The Speaker will officially sign off at the end of this year. By “Speaker,” I’m referring to Rep. Alec Garnett. For the past two years as the Speaker of the Colorado House, few called him Rep. Garnett, Alec, or anything else. I’m guessing that even at home when his wife or kids may have wished to get his attention, they may have called out, “Hey, Mr. Speaker.”

Early on some may have underestimated him because of his youthful appearance and nice guy nature. Behind that youthful countenance and outgoing personality though there was a skilled political tactician and talented leader. He was like a chess master who saw 30 moves ahead on the board.

To say the last two years were challenging ones for anyone in government, would be an understatement. No one foresaw the COVID crisis and the problems that arose from it. The pandemic represented uncharted waters which required a rethinking of not only how to conduct the Legislature’s business, but also what measures and actions to be considered. Suddenly many measures that had been viewed as critical were deferred. Instead, attention needed to be focused on actions to combat COVID and protect the public, as well as measures to help the state’s economy and businesses, that were crippled during COVID, recover.

At the same time, while Garnett expected to face opposition from those in the minority party, he also encountered schisms within in his own party between progressives and more moderate Democrats, making it even more difficult to build consensus on policy and legislation. Despite these challenges, Garnett did a good job of keeping the Colorado House functioning during this difficult period and moving some important measures forward.

The Speaker position is not supposed to be full time, but the reality is there’s very little about the job which is “part time.” While the Legislature is in session for 120 days out of the year, the work of the Speaker continues throughout the year. As Speaker, the demands and draws upon your time are substantial. And in today’s environment where people can reach you via cell phone, text, email and social media, it is difficult to ever fully get away from the job.

Like other state representatives, the Speaker is paid $35,000 each year.  When one includes all of the time in and outside of the legislative session, plus evenings and weekends throughout the year, the hourly pay works out to be less than minimum wage. Not much, for a job that’s extremely stressful and one that may take a toll on one’s personal life and family.

Garnett stressed when he became Speaker in 2021 that he sought to bring back civility in the House and encourage greater bipartisanship. In his opening day speech last year, he specifically focused on those matters and stated that the Colorado House has “a long and rich tradition of honoring our democratic principles through cooperation and decorum. We may have our differences, but when we disagree, we do so respectfully in the House chambers, in our committee rooms and anytime state business is being done.”

Though many have spoken of improving civility in government, Garnett “walked the talk” and led by example.  If he wanted others to be more civil, this meant that he needed to be a model of that behavior. He shied away from publicly criticizing others despite the fact that others may have cast barbs at him in the press. Instead he responded privately to them. He realized that more harm than benefit could be gained by publicly jousting and embarrassing others in the press.

While having a significant majority in the House where he could have passed or killed any measure without engaging the Republican minority, instead he made a point of seeking out their views on a number of matters and a bipartisan approach. Toward encouraging a greater spirit of bipartisanship, Garnett even made the unheard of decision in 2021 of appointing a Republican as vice chairperson of a committee rather than members of his own party.

Notably during his term as Speaker, Garnett made a point of listening to “real people” rather than only paid lobbyists on matters. He was respectful of the public and particularly those individuals, who took time off from their jobs, to testify on a measure of importance to them. He never forgot who he truly served, which was the general public and the state. Also, while he may not have agreed with someone on a bill, he was always willing to listen and try to understand their position. He was a straight shooter and would tell you when he disagreed with you and why. He also was one of those rare leaders who rarely took credit for key legislation or actions but rather allowed others the limelight.

I admit that I did not always agree with the Speaker on issues and even opposed some bills that he brought forward. I did though always appreciate his commitment to our state and our people and how he conducted the job as Speaker. I also appreciate his efforts in seeking to bring civility back into our political process and institutions.

Hopefully this will not be the last that we hear from Alec Garnett. We need more people in elected office like him. Someone who truly cares, listens and seeks the best for our state.

Greg Fulton is the president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, which represents more than 650 companies directly involved in or affiliated with trucking in Colorado today.