As this year’s legislative session approaches, Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen looked back at 2023, insisting that Democratic leadership failed Coloradans and warning what could happen if the folks across the political aisle secure a supermajority advantage following the 2024 elections. 

The District 9 Republican also outlined his top priorities for the session that begins Jan. 10, notably education spending while slowing down the Democratic agenda.

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

Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen: The people of Colorado are crying out for relief. Under careless Democrat leadership, the cost of living, the cost of housing, and the cost of doing business has skyrocketed, while key quality-of-life measures like safe neighborhoods have plummeted. In the 2024 legislative session, the Colorado Senate Republicans pledge to be the driving force to focus the legislative session on honest and tangible relief for the people of Colorado. 

CP: How will the 2024 election affect your chamber?

Lundeen: Last legislative session, the Senate Republican Caucus was successful in amending several of the Democrats’ most harmful bills to blunt the damaging impact they have on Colorado’s small businesses and families. As we fight for relief for the people of Colorado, we will also make sure Coloradans’ see that Democrats are driving the too-extreme runaway train that is hurting the people.

If – and it’s a big “if” because Senate Republicans will fight tooth and nail to prevent it – Democrats in Colorado gain a supermajority in both chambers, the consequences will be devastating for the people of Colorado. Under a supermajority, Democrats will make things even more burdensome for the people of Colorado. In the legislative chambers, they will be able to limit debate on policy discussions and force votes without adequate consideration. That is a disastrous construct for serious policymaking. 

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

Lundeen: We will call on our Democrat colleagues to put aside their partisan political games and seriously consider the needs of the people of Colorado. Good policy requires all perspectives to be considered, and all affected people have a seat at the table. The pattern of using raw political power to ram Democrat agenda items through the legislature in the last several days must stop. The people of Colorado saw last session’s fake property tax relief ploy (SB303 and Proposition HH) for what it was. That kind of abuse of political power must not be repeated.

CP: Given the tight budget, what are your expectations for housing and education?

Lundeen: Education must be a priority when it comes to state spending. The pattern of funding Democrat political pet projects, some new, some cutting back in line before school children, must be reversed. We should pass the school finance act first, then see if there is money available to stoke the furnace of the runaway extreme Democrat agenda, not the other way around.

Affordable housing is fundamentally bound up with the need to reform Colorado’s construction defects laws that promote litigation, which has choked to a trickle the building of for sale multi-family housing in the state. The solution to affordable housing requires hundreds of billions of dollars of investment, which today are flowing into homes in other states. Initiatives (like Proposition 123) and public policy responses address less than 1% of the problem. Inviting investment back to Colorado is the only way to address the other 99% of the problem.   

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

Lundeen: The toughest challenge this session will be the same as it has been the past several sessions. The runaway Democrat agenda. It keeps accelerating based on the false belief that government can solve all challenges. Democrats have piled regulation after regulation on the small businesses and people of Colorado. The weight of those regulations, related taxes, and loss of personal freedom and choice are driving businesses out of the state and people into financial despair. Coloradans need relief, not more government regulation.

CP: Under what conditions will you resort to slow-down tactics?

Lundeen: We were sent here by our constituents to be their voice under the Gold Dome. The Colorado Senate Republicans will ensure that the concerns of all Coloradans are being voiced-and heard. Time isn’t the matter, hearing and seeing the people of Colorado is the matter.