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Grand Junction's Sen. Josh Penry, picked unanimously by his peers Thursday to lead Colorado's Senate Republicans, pledged to reach out to Gov. Bill Ritter and ruling legislative Democrats--but also urged caucus members to stand strong for party principles and "draw the line" on key issues. "A lot of heavy lifting awaits the General Assembly in January, and the public expects both parties to come together and get to work on issues like the economy, transportation and the budget," Penry said after GOP senators elected him and a new leadership team. "Especially after such an acrimonious campaign season, Coloradans are fed up with petty politics and endless 
Sen. Greg Brophy
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squabbling," Penry said. "They'd like us to be adults, do our jobs and make government work."Penry pointed to recent, gloomy revenue forecasts amid a nationwide recession, which will require lawmakers to retool the current year's budget and rein in next year's. He also noted that funding remains elusive to upgrade the state's bottlenecked transportation grid--despite repeated efforts by Republicans to break through the logjam on that issue. Republicans also selected Sen. Greg Brophy, of Wray, to be assistant Senate GOP leader; re-elected Sen. Mike Kopp, of Littleton, as their caucus chairman, and chose veteran Sen. Nancy Spence, of Centennial, to serve in the newly created post of caucus whip. All three members reinforced Penry's call for solidarity and fidelity to party principles, including limited government and individual liberty.
"We are the last line of defense for taxpayers and business owners," Spence said. 
Sen. Mike Kopp
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They also echoed Penry's support for finding common ground with Democrats who control the legislature in order to move forward on the budget and other issues. Penry and fellow Republicans have advocated a series of measures intended to provide a dedicated funding stream for Colorado's highways. The Ritter administration's proposed budget, released earlier this week, came up $428 million short on transportation funding as tax revenue plummets amid the economic downturn. Penry also has been among lawmakers calling for a rainy-day fund to set aside revenue to bridge budgetary gaps when the economy sours. Penry, a Western Slope native and graduate of Mesa State College in Grand Junction, 
Sen. Nancy Spence
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was first elected to Colorado's House of Representatives in 2004, then ran for and won a seat in the Senate two years later. One of the legislative GOP's leading policy voices and an advocate of education reform, Penry replaces outgoing Senate Republican leader Andy McElhany, of Colorado Springs, who is retiring due to term limits after eight years in the Senate and 14 years total in the General Assembly. Brophy, who has served in the Senate since 2005 and was elected to the state House in 2002, is a farmer and policy leader on agricultural issues. Kopp, a former Army Ranger, has advocated for veterans and other military issues since his election to the Senate in 2006. Spence, a veteran lawmaker and champion of education reform, is the Senate's ranking member on the Education Committee. She was elected to the Senate in 2004 and also served three terms in the House. Spence previously served on the board of education for Cherry Creek Schools. Republican senators also unanimously chose newly elected Sen. Al White, of Hayden, to serve on the Joint Budget Committee. 
Sen. Josh Penry, of Grand Junction, was elected Senate GOP leader on Thursday.
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