If the first few weeks is any indicator of how the session will go, TRANSPARENCY will be a casualty of the 2022 session. Not only did my bill requiring the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care to present to the legislature as do other state offices die on a party-line vote. But Senator Sonnenberg’s bill allowing – allowing not requiring – hospitals to provide the cost of treatment prior to the procedure met the same fate.

They don’t call it the kill committee for nothing.

We are hearing more bills in committee now which is the second step in a bill becoming a law (or the end of the line for some as noted above). We also are holding hearings on appointments the Governor made during the interim and there are dozens of those. These confirmation hearings are the sole purview of the Senate but tend to be a bit of a formality. A few years back the Senate chose not to confirm an appointee and the courts found a legal workaround for the Governor. Nonetheless, when appointees are considered on the floor “no” votes are common if we believe the appointee is not qualified or appointed strictly on a political basis. 

I have a few bills that are based on pretty simple concepts but are proving hard to implement due to some minor obstacles like water law, federal regulations and in one case very complicated Colorado law. I have confidence we will eventually get good language to present in committee. That’s when the real work begins.

You may have heard the Senate President, Leroy Garcia from Pueblo, is resigning on February 23^rd to take a job in the Pentagon. His replacement as the Senator from District 3 will be chosen by members of his party in Pueblo. His replacement as Senate President will be chosen by the majority party in a separate vote. There is the theoretical possibility that the Democrats would not be able to agree on a new president and the minority party would have a say in the matter – but don’t bet on it, your odds are much better in Las Vegas.

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