The 2025 legislative session saw its fair share of scandals — from accusations of misusing campaign finances, claims of online bullying, and the resignation of the House’s top Republican due to “toxicity” — and it remains to be seen whether lawmakers will behave themselves this year.

Regardless, leaders said they are committed to fostering a civil atmosphere.

House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, who is entering her final year in the House and fourth session as Speaker, immediately blamed the atmosphere following President Donald Trump’s second election to the White House.

McCluskie said the entire country has seen a new level of “vitriol and hateful rhetoric” across the political landscape since.

A particular event that sticks out to her, she said, is the death of Melissa Hortman, Minnesota’s Speaker of the House, who was murdered, along with her husband in June. Authorities believe Hortman was targeted for her political views.

“I think since that time, having had lots of conversations with many of my colleagues across the nation, everyone is seeing a rise in deep frustration from members and our constituents,” McCluskie said. “People are feeling the weight of an administration that vacillates day-to-day on policy priorities and does erratic things, and some of the attacks now directed at Colorado have been very disconcerting for the families in my district.”

The “toxic” atmosphere at the state Capitol preceded Trump’s election in 2024, and some of the resignations citing that environment happened when Joe Biden was president. Many of the fighting also occurred among Democrats in intraparty feuds that spilled over into the public square.

Notably, McCluskie reprimanded — but didn’t censure — a Democrat who who joined pro-Palestinian protesters in the gallery in 2023 and at one point called fellow lawmakers “fascist.”

McCluskie said she and Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, have had “very productive” conversations with the new Minority Leader, Jarvis Caldwell, R-Colorado Springs.

Caldwell was selected to replace former Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, who resigned in September, citing a “collapse of integrity” in the House, and specifically calling out Duran for her statements against her. Duran had pushed back on the allegations, saying she would not remain silent while Pugliese “attempts to shift blame for her resignation, distract from her own failures, and attack others to cover her inaction.”

During the special session a month prior, House Democrats sought a resolution condemning the actions of former Rep. Ryan Armagost, R-Berthoud. Armagost had taken a photo of Rep. Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins, and shared it with his Republican colleagues via the Signal app.

That led to crude jokes about her attire, and later, the photo was posted on a conservative social media account on X. Armagost later resigned from his position and moved to Arizona.

Pugliese accused Duran of “assaulting” her character in the aftermath of the incident. Duran argued Pugliese had been aware of Armagost’s behavior since April and “chose not to act” for months until the Democrats found out about it.

“The lies and hypocrisies the Majority spewed were beyond what I had ever expected, even in Colorado politics,” Pugliese said in a statement announcing her resignation. “It has been degraded, and the one word that is at the top of my mind is toxic.”

Caldwell told Colorado Politics he believes the Democrats have engaged in toxic behavior, too.

When asked about the incident involving Armagost, he accused Democratic legislators of celebrating the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk and said Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver, recently called Trump supporters “maggots.”

“In our caucus, we agree on being civil and not making things personal — focus on policy, not personality,” he said.

Republicans have also accused McCluskie and Duran of cutting off debate and censoring free speech on the floor a number of times over the years. In 2024, they said leadership gave them a list of words they weren’t allowed to use during debates on immigration.

“People get emotional at times, right?” McCluskie said. “We are talking about very important policy. Often when we get into issues of civil rights, individual members have been personally impacted, so we are trying to both create the space and the opportunity, recognizing First Amendment and free speech rights for people to speak and advocate on their own behalf and the behalf of their constituency, but doing so in a way that is respectful of other viewpoints in the room.”

Toxic behavior in the House hasn’t been limited to clashes between the parties. It also has permeated the state Capitol for years, though many agreed that it has become severe recently.

Last winter, Rep. Stephanie Luck, R-Penrose, accused her colleague, Rep. Ron Weinberg, R-Loveland, of using a master key to break into her office.

Weinberg has also been accused of sexual harassment by several women at events held before his election in 2022. Over the summer, Rep. Brandi Bradley, R-Roxborough Park, filed a campaign finance complaint against him, alleging he inappropriately used campaign funds for clothing, haircuts, and donations to sports teams.

Caldwell said he, Duran, and McCluskie have had conversations on civility and what it looks like for members of the House.

“I agree with them on being civil with one another,” he said. “However, that doesn’t mean that we won’t fight hard on issues that we vehemently disagree on.”

In 2023, two Democratic lawmakers, both at the end of their first year in the House, resigned. Both Ruby Dickson of Greenwood Village and Said Sharbini of Brighton cited the vitriol of the House chamber as part of the reason for their decision.

Last year, McCluskie reprimanded then-Rep. Elisabeth Epps, the Denver Democrat who joined pro-Palestinian protesters and called her colleagues “fascist.” McCluskie wrote that it is both the number and severity of the transgressions that prompted the reprimand. She also removed Epps from the House Judiciary Committee last month.

Epps and Tim Hernandez, another legislator who had joined pro-Palestinian protests outside the state Capitol, both lost their primary elections in 2024.