Opinion Columnists

Prop. NN will help every child reach their potential (Opinion)

Every parent I know wants their child to walk into school and feel like they matter. We want our kids to have teachers who know their names, notice when they are struggling, challenge them when they are ready for more, and help them see a future for themselves.

Students at Arvada High School learn culinary skills on Thursday, October 15, 2026, in Arvada, Colorado. Many school districts are expanding their Career and Technical Education programs. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Crowds gather along 17th Ave. to cheer and wave to performers, floats, and marchers in the Vizzy Denver Pride Parade as it makes its way west toward downtown on June 28, 2026 in Denver. (Photo By Kathryn Scott/Special to The Denver Post)

When the state decides who counts as a woman, no woman is safe (Opinion)

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Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert and Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher go back and forth about tariffs during a 4th Congressional District debate at 9News in Denver, Colorado on Monday, October 12, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

Set aside Lauren Boebert’s scurrilous personal foibles and look at her bad votes (Opinion)

2 days ago

The 9,633-foot summit of Fishers Peak and surrounding 19,200 acres became Colorado's 42nd state park with help from Great Outdoor Colorado funding. (Provided by Bill Vogrin, Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

Salazar and Ritter: Honor Colorado’s conservation legacy by voting yes on Prop 137 (Opinion)

By Ken Salazar

October 19, 2026 at 10:45 a.m.

Coloradans have always had a forward-looking vision for preserving the landscapes, rivers, and wildlife that...

A sign directs voters to an entrance for City Hall during early voting in Providence, Rhode Island.

The ‘no’ on Amendment 87 campaign twisted my words. I’ll set the record straight. (Opinion)

By Megan Schrader

October 18, 2026 at 4:00 a.m.

"Anyone can say anything when cloaked behind the mask of an issue committee and dark...

Volleyball player Macy Petty recounts competing against transgender rivals as House Republicans celebrate passage in the House of a bill that would bar federally supported schools and colleges from allowing transgender athletes whose biological sex assigned at birth was male to compete on girls or women's sports teams at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, April 20, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Vote yes on Propositions 134 and 135 to protect girls’ sports and kids from permanent surgery (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

October 19, 2026 at 10:17 a.m.

Last week, Fox News reported on four parents who are questioning Jefferson County administrators about...

Shoppers browse merchandise during Small Business Saturday on Nov. 25, 2017 at the Stanley Marketplace. (Daniel Brenner, Special to the Denver Post)

Amendment 87 will actually lower costs for many Colorado small businesses (Opinion)

By Hunter Nelson

October 16, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

As someone who chats regularly with small business owners, I hear one consistent concern: everything...

Aurora education support professional Marceline Corvus speaks during a press conference to launch the Yes for Colorado Kids campaign to support Proposition NN on Friday, July 17, 2026, at West High School in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Jared Polis: Vote against the graduated income tax but support Prop. NN (Opinion)

By Jared Polis

October 15, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

This election, Coloradans are being asked to consider complicated tax policy on our ballots. Let...

In this 2024 file photo the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office displays 40 pounds of meth and 33,000 fentanyl pills that were seized during an undercover operation in Centennial. (Courtesy Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office)

We prosecute drug dealers. Proposition 132 is the wrong answer to the fentanyl crisis. (Opinion)

By John Walsh

October 14, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"Talking tough on fentanyl and being effective against fentanyl are not the same thing. Public...

State Rep. Kenny Van Nguyen takes a selfie in front of a van loaded with boxes of petitions outside the Bell Policy Center before supporters of a ballot initiative to create a graduated income tax in Colorado deliver them to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office in an effort to qualify the measure for the November ballot on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Denver. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Amendment 87 is a tax cut for the vast majority of Coloradans. Why do conservatives oppose it? (Opinion)

By T. R. Reid

October 13, 2026 at 5:07 a.m.

That’s the problem with Colorado’s current state income tax; the burden is on the wrong...

A child holds an iPhone at an Apple store on Sept. 25, 2015 in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

This era’s public health threat is digital (Opinion)

By Emily Johnson

October 12, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.

We addressed car safety through design standards, such as airbags. Policymakers could treat infinite scroll,...

From left, Rep. Scott Bottoms, ministry leader Victor Marx and state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer square off during a GOP gubernatorial debate at the Cable Center on the University of Denver campus in Denver on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

The Colorado GOP has fielded the saddest slate of candidates for statewide office in its history (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

October 13, 2026 at 3:22 p.m.

It can't get any worse for Colorado Republicans.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images' editorial policy.) USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) conducts U.S. blockade operations related to the Strait of Hormuz on April 16, 2026 in the Arabian Sea. The ship's embarked carrier air wing includes eight F-35C stealth fighters, F/A-18 fighter jets, EA-18G electronic attack aircraft, E-2D command and control planes, MH-60 helicopters and CMV-22B Ospreys for logistics support. (Handout Photo by the U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

Sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln arrive home having endured hardships far beyond those from my two-year Vietnam War deployment (Opinion)

By Roger Archibald

October 7, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.

Service members on the USS Abraham Lincoln "have had to continually suffer extreme hardships no...

Federal law enforcement officers conduct an immigration enforcement operation at the Cedar Run Apartments on South Oneida Street in Denver on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

ICE should work with local law enforcement, but not like this (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

October 6, 2026 at 2:42 p.m.

Do the benefits outweigh the costs? That is the question voters must ask about Amendment...

A group of elk grazes at Elk Meadow Park in Evergreen, Colorado on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

A heritage worth protecting. Why the right to hunt and fish belongs in our Constitution (Opinion)

By Kody Lostroh

October 5, 2026 at 6:16 a.m.

"I believe hunting and fishing are part of our history and heritage, and they provide...

The Taxpayer's Bill of Rights requires that all Colorado governments ask voters before raising their taxes and that they refund money to taxpayers when more revenue is taken in by a government than a formula in the constitutional amendment allows. (Jeff Neumann, The Denver Post, photos by Getty Images)

Colorado’s overall tax burden is competitively low. Let’s keep it that way. (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

October 4, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Lower my tax bill and soak the rich? Allow the state to spend more money...

The Suncor Energy oil refinery photographed in Commerce City, Colorado on Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Photo by Harmon Dobson/The Denver Post)

Supreme Court ruling in Colorado case would set key precedent: Whose law governs the sky (Opinion)

By Gale Norton

October 4, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

The question is not who pays for climate costs but which institution has the authority...

Staffers set up the stage during a watch party for Congressman Manny Rutinel, who is running for Colorado’s 8th District, on Tuesday, June 30th, 2026 at Las Dos Americas Tortilleria in Commerce City, Colorado. Rutinel won the primary and is now in a heated race to defeat the incumbent candidate Republican Rep. Gabe Evans. (Chet Strange, Special to The Post)

The blue wave could be a tsunami this midterm election in Colorado and across the nation (Opinion)

By Doug Friednash

September 29, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

October 2018, just weeks before Donald Trump’s first midterm cycle, I wrote my first column...

DENVER, CO - JULY 18: Firefly Autism student Noah Buniger, 6, right, works with childhood intervention therapist Amber Verela on a word association exercise at the Firefly center July 18, 2019. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

Colorado families deserve the full story about autism treatment not just a label (Opinion)

By Robin Koncilja

September 28, 2026 at 9:46 a.m.

Some Boulder parents believe applied behavior analysis harmed their children. Their experiences deserve to be...

Victor Marx listens during the only public debate he has participated in since declaring his bid for governor. The Republican primary gubernatorial debate at the Cable Center on the Campus of the University of Denver in Denver was held on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

Victor Marx absolutely agreed to a debate with me as moderator (Opinion)

By Aaron Harber

September 24, 2026 at 12:29 p.m.

"It's my hope that Marx, from this point on, will be honest with the people...

The Gold Mountain fire burns north of Ouray on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Grant Martin)

Why the Forest Service called in the cows when the Gold Mountain Fire was almost contained (Opinion)

By Dave Marston

September 22, 2026 at 2:04 p.m.

When fire commanders try to figure out how to contain a major wildfire, the last...

The Roaring Fork Schools District Office in Carbondale. (Image courtesy of Google Maps)

Roaring Fork School District refused to listen to parent concerns about sex ed curriculum (Opinion)

By Kate Anderson

September 21, 2026 at 9:21 a.m.

Imagine your five-year-old comes home from school with a backpack stuffed with back-to-school forms and...

Denver Public Schools Board of Education Vice President Monica Hunter looks on during a special public comment session on a letter of concern and possible actions to be taken against Hunter and treasurer Dr. DJ Torres on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, during of a DPS Board of Education meeting at DPS headquarters in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Hateful words targeting Denver Jews wrongfully demonize Zionism (Opinion)

By Scott Levin

September 18, 2026 at 10:57 a.m.

"Jews -- including Zionists -- should be welcome in restaurants, on school boards, in workplaces...

Election judges are sorting ballots at Denver Elections Division in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, November 10, 2022.(Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Keep your voting plans, Colorado, because we will be sending mail ballots (Opinion)

By Amanda Gonzalez

September 15, 2026 at 12:09 p.m.

Nothing has changed; keep your voting plans. Colorado county clerks are hard at work preparing...

Election workers prepare ballots at the Denver Elections Division on primary election day on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Denver. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Three fraudulent Colorado ballots were counted in 2024; here’s how Amendment 84 could have stopped it (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

September 14, 2026 at 10:17 a.m.

Three of the 12 fraudulent ballots passed signature verification and were counted before the two...

Officials visited a completed mitigation and restoration site on Lookout Mountain in Golden on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Prop 137 will not prevent wildfires but will degrade our public lands (Opinion)

By Josh Schlossberg

September 14, 2026 at 12:08 p.m.

"Proposition 137 would siphon $175 million in taxpayer dollars every year to degrade and destroy...

Ground Zero Two Days After World Trade Terror Attack

Wallach: 25 years later, 9/11 is the memory that never fades

By Mark Wallach

September 11, 2026 at 8:42 a.m.

While for most people the memory of 9/11 is fading, for me it never does....

A group of rafters from Alaska prepare to set out for a 25-day rafting trip down the Grand Canyon from Lees Ferry on Jan. 1, 2023, in Marble Canyon, Arizona. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Groundbreakers and trailblazers don’t have to be perfect. Tearing down the ‘superwoman myth.’ (Opinion)

By Heather Hansman

September 9, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Though I loved being on the river, I often felt isolated, thinking I had to...

ABOVE: Early voting opened up at the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building at 11:00 am. Early voting for Denver voters started this morning at 8:00 am at the Denver Elections Division at 3888E. Mexico Ave. Additional locations will open at 11:00 and Saturday voting that will help in the voting process. Voters are casting paper ballots. Electronic voting machines will be available for use by voters with disabilities. Because the ballots are over 2 pages long, Alton Dillard with the Elections Division suggests that people take time to make their choices before heading to the polling booths. Early voting will take place from Monday, October 20th to Saturday, October 25th, then again Monday, October 27th thru Friday October 31. The Denver Elections Division will offer extended early voting hours at it's headquarters. Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post

Information empowers voters and Initiative 234 strips away vital knowledge (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

September 8, 2026 at 11:51 a.m.

Initiative 234 may seem simple but the intent of this measure isn’t so plain. Could...

The former Kodak/Carestream industrial campus is seen from the air in Weld County near Windsor on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. A company called Global AI purchased the property to build a 27-megawatt data center. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Colorado can argue about data centers, or it can put conditions on them (Opinion)

By Michael Canon

September 7, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

I read Sunday's account of the Public Utilities Commission hearing and found myself agreeing with...

Pages from the U.S. Affordable Care Act health insurance website

Untangling the government-created health insurance mess (Opinion)

By Matt Soper

September 3, 2026 at 5:43 p.m.

Our unique health care system offers both the best care in the world, and also...

A male Gunnison sage grouse shows off during mating season in this April 11, 2007, file photo. (Helen H. Richardson, Denver Post file)

Trump administration legalizes extinction of the Gunnison sage-grouse (Opinion)

By Ted Williams

September 1, 2026 at 12:44 p.m.

We won’t just lose the Gunnison sage-grouse. Hundreds of other listed organisms will slide into...

Parker Hawks Orange player Walker DeNooy and teammates cheer during a 10U AA youth baseball tournament game against the Parker Hawks White on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at Evans Park in Elizabeth. The Parker Hawks are the largest club in the Arapahoe Youth League, a non-travel organization. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Kids priced out of Colorado’s youth sports boom can’t wait for the system to fix itself (Opinion)

By Vickie Puchi

August 31, 2026 at 5:56 a.m.

"We can debate for another decade whether the Division I scholarship chase is a bad...

Denver resident Bill Bonebrake fishes for trout on an ice-free South Platte River on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Douglas County, just north of Deckers, Colo. Bonebrake was having a productive day on the river, having pulled in two 18-inch rainbow trout, four brown trout, and numerous smaller rainbows. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Hunting and fishing are a part of Colorado’s way of life (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

August 31, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"Without management, game species are vulnerable to starvation and disease – nature’s way of population...

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 18: Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Brendan Carr speaks at a news conference following an FCC meeting at the Federal Communications Commission headquarters on February 18, 2026 in Washington, DC. Carr spoke on the Commission's meeting and took questions on late night television show host Stephen Colbert's accusations that CBS did not allow him to air a scheduled interview with Democratic Texas State Representative James Talarico. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Colorado should stay out of the Nexstar-TEGNA merger legal challenge (Opinion)

By Robin Rossenfeld

August 28, 2026 at 1:45 p.m.

"The Nexstar-TEGNA merger is a transaction that has already undergone thorough review by the two...

A completed forest treatment site at Lookout Mountain preserve and nature center in Golden on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

To save Colorado’s foothills, we have to cut down trees — a lot of trees (Opinion)

By Megan Schrader

August 27, 2026 at 11:56 a.m.

Saving our forests from catastrophic fire will take everyone pulling together in the next 10...

The Gunnison River flows into Blue Mesa Reservoir on March 25, 2026, near Gunnison. Low snowpack in the area is adding to drought concerns across the Colorado River Basin. Below the dam parts of the lower Gunnison River could run dry in October. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Mourning the lower Gunnison River. Parts will likely run dry by October (Opinion)

By Jacob Richards

August 25, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.

By October a big portion of the lower Gunnison River in western Colorado will be...

President Donald Trump gestures while boarding Air Force One at Morristown Airport, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Morristown, N.J. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Since my first day in office, Trump’s agenda has been to punish Colorado (Opinion)

By John Hickenlooper

August 24, 2026 at 9:27 a.m.

Our country needs to fully understand how federal resources were manipulated to punish innocent Coloradans,...

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, the Democratic Party’s candidate for Colorado Attorney General, speaks during a unity rally put on by the party following Tuesday’s primary election, on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at the Laborers' International Union of North America Local 720 headquarters in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Jena Griswold’s latest scandal should get voters to look seriously at her opponent (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

August 21, 2026 at 11:58 a.m.

"Michael Allen’s experience and expertise in litigation far exceed that of his opponent, Jena Griswold....

McCullough Gulch, Tenmile Range, Arapaho National Forest. (Photo courtesy of John Fielder)

Why would a government work this hard to stop hearing from people about public lands? (Opinion)

By Will Pattiz

August 19, 2026 at 1:39 p.m.

"The rules shrinking public comment didn't themselves go out for public comment. Why would a...

A for-sale sign is seen next to a pile of debris in Beulah on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, on a property where a home was destroyed by the Aspen Acres fire. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Colorado’s wildfire insurance plan isn’t going to work (Letters)

By DP Opinion

August 19, 2026 at 4:00 a.m.

"The more buildings that burn, the higher premiums will go until few, if any, will...

A gas log fireplace. (Getty Images iStockphoto)

Natural gas is cheaper and more efficient. Why wouldn’t I vote to protect it? (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

August 18, 2026 at 11:26 a.m.

Because I rely on this fuel to heat my boiler, fireplace, and hot water heater,...

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer and House Speaker Mike Johnson listen as President Donald Trump speaks.

Trump and congressional Republicans killed your health care. But the fight isn’t over. (Opinion)

By Diana DeGette

August 16, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"Millions of Americans are struggling to afford their care or are opting to cancel their...

Rachel Amaru, right, hugs Rachel Cohen during a remembrance program at the Boulder Jewish Festival on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado on June 8, 2025. Cohen was on the mall during the targeted firebombing on June 1, 2025 that killed one Jewish woman and injured 14 others. The Boulder Jewish Festival, organized by the Boulder Jewish Community Center, marked the 30th anniversary of one of the longest running Jewish cultural festivals in the country, but also marking and recognizing that exactly one week ago a violent antisemitic terror attack shook the Jewish community at the very same site.(Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

While the public debates antisemitism in politics, Colorado Jews live the consequences (Opinion)

By Brandon Rattiner

August 14, 2026 at 1:11 p.m.

The op-ed in The Denver Post by Krista Kafer on Sunday began by asking, “What...

Firefighters work to contain a 5-alarm fire at a multi-family residential building under construction on Peoria St. between Colfax and 14th Avenue in Aurora, Colorado Friday Dec. 16, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

Denver firefighters left the state union years ago. They sent us a $400k bill anyway. (Opinion)

By Chris Ferguson

August 13, 2026 at 9:43 a.m.

Denver Fire Fighters union questions the state union’s credit card charges, expensive dinners and other spending that did...

Victor Marx, center-right, leaves the arena after making a round with his security during the Colorado Republican State Assembly on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Massari Arena on the Colorado State University Pueblo campus in Pueblo, Colo. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Victor Marx and Melat Kiros are horrible candidates but probably not antisemitic (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

August 9, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Is drawing horns on a picture of a Jewish candidate necessarily evidence of anti-Jewish animus?...

Colorado is one of 23 states that allows people to gather signatures to put citizen-led initiative son the ballot. This year Advance Colorado is one of the many groups trying to get measures on the ballot using paid signature gatherers. In this 2025 file photo another group has gathered petitions to turn in for a ballot measure related to animal rights. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Colorado voters are being tricked into signing billionaire-backed petitions (Opinion)

By Cecelia Thorn

August 6, 2026 at 4:00 a.m.

Why would one volunteer be circulating two petitions that seemed so ideologically opposed? Colorado is...

Gov. Jared Polis celebrated the Sundance Film Festival plan to come to Colorado with a crowd at the Boulder Theater in March 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Will Boulder’s special license for Sundance hit the Airbnb policy sweet spot? (Opinion)

By Tim Komarek

August 5, 2026 at 10:28 a.m.

Boulder officials have estimated that the short-term rental policy could add more than 1,000 festival...

An RTD shuttle drives on the 16th Street Mall in Denver on Monday, July 20, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

How the RTD board took on our budget deficit (Opinion)

By Chris Nicholson

August 5, 2026 at 4:01 a.m.

Public deliberation is rarely tidy. Our disagreements happened in the open because directors were genuinely...

The CoreSite data center at the corner of Race St. and E 49th Avenue in North Denver’s Elyria Swansea neighborhood in Denver on Thursday, June 25, 2026. (Photo by Harmon Dobson/The Denver Post)

Separating fact from fear when it comes to our Elyria Swansea data center (Opinion)

By Megan Ruszkowski

August 4, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

CoreSite's planned DE3 data center near the National Western Center has been at the center...

Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Victor Marx at Spruce Mountain Ranch in Larkspur, Colorado on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Victor Marx warns that the media is coming for Christians. We’re not. (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

August 3, 2026 at 10:42 a.m.

By conflating journalism with religious persecution, Marx is not just deflecting responsibility; he is indulging...

A rainbow appears over Highway 40 north of Kremmling, Colorado, on June 10, 2015. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/ The Denver Post)

Happy birthday, Colorado. Here’s to 150 more. (Opinion)

By Dan Haley, Special to The Denver Post

August 3, 2026 at 1:59 p.m.

"You can still find courage and compassion in Colorado every day if you look in...

Democratic socialist candidate for the state’s 1st Congressional District, Melat Kiros, talks with former U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter during a unity rally put on by the Colorado Democratic Party following Tuesday’s primary election, on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at the Laborers' International Union of North America Local 720 headquarters in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Has Colorado suddenly become a hotbed of lefty socialists? (Opinion)

By T. R. Reid

July 31, 2026 at 8:00 a.m.

"The real lesson of the Colorado primary election is not a 'socialist wave,' but rather...

Students line up outside on the first day of the 2025–26 academic year at Columbine Elementary School in Denver, on Aug. 18, 2025. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Colorado now ranks No. 1 for education, according to US News. Here’s how we got to the top. (Opinion)

By Jared Polis

July 30, 2026 at 10:26 a.m.

Colorado is now number one in education according to the just-released comprehensive measures used by...

From left to right Bianca Gardelli, unclaimed property director, Dave Young, Colorado treasurer, and Sheena Kadi, communications director, right, look over a collection of some of the many items currently unclaimed in the Colorado state Treasurer's Office at the Colorado State Capitol on January 31, 2022 in Denver. This year lawmakers borrowed $75 million from the unclaimed property fund. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Lawmakers raid Coloradans’ unclaimed money taking $75 million to fix the budget (Opinion)

By Mark Lewyn

July 29, 2026 at 10:58 a.m.

"The state deserves credit for returning money through the annual Great Colorado Payback. But moving...

Denver East High School students gather and comfort each other after placing flowers for fellow student Luis Garcia at East High School in Denver on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Garcia died more than two weeks after being shot outside of the school. (File photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Denver has been here before and we know what it takes to reduce youth violence (Opinion)

By Wellington Webb

July 29, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"Young people still need adults who believe in them. Neighborhoods still need police officers they...

Attendees listen to Mayor Andrew Moore speak during an Erie Town Hall meeting on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (Joel Solis/Daily Camera)

The Draco Pad fracking deal is a win for Erie closing existing oil and gas wells (Opinion)

By Aaron Harber

July 28, 2026 at 5:06 p.m.

"Draco is occurring whether Erie is involved or not, so opposing the deal the town...

Denver Public Schools superintendent Alex Marrero listens to public comment during public comment regarding school closures at DPS Headquarters on Nov.18, 2024. (AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

Firing Alex Marrero, a successful leader who is being recruited nationwide, does not put Denver’s children first (Opinion)

By Nita Gonzales

July 27, 2026 at 4:16 a.m.

This column ran as a pro-con with another opinion piece that argued it is time...

Denver Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero counts down to the start of the 2025–26 academic year outside Columbine Elementary School on August 18, 2025. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

‘No confidence’ in DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero (Opinion)

By Elaine Gantz Berman

July 27, 2026 at 4:01 a.m.

Adult issues are plaguing Denver Public Schools, yet again.

Sprinklers run at 1 p.m. in a median near Auraria Parkway and Speer Boulevard despite drought-related water restrictions on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Denver. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

If your grass is green, you might be part of the problem (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

July 24, 2026 at 4:41 p.m.

Depending on the type, turf grass can be dormant for three to six weeks without...

In this 2004 file photo, a family takes a gander at Spruce Tree House, one of 4,000 known archaeological sites in Mesa Verde National Park outside of Cortez. (The Denver Post file)

As a park brat growing up at Mesa Verde, I witnessed the ebb and flow of support for public lands. This administration is the worst. (Opinion)

By Bill Wade

July 21, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

But never -- not once in decades — have I witnessed such systematic degradation, disrespect...

Denver Post cartoonist Pat Oliphant, winner of the 1967 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning works in his office in this May, 1967 photograph. (Photo by Duane Howell/The Denver Post)

Remembering Pat Oliphant’s legacy in Denver (Opinion)

By Mike Keefe

July 20, 2026 at 9:08 a.m.

Pat Oliphant, former editorial cartoonist for the Denver Post, died July 13 in Santa Fe,...

The sun rises during Easter Sunrise Service at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on March 31, 2024. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Americans just want to stop changing their clocks twice a year. Why can’t Congress even act on this? (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

July 18, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Doing nothing shouldn’t be an option. While that might please the 12% of madcap happy...

Supporters of former president Donald Trump wave flags outside the Fulton County Jail ahead of his expected arrival on August 24, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. Trump and 18 others were given until August 25, 2023, to surrender at the courthouse after being indicted on 41 counts related to their efforts to overturn the 2020 US Presidential election. (Photo by CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump has launched a ‘rolling coup,’ and as a retired U.S. Senator I’m calling on Colorado leaders to prepare (Opinion)

By Tim Wirth

July 17, 2026 at 6:59 a.m.

"The president has backed himself into a corner and is searching for a way out....

Colorado Republican candidate for governor Victor Marx stands for a portrait in the indoor shooting range adjacent to his podcast studio at his campaign headquarters on Thursday, June 4, 2026, in Colorado Springs. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Victor Marx is an exorcist who says he killed a man. Republicans nominated him anyway. (Opinion)

By Michelle Goldberg

July 14, 2026 at 12:30 p.m.

"The elevation of Victor Marx is, in part, a story about the right-wing revolution eating...

A woman holds a sign during a rally to protest against redistricting hearings at the Texas Capitol, Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Colorado Supreme Court just saved us from a mistake the size of Texas or California (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

July 13, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Perhaps these politicians sleep at night by telling themselves that the ends justify the means....

Trails at Heil Valley Ranch are open and wildflowers will be blooming in summer. (Mindy Sink, Special to The Denver Post)

Resist. Recharge. Repeat. And don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers. (Opinion)

By Pepper Trail

July 11, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

I admit it often seems futile to make these gestures of resistance in a little...

A renewables milestone for Colorado — 53% — but the next steps get harder (Opinion)

By Allen Best

July 10, 2026 at 12:45 p.m.

During the first three months, according to the Energy Information Administration, 53% of all our...

Then Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump addresses a campaign rally at the Rochester Opera House on January 21, 2024 in Rochester, New Hampshire while campaigning ahead of New Hampshire first-in-the-nation state primary . (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Republican Party will continue to abide Donald Trump’s unique brand of religious, conservative populism (Opinion)

By Seth Masket

July 10, 2026 at 8:38 a.m.

"Even if Donald Trump didn’t start the populist movement within the party, he certainly added...

In this 2015 file photo, a black bear is seen in what was America's largest tract of unprotected roadless area. Congress permenently protected Hermosa Creek in 2014 by designating it wilderness and creating a special management plan. A pair of fly fishermen wet a line in a portion of the drainage proposed for inclusion in the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act designed to protect 108,000 acres in what is currently the largest unprotected roadless area in Colorado. (Scott Willoughby, The Denver Post)<!--IPTC: HERMOSA, CO - JULY 17, 2014: A pair of fly fishermen wet a line in a portion of the drainage proposed for inclusion in the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act designed to protect 108,000 acres in what is currently the largest unprotected roadless area in Colorado. (Photo By Scott Willoughby / The Denver Post)

Three disturbing new ways Trump undermines protections for our national forests and public lands (Opinion)

By Tracy Stone-Manning

July 6, 2026 at 10:54 a.m.

It’s hard to keep up with all of Trump's plans to undermine our national forests,...

Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Victor Marx answers questions from reporters during his primary night watch party at Spruce Mountain Ranch in Larkspur, Colorado, on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Looks like Victor Marx will win, putting Colorado back into late-night punchlines (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

July 4, 2026 at 10:37 a.m.

If Victor Marx’s lead in the Republican primary gubernatorial race holds, we’ll be back on...

Nothing declares independence like a little rebellion, but play it cool with the fireworks this year (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

July 1, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"As to when to light such fireworks, that should be a no-brainer. There is no...

Over the past 70 years, the number of inpatient psychiatric beds has dropped dramatically, leaving many without critical care when they experience mental health crises. (Illustration provided by Oona Zenda/KFF Health News)

My wait for a psychiatric bed in Denver highlights this nation’s overburdened system (Opinion)

By Helen Santoro

June 29, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Just before my birthday, a Denver doctor placed me on an involuntary 72-hour mental health...

A gray wolf stands outside its crate for a brief moment at a release site on Jan. 14, 2025, before reentering the wild in an undisclosed location in the Colorado mountains. (Provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

What’s really killing a lot of cattle in Colorado? Hint: wolves aren’t the culprit (Opinion)

By Erik Molvar

June 27, 2026 at 7:01 a.m.

The livestock industry has been running a smear campaign against wolves for years, but the...

Melat Kiros participated in a League of Women Voters Congressional District 1 candidate forum at Montview Presbyterian Church on May 28, 2026, in Denver. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Here’s why Melat Kiros’ candidacy scares me as a liberal Jewish woman in Colorado (Opinion)

By Rachel Kobrin

June 27, 2026 at 9:48 a.m.

I am a liberal rabbi. I have been deeply critical of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin...

The Wildland Trekking group makes its descent down to Mooney Falls inside the Grand Canyon on July 13, 2017. (Photo by Sara Grant/The Denver Post)

The Grand Canyon is not easy or safe — no matter what social media says (Opinion)

By Marjorie “Slim” Woodruff

June 24, 2026 at 6:06 a.m.

We need more humble hikers, people who post that a difficult and popular hike is...

Acer Bouchard, 18, a senior at North High School, left, and Brayden Sullivan, 17, also a senior, play the mobile game Brawl Stars on their phones during an off period at the school on March 17, 2026, in Denver. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

School districts should all be opting for bell-to-bell phone-free classrooms (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

June 24, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

When teaching college classes, I run a zero-tech classroom with computers allowed only during specific...

Want to honor the memory of journalist Lynn Bartels? Subscribe and vote (Opinion)

By Megan Schrader

June 23, 2026 at 4:42 p.m.

If we are truly going to honor Lynn, I’d suggest subscribing or donating to any...

SafeSport is fielding more complaints than ever in our ongoing fight against abuse (Opinion)

By Benita Fitzgerald Mosley

June 23, 2026 at 8:33 a.m.

SafeSport, the first-ever national organization responsible for addressing abuse in Olympic and Paralympic sports, has...

Colorado voters are being inundated with campaign ads from dark money groups called "independent expenditure committees." IECs have no donation limits, often receive money from hidden donors and sometimes misrepresent their positions on issues. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Colorado, don’t take campaign ads at face value this primary (Opinion)

By Lisa Cutter

June 22, 2026 at 5:02 a.m.

The lack of transparency, combined with the massive number of communications each voter is receiving,...

Two members of Gov. Jared Polis' advisory board on clemency have come forward to explain why releasing Tina Peters undermines equal justice. (Photo by Harmon Dobson/The Denver Post)

To release Tina Peters, Polis ignored our board’s unanimous recommendation for denial (Opinion)

By Azra Taslimi

June 19, 2026 at 9:39 a.m.

The problem is not Tina Peters’ case in isolation. It is what Gov. Polis's decision...

A detainee puts their hand against a window of the Aurora immigration detention center during a vigil outside the facility on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Lawmakers right to persist on ICE facility inspections (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

June 15, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

Whether they win or lose in court, the bill’s passage will serve as a wake-up...

Cattle gather around a water hole at a ranch north of Burlington on Sept. 12, 2017. The feeder stream form the South Fork Republican River, one of three tributaries that originate in the high plains of Northeastern Colorado, is slowly drying up. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

The Republican River is in trouble. Better conservation planning is critical.

By Allen Best

June 14, 2026 at 6:17 a.m.

The Republican and the Colorado differ in one fundamental respect. Nearly all the water in...

This March 16, 2017, file photo released by the Bannock County Sheriff's Office shows a cyanide device in Pocatello, Idaho. The device, called M-44, is spring-activated and sprays poison that is meant to kill predators. (Bannock County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Trump administration resurrects dangerous cyanide bombs that explode into animals’ mouths (Opinion)

By Ted Williams

June 12, 2026 at 6:53 a.m.

M-44s, spring-loaded devices scented with decomposed animal tissue, blast cyanide into the mouth of any...

Gov. Jared Polis speaks during a post-legislative news conference at the Colorado State Capitol Building in Denver on Thursday, May 14, 2026. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Polis was right to veto a union law that threatened the Labor Peace Act (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

June 11, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.

Gov. Jared Polis was right to preserve the law from legislation to overturn it. He...

Large logs taken down during a fire mitigation and fuel management program on September 20, 2022 in Morisson, Colorado. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Oppose wildfire prevention logging not just to protect our forests, but because it’s ineffective (Opinion)

By Josh Schlossberg

June 10, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

"Not only is cutting forests ineffective at preventing the spread of fire, but that’s not...

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks at a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour stop held by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus on May 24, 2026 in Orono, Maine. Platner is the presumptive Democratic nominee and will face incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) for Maine's U.S. Senate seat in the general election. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Democrats cannot ignore Graham Platner’s red flags and hold the moral high ground (Opinion)

By Doug Friednash

June 3, 2026 at 11:40 a.m.

Democrats' moral double standard is being exposed in Maine as the party prepares to nominate...

From left, Colorado GOP gubernatorial candidates State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, State Rep. Scott Bottoms and Victor Marx. (Denver Post photos)

Victor Marx and Scott Bottoms bring the dumpster fire to the Republican primary (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

May 28, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"If Marx or Bottoms prevail in the June primary against state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, who...

Ted Turner runs buffalo at Vermejo a Ted Turner Reserve on 550,000 acres in New Mexico. The land is used as part of a luxury resort. (Photo provided by Vermejo a Ted Turner Reserve)

Ted Turner leaves a legacy of protected land in the West (Opinion)

By Todd Wilkinson

May 27, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Before he died at age 87 in early May, Ted Turner knew that stewardship of...

In this April 22, 2020, file photo, pallbearers, who were among only 10 allowed mourners, walk the casket for internment at the funeral for Larry Hammond, who died from the coronavirus, at Mount Olivet Cemetery in New Orleans. Government health officials say Native Americans, Latinos and Black people are two to three times more likely than whites to die of COVID-19. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

Troubling racial health disparities still exist — join me in a fight for equity and access (Opinion)

By Deidre Johnson

May 25, 2026 at 10:24 a.m.

Nobody listened when I insisted my blood pressure was too high soon after my first...

Anna Hicks prepares a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Andrews County Health Department, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Andrews, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)

Anti-vaxxers get a chance to fall in love with others who do not understand science (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

May 24, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

The organization initially invited anti-vaxxers to “find love with mRNA free partners.” Pickings were poor...

Care workers with the Service Employees International Union chant, rally outside the US Capitol on June 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. They came to denounce the impact to patients, families and workers if Republicans cut Medicaid, health care and SNAP to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images North America/TNS)

Congress lied. Medicaid cuts may force my physical therapist to drop patients like me (Opinion)

By Lydia Cruz

May 22, 2026 at 9:12 a.m.

Despite claims by my U.S. representative, Gabe Evans, that my Medicaid and access to care...

Polis’ clemency for Tina Peters emboldens the election denialism movement that threatens Colorado’s elections (Opinion)

By Jena Griswold

May 21, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

"Clemency for Peters emboldens the election denialism movement and will intensify the threat environment that...

In this 2019 file photo, then Governor-elect Jared Polis welcomes Terry Knight, Spiritual Leader of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe for the Native American Blessing during his Inauguration at the Colorado Capitol. While the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe were granted free entrance to state parks under legislation Polis signed, the bill excluded the Ute Indian Tribe. (Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post)

A year ago Gov. Polis signed a law that screamed, “The Utes must still go!” (Opinion)

By Shaun Chapoose

May 20, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’s refusal to recognize the Ute Indian Tribe’s rights under the Brunot...

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), left, and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) sit together in the U.S. Capitol on Oct.20, 2023 in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rep. Lauren Boebert and these MAGA women are leading a #Me2.0 in Washington (Opinion)

By Michelle Cottle

May 25, 2026 at 9:27 a.m.

At the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term, if you had told me there...

President Donald Trump signs the hat of Bruce Adams, chairman of the San Juan County Commission, after speaking about his decision to shrink the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante national monuments, Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Congress is still trying to decimate the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Opinion)

By Scott Braden

May 19, 2026 at 10:04 a.m.

If this CRA resolution passes, it could devastate the monument, turning it into a place...

A still image of mother pigs being kept in "gestation crates" at a farm in Kentucky. An undercover activist shot video inside the facility between December 2017 and March 2018. The nonprofit organization Mercy for Animals says the footage uncovered abuses and the damaging impacts of keeping pigs in the small crates. (Submitted to The Denver Post on July 17, 2018.)

Colorado led the way against farm animal cruelty. Now Congress will roll it back. (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

May 18, 2026 at 1:07 p.m.

Colorado led the way in adopting humane farming practices. Now the U.S. House of Representatives...

Hickenlooper: If confirmed to lead the BLM, Steve Pearce will spearhead Trump’s assault on public lands

By John Hickenlooper

May 18, 2026 at 9:51 a.m.

Public lands are part of our shared Colorado heritage. If we fail to protect them...

Z Williams testifies in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee during a hearings on House Bill 1312 in the Old Supreme Court hearing room at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on April 30, 2025. The committee amended the bill after listening to hours of testimony from opponents and proponents of HB-1312, which would extend more legal protections to transgender people. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Colorado Democrats cannot force employers to use someone’s pronouns. That’s compelling speech and it’s illegal (Opinion)

By Krista Kafer

May 12, 2026 at 9:07 a.m.

Thanks to a bill passed last year, Coloradans cannot use biologically accurate pronouns or titles...

Construction continues at a CoreSite data center being built at Race Street and East 49th Avenue on February 13, 2026, in Denver. (Photo By Kathryn Scott/Special to The Denver Post)

Colorado’s economy needs data centers. Let’s bring them here on our terms. (Opinion)

By Bill Owens

May 7, 2026 at 10:24 a.m.

We should take steps towards powering our future by bringing data center investment and jobs...

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