Colorado’s top Republican and Democratic legislative leaders offered a unified front against what they described as the rising tide of destructive discourse that’s been creeping up at the state Capitol during a forum on Friday.

The legislative breakfast at the Warwick Hotel was sponsored by Colorado Politics, The Gazette and AARP of Colorado.

All four leaders — House Speaker Julie Mccluskie, House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, Senate President Steve Fenberg and Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen — vowed to address the problem headon, both in their capacity as party leaders and as individual legislators.

The leaders blamed social media, or, more precisely, the culture that’s fueling politicians’ penchant to grandstand for “likes,” instead of hunkering down to solve major policy problems.

The intentional lack of civility had been on display most recently during the November special session on property taxes, in which Rep. Elisabeth Epps, D-denver, shut down House proceedings when she joined pro-palestinian protesters in the gallery and shouted down at her colleagues.

Days later, state Rep. Ruby Dickson, D-greenwood Village, a first-year lawmaker, announced she would resign this month, citing the “sensationalistic & vitriolic nature” at the Capitol. She has since endorsed one of Epps’ primary opponents, Sean Camacho, who also earned the backing from 11 current lawmakers, including eight members of the House Democratic Caucus.

“We have seen at the national level deterioration in civility, disrespectful debate and name-calling,” said Mccluskie of Dillon, who added that it’s showing up in Colorado, too.

Mccluskie called social media a “toxic place for discussion.”

She complimented Dickson for taking care of her mental health. In her resignation letter, Dickson said the political environment is not “healthy for me or my family.”

Lundeen said the leaders of caucuses must lead by example

and echoed Mccluskie’s views of social media.

Within 280 characters, “the more outrageous, the better,” he said.

Fenberg of Boulder called Dickson’s resignation a loss for the state.

“It’s a shame to lose leaders like that,” he said. “The political landscape has devolved and deteriorated, made its way into the Colorado Capitol.”

Fenberg has endorsed Camacho, as did Sen. Chris Hansen, whose Senate district includes House District 6.

Vitriol is easy, added House Minority Mike Lynch of Wellington, who said social media has put a constant spotlight on lawmakers, leaving them with no room to breathe.

“I can imagine at one point this was kind of a fun job, not feeling the pressures of knowing every single thing you do is under attack all the time,” he said.

Fenberg and Mccluskie also talked about their vote against advancing a bill to the General Assembly that sought more than $1.6 billion for revamping the state’s child behavioral health system. The state budget, as indicated by the September 2023 revenue forecast, showed lawmakers may have only about $23 million for new programs in the 2024 session.

Fenberg said lawmakers must live within the realities of the budget, although that does not mean it isn’t the right policy.

Mccluskie said the process is designed to entertain “aspirations,” and she is hopeful for thoughtful ideas and conversations on the measure. She also pointed two more revenue forecasts are coming before lawmakers put their final stamp on the 2024-25 state budget.

Lynch said he anticipates his caucus sticking to legislation that hews to the principles of limited government, safety and free markets.

“I don’t see that changing,” he said.

His caucus will likely put forward “statement” bills, with the election just around the corner, but he appeared hopeful they would be few in number.

“I would like to think there is common ground with the other side on crime and safety, things that are not overtly political,” Lynch added.

That led into the first agreement among the four leaders: the proposal from Gov. Jared Polis to finally pay down the state government’s debt to public education, known as the budget stabilization factor. That debt, initially created during the 2008 recession, soared to $1.15 billion in 2020. The legislature has paid it down over the last three budget cycles to $141 million.

Lundeen said the state should fully fund public education.

“It’s our perspective there is a limited number of jobs that are appropriate for the state to do,” he said.

Public education tops that limited list, he said.

He said the legislature has decided to fund other priorities, instead of tackling that public education debt head on. Those other priorities resulted in the creation of 178 new offices, departments and agencies since 2008, he said.

“We’re now at a place where we can get agreement” on paying off that debt, he said.

“It’s an imperative. We must draw the line and fully fund public education,” he added.

Mccluskie, who has worked in the area education, said she would push back on Lundeen’s assertion that the state had “fully funded” public education prior to the state adopting the budget stabilization factor.

Mccluskie noted schools are crumbling in the San Luis Valley because of a lack of resources and teachers are leaving classrooms at alarming rates, in part due to low pay.

“If this state wants to drive a highly-skilled workforce, we will have to make better investments in K-12,” she said.