As the 2024 state legislative session gets underway on Jan. 10, Senate President Steve Fenberg gears up for some tough decisions. In particular, analysts expect the budget to be tight, while the state’s challenges, notably housing, have grown.

The Democratic leader also talks about the need to build more “authentic relationships” among Senate lawmakers, adding he will work with the minority party leadership to ensure adequate time for debate, while stressing that being heard won’t necessarily translate into actual policy.

Colorado Politics: What are your top policy priorities for the 2024 session?

Senate President Steve Fenberg: To cut to the chase, my top priorities for 2024 are more housing, more education funding, and more transportation options.

More specifically: Top of mind is addressing the affordability crisis that is making our state so expensive. That work will take a number of forms and span across issue areas, but one focus, in particular, will be our work to bring down the cost of housing so that more of our neighbors can afford to live in the communities they work. We’re also excited to build off recent advances in federal funding that will enable us to finally create a truly statewide transit system that has modern front-range rail as the backbone.

Last, one of our top goals this session is to fully fund K-12 education by paying off the budget stabilization factor once and for all and ensuring our schools and teachers have the resources they need to thrive.

CP: How will the 2024 election affect your chamber?

Fenberg: My sincere hope is that the 2024 election won’t impact the Senate all that much. We will continue to be focused on the job we were elected to do in the last election. We’ve all been elected by the communities we represent to represent their interests, and we will work to keep the campaign trail separate from the Capitol.

CP: How would you like this session to be different than 2023?

Fenberg: Although we had several momentous accomplishments last session when it comes to preventing gun violence, reducing the costs of health care, combating climate change, and many other areas, there’s always going to be more work to do. However, my hope for this coming session is for all members to spend more time building authentic relationships with each other and spend less time on social media. I sincerely believe better policy outcomes occur when we talk and deliberate more rather than demonizing those who disagree with us on Twitter.

CP: Given the tight budget, what are your expectations in areas such as housing and education?

Fenberg: Colorado’s economy is continuing to grow at a steady pace, but after a few years of pandemic-era federal spending, we are now entering a more normal – and restrained – fiscal period, which means we need to be more cautious and responsible while crafting a budget that meets our state’s needs. Luckily, the JBC has done a remarkable job of budgeting, which means we are still on track to achieve significant priorities, including, most notably, finally eliminating the budget stabilization factor for good this session and fully funding our public schools for the first time in over a decade.

CP: What do you think will be the toughest challenges this session?

President Fenberg: The toughest challenge will be the one mentioned previously. Our state’s budget will be much tighter this session than it has been during previous years – thanks largely to the unwinding of pandemic-era federal stimulus funding. We’ll need to think creatively and budget responsibly to continue delivering results that position our state well for the future and build a stronger, safer, and healthier Colorado for us all.

CP: What guarantee are you giving Republicans that they will be heard this year – and what does that guarantee look like?

President Fenberg: The legislative process provides many opportunities to ensure majority and minority opinions are heard, opportunities that our Republican colleagues utilize every day throughout the session, and which are guaranteed both by our Colorado Constitution and by Senate Rules.

It’s important to note that “being heard” does not guarantee that what Republicans say will translate into their preferred policy outcomes. We work closely with minority leadership to ensure adequate time for debate is given to every topic we consider and will continue creating an atmosphere that encourages healthy debate throughout the legislative process.

I’m proud of how our chamber has operated in the last few years and hope to continue and improve bipartisan relations in 2024.