The battle lines will likely soon become clear – if they aren’t already – at the state Capitol, as the Colorado Legislature gets its feet underneath itself and moves through the hundreds of bills already introduced since the session began Jan. 11.

The main issues will be familiar in most cases: transportation, education and health care will be among the big three, and with the House in Democratic control and the Senate in Republican control, there are very likely contentious days ahead.

Democrats added three House seats after the November election and now hold a 37-28 majority. Republicans kept a one-seat Senate majority, 18-17, meaning the two sides will have to compromise to address priorities. It also means the chances of a contentious bill passing both chambers will be unlikely without serious leverage being exercised.

Conservative groups ID issues of focus

On the conservative side of the issues are groups like Americans for Prosperity-Colorado, which bills itself as the state’s leading grassroots organization. Its 2017 Legislative Agenda outlines seven priority items the organization will focus on during the session.

“Coloradans deserve more money in their bank accounts, not the state account,”said Americans for Prosperity-Colorado State Director Michael Fields in a statement. “Our 2017 legislative agenda urges state legislators to prioritize spending, end sweetheart deals, and put Colorado families and businesses first.”

Fields added that the group and its 127,000 activists will push for policy items that “put government in its place, increase efficiency, and put Coloradans – not government bureaucrats – back in the driver’s seat.”

The group’s” 7 for ’17? priorities include upholding the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights; stopping “special favors” of workforce and economic development; reforming construction defects litigation; promoting school choice; re-prioritizing budget spending to ensure core government functions – like transportation – are properly funded; protecting the energy sector and ratepayers from federal environmental mandates; and reducing regulations that hinder business development.

With a new panel of House and Senate Republican leadership that insiders argue has skewed to the right of the political spectrum, AFP will likely have more influence this session.

Another conservative group, Compass Colorado, took early issue with Gov. John Hickenlooper‘s statement in his State of the State address that he would push back against congressional efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and would ask for the specifics of a replacement plan.

“He, however, declined to mention or defend Connect for Health Colorado, Colorado’s Obamacare exchange,” said Kelly Maher, executive director of Compass Colorado, “in light of the most recent report from the Health and Human Services’ Inspector General calling for the exchange to refund the federal government almost $10 million in misspent grants.”

Maher contrasted Hickenlooper’s speech not mentioning that development with the opening day speech by Senate President Kevin Grantham, R-Canon City, which called for Colorado to repeal the state exchange altogether. Those who now use the exchange would be funneled to the national system that is used by many other states.

Maher also described Hickenlooper’s speech as having “an odd but telling ‘state’s rights'” tone.

“One has to wonder if Hickenlooper would be crowing about “state’s rights” issues if Hillary Clinton had won the presidential election,” Maher said. “If he is truly committed to bipartisanship, he would not already be setting the tone for an adversarial relationship before the new president is even sworn into office.”

Protecting the progress made to date

On the progressive side of the issues are groups like ProgressNow Colorado, which calls itself the largest online progressive advocacy group in the state. Executive Director Ian Silverii said his group will focus on protecting the progress made in recent years, in the face of renewed conservative moves to undo many of those changes.

“We want to protect the progress we’ve made in areas like abortion rights, LGBT issues, gun safety and economic fairness for all families,” Silverii told The Colorado Statesman in an interview. “We also want to resist the Trump agenda coming from Washington, especially when it comes to things like racial and religious profiling.”

Silverii pointed to a move by Republicans on the Joint Budget Committee to eliminate a line item regarding programs for families and teen pregnancy.

“Unintended pregnancies cost a lot more than the prevention costs,” he said. “You have more people on welfare and other programs that end up costing much more than it does to help keep young women from having unintended and maybe unwanted babies.”

Repealing the Taxpayers Bill of Rights will be even more difficult to do, Silverii noted, with the passage of Amendment 71 on last November’s general election ballot. The measure set tougher standards for signature gathering to place amendments on the state ballot, and established a 55 percent supermajority voter approval threshold.

“If someone were to pursue something like that, I think it would take five or more tries,” Silverii said.

In an opening day show of bipartisanship, the Senate introduced Senate Bill 45, sponsored by Grantham and Sen. Angela Williams, D-Denver, and in the House by Speaker Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, and Assistant Minority Leader Cole Wist, R-Centennial. The bipartisan bill is aimed at defusing the long-running construction defects issue and spurring construction of more condominiums, considered to be attainable, affordable housing.

But on the same day, the state Senate Republican leadership announced its agenda, including regulatory reform, repealing the state health care exchange and allowing those with concealed carry permits to complete a training program and carry a gun on school grounds.

Silverii said he hoped with a progressive majority in the House and Hickenlooper in the governor’s office for another two years, “They can draw a line in the sand and say we won’t go backwards.”

And Silverii said he was heartened by Duran’s opening day speech that promised the state would not “just roll over” and accept what Washington, D.C. wants to see done.

Silverii, a state House staff member for a decade, added Colorado has always tended to be a little more bipartisan than Washington, and hoped that would continue to be the case this year.