Every year it’s the same song and dance after session ends. Someone somewhere is disappointed that their fill-in-the-blank pet project wasn’t funded or their fill-in-the-blank agenda wasn’t accomplished so they start chatter about a special session.   The governor’s office flirts with the idea, and occasionally he will call one, as was the case in 2012 when the House refused to allow a floor vote on civil unions.

Sen. Kevin Grantham

But this year’s talk of a special session just seems exceptionally ill advised and an unnecessary waste of time. We get it that Gov. Hickenlooper is upset his Energy Office didn’t get its funding and distressed transportation infrastructure continues to plague our great state. However, there is nothing to indicate that calling a special session will produce a different outcome on either of those issues.

In fact, Senate President Kevin Grantham was quick to balk the idea, telling the Denver Business Journal, “It would be pointless to spend taxpayer money to keep lawmakers in Denver unless Hickenlooper has the ability to change liberal House Democrats’ minds.” As we have previously noted, Democrat leadership repeatedly did not negotiate on issues in good faith this session, causing quite the logjam of legislation in the final days.

In an email to the Peak, Grantham even went even farther, saying of special session talks that the “Game is over. Teams are in the locker room. Stands are empty. Governor is the streaker running across the field.”