Outside the Springs

In 2012 and 2013, the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest Fires proved to be the two mostly costly wildfires in the history of the Pikes Peak Region. In the aftermath of the blazes 10 years later, lawmakers have tried to come up with ways to prevent the level of destruction these two fires caused.

Many Americans are surprised when they see videos of the roundabouts in Europe with cars zipping through the circular features in the road with little effort. However, it is fair to say that Americans are not as skilled at using roundabouts as their European counterparts.

Last fall, a task force from the Colorado Energy Office released recommendations that will effectively regulate how much energy certain buildings can use. The report is part of HB 21-1286 Energy Performance for Buildings. That bill is part of Gov Polis' steeplechase effort to reduce greenhouse gas pollution in the state of Colorado. These recommendations are open for public comment until May.

During the 2023 legislative session, the state’s Democrat lawmakers sent a clear message that they are determined to push gun control legislation due to an increase in violent crimes. One legislator has decided to go after the type of bullets that are used in firearms due to the threat to the environment lead bullets cause.

After the Democratic Party made history by getting the largest majority in the state legislature, one thing they promised during the 2023 legislative session was to crack down on guns. Last April, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a number of bills drafted by state lawmakers aimed at making firearms harder to purchase with intentions to curb gun violence.

A series of bills and government actions in Colorado are seeking to address the state's need for water. One of the bills, however, has the tincture of government overreach—a historic allergy to the West—and provides paltry up-front funding. The other push, literally unpalatable, regards drinking water.

During the 2023 Colorado legislative session, many bills have been introduced to apply more gun control measures within the state. Many of the bills seek to limit who can purchase and possess firearms in an effort to curb gun violence.

Water is an important resource and due to ongoing drought conditions, Colorado is always seeking ways to conserve what it has and make sure there is enough to go around to all stakeholders. The saying, “Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting,” stands true in the state as lawmakers often go back and forth over ways to conserve the state’s most precious resource.

In recent years, the state of Colorado and other parts of the country have experienced the loss of lives and structures due to people not being able to get evacuated quickly enough. During the Waldo Canyon Fire, two people died because they were not able to leave before the flames engulfed their homes.

Drug abuse got worse during the pandemic. And society is reckoning with the complexities of substance abuse disorders (SUDs). These complexities involve the cause-and-effect questions SUDs. They include considerations of structural, societal, ethical and personal difficulties.