The Durango Herald

In a rare demonstration of unity, the state Senate gave unanimous approval Monday to a bill repealing Colorado’s criminal libel statute. The House should do likewise. The law in question is unnecessary, unhelpful and potentially dangerous.

More than half of births to women younger than 30 now occur outside marriage, and four out of every 10 children born in this country are born to parents who are not married.
That statistic comes from a study by Child Trends, a Washington research group that analyzes government data.

Fifty years ago today, John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth. He was not the first American in space or the first human to go into orbit, but it was a triumph nonetheless. It was widely viewed as a comeback for the United States and set the stage for one of this nation’s most salient accomplishments.

The national momentum building behind efforts to have same-sex unions recognized by state governments is nothing if not an inspirational example of broadening understanding and acceptance of differences – despite significant remaining hurdles before all couples can enjoy full equality under the law. A proposed measure pending in the Colorado...

The federal government should clarify its position on medical marijuana and remove unnecessary obstacles to state-regulated dispensaries. Medical marijuana is legal in 17 states, and what amounts to federal harassment benefits no one.

As important as they can be for economic development and providing critical natural resources, extractive activities such as mining come with a cost that historically has extended well beyond the balance sheet of those who profit from the endeavor. Known as externalities, these costs are paid by society and serve to offset the total benefit the...

News that Douglas Bruce will be going to jail is bound to evoke a certain schadenfreude across Colorado. That a nugget of wisdom was at the core of his signature accomplishment does nothing to diminish the hope that this marks the end of his influence in Colorado.

President Barack Obama has proposed a budget in which the federal government’s budgeted expenses and projected revenues will not intersect – not next fiscal year, not in his hoped-for next term, not in any future his administration can foresee.

Amid all the noise and bluster about the Obama administration’s proposal to require all employer-provided health-insurance plans to cover contraception, some basic questions have gone unanswered. Chief among them are these: Why is this a question of freedom of religion? And exactly how far can a church extend its First Amendment protections beyond...

In its task of hiring a new county manager, the La Plata County Board of Commissioners has the good fortune of being able to take its time and conduct a thorough search to replace Shawn Nau, who resigned in July 2011 after three years in the position. That breathing room comes from the fact that with interim Manager Joanne Spina at its...

State and local governments face a challenge in balancing public access to information against protecting the privacy of their employees. In attempting to strike that balance, there is a strong argument to be made for erring on the side of privacy for employees in terms of what documents pertaining to their employment should be available to the...

Tuesday, a federal appeals court in San Francisco upheld a lower court ruling that California’s ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. Exactly where this case is headed next was immediately the subject of considerable discussion, but this much is clear: This ruling is yet another small step toward ending legal discrimination based on sexual...