In just three days, the curtain rises on another session of the Colorado legislature.
Hey, don’t yawn.
A good legislative session is just like a good movie. All the ingredients are there: fast-paced action (remember the frantic “midnight gerrymander”?), violence (I’ll skip the gratuitous Douglas Bruce reference here), romance (I’ll spare the details, but trust me, there’s romance) and plenty of conflict.
And there are always unexpected plot twists and hidden sub- plots. (This year’s sub-plot is the 2010 gubernatorial race.)
But faced with a $600 million budget shortfall and a bleak economic forecast, this year’s movie may seem more like “Mission: Impossible” for state lawmakers than “The Pursuit of Happyness.”
Their agendas are heavy with big-ticket issues: transportation, health care, kick-starting an economic recovery. But with no new money, and a huge shortfall to make up in the next few weeks, their wish lists will shrink.
Any new bill with a fiscal note — meaning it has a cost to the state — will be deep-sixed faster than you can say “Mike Shanahan.”
That may not bode well for Bill Ritter, who returns in his leading- man role as Colorado’s affable governor. Routinely described as “a heckuva nice guy but . . . ,” Ritter has yet to be nominated for an Oscar. Still, there’s already talk of a sequel (i.e., a second term).
Ritter’s office last week sent out a list of his accomplishments in his first two years, noting “significant progress” in the new energy economy, business and economic development, education reform and funding, natural resource protection, and better government.
Unfortunately for the governor, a massive shortfall and an anemic economy threaten to undo some of that progress, and also could hurt his chances to make good on some unfinished agenda items, namely transportation funding.
Under Ritter, funding for higher education has increased by more than $100 million the past two years. But given the small amount of discretionary spending in the budget, those gains likely will be on the table when it’s time to cut.
Natural resources protection?
The proposed oil and gas regulations to protect natural resources now must be approved by the legislature, and Republicans are lampooning them as “job-killing rules.” They argue the rules will only make a bad economy worse.
Last year, when the budget wasn’t as tight, some progress was made on extending health care coverage to more children, but the extra coverage still must be paid for. And transportation funding last year was actually cut.
With the economy in the dumps, 2009 will be a tough year to sell voters on a tax hike to pay for better roads and bridges. Plus, a major loss at the polls could weaken a re-election campaign, should Ritter choose to run, and embolden any would-be opponents.
Enter GOP Senate leader Josh Penry, the antagonist in our film. He’s from the energy-rich Western Slope, where Ritter is arguably less popular than anywhere else.
He’s ready to raise a stink over the proposed oil and gas rules, and it could help him gain some traction — and funding — if he wants to be a GOP contender for governor in 2010. But Penry’s also smart enough to know that a major accomplishment this year would boost his political stock and name recognition, too. That means he’ll have to work with the majority Democrats and Ritter on something big to benefit all Coloradans, such as securing more money for transportation.
Could this high-stakes drama have a happy ending after all?
Get some popcorn and watch it with us. Besides, you’re paying for it, and it costs a lot more than a $9 movie ticket.
Editorial page editor Dan Haley can be reached at dhaley@denverpost.com.
