bills that were doomed in Democratic legislature

GOP introduced anyway

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER THE COLORADO SUN

Banning abortion. Restricting transgender athletes’ participation in school sports. Slashing state revenues by cutting the income tax rate.

A wave of bills Republicans are introducing in the Democrat-controlled Colorado legislature reads like a list of hot-button GOP talking points. And that’s not by mistake, even if they have no chance of becoming law.

House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington, said the measures — some of which are highly controversial — are “statement bills” that show Coloradans what Republicans’ priorities are and how they would lead the state if they were in charge.

“I think if we were suddenly to be in the majority, you’d see a whole bunch of really drastic right-wing legislation,” Lynch said. “But I think that’s largely a factor of the fact that we’ve been out of the majority for so long. We’re trying to x these things that have piled up over the last 10 years.” e legislation may only be sponsored by a handful of Republicans, but they re ect on the entire caucus. Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, urged people not to necessarily lump the entire GOP together. would let local governments enact rent control policies and another that would legalize safe-injection sites, where people could use illicit drugs under medical supervision. e governor, whose signature is vital for any bill to become law, has signaled he’s skeptical about both. Democrats introduced them

Each legislator is permitted to introduce ve bills, and each one must get a hearing. at’s di erent from in Congress, where leadership can shelve legislation they don’t

In other words: Democrats are e ectively powerless to stop controversial GOP measures from seeing e day of a committee hearing for several Republican abortionrelated bills — including a total ban on the procedure — Democrats said statement bills aren’t new.

“It is important that we take them seriously and that they are heard,” said House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “We will still honor this institution by making sure that every piece of legislation is heard in committee in a fair way and then our public has a moment to share their voices and perspectives.”

“ e Republican caucus is an intellectually diverse caucus. It brings an array of perspectives,” he said.

“One or two people have a strong conviction of this speci c nature and there may be other perspectives.”

Democrats are running into the same political conundrum, including when it comes to a bill that

Here are 10 bills introduced by Republicans in the legislature this year that have been rejected by the Democratic majority — and were always likely to meet that fate.