During a press availability on Thursday, Speaker of the House Frank McNulty told reporters that the GOP’s agenda for the 2012 legislative session will be the economy.

“You’re going to hear a lot about jobs this session. You’ll hear it from Republicans and you’ll hear it from Democrats,” he said. “That needs to be our number one focus.”

McNulty, a Highlands Ranch Republican, said Capitol Republicans will be pushing transportation projects and capital construction and “the jobs that are associated with that.”

He said House Republicans have had a “constructive conversation” with Democratic leadership, but admitted that they will be running bills that the Democrat s won’t like. One in particular would reinstate a state spending increase of 6 percent of the previous year’s spending. That was a law previously repealed in 2009 by Democrats when they controlled both houses of the Legislature. The brilliant Tim Hoover of The Denver Post wrote more about that–check it out here.

The speaker also told reporters about eight other bills he intends to push, most of which focus on regulatory reform and attempting to boost small businesses.

House Majority Amy Stephens, R-Monument, and Senate Minority Leader Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, will be carrying a bill tentatively titled “Promoting Colorado-Specific Solutions.” According to a summary distributed by McNulty, the bill requires state agencies to “annually report on opportunities for the state to opt out of federal regulations in favor of state solutions.”

According to the Associated Press, House Democrats have offered bills that would offer incentives to local businesses to purchase goods made in-state and prevent hiring discrimination.

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