The people of Colorado are crying out for relief:

Relief from burdensome taxes.

Relief from overwhelming regulations choking small businesses and chasing big employers out of the state.

Relief from a growing reality that state government is telling people how to live and what to believe.

Since the Democrats took complete control several years ago, Coloradans have felt the pain of careless policies that have grown the size of our state government and shrunk the prosperity and vitality of our communities. As Coloradans slog through this landscape of escalating costs and growing insecurities, it is evident immediate and meaningful relief is long overdue. In the 2024 legislative session, the Colorado Senate Republicans pledge to be the driving force that delivers honest and tangible relief to the people of Colorado.

With the 2024 session, the Senate Republican caucus will evaluate every legislative proposal, policy and idea brought by the agenda-controlling, big-government Democrats to see if it has any possible merit. We will find ways to build relief for the people of Colorado into reasonable ideas, and do everything we can to kill the worst ideas – because the best relief for the people is to not add more bad policies to the lawbooks. We will fight to amend, or kill, policies that escalate the cost of living, drive businesses away, increase property taxes and make our communities less safe. We will fight for relief for Coloradans.

Also read: What we Democrats in the state Senate will prioritize in 2024 | OPINION

Since taking complete control of the state government, the cost of living in this state has soared to astronomical highs. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the inflated cost of food last year was the highest it has been since 1979. The cost of cooking a chicken dinner in this state, for example, has increased by 40% since 2018. Affordable housing in this state is becoming increasingly difficult to come by. For many young Coloradans, the prospect of owning a home is becoming less realistic by the day. Thanks to bureaucratic red tape strangling businesses, family-owned stores and restaurants once cherished by the community are closing their doors, and national businesses are increasingly hesitant to operate here.

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Under Democrat control, Colorado’s rank among the states on key quality-of-life measures has plummeted. Today we are 38th of 50 in cost of doing business. The small businesses of Colorado are being driven out of business. Colorado is now 41st of 50 in general cost of living. Only nine states rank worse than us at cost of living. And a major contributor to that problem is the cost of housing in Colorado. We are 46th out of 50 in affordable housing.

The common response our Democrat colleagues often propose when facing issues like the cost of housing is to expand government. Coloradans need relief from government burdens, not more government.

Since 2019, state government has grown by 33 new state departments and state offices costing the Colorado taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Repeatedly, Gov. Jared Polis and the Democrats have claimed these offices will be of benefit to Coloradans. Yet businesses continue to close, and Colorado families continue to suffer.

This legislative session, as the Democrat majority seeks to grow government, the Senate Republican caucus will fight to provide Coloradans relief from burdensome government. Republicans will do that by offering proactive legislation to promote the construction of more affordable homes. We will do that by offering proactive legislation to pay teachers more and provide greater choices for parents seeking the best education for their children. We will do that by offering proactive legislation to make our streets and communities more safe.

We will also seek to amend or kill bills that will burden Coloradans with more expensive and burdensome government regulations. We will seek to amend or kill bills that would intrude into Coloradans’ lives and pocketbooks. 

This session, with every breath, the Senate Republican caucus will work to provide relief to the people of Colorado.

Paul Lundeen, a Monument Republican, represents District 9 in the Colorado state Senate as minority leader.