>>>
>>> WE
>>> WE HAVE BEEN TALKING THIS MORNING ABOUT THE START OF THE
COLORADO LEGISLATIVE.
COLORADO LEGISLATIVE. WE ARE TALKING TO OUR POLITICAL
EXPERTS.
EXPERTS.
EXPERTS. JAMES MEJIA AND KELLY MAYER,
THE REPUBLICAN ON THE PANEL
>> WE KNOW THERE'S A HUGE
ADVANTAGE FOR THE DEMOCRATS
THIS YEAR BUT THERE ARE SIMILAR
TOPICS EACH SIDE WANTS TO
ADDRESS.
ADDRESS.
ADDRESS. WHAT ABOUT HEALTH CARE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN
THIS TIME AROUND?
>> THE DEMOCRATS ARE LOOKING AT
COST-CONTAINMENT.
COST-CONTAINMENT. TRANSPARENCY IN COSTS, KEEPING
PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS DOWN.
I ALSO THINK THERE WILL BE MORE
WITH REGARD TO MENTAL HEALTH.
WE SAW SOME MOVEMENT ON OPIOID
ADDICTION LAST TERM.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE A
CONTINUED TREND WITH REGARD TO
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
>> WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THAT
INCOMING DEMOCRAT FRESHMAN
EMILY IS CREATING A BILL TO
START A STUDY.
FROM A REPUBLICAN PERSPECTIVE I
THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE START
TO EXPLORE MORE MARKET-BASED
TYPES OF SOLUTIONS.
FOR INSTANCE, WE JUST SAW A
REALLY GOOD SOLUTION COME OUT
ACTUALLY FROM FORMER DEMOCRAT
SENATOR CHRIS ROAMER UP IN VAIL
VALLEY TRYING TO FIND MARKET-
BASED WAYS TO CONTAIN SOME OF
THE HEALTH CARE COSTS.
>> I THINK THAT WILL BE POPULAR
IF THEY CAN FIGURE THAT OUT.
JAMES, IS THERE A DEMOCRATIC
BILL OUT THERE THAT WILL GARNER
BIPART SON SUPPORT?
KELLY, IS THERE A REPUBLICAN
BILL THAT THEY'RE OFFERING THAT
WILL GET DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT?
WE'LL GO WITH YOU FIRST.
>> THE REAL THING PEOPLE ARE
LOOKING AT THAT EVERYBODY
AGREES WE NEED TO ADDRESS IS
TRANSPORTATION.
TRANSPORTATION. AND THE VOTERS SENT A VERY
CLEAR MESSAGING BY REJECTING
BONDING AND A TAX INCREASE.
THEY SAY YOU HAVE A $26 BILLION
BUDGET.
BUDGET.
BUDGET. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO FIND
MONEY IN THAT BUDGET TO COME UP
WITH THE SOLUTIONS.
THAT SAID, REPUBLICANS ARE IN
THE MINORITY.
THE MINORITY. THEY HAVE NO EXPECT ON THE
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. SO THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO COME
TO THE TABLE AND COMPROMISE IF
THEY WANT TO SEE ANY OF THEIR
AGENDA GET DONE.
>> BIPARTISANSHIP, DO YOU THINK
IT'S A THING?
>> I DO.
>> I DO.
>> I DO. IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE AS
KELLY SAYS.
KELLY SAYS. I THINK THE AREA WHERE WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE TO SEE SOME
COMPROMISE AND BIPARTISAN WORK
IS WITH OIL AND GAS.
THE ELECTORATE DID NOT WANT TO
PASS THE 2500-FOOT SET BACKS
BUT IT'S AN ELECTORATE THAT IS
ASKING FOR A COMPROMISE.
THEY PUT IT THE IN LAPS OF
LEGISLATURE AND WE HAVE TO SEE
BY PART SON WORK.
-- BIPARTISAN.
-- BIPARTISAN. >> WE TALKED ABOUT HEALTH CARE.
TRANSPORTATION IS A BIG ONE.
OBVIOUSLY, VOTERS VOTED DOWN
BOTH OF THOSE.
WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING WITH
TRANSPORTATION?
TRANSPORTATION? BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S A HOT
TOPIC.
TOPIC.
TOPIC. >>
TOPIC. >> WELL, IT'S A TOUGH ONE.
VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN AND THEY'VE
REJECTED TAX INCREASES IN TWO
DIFFERENT FORMS THAT WERE ON
THE BALLOT.
THE BALLOT. SOME SAY THAT WHERE FUNDS WERE
GOING WERE NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH.
THERE WAS TOO MUCH ON THE
BALLOT.
BALLOT.
BALLOT. THERE WAS BALLOT FATIGUE.
I'M NOT SURE THAT'S TRUE.
AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT
A LEGISLATURE THAT HAS GOT TO
HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITHIN
CURRENT BUDGET, BE VERY
SPECIFIC IF ANY SORT OF TAX
INCREASE IS CALLED FOR AND WORK
TOGETHER TO GET THAT DONE.
WE NEED IT IN THE STATE.
>> THE ONE THING WE HAVE NOT
TALKED ABOUT IS THE GOVERNOR.
THE GOVERNOR HAS A VERY
PROGRESSIVE AGENDA, REALLY
AGGRESSIVE IF YOU LISTEN TO
WALKER STAPLETON.
WALKER STAPLETON. YOU THINK HE CAN GET ANY OF
THAT THROUGH?
THAT THROUGH? >> WELL, I DO.
DEMOCRATS HAVE BOTH CHAMBERS
AND THEN YOU HAVE A GOVERNOR
WHO'S READY TO DO SOME WORK ON
EDUCATION, READY TO DO THINGS
WITH REGARD TO RENEWABLE
ENERGY.
ENERGY.
ENERGY. I
ENERGY. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A
GOVERNOR THAT IS WILLING TO
LISTEN TO A LEGISLATURE THAT CAN
COMPROMISE AND FORWARD SOME
BILLS THAT DID NOT GET A FAIR
HEARING BEFORE.
HEARING BEFORE. >> KELLY?
>> KELLY?
>> KELLY? >> ULTIMATELY WE SAW
HICKENLOOPER PREFERRED
HICKENLOOPER PREFERRED GOVERNING AND DID BEST UNDER A
SPLIT LEGISLATURE.
SPLIT LEGISLATURE. I'M HOPING THE MORE LIBERTARIAN
OF JARED POLIS WIN OUT AND HE'S
ABLE TO KEEP SOME OF THE MORE
OUT OF CONTROL SUPER FAR LEFT
BILLS OUT OF THE STREAM BUT I
DON'T KNOW IF THAT WILL HAPPEN.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. >> IT'S EARLY.
>> IT IS EARLY.
IT'S THE FIRST DAY.
>> WE SHALL