The Colorado Statesman caught up with newly appointed Rep. Cole Wist, R-Centennial, an attorney at Holland and Hart, last week to talk about his adjustment to life under the Gold Dome.

Wist didn’t provide a clear answer about who so far among the army of lobbyists at the Capitol is his favorite, but he was happy to talk about his first bill, which would require all employers in the state to use the E-Verify worker eligibility system. He also shared his view of the proper role of government, his thoughts on transportation funding, on making government a productive partner to the energy sector, and how he sees TABOR not as an antigovernment provision but as a “pro citizen empowerment” provision.

Wist replaced state Rep. Jack Tate, who resigned his House District 37 seat to seek a vacant state Senate seat created by the resignation of Sen. David Balmer. Wist was a defense attorney for 27 years and has represented the energy industry in workplace safety cases. He was selected by the vacancy committee of the Arapahoe County Republican Party over six other candidates vying for the position.

A Western Slope native, Wist switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in the 1990s. He has said he wants to focus on limiting government spending and fighting back against government efforts to control the energy sector in Colorado.

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Rep. Cole Wist Q&A Part 1 from The Colorado Statesman on Vimeo.

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Rep. Cole Wist Q&A part 2 from The Colorado Statesman on Vimeo.

Video shot by Roxann Elliott.

— ramsey@coloradostatesman.com— roxann@coloradostatesman.com