Minority Leader Mike Lynch’s Opening Day Speech
(As written/not necessarily delivered)
Well, here we are again! Why is it exactly that we come back to this room? Is it the prestige of being called Representative or getting to wear a suit every day? Or maybe the snacks, or the cold pizza dinners? I think NOT. I hope it is because we are true Coloradans that care about our communities, that care about Colorado. A Colorado whose natural beauty in the outdoors has drawn many to vacation here and fall in love with that beauty, enough that they pack up their lives and relocate to live in this incredible environment. That common bond of the love of natural beauty has caused immense diversity in this state. We truly represent a melting pot of race, religion, education levels, and interests.
How awesome is it to see this room filled to the roof with those people and that diversity here today? We are assembled here today in the people’s house. This is not the representatives’ house, this is the peoples’ house. Take a look around at what our society has created to take up the concerns and needs of its citizens. This building and this institution is truly special in America.
As special as the reason it was built, which is to keep our society stable through the creation of laws. I hope we can embrace that these laws are not to constrain our citizens but instead free them from a tyrannical government, allowing them to be whatever God has blessed them with the ability to become.
Our initial establishment for this great land is that we come from a heritage of ensuring that the PEOPLE are in charge, NOT US in this chamber, but for us to be responsive to the people and carry the voices of the many thousands that each of us represent, and at the end of the day, our job is to constrain the government from being overbearing in our lives and taking away our freedoms. It is not our job to override the voices of our citizens but to lift them up.
That all sounds well and good, but the contentious process of getting to these seats clouds our vision of how we conduct ourselves once we get inside the gold dome. We are easily tempted to put party over the people and service takes a second seat to our personal ambitions. I implore you to remember it is not you that sits in those seats, it is the thousands of people who put you there. Most of them you agree with, but some of them you do not. Those voices are important as well! Those voices are the ones, the minority represents here today. The voices you may not agree with but are still there to be heard from, in each one of your districts. I ask only one thing of you, please let those voices be heard.
The voices that continue to believe in limited government, property rights, and school choice. Those Coloradans who understand there is no such thing as government money, but understand it is their money because government has no way of producing income outside of our citizens’ free market successes. Those entrepreneurs and business owners who feel they are over-taxed and over-regulated. Those citizens who support multiple energy choices in our state. The people in the agricultural parts of this state that ensure we have food on our table every day. Parents who go to bed frightened that their child will buy an illegal drug on the internet – and die of a fentanyl overdose. Those who don’t want to leave Colorado because they cannot afford the property tax because they are on a fixed income. And, those who do not feel security in their towns and just want safety on our streets.
The Minority will work every day to ensure that those concerns are addressed through vigorous debate.
Today, the Republican minority comes to the floor of the House of Representatives in a small number. However, I can tell you we are bringing those who know how to serve, as almost half of our members have said that they are willing lay down their life for this country through their military service, literally representing every branch of service.
If my fellow veteran members of both sides of the aisle could please stand and be recognized. Every one of these members has put their name on the line saying they are willing to die for this country.
These are people who understand a mission and have the experience to accomplish it. We are also bringing a wealth of knowledge through career public servants and business leaders all of whom have very impressive resumes and many years of expertise to bring to our conversations of how to make the lives of Coloradans better. I could not be more honored to work with this very distinguished group of leaders and I am humbled to have the role of leading them in the 74 General Assembly.
So today, as we start this second session of the 74 General Assembly, may we first never forget we are servants of the people that will create history and records that will be handed down long after we are gone. The actions and interactions between us will be judged by those who expect us to remain civil and above the fray of a petty tweet. If you have something to say to . . or about another member they are only a few steps away in this room. May we boldly take those steps and discuss our differences face to face and come to an agreement, even if that agreement is to disagree but walk away from that fellow human with a deeper understanding of the opposing point of view. I will make that commitment right now, I also don’t really know how to work Twitter!
But seriously we are not going to agree, we are going to vigorously defend our differing opinions, we are going to be delighted and disappointed from day to day. May we also never forget that we are colleagues and individuals with way more in common as humans and Americans than we have in differences as members of a political party. I am looking forward to the work we have ahead of us, and getting to know each of you as we work for a better Colorado. May God bless Colorado.
