The Colorado General Assembly returns for its annual 120-day session on Jan. 14, evoking a four-month visceral cringe from Coloradans who dread the next round of legislative fiats certain to be imposed upon us.

Coloradans are in a restless mood lately. It’s no secret a majority of Colorado voters has little affection for President Trump, but they’re not exactly cheerleaders for Democrats either.

A December poll by Keating Research, which often works with Democrat clients, found disapproval of the Colorado Democratic Party at 55 percent - only slightly better than the 58 percent disapproval of Colorado Republicans.

A majority said Colorado is headed in the wrong direction and expressed little confidence in the state legislature, where Democrats hold overwhelming majorities of 43-22 in the House and 23-12 in the Senate. Respondents viewed the legislature unfavorably by 48 percent to 38 percent. A remarkable 54 percent agreed that “the state legislature is dysfunctional and not representative, and my vote doesn’t really matter.”

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In a state where Democrat candidates for statewide office routinely win by double digits, why are voters so dissatisfied with very blue governance?

It could be because so many bills passed by the legislature make living and working in Colorado more difficult for ordinary citizens regardless of their politics.

From annoying inconveniences (like the petulant ban on plastic grocery bags) to outright threats to public safety (making it difficult to keep violent criminals off the streets), the legislature seems obsessed with progressive ideology instead of practical solutions.

Our schools, employers, lawful gun owners, people who manage rental housing – all of them and many more are annually barraged with a new list of mandates that make it more difficult to simply do our jobs because we must appease progressive whims.

Consider energy policy, for example.

Lawmakers across Europe are realizing they cannot eliminate natural gas and coal power generation, but Colorado stubbornly forges ahead with its “bold climate action.” State law now mandates an 80 percent reduction in utility carbon emissions in just four more years (2030) and 100 percent renewable energy in just 14 years (2040) – when lawmakers who voted for this unrealistic timetable will be long gone.

If Colorado eliminates reliable energy sources before developing sufficient renewable sources to replace them, Colorado households will face blackouts during the hottest days of summer and coldest nights of winter.

Now consider how this “progress” will affect global climate change. While Colorado seeks to eliminate fossil fuel energy production, China has tripled its electricity from fossil fuels since 2004. Colorado’s total retail energy production in 2024 was less than 1 percent of China’s fossil-fuel total. That year, China began construction on 94 gigawatts of new coal power.

Return all of Colorado to buffalo and jackrabbits tomorrow and global carbon emissions would increase anyway.

Next, the legislature does nothing more than pay lip service to the soaring cost of living. Colorado has the fourth-highest cost of housing in the nation. Personal income growth has fallen despite inflationary minimum wage laws that cause businesses to replace clerks with self-checkout lines and ordering kiosks.

Although the legislature rolled back its soft-on-auto-theft law, Colorado’s violent crime rate remains 33 percent above the national average and property crimes exceed the national rate by 47 percent.

Confronting public safety, homelessness or proliferating drug use offends “progressive” sensibilities.

In a two-party system when one party moves too far to the right or left, the other party usually pivots to occupy the center. That’s what Colorado voters seem to be seeking, too. In the Keating poll, more than 60 percent would prefer to see both the Democratic and Republican parties to move toward the center.

Yet factions in both parties seem obsessed with political purity tests and messaging to their base rather than to the 50 percent of Colorado voters who are unaffiliated. Progressive Democrats are lining up primaries against incumbents who dare to focus on pragmatic solutions.

For the few Republicans left at the State Capitol, the path to relevance begins with forsaking circular firing squads that punctuate the GOP and building their ranks by learning how to persuade voters who distrust both parties.

Unaffiliated voters have a responsibility, too. Not that long ago, Colorado voters were proud “ticket splitters” – voting for “the person, not the party.” Polarization has changed that recently. But until swing voters are willing to evaluate candidates on their own merits, there’s little incentive for candidates to “run to the center.”

Mark Hillman served as Senate Majority Leader and State Treasurer. To read more or comment, go to www.MarkHillman.com.