Columns

There is a mental health crisis in this country, but politics isn’t going to address it. No system of financial management, be it insurance, single payer, Medicare or Medicaid, by itself, will make Americans cognitively healthier.

I don’t always see eye to eye with U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, but I’ve never doubted his sincerity. Last week, he floated a simple but potentially revolutionary idea to change the partisan tenor of the annual State of the Union address. Rather than have Republicans and Democrats separated by party affiliation, Udall suggested, why not mix things up and let political adversaries sit next to one another?
Senator Udall, that’s a terrific idea.

Your Colorado legislature convenes today for the first regular session of the 68th General Assembly. Legislators will join new Gov. John Hickenlooper to do the public’s business and must complete their work by May 11 to comply with the 120 days voters have provided them to do their work.

Democrats took control of the Colorado Senate by a narrow 18-17 margin after the 2000 election. Republicans maintained control of the House and the governor’s office. When incoming Senate President Stan Matsunaka spoke at the annual pre-legislative forum sponsored by the Colorado Press Association that year, he announced that because he didn’t believe a split legislature could agree on a plan, the Senate wouldn’t try to pass a bill to establish congressional districts for the next 10 years and the issue would be passed onto the courts.