From a party discipline standpoint, this year’s House chamber proceeded as in the recent past. Democrats stuck together and Republicans didn’t. This result is no secret. Since Republicans lost both chambers and the governor’s office, the party has split in two on many issues. Democrats only split in two on two issues.

This year’s most remarkable voting record comes from Republican Ron Hanks, HD-60 that covers Park and Fremont Counties. He lives in Canon City. The district, previously served by moderate Republican Jim Wilson, is 19.6% Dem, 39% GOP, and 39.7% Unaffiliated (UAF). Hanks, a reserve officer for 32 years in the United States Air Force, missed 91 final votes out of a possible 523. He missed 57 committee votes and 31 Appropriations votes. The military might find him MIA with that record. He voted YES on 129 bills and NO on 303.

Hanks has the top line in the GOP Senate primary to select a candidate against U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. He attended the protest at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 and has been associated with various theories claiming former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election. GOP competitors and Sen. Bennet may want to bring to voters’ attention that Hanks has missed almost twice as many final votes as any other legislator without medical reasons.

Six other legislators missed thirty or more final votes, including Speaker of the House Alec Garnett (32), Rod Pelton-R (30), Kim Ransom-R (35), Dafna Michaelson Jenet-D (41), Matt Gray-D (47), and Steven Woodrow-D, who had a medical emergency (71).

Speaker Garnett and Majority Leader Daneya Esgar mostly held the House Democratic caucus together. Out of 523 possible YES votes on final third reading bills, twenty Democratic House members voted YES 510 times or more. Five members voted YES at least 520 times. Only two Democrats voted NO more than twenty times: Dylan Roberts-HD26 at 32 NOs and Adrienne Benevidez-HD32 at 27 NOs.

Two issues divided Democrats: education and privatization policy and fentanyl legislation. No bill had a closer vote in the House than SB-197 on Innovation School Zones and Alternative Governance. It came in at 33 YES and 32 NO. The arguments have to do with who runs public schools: elected school board members or un-elected innovation zone boards.

The broader issue has to do with what institutions create, sustain and provide oversight on public school education policies and budgets. Four Republicans joined 28 Democrats in voting to retain oversight with elected school boards. Twelve Democrats joined 21 Republicans on the YES side to enable unelected boards to engage in arbitration to resolve differences with elected school boards.

HB-1326, Fentanyl Accountability and Prevention, didn’t have such a close vote, but according to House members, it created angst for many Democratic members. The final House vote was 42 YES and 22 NO, with Democrats and a majority of Republicans voting against the bill for opposite reasons. Democrats voted NO finding the bill too punitive and Republicans voted NO finding the bill insufficiently punitive.

As is typical since Gov. Jared Polis was elected, Republicans voted without consistency. Ten Republicans found the mostly Dem agenda so offensive that they voted NO more than half the time. Shane Sandridge, HD-14, takes the medal for the most disgruntled Republican at 384 NO votes. Patrick Neville, former Minority Leader, takes second place at 379 NO votes.

In contrast, seven Republicans voted YES on bills more than 300 times, with Perry Will, HD-57, at 327 YES votes and Colin Larson, HD-22, at 326 YES votes. Others include Michael Lynch, HD-49, at 318 YES, Richard Holtorf, HD-64, at 314 YES, Janice Rich, HD-55, and Mary Bradfield, HD-21, at 307 YES, and Tonya Van Beber, HD-48, at 301 YES. Minority Leader Hugh McKean, HD-51, lands in the middle at 290 YES votes.

This is the last session with these districts. The 2022 November election tosses the districts into a new hopper, scrambling races and forcing legislators to choose chambers and districts to run in. Even so, voters may want to keep in mind who showed up in 2022 and who didn’t. Twenty legislators never missed a final third reading vote. Karen McCormick-D, HD-11, had perfect attendance. She never missed a committee or final vote. Hoorah.

Paula Noonan owns Colorado Capitol Watch, the state’s premier legislature tracking platform.