House Dems Lay The Hammer Down To Halt GOP Obstruction

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by: Colorado Pols

Down to the final few days of the 2023 session of the Colorado General Assembly, which has been a story of a small Republican minority doing its utmost to grind the people’s business to a halt, Democrats are once again invoking the parliamentary power at their disposal to limit what the rules call “debate” over key pieces of pending legislation:

The problem this year has very certainly NOT been a shortage of debate over legislation, in which Democratic leadership has been patient to the point of criticism with the obstructive antics of the GOP minority. Republican filibustering of legislation with lengthy diatribes in many cases only tenuously related to the bill in question has taken up far too much time this session already–leading directly to the large pile-up of pending bills in the final few days. What’s worse, the lack of effective leadership in the GOP House minority has meant that brokered deals were unenforceable.

At this point, the biggest political risk for Democrats is allowing GOP obstruction to derail the final days of the session. Nobody’s going to care in the long run about majority Democrats using their majority power — awarded to them by Colorado voters — to overcome minority obstruction, so it’s time to do so aggressively (just like Republicans would under reverse circumstances). All that will matter in the final analysis is doing what Democrats promised voters and moving legislation through the process and on to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk.

There is neither the need nor the time to play nice.

9 thoughts on “House Dems Lay The Hammer Down To Halt GOP Obstruction”

Washopingmylastpostwouldbemylast says:

May 4, 2023 at 12:16 pm

B F T !!!!!!

Should have been done long ago. Either the peoples work is important enough to accomplish without childish delays, or it isn't. (And if it isn't, then just adjourn, go home, and find another occupation.)

Sometimes it sucks being the adult(s). Sometimes it sucks watching the children act like children. But, it's the burden of the adult majority in the room to keep the focus on the adults' business and moving that properly along.

('bout fucking time)

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bullshit! says:

May 4, 2023 at 12:35 pm

Someday Democrats will learn that Republicans cannot be trusted and can only be beaten.

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spaceman2021 says:

May 4, 2023 at 2:18 pm

Hey GOP, don't play childish games and you won't have to be treated like the spoilt children you are.

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JohnInDenver says:

May 4, 2023 at 2:19 pm

it would be of mild interest to clarify just how much debate there has been on a bill when it was introduced, considered in the committees of one chamber, as it was considered for passage and referral to the other chamber, in committee of the second chamber, and on the floor as it goes through the reading of the bill.

"Colorado has something called Rule 14, which only takes a simple majority to pass and can limit debate on a bill to as little as an hour."

And that is a limit of an hour at ANY single step of the process, as I understand it, though it could be only for the debates of the each chamber as a whole.

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1. JeffcoBlue says:
  
  May 4, 2023 at 3:43 pm
  
  The Dems tried to do something about reading bills at length a few years ago and lost in court.
  
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Lauren Boebert is a Worthless POS says:

May 4, 2023 at 2:48 pm

To hell with Rule 14. Chloroform and duct tape would be more appropriate and effective with these morons.

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2Jung2Die says:

May 4, 2023 at 3:40 pm

Still, at this very moment Rs are having the entire 100-something-page land use bill SB 23-213 read aloud at length. That's gonna take a chunka chunka precious time.

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1. JeffcoBlue says:
  
  May 4, 2023 at 3:43 pm
  
  Yup. Hours.
  
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  1. 2Jung2Die says:
    
    May 4, 2023 at 6:06 pm
    
    I went out for a LONG hike after posting, and while the computer was done reading the bill when I got back, the House was still debating on it.
    
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