The legislature convened this week with the usual pomp and circumstance and calls for bipartisanship.

We know. We see your eyes rolling into the back of your head.

The thing is, there’s a good chance the split legislature could actually come together this year. And for a bitter, jaded journalist such as myself to say such a thing – well, take it as you will.

You see, the election is out of the way. Yes, much of the anger and frustration has carried over. But the posturing in the legislature won’t be nearly as heightened as it was last year. And we’ve got two years before the mid-term elections, which will of course be a referendum on Donald Trump’s presidency and the Republican-controlled Congress.

That means that lawmakers have 120 days to get ‘er done. Actually, the clock is ticking – they have 117 days.

Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, mentioned it in his State of the State address on Thursday, acknowledging the polarizing election but calling for healing in an effort to inspire lawmakers to work together.

The governor has two years left in his second term. Coming up with funding for transportation and education, easing the state’s constitutional “fiscal thicket” and spurring housing development could be the icing on his legacy cake. Now he just needs the legislature to act.

Some “Dog House Democrats” – like Rep. Joe Salazar of Thornton – will introduce measures around Trump’s presidency, highlighting fears over Muslim profiling and hate crimes, which controlling Senate Republicans are sure to quickly segregate into a kill committee.

Republicans have also proposed eliminating the state’s health insurance exchange, as well as perennial bills on rolling back gun control and prohibiting abortion, to name a few efforts that Democrats will likely shoot down with their own high-capacity political ammunition in the House.

But the centerpiece issues will focus on budget woes and housing development.

So, am I crazy for thinking that Democrats and Republicans are capable of coming together to ask voters for money for crumbling roads and highways?

Am I just a total lunatic for thinking that they can advance construction defects reform in an effort to build more condos and townhouses?

The effort has failed for years because homeowners associations and builders simply couldn’t agree. The fight last year became so tense between the two groups that lawmakers completely scrapped plans to introduce any legislation.

Well, I’m going on record. I think the legislature can do it.

Both Republican Senate President Kevin Grantham and Democratic House Speaker Crisanta Duran pointed to defects reform in their opening day speeches. The two legislative leaders are even sponsoring a bill together that would address the insurance component of the effort by allowing insurers to go to court to divide costs equitably among liability insurers that are required to defend a defect claim.

The measure could reduce the costs of fighting expensive lawsuits, which might spur more development. But it won’t fix the entire problem. It might not work at all, actually. But if they get it done, lawmakers can at least say they tried by passing a bill. That’s something they haven’t been able to say in the past.

And so what about funding? Democrats are controlled by crazy “tax-and-spend” liberals, according to Republicans. And Republicans have no actual solutions for how to fund infrastructure and services, since all they want to do is cut, cut, cut, according to Democrats.

So, how could these two parties possibly come together on a funding proposal, especially if they have to ask voters for a tax increase?

The answer is simple – they have to.

Voters don’t care about partisan fights when it comes to, you know, being able to drive from one destination to the next, or blowing out a tire because of a hole in the road. As the governor said, “Voters are tired of us kicking the can down the road, because they know it’s going to land in a pothole. If talk could fill potholes, we’d have the best roads in the country.”

In terms of where the rubber meets the road, ideas include a sales or gas tax increase, bonding or some other tax question that would have to be referred to voters.

When it comes to tax questions, Colorado Republicans shudder. But this year they’re actually open to sending a question to voters – with a few caveats. Democrats must look for efficiencies, allocate existing resources, and work with Republicans to reprioritize current funding and reduce or eliminate outdated existing taxes.

Duran has said that all options are on the table, so we’ll see just how serious she is about that. But feeling the pressure to reach a compromise on transportation funding, it’s possible that Democrats might be more willing this year to work with Republicans than they have been in the past.

We at ColoradoPolitics.com will be following all the twists and turns on this long, strange trip, so stay with us. Let’s hope the trip is short.