Editor's note: Colorado Politics reporters are covering the opening ceremonies of the second regular session of the 74th General Assembly. The House and Senate are scheduled to convene at 10 a.m. Follow us here for updates. 11:15 a.m. Senate president to colleagues: Don't mess it up Senate President Steve Fenberg bluntly asked his colleagues to "not mess it up." Fenberg said while they are "political actors" with "agendas and ideologies" -- or candidates the campaign trail or talking heads on the nightly news -- they transform into 35 senators once they step into Senate chamber. "You're simply a moment in time. You are one of 35 who have the honor-the responsibility-to ensure there will be moments in time after you leave," he said. "It may seem like a low bar, but our first job is to not mess it up." Fenberg also cautioned against populism and simply -- or perhaps solely -- advancing one's political agenda. "Because if this institution -- this thing we call democracy -- was simply just a shell to be filled with political agendas every two or four years, it would be a recipe for a volatile government that probably would've collapsed generations ago," he said. "If this place was simply a vessel for the populism of the day that swings with the blowing winds of trends and slogans, the pendulum would eventually swing off its hinge. It would result in the erosion of the institution. Of democracy. Perhaps even civil order itself." 11:13 a.m. House speaker says civility is her top priority House Speaker Julie McCluskie said the people who work, serve and visit the state Capitol "deserve to be treated with dignity and respect at all times." That, she said, is the "Colorado Way." "The first goal I want to talk about today is how we can guarantee a fair shake for every member, respect our diversity of lived experiences and identities, and make civility in our discourse a priority," she said. "A fair shake," she added, "means every lawmaker can come to work feeling safe." McCluskie also revealed that House leaders will develop a "consistent rubric to guide our conversations in the well." 10:40 a.m. Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupts Colorado lawmakers' first day Pro-Palestinian protesters temporarily shut down the Colorado General Assembly's opening day ceremonies. The disruption was not unexpected. Pro-Palestinian protesters also tried to shut down proceedings during November's special session on property taxes. In response to the disruption, Sen. Julie Gonzales said lawmakers "don't have the time to waste." "We don't have time to fritter. We may not able to agree on everything, but we need to be able to have the conversations," she said. 10 am. House gavels into order, new legislator takes oath of office House Speaker Julie McCluskie gaveled the state House into order at 10 a.m. The Summit Singers from Summit High School sang the national anthem. Senate President Steve Fenberg gaveled the Senate into order at 10:30 a.m., following by the singing of the national anthem by Brothers of Brass. A prayer was led by a local rabbi and imam, while the children and grandchildren of senators led the Pledge of Allegiance. The colors were presented by the Joint Colorado Guard. Cindi Markwell was sworn in as Secretary of the Senate. Fenberg also appointed some senators to committees. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Earlier, Rep. Chad Clifford took his oath office, formally replacing former Rep. Ruby Dickson, who resigned last month and cited the state Capitol's noxious environment as the reason for her decision to quit. During the opening ceremonies, the grandchildren of famed Colorado photographer John Fielder led the House in the Pledge of Allegiance. 5 a.m. Lawmakers to convene this morning Colorado lawmakers this morning will officially convene the 2024 legislative session, hunkering down for the next 100 days to resolve or at least offer solutions to the state's most pressing challenges. Foremost on their minds is Colorado's acute housing problem. In particular, a housing deficit, which some studies put at 100,000, plagues the state, where affordable dwellings remain elusive. Lawmakers will try anew to sharply bend that trajectory, but whether they succeed -- however they define success -- remains to be seen. Last year, they offered an array of strategies whose underlying principles clashed. Policymakers will try to revive some of those elements, and, already, they have hinted of cooperation between state and local governments, and maybe even across the partisan aisle. They face other big problems -- crime, education, health care, taxes -- even as they grapple with a decline in civility that could manifest itself in pernicious ways. Already, House leaders reprimanded a member for disrupting the chamber's business and called out another legislator for making derogatory comments. Policymakers will need to contend with issues big and small in a tense environment, amid a presidential election year and at a time when Colorado finds itself under the tremendous strain of America's illegal immigration crisis. Read how this year's session is shaping up here: Housing takes center stage anew as lawmakers prepare to convene for new session We asked Gov. Jared Polis and legislative leaders their thoughts ahead of the session. Check them here: Q&A with Jared Polis | Colorado governor on starting the 2024 session Q&A with Julie McCluskie | House Speaker vows to provide 'historic levels' of school funding Q&A with Steve Fenberg | Senate president talks about reaching goals with a tight budget Q&A with Paul Lundeen | Senate Minority Leader seeks 'honest, tangible relief' for Coloradans Q&A with Mike Lynch | House Minority Leader focuses on 'security' in 2024