Senate and House Republicans said today they will push for an interim committee to gauge the impact of regulations as well as taxes and fees imposed by state government on Colorado's economy.

Republican leaders in the House and Senate met with the media to announce a resolution that will be sponsored by the GOP's Rep. Ken Summers, of Lakewood, and Sen. Shawn Mitchell, of Broomfield, that, if adopted and funded by fellow lawmakers, would establish the interim committee. The panel would launch its inquiry after the regular legislative session concludes.

"The concern at the Capitol seems to be, 'How do we make the government's ends meet?' rather than, 'How can we grow Colorado?' " said House Republican chief Mike May, of Parker.

Summers said the panel's mission would be to push for a serious cost-benefit analysis of each additional layer of regulation and taxation in order to determine what it does to the state's economy.

"Let's take a timeout and evaluate...what is the cumulative effect of all these bills," he said. 

The Republicans pointed to a wide range of measures, from those that constrain employers and expand the power of organized labor over the work force, to those that raise fees.

Republicans have charged since last year that assorted regulations ushered in under the administration of Gov. Bill Ritter have sent a chill through the business community, including the energy industry, which is the state's largest and provides some of its highest-paying jobs.

Pending changes in the rules used to regulate oil and gas exploration, as well as new appointments to the commission that enforces those rules, have raised concerns among energy companies. Some fear energy exploration will slow, particularly if proposed increases in taxes on those companies are approved by voters.

"While we're pursuing the new energy economy, we're chasing away the old energy economy," May said. "It doesn't have to be a zero-sum game."