The OpEdge — The Gazette Opinion Podcast

Colorado hunter, angler and founder of Colorado Wolf Tracker, John M. Williams, joins The OpEdge to discuss Amendment 83, wolf reintroduction and the growing divide between urban and rural Colorado. Williams tells host and deputy opinion editor Antonio Olivero why he believes protecting hunting and fishing rights is essential to wildlife conservation, what he sees as the failures of Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program and how politics is increasingly shaping wildlife management.

Former Colorado Deputy Secretary of State Suzanne Taheri joins The OpEdge to discuss why an office that should be "kind of boring" has become a "circus" under Jena Griswold. Taheri tells host Jimmy Sengenberger about leadership turnover, concerns over partisan campaign finance enforcement and lapses like the election passwords leak — and what it will take to restore stability and public trust in the office.

State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, the Republican senator on the legislature's Joint Budget Committee, joins The OpEdge to break down Colorado's mounting budget challenges and the rapid growth in Medicaid spending. Kirkmeyer tells host and investigative columnist Jimmy Sengenberger why the state has a spending problem, not a revenue problem — and warns that Proposition NN and Amendment 87 would fundamentally reshape Colorado's tax landscape for the worse.

ACE Scholarships CEO Norton Rainey joins The OpEdge to discuss how a new federal education tax credit could expand school choice in Colorado. Rainey tells Deputy Opinion Editor Antonio Olivero how taxpayers will be able to direct up to $1,700 toward scholarship organizations, why he believes that could open new educational opportunities for families and how competition and parental choice can reshape education.

Lori Gimelshteyn — board member of Protect Kids Colorado and executive director of the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network — joins The OpEdge to discuss three measures headed to Colorado voters this November. Gimelshteyn tells host Jimmy Sengenberger why the coalition is seeking tougher penalties for child sex trafficking, protections for female sports and a prohibition on gender-reassignment surgeries for minors — and why she sees the campaign as a grassroots response to government overreach.

Dan Haley, executive director of Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development, joins The OpEdge to discuss the role of oil and natural gas in Colorado's energy future amid the state's aggressive push toward "net zero." Haley tells host and investigative columnist Jimmy Sengenberger how Colorado can produce energy cleaner and safer while supporting grid reliability and affordability — and why an "all-of-the-above" approach should guide the state's energy policy.

Parents Challenge co-founder and longtime school choice advocate Steve Schuck joins The OpEdge to discuss expanding educational opportunities and ensuring parents are in charge of their kids' education. Schuck tells investigative columnist and host Jimmy Sengenberger why he believes Colorado should fund students rather than systems, how Parents Challenge helps families find the right fit and why a new federal education tax credit could be a "game changer" for school choice.

Miguel Chino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Rocky Mountain Field Division, joins The OpEdge to paint the picture of Colorado's "fentanyl pill superhighways." Chino updates Gazette and Colorado Politics Deputy Opinion Editor Antonio Olivero on the latest in the DEA's fight in the Rocky Mountain region against the deadly drug, the cartels that push them, and the criminal elements who traffic it into the Centennial State — and what it all means for everyday Coloradans.