about it? Colorado legislators can restore reasonable protections to our state’s wetlands and streams by supporting HB24-1379 and opposing SB24-127. All across Colorado — from Silverton and Wolf Creek to Fairplay and Aurora — unheralded and often small wetlands and streams are punching above their weight. These waterways filter out pollutants in our drinking water, providing our communiti ..read more

There’s nowhere to go but up for Colorado’s recycling rate. Fortunately, a new program, supported by a diverse coalition of communities from both rural and urban areas, will give our state the boost it needs to finally become a recycling leader. At 16%, we in Colorado recycle less than half the national average. The biggest reason for this embarrassingly low rate is that many Coloradans, especially those living in apartments and rural areas, don’t have easy access to recycling services or have to pay extra to get it. And those trying to do the right thing are often understandably frustrated by ..read more

Understandably, some Coloradans are confused about proposals to address Colorado’s affordable housing crisis through land use bills lauded by Gov. Jared Polis and pending at the Capitol. Steve Pomerance, an opinion columnist from Boulder, argues loudly the crisis can’t be solved by “simply building more market-rate housing,” a true statement backed up by data if there ever was one, if the affordability push in Colorado were truly just allowing developers to build more. Perhaps the governor or one or more supporters of bills to expand zoning for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), increase housing ..read more

In recent days the states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming submitted an alternative plan outlining the proposed operations of Lake Powell and Lake Mead after 2026. Woven throughout this alternative plan submitted to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation by these Upper Basin Division States is the need to restore balance to the vital lifeline of the West — The Colorado River. Righting the imbalances that have caused these two reservoirs to drop to historic and critically low volumes will require more assurances than are contained in the 2007 operating guidelines or the plan currently propose ..read more

Broncos draft: Don’t “pass” on first-round QBs Re: “Broncos draft preview: Denver needs help on defensive line,” April 15 sports story Forget about “needs” for a moment. You’ve got the most incredible quarterback class in a generation. The ones that will define NFL football when they hit their prime. I’m a huge fan of the former PAC-12, and I don’t think it’s crazy to take the Huskies’ Michael Penix Jr. or the Ducks’ Bo Nix, assuming Denver owns the number 12 pick. I understand the game has changed as far as which positions are most valued. This leads some analysts to project only four or five ..read more

An important notice for Colorado drivers: Starting in August motorcycles will be allowed to pass stopped vehicles by squeezing between lanes of traffic – a practice called lane filtering. Motorcyclists ride in a single file between traffic lanes June 21 in Caracas, Venezuela. Colorado just joined California, Utah, Montana and Arizona in allowing the traffic skipping practice. Motorcyclists can only lane split when traffic is stopped and they drive 15 miles per hour or slower. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) “Look twice, save a life,” will be more important than ever as drivers get used to the possi ..read more