After a couple of weeks celebrating our Western heritage at the National Western Stock Show, hobnobbing with steers in the Brown Palace Hotel during their high tea, enjoying dinner with members of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, and attending the Voices for Rural Colorado gathering at the Governor’s mansion, it’s hard not to think about the issues facing the rural parts of our state.

Though rural Colorado encompasses the majority of land in Colorado, its representation is only 20 perc...