Colorado’s legislative session is 120 consecutive days long and during the 2023 session, lawmakers introduced 617 bills. Of those, 218 passed and have been signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis. More are waiting to be signed.
But what is the Democrats’ agenda for Colorado? According to Republican Rep. Stephanie Luck, it’s a Marxist one, where individual rights don’t matter, and the government controls every aspect of life.
“When I first got elected and sworn into office in 2021, Governor Polis gave his State-of-the-State Address shortly thereafter and stated that it was his goal and the goal of his Democratic majority to fundamentally transform Colorado,” Luck told The Epoch Times.
Luck refers to the book, “The Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado (and Why Republicans Everywhere Should Care),” by Adam Schrager and Rob Witwer, which details how progressive organizations and a group of multimillionaires, including Polis, devised a plan to elect a Democratic majority in Colorado. The group called themselves the Roundtable.
The Roundtable’s Plan
The Roundtable’s plan was simple: win elections. And they did so through extensive organization, a deep understanding of data, and taking advantage of campaign finance reform laws.
“There was a well-orchestrated democratic plan to take control of the state. … [The Roundtable] was smart,” said Dr. Joshua Dunn, a professor of political science at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. “They were smarter than the Republicans. I think the Republicans will tell you that they were outsmarted by them. I don’t think there’s any doubt about it.”
By taking advantage of campaign finance reform laws, the Roundtable raised $3.6 million, compared to the Republicans’ $845,000. With a significant war chest for state-level elections established, the group targeted Republican politicians through targeted ads, leaflets, boots on the ground, automated calls, and a unified message that a Democratic majority was better for Colorado.
The Results
The Roundtable’s efforts paid off. From 1978 to 2002, Republicans controlled both the state House and state Senate. But in 2006, Democrats took control of both chambers. Then, the 2010 election was the nail in the coffin, according to Dunn.
“That was the Tea Party election. By all rights, the Republican Party should have won both the governor’s office and what’s now Senator Michael Bennett’s Senate seat in that election, but they made two catastrophic mistakes,” Dunn said.
Since then, Colorado has shifted to the left, with Democrats having a historic majority in the Colorado House, a supermajority in the Senate, and control of the governorship. All bills passed with Democrat support—and more often than not, over Republican’s vehement objections.
The Future
What does this mean for Colorado’s future? According to Luck, it means a government that controls every aspect of life, with individual rights taking a backseat.
“And basically, we could go word by word in that most famous phrase starting with ‘We hold these truths.’ We can start with the word ‘We’ and demonstrate how they want not a ‘We,’ not a unified whole, not one nation, but different tribes, different groupings, different identities, and then just go every single word and recognize that they really are advancing the opposite of that mission statement,” Luck said.
As Colorado continues to shift to the left, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the state and its residents.
Colorado State Rep. Luck: Democrats Pushing Marxist Agenda Through Legislation
“If you’re a landlord, you want to be sure that whoever you’re about to let into your property can pay the rent, right? They’re a viable investment, so to speak, that you won’t find yourself in eviction proceedings quickly after signing leases because you know they have the credit and the income to pay you. But now, that is seen as racist and discriminatory.”
Colorado State Representative Stephanie Luck has accused Democrats of pushing a Marxist agenda through legislation. She believes that bills like Senate Bill 23-184, which prohibits landlords from considering income and credit scores when renting out properties, are making it too risky for landlords to rent property in Colorado. As a result, they are selling their properties to large corporations, which will be the only ones able to afford to offer rental properties and afford to be landlords.
Democrats vs. Landlords
Luck argues that Democrats are pitting employees against employers, tenants against landlords, and any category of people that they think have been oppressed or wronged. She believes that bills like Senate Bill 23-184, which gives extra rights and protections to certain groups of people, are largely unjust. The bill prohibits landlords from considering certain information relating to a prospective tenant’s income or rental history, including income and credit scores. The new law also puts a cap on how much income a landlord can require to qualify a prospective tenant.
Democratic state Senator Faith Winter, the bill’s sponsor, believes that income requirements are discriminatory, as they bar people from qualifying for rent. She says that some landlords discriminate against housing vouchers, which the new law now prevents.
Removing the Right to Protect One’s Life and Liberty
Luck also believes that Democrats are removing the right to protect one’s life and liberty. She cites Senate Bill 23-169, which increased the minimum age to purchase firearms to 21, with limited exceptions, and Senate Bill 23-168, which repeals protections for firearms and ammunition manufacturers. Now, if someone is injured with a gun or ammunition, they can sue the manufacturer.
Luck sees the second amendment right as a corollary to the right to life. She believes that being able to defend oneself through different tools, whether that’s fists, a knife, or a firearm, is important and essential, and that’s being upended.
The Government as the Solution
Luck believes that the right to property, to contract, to liberty, and all of these things are being fundamentally transformed, and that Colorado will just see worse and worse outcomes. She thinks that unless people change their way of thinking, they will double-down on their idea that the government has the solutions, and the government is the solution, and we’ll just spiral.
Conclusion
Stephanie Luck believes that Democrats are pushing a Marxist agenda through legislation. She thinks that bills like Senate Bill 23-184, which prohibits landlords from considering income and credit scores when renting out properties, are making it too risky for landlords to rent property in Colorado. She also believes that Democrats are removing the right to protect one’s life and liberty. Luck thinks that unless people change their way of thinking, they will double-down on their idea that the government has the solutions, and the government is the solution, and we’ll just spiral.
Photo by Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images
Why Too Much Power is Dangerous
According to Dunn, having too much power can lead to silencing opposition.
When one party has all the power, they can easily shut down any opposing voices and ideas.
This is why it’s important to have a balance of power and diverse perspectives in any system.
Here are some ways to prevent silencing opposition:
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