So, since my very first column back in 2017 was all about my 2008 run for congress as a Democrat in the heavily Republican 5th district of Colorado, and since I had a few things to say about a guy named Trump (Ed: a few?!), I’m guessing that it isn’t too much of a surprise to know that I am a Democrat.

Heck, I was once the chair of the Dem party here in El Paso County. I had the honor of working for one of our nations very best senators, Michael Bennet, for four years, and he too is a proud Democrat. Double heck, my very first political involvement was helping pass out “LBJ for President” bumper stickers with my big sister back in 1964 when I was a lad of six.

I’m proud to be a Democrat, and when I’m occasionally asked why I identify as one, I will usually say it requires far less hypocrisy to be a Dem than a Republican. Not zero, I’m afraid, but lots less. Dems have brought us a minimum wage, job safety, a 40-hour work week, Social Security, Medicare, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, fair housing laws, and child-labor laws.

I could go on, but I’m quite proud to belong to the party that was on the right side of history on many issues. Unlike, say a certain Lauren Boebert who just voted against a bill to help veterans suffering from burn-pit exposure, after booing a State of the Union address when the President was talking about his dead son. Stating that she is classless is not exactly breaking news.

Yes, I’m very proud to be a Democrat. Our party is not without flaw and fallibility, but overall, our great nation is better off for having had Dems running things lots of the time.

Which, of course, brings me to Republican State Rep. Terri Carver, who is doing some really good things…

A recent Colorado Politics story highlighted a really good thing that Carver is doing. I’ve written before about how most legislative work, at the national or state level, tends to fly under the media radar and not get lots of attention. That type of work is often surprisingly bipartisan and should get more attention, but headlines like “Dems and GOP agree to do a good thing” are not as exciting as when our elected are fighting.

Carver, it seems, has been working on a bill for several years designed to address thefts, from porch pirates to massive break-ins and smash and grabs. The legislation she is working to advance, with a Democratic cosponsor, seeks to address where such stolen goods often end up.

In the old days (and by that I mean most of my lifetime) thieves would try to get rid of their stolen items via pawn shops or other nefarious markets. But in today’s world, the crooks have taken to Ebay and Facebook marketplaces to sell their stolen wares. Caver’s bill would compel third-party sellers to provide identifying information to the marketplace and to the person buying. This rule would not apply to folks selling an item or two after cleaning the garage, but only to those who sell more than $20,000 or more each year.

Interestingly, and in keeping with my posturing above, Carver’s bill passed the house by an overwhelming majority of 60-3. Guess which party the three folks who voted no are from? Yup, GOPers who worry that this is government overreach, I guess. Sigh…

It appears the bill, HB22-1099, is on the way to Gov. Jared Polis’s desk soon, and that is a good thing. And if I take off my rabidly partisan hat for a moment and put my old Air Force Academy political science professor’s hat, I am happy to highlight this good work by this clearly dedicated public servant. I suspect we agree on little in terms of the larger political issues, but it is nice to see there is a GOPer out there who isn’t looking for TV cameras but is just working hard on behalf of her constituents. In that way, Carver appears similar to my old super-hardworking boss Senator Bennet, though in today’s hyper-partisan times, she might resent the suggestion.

I used to teach my cadets at USAFA that most governance happens out of sight and with more cooperation than you might think. Nationally, that notion appears to be getting more and more false, as the GOPers – especially McConnell – vow to object to any bill that President Biden likes, as they did under Obama. But I’m pleased to see that at least here in Colorado and at least at this moment, there is at least some members of our legislature dedicated to bipartisan and beneficial cooperation.

I’m not likely to say nice things about too many GOPers these days, but nice job on 1099, Rep Carver. Keep up the good work.

Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.