Perspective: It is time for the Colorado General Assembly to return to work
The Legislature is literally Missing in Action. And the consequences are quite serious.
Part of the genius of the American system of government is the unique role of the legislative branch — the citizen-legislature — to serve not only as the exclusive law-making arm of government, but to act as a check and balance to the executive branch. This is an even more critical function during times of unprecedented crisis.
And yet, when it is more important than ever in living memory for Colorado’s legislators to be performing their duty for the people of the state, they are nowhere to be found.
While legislators hunker down at home, the people of Colorado are suffering from our inaction. Here are just a few of the serious problems that are festering as a result of the legislature’s absence:
• The legislative branch has ceded all power to the governor. He can issue whatever orders and edicts he likes, for as long as he likes. He gets to choose what industries are essential and can, therefore, keep operating, and those that are not. He can spend and cut budgets as he pleases. All of this without any oversight or consent from the legislative branch.
• Rural Colorado no longer has a voice at the table. For better or worse, the governor happens to be from Boulder, and the vast majority of his appointees and executive department heads are drawn from the Denver metro area. Rural Coloradans relied on their senators and representatives to be their voice at the state level. That voice is now silent.
• Unemployed folks cannot get help fast enough to pay their bills. The system is so overwhelmed that many are told it will be weeks before they see their first check. The legislature should be meeting to discuss the options available for the state to provide assistance and allocate the resources necessary to ensure timely delivery of unemployment checks.
• The economic consequences of the orders of unelected bureaucrats and the governor will have deep and lasting impact. Because the legislature is not meeting, we cannot discuss the data and models used, we cannot demand accountability from the executive agencies, we cannot debate the details of the economic shutdown, and we cannot plan for recovery.
• Many workers and businesses aren’t sure if they are allowed to work, even though many are critical to maintaining the supply chain. And many fear their jobs and businesses will be gone when this crisis passes. The legislature should be meeting to discuss the options available for the state to provide assistance and allocate the resources necessary to ensure timely delivery of unemployment checks.
• As business grinds to a halt, state revenues are going to crash. Since it is the legislature that gets to decide where to spend the money in the first place, we should take the lead to identify the cuts necessary to match our dwindling reserves, and we need to be making those decisions sooner rather than later.
• PERA was already underwater. The market crash means that teachers and others could see their net pay shrink dramatically to prop up the retirement system.
The Colorado General Assembly needs to get back to work. We demand our police, health care workers, and grocery clerks go to work to keep us safe, yet the Colorado General Assembly is afraid to convene. We know that people are suffering because of our inaction.
The Colorado Constitution provides the governor with some added power during a crisis. We get that, and support that. But that does not absolve us as legislators from our own duties — not the least of which is to make sure the executive is doing its job, doing it properly, and not overstepping its authority. In fact, that same state constitution quite clearly requires us to do so.
That’s why it is sad, and even a little troubling, that the Democratic Senate leadership has, literally, locked the doors of the legislative chamber.
Surely, we have the creativity to drive to the Capitol, walk through open doors without touching anything, wear face masks and practice social distancing. Surely, we can get together every few days to tackle the critical issues. Instead, we sit at home collecting our salary and enjoying our benefits.
I urge my fellow lawmakers to join me (at a safe distance) at the Capitol. We need to get to work. Coloradans cannot wait three more weeks to see if the General Assembly is actually going to meet on May 18.