He and his family live off the grid – way off – in a home of his own design that generates its own renewable energy. He’s a hardcore civil libertarian who earned a very favorable 83 percent rating from the emblematically left-of-center American Civil Liberties Union on its latest legislative scorecard.

The newest Boulder Democrat to take a seat in the General Assembly? Nope; it’s very conservative Republican state Sen. Kevin Lundberg, the veteran lawmaker from Berthoud.

Of course, you probably saw that one coming if you follow the legislature. After all, Lundberg has been in office since his election to the House in 2002 – six years in the House, and 10 years in the Senate. That culminated in his service the past couple of years on the powerful Joint Budget Committee – and his reputation precedes him as a member of the GOP’s right wing who nevertheless blazes his own trails.

Now term-limited in the Senate and finishing his 16th and final year on the Capitol’s second floor, Lundberg talks with us about the work he’s most proud of, the ways he breaks out of the GOP stereotype and what lies ahead for him. It’s all in today’s Q&A.

Colorado Politics: You’ve been in the General Assembly for 16 years. That’s a quite a tenure, especially in a state with term limits. Why did you first decide to run for office, and did you ever imagine at that time you’d wind up sticking around the Capitol so long?

Kevin Lundberg: I ran for office because I have three children and I want to see them have the best opportunities to live in a free and prosperous state. I never took an election for granted and consider myself blessed to have been granted 16 years in office.

CP: Critics of term limits have often pointed to the regular brain drain at the Capitol, where lawmakers are forced by the voter-enacted constitutional provision to step down just as they are starting to develop a lot of institutional knowledge. Do you think term limits are a good idea? Would you move on from the Capitol’s second floor even if there were no term limits – or would you stick around if you had the option?

Lundberg: It is hard to say when I would have moved on without term limits, but I have always supported term limits. It does move some well-qualified people out more quickly than otherwise, but overall I think it is good to bring in people with new ideas and fresh energy.

Kevin Lundberg

CP: You long have been considered a conservative’s conservative, yet, as is so often the case with lawmakers, the legislative score cards tallied over the years by the usual stakeholder groups who lobby the legislature offer a more nuanced picture. (That’s assuming VoteSmart.org got the data right.) For example, NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado gave you an “F” in its latest rating of your record – no surprise there and probably something you take as a compliment. Yet, red-meat-eating Principles of Liberty gave you only 55 percent in its latest assessment. And the ACLU rated you 83 percent – a “B” – a couple of years ago. While a lot of those ratings are typically based on a limited number of votes on may not provide an accurate picture, we do have to ask if you think you are as far right of center as some would have it. And have your views evolved over time, at least, on some issues?

Lundberg: I have not changed my values at all. I am still deeply committed to lower taxes, less government, defending life, the family and liberty. The realities of serving in leadership and being in the majority party does change how we vote on some bills. Particularly on the Joint Budget Committee, the issues with which we wrestle and our votes must have more cooperation than confrontation if we are to deliver a budget to a split legislature. I wish those factors could be factored into outside rating systems, but I know that is asking for more than an outside group can deliver.

CP: Speaking of busting stereotypes, you have lived for years in a house that’s off the grid and more or less energy-self-sufficient. That could well make you the eco-friendliest lawmaker at the Capitol – not to mention, arguably, a most unconventional Republican.

Lundberg: When I designed and built my house in the 1990s I did not know I was making a political statement, but having that commitment to new technologies and hands-on practical experience has given me a lot of insight into what works and what doesn’t work with renewables. I remain committed to see renewables compete with conventional energy sources in an open market environment. Then the best of both worlds will become a blessing to all Coloradans and the government (we the taxpayers) will not end up paying a huge subsidy bill.

CP: You are also a noted civil libertarian, which at times makes for an interesting convergence with some elements on the political left. Are Republicans rightly one part libertarian? And are there any distinctions between your own policy stances and those of the GOP platform?

Lundberg: Liberty and freedom are essential values for the Republican Party. Unfortunately, far too many get caught up in promoting bills that support the government system rather than the freedoms of the individual. I consider myself to be a Republican who is committed to the core values of the party, which is described in detail in the current GOP platform. I am also in full agreement with the principles of the Republican Study Committee of Colorado, of which I am currently the chairman.

More than passing bills I have found real progress can be made in introducing ideas that don’t always immediately turn into successful bills, but ultimately they change policies and attitudes.

CP: Of what legislative accomplishment are you most proud?

Lundberg: In terms of bills passed, after 16 years it is a long list. Probably the bills that affect people most often are the bills that allow retailers to sell deeply discounted gas and prescription drugs. More recently SB17-65 requires more transparency for medical prices, but it is just a first step in what really needs to happen to open up the market forces for medical billing.

More than passing bills, I have found real progress can be made in introducing ideas that don’t always immediately turn into successful bills, but ultimately they change policies and attitudes.

In my first several years I ran a bill to create a rainy-day fund for the state. We never got that bill passed, but the idea of a more substantial savings account for the state took hold, and my last bill in the legislature was a JBC bill that increased the state’s statutory reserve. Another bill I ran many times would create a system for educational tax credits. It has been done in other states, but not in Colorado – yet.

I have also been able to promote many good-government ideas through the RSCC: tenure reform, immigration reform, energy issues, etc. Additionally I have had a role in promoting federalism through the Article V movement, particularly as a leader in the State Legislators Article V Caucus.

As a member of the legislature there are many opportunities to have an impact on public policy and I have tried to be active at this on several levels.

CP: What if any takeaways did you glean from your run for treasurer last spring – and might you run for any other political office?

Lundberg: I have been truly blessed and honored to be an elected official in Colorado. I ran for treasurer to test the waters at that level. It didn’t work out, and I am content to pursue other directions of service to the people of Colorado. I am not planning on running for any other elected office at this time, but I have learned to never say never in the political world.