Lawmakers could return to the Capitol in May

Colorado lawmakers are hopeful that they will be back at the Capitol as early as May, but they caution that it will depend on the advice of experts and whether the state’s state-at-home order is still in place.

“We’re not driving this,” said Senate President Leroy Garcia, DPueblo. “This is being driven by a disease process we don’t yet have our hands around.”

That means balancing the public’s health and safety with ensuring an essential part of democracy is preserved, he said.

The state constitution mandates that the Colorado budget be finalized by June 30, and school districts need funding through the School Finance Act to be finalized by June 1 so they can create their own budgets.

Both chambers’ leaders plan to meet Wednesday afternoon at the Capitol to discuss plans, including remote testimony options. Staff members previously informed leaders that they did not have the setup to conduct all operations remotely, but lawmakers told The Denver Post on Tuesday that they’re open to alternate plans as they relate to the Joint Budget Committee — which does not take public testimony — if that ends up being the best solution.

Now that the state Supreme Court has decided that the legislature can continue its 120-day session past its initial May 6 end date, Senate Minority Leader Chris Holbert said lawmakers will have to decide exactly how to count those days and determine how many are left.

Those discussions, the Parker Republican said, may be frustrating to Coloradans who are just hoping to get back to some semblance of normalcy and recover from the pandemic, but because the General Assembly operates on a specific timeline, making that clear is necessary. Then, lawmakers will be able focus on priorities and how to move forward.

Holbert said some members of his caucus are eager to get back in session to do the people’s work, and while he respects that, he said it’s also important to respect the governor’s stay-at-home order and advice of public health experts.

That’s why House Speaker KC Becker wanted to have a public discussion Wednesday about the possibilities moving forward. Members of the public will be able to listen in through the General Assembly’s website.

“We just have to be flexible about timing and about schedule and what we can get done,” said Becker, DBoulder. “If COVID is still really bad in mid-May, we’re going to have a much more limited time in the Capitol.”