News Sheet

Congress Fixes… ZIP Codes? Must Be a Slow Day

U.S. Mail! P.O. Boxes!
U.S. Mail! P.O. Boxes!
Written by Scott K. James

In a rare moment of bipartisan sense, Congress voted to give new ZIP codes to growing cities. Yep, they can do that when they’re not yelling at each other on C-SPAN.

Sometimes Congress actually does their job — and today was one of those days. The Washington Examiner reports the House passed a bill with overwhelming support to assign new ZIP codes to rapidly growing cities like Castle Pines, Colorado; Queen Creek, Arizona; and Freehold Township, New Jersey. Sponsored by Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY), it’s a small win for local governance — and a rare unicorn: legislation that doesn’t immediately make you want to bang your head against the wall.

The Bullet Point Brief

  • Congress remembered what ZIP codes are… and passed a bill to change some!
  • Colorado cities like Castle Pines, Centennial, Cherry Hills Village, Frederick, Greenwood Village, Highlands Ranch, Keystone, Lone Tree, Mountain Village, Mt. Crested Butte, Severance, Silver Cliff, Sterling Ranch, Superior, and Telluride will get new zips.
  • It passed 352–65 in the House — miracles do happen when no lobbyists are involved.
  • Local leaders begged for this fix because being lumped into neighboring ZIPs was confusing and inefficient.
  • Even AOC’s side didn’t try to turn it into a climate crisis or gender equity issue — which is shocking.

My Bottom Line

Lookee here — proof that once in a blue moon, the legislative circus can do something right without needing six subcommittees and a Bible-sized stack of pork spending. Assigning updated ZIP codes might not be sexy work that garners primetime headlines or viral tweets—but believe it or not, this is the kind of practical crap local governments beg for year after year while D.C. normally debates things like whether gas stoves are racist.

Castle Pines has been trying to pull out of its shared ZIP code with Castle Rock for YEARS. Same story in Frederick and Longmont. When you’re one of the fastest-growing towns in your state, but still get mail meant for somewhere else? That’s not just annoying—it gums up emergency services, insurance rates, and voter rolls faster than an IRS audit in April.

So credit where it’s due: for once they came together without turning it into a political sideshow or another ego-stroking bill named after some dead senator’s cat. Let’s mark this day in history before someone slips another diversity audit into the next attempt at meaningful legislation—like updating stop signs.

About the author

Scott K. James

A 4th generation Northern Colorado native, Scott K. James is a veteran broadcaster, professional communicator, and principled leader. Widely recognized for his thoughtful, common-sense approach to addressing issues that affect families, businesses, and communities, Scott, his wife, Julie, and son, Jack, call Johnstown, Colorado, home. A former mayor of Johnstown, James is a staunch defender of the Constitution and the rule of law, the free market, and the power of the individual. Scott has delighted in a lifetime of public service and continues that service as a Weld County Commissioner representing District 2.