At the start of the legislative session, in my inaugural column, I said, “There’s a good chance the split legislature could actually come together this year.”

A week later, I said, “Hope springs eternal but optimism dies young.”

We’re now halfway through the legislative session, so here’s your update: I have no idea, and I don’t think the legislature knows either.

There’s some cause for optimism that lawmakers will succeed on the two major agenda items for the year: transportation funding and construction defect litigation reform. But they have a LONG way to go with 54 out of 120 days left.

Here’s the good news: Legislative leaders did what they promised and introduced a transportation funding package. It’s actually pretty impressive.

The bill – sponsored by House Speaker Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, and Senate President Kevin Grantham, R-Canon City, would raise the sales tax 0.62 percent to generate about $677 million per year for transportation projects.

The bill would also reduce state vehicle registration fees – that’s the GOP compromise part of the bill – and allow for $3.5 billion in bonding.

Grantham really put himself out there. Fellow Republicans and conservative groups have been targeting him, saying he gave too much to Duran and abandoned a revenue neutral approach.

But kudos should be offered to Grantham. He steered clear of partisan attacks while crafting the bill and has shown great strength in standing up to conservative interests for the greater good of allowing negotiations to continue.

Will the bill pass? Probably not. Will an amended bill pass? No idea. Or a tax-free supplement to the bill? Jeez … I don’t have a crystal ball.

But it’s a good sign that legislative leaders are taking a stand by putting something out there, which allows conversations to continue publicly, while possibly coming up with a sound solution.

Construction defects, that’s another story.

Duran this week raised eyebrows when she assigned the centerpiece construction defects bill of the session to a so-called “kill committee,” which the majority party uses to end unfavorable legislation. She upset developers, local elected officials and the business community.

The bill addresses arbitration and mediation. Developers say it is the only bill out there that would really get them to build condos and townhouses. The demise of the bill would not offer a positive sign that meaningful reform is going to happen this year.

That said, with that bill out of the way, it opens the door for another bipartisan effort that is being crafted. That effort hopes to address informed consent, as well as require a majority vote of a homeowners association before filing suit.

Cue “Dumb and Dumber.”

But the bill would look similar to a measure that already died in the legislature, which also addressed a majority vote and informed consent. Homeowners supported that bill because it would have continued to allow for litigation.

Legislative leaders hold out hope for a bipartisan measure that aims at equitably dividing litigation defense costs, with the potential to lower insurance rates. But would that bill bring meaningful reform? Developers and their allies say no.

Another more partisan defect bill died in the legislature this session. And a separate effort at defining “construction defect” in state law remains alive, but is strongly opposed by homeowners.

So, is there a good chance the split legislature can actually come together? Let’s turn back to “Dumb and Dumber.”

LLOYD: What are my chances?

MARY: Not good.

(awkward pause)

LLOYD: You mean not good, like one out of a hundred?

MARY: I’d say more like one out of a million.