Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate gave themselves a hearty pat on the back for passing the eight bill in the COVID-19 relief package during the just-concluded special session.

“I applaud the General Assembly for doing so much, so quickly to help Coloradans get through the very challenging winter.” This session wasn’t the easiest to handle, operationally, the governor said, but being able to get through it and to be “immensely productive speaks to the strong character and abilities” of the lawmakers elected on both sides of the aisle, Polis said. 

But Polis is still looking, as are lawmakers, to Congress for relief that will make a bigger dent in the hardships faced by Coloradans.

Senate President Leroy Garcia, a Pueblo Democrat, also was on hand to congratulate his chamber on the work of the last three days. “We set a certain goal and came together as an entire body in the Senate. “There’s still more work to be done,” Garcia said. What was accomplished won’t solve all the challenges coming in the months ahead, but it serves as a reminder of the important work that can be done when people work together. Garcia noted that all of the bills passed with bipartisan support, even the two bills that weren’t specifically mentioned in Polis’ special session call.

“We have much to learn” from this experience, Garcia added.

The ten bills headed to Polis will be signed in a special way, the governor explained. He will take the bills, handed over in an envelope, sign them, and then spray them with disinfectant before returning them to the state patrol trooper who brings them to his home. Polis continues to quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19. He said Wednesday that he believes he’s through the worst of it. For a couple of days, he said he didn’t feel like going out or doing much, was hoarse and a little sleep-deprived. Now, he said, he’s raring to go. 

Speaker of the House KC Becker of Boulder, who is term-limited, said she didn’t expect to have a few more days in the speaker’s chair. But “we wanted to do what is right for Colorado,” to pass aid for small businesses and people. 

Speaker-elect Alec Garnett of Denver said the three days had been “overwhelmingly bipartisan. It’s an example of what Coloradans expect from legislative leadership.” That comes despite some tensions between the two parties, especially in the House, when a small contingency of House Republicans tried without success to amend some of the bills at hand and other mischief. 

On the latter, Polis was asked what he thought about Rep. Dave Williams’ call for civil disobedience. “We’ve come to the point where we’re beginning to see the bubbling of ‘soft tyranny,'” Williams said, during debate Wednesday on Senate Bill 1, the direct aid package for small business.

Polis replied that every Coloradan has a responsibility to follow and honor the law. “We are a nation of laws…we also have a responsibility to follow the law, and Rep. Williams knows that.”

Polis also responded to a question on his opposition to a $3 million adder to Senate Bill 1 to help ag and farm shows, including the National Western Stock Show. While the addition passed the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously on Monday, Polis’ legislative director worked the floor to get it stripped from the bill. State Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, a Sterling Republican, sponsored that amendment, pointing out that at $3 million, it was just 1% of the stimulus package. 

Polis claimed “budgetary constraints” were part of the reason for his opposition. “It had to be something the state could afford.,” but he also said he is open to more work on a second phase of the stimulus, including aid for agriculture. 

Majority Leader Steve Fenberg of Boulder claimed that the amendment was a last-minute idea from Sonnenberg with a randomly-chosen dollar amount. Fenberg also said that ag events can already apply for aid under Senate Bill 1, under the provision that allows cultural organizations to apply for assistance. 

Becker added that there is a lot of interest on both sides of the aisle in doing something for agriculture, and that it’s mostly “a question of the right way to do it and the right amount.” She also noted the Stock Show is the beneficiary of a state-paid certificate of participation, although that’s for construction, not to help retain employees or cover other costs. 

National Western spokesman Paul Andrews told Colorado Politics that the January event brings in 90% of their annual revenues, and the $3 million would have allowed them to keep employees on the payroll. The Stock Show has already laid off 60% of its workers and implemented pay cuts for senior staff. The National Western complex has also lost revenue from events it would have hosted from March to the present day, Andrew said. 

Another concern is just how far the stimulus money approved in this week’s session will go. Garnett said that if there’s more need than dollars, the response will have to come from Congress and the federal government. “There’s not one of us who doesn’t want to do more,” said Garcia. “You have my commitment” and from his members to do the kind of work that was demonstrated over the last three days, he said.