While Democrats and Republicans clashed over the cause of an $800 million budget shortfall plaguing Colorado state government, they agreed that the recently-concluded special session, which sought to solve that deficit, was one of the most “divisive” in years.

On the one hand, Democrats insisted they got the work done.

On the other hand, Republicans called it “political theatre.”

“Overall, I thought we got the work done that we needed to get done," Senate President James Coleman told Colorado Politics. "We faced it head-on, rolled up our sleeves, and put families ahead of corporations.”

“The script was written before we ever even stepped foot into the building,” countered Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson. “All that effort was cast. There was no engagement. There was no conversatio

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