{"id":45671,"date":"2021-07-21T09:41:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-21T15:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/only-4-4-of-bills-were-passed-along-purely-party-lines-this-year-at-colorado-capitol\/"},"modified":"2021-07-21T15:41:00","modified_gmt":"2021-07-21T15:41:00","slug":"only-4-4-of-bills-were-passed-along-purely-party-lines-this-year-at-colorado-capitol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/only-4-4-of-bills-were-passed-along-purely-party-lines-this-year-at-colorado-capitol\/","title":{"rendered":"Only 4.4% of bills were passed along purely party lines this year at Colorado Capitol"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"The
The dome of the Colorado Capitol in downtown Denver. (Associated Press file)<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

A record 504 bills introduced in the Colorado Legislature became law this year, and 94% of them had at least one Republican vote.<\/p>\n

And half of the 39 Republicans in the state House and Senate voted for 58% of those bills, according to a Colorado Sun analysis.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s despite a third year of Democratic rule at the Colorado Capitol and GOP complaints that the majority party and Democratic Gov. Jared Polis are enacting policies that are too liberal and unfair to businesses and taxpayers.<\/p>\n

The Sun analyzed final third-reading votes on the 504 bills that became law, omitting the four bills vetoed by Polis and the 114 measures that died in committees or never received a final vote on one of the chamber floors.<\/p>\n

The analysis, the second such study conducted by the Sun in three years, once again indicates more bipartisanship in the General Assembly than might be expected given the partisan rhetoric that sometimes dominates the building.<\/p>\n

Only 22 bills this year \u2013 or 4.4% \u2013 passed on pure party-line votes with all Democrats voting in support and all Republicans voting in opposition. Another 10 measures passed with no GOP support and some Democrats voting \u201cno,\u201d too.<\/p>\n

Five bills had some Democratic objectors, but no Republican opposition.<\/p>\n

In fact, 13 of the 24 House Republicans voted \u201cyes\u201d on bills during third reading 50% of the time or more. All of the 15 Senate Republicans voted \u201cyes\u201d on legislation 58% of the time or more.<\/p>\n

But there were definitely partisan exceptions. For instance, all 39 Republicans voted against six bills aimed at increasing regulations on firearms.<\/p>\n

Republicans also unanimously opposed bills:<\/p>\n

To allow districts to pay school board members.<\/div>\n
To restrict the use of disposable plastics.<\/div>\n
To pay for diapers for parents in emergency situations.<\/div>\n
To prohibit Native American mascots at public schools.<\/div>\n
Little Democratic dissent in the Senate<\/div>\n

A majority of Senate Republicans supported 69% of the bills that became law on third reading, according to the Sun\u2019s analysis.<\/p>\n

Sen. Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, cast the most \u201cno\u201d third-reading votes in the chamber this year of any state senator at 205.<\/p>\n

\"State
State Sen. Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, cast the most \u201cno\u201d votes on third readings of bills this legislative session. (Jesse Paul\/The Colorado Sun)<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cMy perspective is pretty clear and has been since I came into elected office,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve always tacked to the idea that people, when left alone to be free and pursue opportunities, do a better job of fostering a rich, robust, diverse, healthy, vibrant society and economy. Far more so than government.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lundeen said he\u2019s concerned about the growth of government \u2013 \u201cfor the seven years that I\u2019ve served in the Legislature, the state budget has grown faster than the real Colorado economy\u201d \u2013 and that his votes reflect an effort to stop what he sees as an unhealthy expansion of the state\u2019s power.<\/p>\n

Still, accounting for absences on 11 votes, Lundeen voted \u201cyes\u201d 58% of the time.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Sen. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, voted \u201cyes\u201d on all of the final 504 third-reading votes taken in the Senate this year along with Sen. James Coleman, D-Denver, and Sen. Pete Lee, D-Colorado Springs.<\/p>\n

Winter said she works \u201creally hard with my colleagues to do amendments versus voting \u2018no\u2019\u201d on bills.<\/p>\n

\"State
State Sen. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, voted \u201cyes\u201d for all of the 504 bills that had a third reading this year in the state Legislature. (Jesse Paul\/The Colorado Sun file)<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cI trust the work of my colleagues \u2013 to do good stakeholding and to listen to constituents and put constituents\u2019 hopes and dreams into reality,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada, cast the most \u201cno\u201d votes on final reading of any Democrat in the Senate, at six. She was the only member of her party in the chamber to reject House Bill 1232, Democrats\u2019 measure requiring private insurance companies to offer a state-regulated health insurance plan. The legislation had no GOP support.<\/p>\n

Senate President Leroy Garcia, D-Pueblo, cast his sole negative vote on a bill aiming to combat climate change.<\/p>\n

Sen. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, cast the most \u201cyes\u201d third-reading votes of any GOP senator, at 441. He\u2019s considered a moderate, which has sometimes led fellow conservatives to criticize him for working too frequently with Democrats.<\/p>\n

Priola was the only Republican \u201cyes\u201d vote in the Legislature on Senate Bill 260, Democrats\u2019 massive transportation fee and spending bill. And he was the lone GOP vote on all but six of the 28 bills that passed with a single Republican \u201cyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sen.
Sen. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, cast the most \u201cyes\u201d third-reading votes of any GOP senator, at 441, during the legislative session. (Jesse Paul\/The Colorado Sun file)<\/span>Jesse Paul\/The Colorado Sun<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cFirst and foremost, I try to vote my district,\u201d he said. \u201cI have to give the Democrats credit. I think they\u2019ve been fairly careful in what they\u2019ve passed, what they\u2019ve proposed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Priola added: \u201cYou can\u2019t just say \u2018no\u2019 to say \u2018no.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

First year GOP Sen. Cleave Simpson of Alamosa cast the second most yes votes of any Republican in the Senate this year, at 400.<\/p>\n

11 House Republicans voted \u2018no\u2019 more than \u2018yes\u2019<\/div>\n

Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver, was among six House Democrats who didn\u2019t cast any \u201cno\u201d votes on third reading this year and voted on all 504 measures. Another 10 House members voted \u201cyes\u201d 100% of the time, but missed some votes.<\/p>\n

Like Winter, the state senator from Westminster, Gonzales-Gutierrez said she frequently works with her colleagues to have her concerns addressed so she can vote \u201cyes\u201d on their bills.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there is a bill that maybe I\u2019m not 100% there (on), I talk to the sponsors to bring up my concerns and possible ways to address them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Gonzales-Gutierrez pointed to a measure to place new regulations on the purchase of medical marijuana concentrates. She was worried that a research provision in the measure would lead lawmakers to try to enact crimes around cannabis possession. She brought up her anxieties to the measure\u2019s sponsors and a clause was added prohibiting that from happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a bill that was hard,\u201d she said. \u201cThat was a difficult bill for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Democratic Rep. Adrienne Benavidez of Adams County cast 23 \u201cno\u201d votes, the most of any Democrat this year, followed by 12 each from Reps. Tom Sullivan of Aurora and Don Valdez of La Jara.<\/p>\n

Valdez said he stands by his voting record and that he tries to take rural Colorado into account when deciding whether to support bills.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ask: \u2018Is this good legislation for rural Colorado and, specifically, my district?\u2019\u201d Valdez said.<\/p>\n

House Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver, cast his lone \u201cno\u201d vote of the 2021 session against a bill levying penalties for people who retaliate against politicians.<\/p>\n

On the other end of the spectrum was Rep. Dave Williams, a Colorado Springs Republican who cast 310 \u201cno\u201d votes on third reading. His 141 \u201cyes\u201d votes on third reading this year were the fewest of any lawmaker in either chamber.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s fantastic,\u201d he said when asked about his voting record. \u201cI\u2019m a Republican. I come at policy and representing my constituency differently from the majority.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams said the GOP should be rejecting as many bills as possible to show voters an alternative path forward for Colorado. He was among 11 House Republicans who voted \u201cno\u201d this year on third readings more than they voted \u201cyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo those Republicans in the minority who vote a little bit more with the Democrats, I gotta say: That\u2019s not why the people elected us,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThey elected us to put forward a contrasting vision and a contrasting ideology. If I were to vote more often than not with the majority, then what\u2019s the reason for voters to change the makeup of the Legislature?\u201d<\/p>\n

That being said, Williams said there are areas where both parties can work together. Three measures he was a prime sponsor of \u2013 and which had bipartisan support \u2013 were signed into law.<\/p>\n

Two of Williams\u2019 bills were voted down. Another one, House BIll 1092, was passed by the Legislature but vetoed by the governor.<\/p>\n

McKean cast 298 \u201cyes\u201d votes on third reading and 202 \u201cno\u201d votes, making him one of the GOP House members more willing to advance legislation this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say my votes are representative of what I think is best for my constituents,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

McKean said he tried to work across the aisle where possible, such as on the budget. He was the only House Republican to initially advance the measure, but later rejected it after an amendment he pushed for was stripped from the bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were some bridges that were just too far,\u201d he said. \u201cYou saw how vigorously we defended things like market-based solutions to health care, a rational approach to prescription drug pricing as opposed to a top down government approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep. Colin Larson, R-Ken Caryl, cast the most third-reading \u201cyes\u201d votes among House Republicans at 303. Close behind him was Rep. Richard Holtorf, an Akron Republican and perennial thorn in the side of statehouse Democrats, as well as Rep. \u200b\u200bMarc Catlin, of Montrose, who each voted \u201cyes\u201d 301 times.<\/p>\n

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to covering Colorado issues. To learn more, go to coloradosun.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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