We can have it all if we’re willing to work toward compromise

Earlier this week, I was invited to sit on a panel hosted by Conservation Colorado to discuss how tourism fits into continued efforts for clean air, land, and water efforts in our community. There’s a pretty good chance that U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton’s aide and I were the only conservatives in the room, which is unfortunate since the event was open to the public.

West Slope should get a say in health reform

This is the year Obamacare would have permitted a state to apply for a waiver to pursue innovative strategies for providing residents with access to high-quality, affordable health insurance while retaining the basic protections of the Affordable Care Act. It appears, however, that the opportunity to experiment with an alternative to Obamacare with the full backing of the federal government is winding down.

Will GOP repeal Obamacare and run?

In a statement reminiscent of the Vietnam War explanation that “we had to destroy the village in order to save it,” Rep. Scott Tipton assured his constituents that “it is clearer than ever that fixing our nation’s health care system will require a full repeal of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act , also known as Obamacare.” If Republicans thought such ideas would resonate with their constituents back home, they must have been shocked at the reception Rep Mike Coffman got when he met with his regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings with constituents at the Aurora Public Library.

EPA says it can’t pay economic damages from mine spill

In this Aug. 6, 2015 file photo, Dan Bender, with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, takes a water sample from the Animas River near Durango, Colo. after the accidental release of an estimated 3 million gallons of waste from the Gold King Mine by a crew led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Coal mine rule draws GOP’s ire

The Obama administration Monday unveiled a new rule designed to protect streams and groundwater from coal mining, but the threat of a Republican-led challenge of the measure looms large after President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The Interior Department said in a news release that the rule “updates 33-year-old regulations and establishes clear requirements for responsible surface coal mining that will protect 6,000 miles of streams and 52,000 acres of forests over the next two decades, preserving community health and economic opportunities while meeting the nation’s energy needs.”