The death of an RTD bill in this legislative session because a Republican was stranded in traffic has set the stage for three Friday-morning floor sessions in the House that lasted about 15 minutes each.
The latest was Friday, a day lawmakers traditionally debate bills for three hours before heading home for the weekend.
The failed transportation bill in February taught Republicans just how difficult it can be to have only a one-vote majority over Democrats, and it resulted in a new game plan. If a Republican is going to be gone when tough bills are up for debate, House leaders will consider adjourning early.
“It’s a terrible waste of taxpayers’ dollars,” said Minority Leader Sal Pace, D-Pueblo.
But Speaker Frank McNulty and Majority Leader Amy Stephens said they are on schedule, so leaving early hasn’t been a problem, a claim borne out by examining bill schedules and calendars.
And they said members in both parties have asked to be excused because of an illness, a family member’s surgery or a death.
“The reality is the House Democrats are trying to make a political matter out of people’s life circumstances,” said McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch.
But Pace said he doesn’t begrudge anyone being gone under those circumstances.
“Family is the most important thing,” he said. “But just because one member’s gone doesn’t mean we can’t get any work done. Some of these bills passed out of committee with Democratic support.”
Even some Republicans have groused privately about shortening the schedule Friday, then debating into the afternoon the next week so that committee hearings scheduled for that day are rushed.
Republicans voted Feb. 9 on House Bill 1054 by Rep. Robert Ramirez, R-Westminster. One Republican was gone, but so were several Democrats.
The bill in question required the Regional Transportation District to contract out at least 50 percent of its bus service, a move Democrats called “welfare” for a handful of corporations.
The vote was strictly party line, 32 for and 28 against, which some Republicans, including Ramirez and Stephens, initially thought meant the bill passed. But it takes 33 votes for a majority, and Rep. Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland, who had called the House to say he was tied up in traffic, was absent.
“We screwed up,” Rep. Jim Kerr, R-Littleton, said afterward. “This is our first year at bat, so to speak, but we’re learning.”
Republicans are determined that what happened then won’t happen again.
“I have to have 33 people on the House floor to get my job done,” said Stephens, R-Monument. “I am the majority leader, and my job is my caucus.”
Asked whether the House would be adjourning Fridays if Republicans had a more comfortable majority, Stephens said, “It would be a different story, but we don’t have those margins, and that’s just the way it is.”
But Rep. Edward Casso, D-Commerce City, said that if Republicans practiced as much bipartisanship as they claim to, being short a member wouldn’t be a problem.
“I can’t believe on some of these bills they can’t pull one Democrat across the aisle,” he said.
Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327 or lbartels@denverpost.com
