 In November 2007, upon Rep. Bill Cadman's appointment to the Colorado Senate, the first-term legislator was elected to succeed him as House Minority Caucus
Chair.In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Stephens sat on the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee and the House Judiciary Committee.Stephens sponsored a bill to tax in-room pay-per-view movies sold by hotels to fund child advocacy centers; after facing opposition from the hotel industry, Stephen asked for the bill to be killed in committee.