For the first time since most of the nation decided to honor
civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with a national holiday,
the Colorado Senate has voted to observe the day and not convene
Monday.
But for the state’s House of Representatives, it will be
business as usual in its chamber. It has opted to stay in session
that day.
The Democrats hold the a majority in the state senate, and the
Republicans rule the lower house.
Enough said.
This minor but vacuous disagreement, obviously split down party
and ideological lines, probably is an indicator of what Colorado
residents can anticipate during the state’s nascent 2002
legislative session.
It portends what we fear will be a full year of nothing of any
significance being agreed upon by our elected solons. Even though
the same issues are on the legislative front burner as in recent
years – growth, highways, reapportionment, health care, affordable
housing and other leftover problems – voters can gird their loins
for more partisan bickering, name calling and nothing substantial
being accomplished by our elected officials of both
parties.
The principal reasons for this pessimism are crystal clear. The
economy once again is an issue. We find ourselves in a recession.
The recent halcyon days of budget surpluses have ended. Therefore,
both parties will try to assess blame across the aisle and finesse
an advantage during 2002, an election year. Unlike the national
political scene, where at least on the surface bipartisanship seems
to top the executive and legislative menu, Coloradans can
anticipate a divisive year in both the statehouse and the
Governor’s Mansion.
The ground rules, subtle as they are, already have been
established at the Colorado Capitol.
Although it’s too early to tell which political party will go
into November’s election with an edge, we all can recall the famous
lines uttered by legendary actress Bette Davis in the 1940s film
“Three Faces of Eve”:
“Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride!”