Republicans in the state Senate announced a plan Tuesday that they say could save families thousands of dollars a year, in large part by slashing energy and housing rules that they say are ineffective.
Speaking at the Colorado State Capitol, Senate Republicans called for a comprehensive review of energy codes and revamping the Colorado law that protects homeowners against faults in construction. They also said taxes on gasoline and cigarettes should be rolled back, and the fee on shopping bags eliminated.
Republicans highlighted their point by posing alongside a stack of dollar bills. Reaching more than a foot and a half, they totaled $4,500 鈥� the amount GOP lawmakers claim Colorado families would save if their legislative package were adopted.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a bigger policy conversation that we鈥檙e asking people to engage in,鈥� said Senate Minority Leader , R-Monument.
鈥淲e are seeking to turn the conversation from, 鈥榃hat can we do to make state government healthier and happier and have every last nickel it can get its hands on?鈥� to a policy conversation that says, 鈥榃hat can we do to put money back into the pocketbooks of the people of Colorado?鈥欌��
The proposals read as a wish list of things that Republicans in the state legislature would like to do. They break down into four categories: lowering the cost of housing, cutting the price of groceries and utilities, reducing transportation costs and cutting costs associated with regulatory compliance.
Taken together, the proposals would cut taxes and fees in Colorado by billions of dollars a year, as well as reducing the cost of living indirectly through lower utility and mortgage payments. But many Republican ideas would be politically problematic and likely to encounter fierce resistance in the Democratic-led General Assembly.
For instance, Republicans claim Colorado families would save $150 a year if fees on nicotine products were reduced. They say allowing nuclear power plants would lower energy bills by $910 a year.
Republicans claim the biggest savings would come from rolling back compliance with 2021 energy standards. Citing filed earlier this month by the National Association of Home Builders, Republicans claimed Colorado families would save as much as $3,780 a year in housing costs.
鈥淜ind of the north star of so much of this 鈥� the big dollar savings for the people of Colorado 鈥� is wrapped around housing,鈥� said Lundeen. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where we can truly get the benefit.鈥�
Republicans hope their proposals will attract some support from the Democratic majority. The most likely proposal to do so would be changing Colorado鈥檚 construction defects law. The Senate last year but it was never taken up in the Colorado House of Representatives.
Democratic Gov. Jared Polis has called on legislators to try again this year. He argues it could spur condominium construction, which has lagged in Colorado.
Republicans say a revised construction defects law would save families about $330 a year.
鈥淏y finally making changes that incentivize the construction of new affordable housing, Colorado families across the state can expect to save,鈥� Senate Republicans said in a statement detailing their plan.