Each year when the Colorado General Assembly convenes, lawmakers sincerely promise bipartisanship.
And this year — forgive us for sounding like sunny optimists rather than scowling commentators — it may actually happen.
Democratic Senate President Brandon Shaffer and Republican House Speaker Frank McNulty both have pledged to work together on key issues and, at the very least, both have acknowledged that each side’s issues deserve a fair hearing. That’s a good start.
Toss a new, wild-card governor who wants to bridge partisan divides into the mix, and Coloradans might actually see the benefits of divided, yet functioning, government.
With the economy still struggling and a host of issues piling up, the state legislature and Gov. John Hickenlooper will have their hands full. Here’s a look at some of what the legislature should tackle:
• Redistricting — State lawmakers must redraw Colorado’s congressional boundaries every 10 years. Last time, with a split legislature, they failed to do so and it was left to a judge to accomplish. Since Colorado isn’t adding a new House seat, the politics won’t be as fierce. Plus, Sen. Shaffer has proposed a “joint select committee” made up of five Democrats and five Republicans to hold public hearings across the state and eventually draw a new map.
“It’s one way to do business in Colorado a different way from Washington, D.C.,” Shaffer told us.
Given that Democrats still hold the governor’s seat, Shaffer’s bipartisan offer is a gift to Republicans. But compromise and bipartisanship require that kind of leadership.
• Budget — Facing a $1.2 billion shortfall, Colorado lawmakers have tough decisions to make. Unfortunately, education looks to be on the cutting board again. Last year, the state ended a dozen tax exemptions, raising about $140 million in new revenue.
Republicans want to review the exemptions to see if any have hurt Colorado businesses in quantifiable ways. That’s a sound approach. We didn’t support ending all of the exemptions because we feared a few would hurt businesses at a delicate economic time. However, if they restore an exemption, they’ll have to cut more out of an already downsized budget.
• Economy — Both parties say the economy and jobs will be their No. 1 focus. However, both have different ideas on how to boost the economy. Republicans say they want to drive down the costs of doing business in Colorado and will propose “regulatory reform.” It’s unknown exactly what form a bill would take, but if Republicans can find places where they can slash red tape and remove government as an obstacle, they’ll likely have an ally in Gov. Hickenlooper, who spoke eloquently in his inaugural speech about the powers of entrepreneurship.
• Education — Last year’s passage of Senate Bill 191, the so-called “teacher tenure” bill, seems to have worn everyone out. There’s been little pre-session buzz about taking on more reform, but more is needed. “It’s a difficult time to ramp up reform because we don’t have enough money for schools,” Shaffer said.
Lawmakers do need to worry about funding education and also ensuring that SB 191 is properly implemented without getting watered down, but the state can’t rest on its laurels. Colorado needs to be a leader in pushing education reform.
A host of other issues will arise in the 120-day session, but the mission for lawmakers is clear: Cut government where it can be cut and do whatever possible to boost the economy. It might mean simply getting out of the way.
