Democratic and Republican legislators offered sharply divergent diagnoses and solutions to Colorado’s most pressing challenges when the second regular session of the 73rd Colorado General Assembly convened on Wednesday at the state Capitol in Denver.

Marking the opening day ceremonies, leaders from both chambers delivered speeches that highlighted their common ideals -a safer community, quality education and economic relief for Colorado’s nearly 6 million residents – but also affirmed the philosophical chasm between the two parties.

And nowhere is that ideological divide more palpable than in public safety and in its dueling visions of economic relief for Coloradans.    

In the House, both Speaker Alec Garnett and House Minority Leader Hugh McKean noted rising criminality, but the Denver Democrat insisted the solution is to intervene early and often, with the overarching goal of reducing the prison population. In contrast, the Loveland Republican blamed the policies enacted by Gov. Jared Polis and his allies in the legislature, arguing they’ve made the problem worse.  

“We want to stop crime before it happens,” Garnett told his colleagues shortly after the House gaveled into session.

“We want to stop people, especially young people, from entering the system in the first place, and to provide those who do with the tools they need to turn their lives around,” he added.

McKean said Democratic policies have not helped.

“Even while making claims to be getting tough on crime, they have passed, and the governor has signed, legislation making Colorado less safe,” he said. “It is no wonder why criminals are able to get away with so much today.”

For Garnett, however, the tough-on-crime policies that sent more and more people to prisons haven’t worked.   

“We will not go back to the failed policies of the past that overpopulated our prisons, wasted taxpayer dollars, and left us with high recidivism and not nearly enough rehabilitation,” he said.

The solutions, he added, include combatting homelessness and substance abuse, working with local officials to prevent “pandemic-induced” crime, and investing in resources to break up crime rings.

The same themes echoed in the halls of the state Senate.

Senate President Leroy Garcia, D-Pueblo, vowed to also prioritize public safety, saying every Coloradan deserves a life “free from violence and discrimination.”

But Minority Leader Chris Holbert, R-Douglas County, traced the problem to elected officials’ hostile attitude toward law enforcement and policies that he said caused criminals to be “rapidly allowed back onto our streets.”

“When elected leaders are hesitant to condemn the anarchists who attacked our state Capitol, when law enforcement officers are villainized in the press by their own elected officials, and when criminals are rapidly allowed back onto our streets, what did you expect would happen?” he said.

Lawmakers face a gargantuan task – they must try, over the next 119 days, to hammer out public policy proposals that seek to confront Colorado’s biggest challenges.

Indeed, even as they injected a sense of levity – senators and representatives teased each other over which chamber is perennially late – everybody understood the gravity of the people’s business.

Senate President Leroy Garcia, D-Pueblo, noted that legislators are convening “under the shadow of a prolonged period of statewide grief” arising out of the shootings in Aurora, Denver and Lakewood, the ferocious fire in Boulder County just two weeks ago and the devastating virus that claimed the lives of more than 10,000 residents.

Lawmakers are also cognizant of the soaring energy bills that millions of Coloradans must endure this winter, not to mention the worst inflation rate hike in 40 years. 

Democrats and Republicans alike agreed that the state must confront the crisis head on. But while Democrats seek government intervention – help to individuals and families in the form of programs in health care, childcare and other areas – Republicans argue the state should extract less taxes and allow Coloradans to keep more of their income.

The dueling approaches affirm their parties’ philosophical underpinnings. In their broadest terms, Democrats often see government as a force for good, while Republicans regard it as exacerbating society’s maladies.       

Garnett, for example, listed off several programs the state should pursue – nearly $500 million for affordable housing solutions, expanding universal preschool, lowering prescription drug costs, reducing fees associated with starting a business or obtaining a professional license.

McKean, too, cited soaring prices of housing and spiking prices of commodities, notably food and gas.

But the Republican accused the Democrats – the governor, in particular – of offering lackluster help to Coloradans.

“Now, ahead of the election, he has decided to delay the very fees that he told us were critical to pass, saying that delay is saving people money even though the fee is just another tax,” McKean said. “So, instead of playing tricksy with words, let’s actually make things more affordable here in Colorado by eliminating excessive taxes and fees.”

Despite their differences, the leaders united in their grief over the devastation brought about by the Marshall fire, which tore through Louisville and Superior, forced 35,000 residents to flee and killed at least one.  

And the seriousness of the work ahead was often punctuated by displays of collegiality on the opening day of session.

After their speeches, the McKean and Garnett briefly embraced.