Editor’s note: Colorado Politics reporters are covering the opening ceremonies of the regular session of the 75th General Assembly this week. Follow us here for updates.
12:10 p.m. Speech is wrapping up
“It’s your body, your marriage, your choice,” to thunderous applause from Democrats.
“The state of our state is strong, prosperous and free!”
The speech is over, lasting just over 55 minutes.
12:05 p.m. Polis press lawmakers to provide $1 million to wide of officer killed in line of duty
Polis said it is the job of state policymakers to implement the will of voters. Specifically, he noted the passage of Proposition 130, a key provision of which provides financial support for the families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. “We now have the opportunity to implement this as quickly as possible to ensure no family of a law enforcement officer lost in the line of duty needs to worry about their needs being met. And we can work together to ensure that the family of Golden Officer Evan Dunn, who was tragically killed in the line of duty on November 6, receives this support that was passed the day before his death.”
Polis said his guests today included Golden Chief of Police Joe Harvey and Officer Dunn’s widow, Annalise. “Annalise, we extend to you our deepest condolences. Thank you for being with us today,” he said.
ANNOTATION: Colorado lawmakers have been scrambling to figure out exactly how to carry out voters’ approval of a ballot measure that directs the General Assembly to put $350 million into a fund to help recruit, train, and retain local law enforcement. The measure did not specify a timeline for when the money must be allocated or whether it’s a yearly allocation. Lawmakers are grappling with those questions as the state’s budget crafters are seeking money anywhere, given that the state faces a shortfall of several hundred million dollars. Five legislative leaders offered differing opinions on how the voter-approved funding mandate would work during a legislative preview breakfast hosted by AARP and Colorado Politics on Dec. 4. When asked if the $350 million would be allocated in the next session, Senate President James Coleman of Denver said it could be included in the upcoming year’s budget. Senate Assistant Minority Leader Cleave Simpson of Alamosa noted that the ballot measure does not say how it’s supposed to be spent and that there are other priorities, such as Medicaid and K-12 education. He also noted that the legislature just finished paying off a 12-year obligation to fund K-12 education, which meant that, for the first time in years, the state is fully funding it. He’s “sensitive to not taking a step backward,” he said, adding policymakers might need to let the rest of their priorities fall into place. House Speaker Julie McCluskie of Dillon suggested the $350 million should come from the state’s 15% statutory reserve. “This may be the moment” to do that, she said.
Advance Colorado, the group behind the voter approved measure, said Annalise Dunn, the officer’s spouse, should receive the $1 million promised by the initiative, noting he died a day after the passage of Proposition 130.
12:01 p.m. Education
Last year, lawmakers overhauled the state’s 30-year-old school finance formula, but Polis said the state is still an “outlier” on school funding. He’s called for a change in how the student count is done, to ensure funding for actual students rather than “empty chairs.”
There doesn’t seem to be a bill to address some of the concerns he’s raising, such as the “education deserts” (a term coined by Senate President Coleman) where students are behind in grade level and reading.
11:59 a.m. Health care
Noting the progress on capping the cost of insulin and reinsurance, Polis said more can be done: he called on the FDA to approve the state’s drug importation plan (to import drugs from Canada). He’s supportive of a bill to expand prescription drug discounts for the most vulnerable.
Polis also spoke in favor of a bill that will deal with “excessive hospital pricing” and protect safety net providers.
11:55 a.m. But Republicans liked…
His comments on the illegal flow of guns and drugs, secure the border and stop human trafficking. “I hope that President Trump and Congress work together quickly to secure the border, stop human trafficking, and stop the illegal flow of guns and drugs, and we welcome more federal help to detain and deport dangerous criminals.”
But Polis also warned the state will not support efforts to deport American citizens, target those on pending legal status, or break up families, he said. There’s an empty seat in the House gallery, to represent a Colorado woman, “Sofia,” (not her real name) who is a nurse and DACA recipient and who has been in the state for 20 years.
“Those who are follwoing our laws and contributing to our economy deserve the opportunity to live the American dream and make Colorado an even more amazing place,” he said.
11:54 a.m. Loudest applause of the speech so far
Polis’ comments on constitutional ballot measures than enshrined the right to abortion and the right to same-sex marriage drew the loudest applause and cheering so far.
11:47 a.m. Public safety
He saluted the work of Democratic lawmakers, largely on gun control, but there’s work ahead.
He called for boosting the state’s emergency dispatch system, revisiting a 2024 bipartisan bill on gun theft, and expanded resources for youth, including more beds in the Division of Youth Services, or efforts to keep youth offenders closer to home.
Polis also mentioned the cattle rustling problem. “We will continue to support our ranchers,” calling for tougher penalties on illegal wildlife trafficking, which he said is linked to gun, drug and human trafficking crimes.
The governor also noted the work of lawmakers on Proposition KK, which imposes an excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition, in order to fund victims services, school safety and behavioral health.
That’s drawn criticism from Republicans who note lawful gun owners should not pay for victim services for crimes that they had nothing to do with.
ANNOTATION: In 2023, at the urging of the governor, lawmakers passed a law that made all car thefts a felony, decoupling the severity of the crime from the value of the car and tying it instead to behavior so that the penalty becomes more severe with repeat offenders. Then-Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an outgoing senator from Arvada who championed the legislation, said that while she knew at the time that the bill was not the “silver bullet” that would fix everything, something had to be done to right the ship. Some officials have now cited the law as having had a significant effect on curbing car thefts, especially in the Denver metro area, which accounted for almost 40% of all stolen vehicles. One looming fight this year is over the ability of local governments to adopt additional penalties for criminal activity. The mayors of Colorado’s three largest cities this morning urged Polis and lawmakers to ensure that municipalities retain the flexibility to combat crime. Mayors Mike Johnston of Denver, Mike Coffman of Aurora and Yemi Mobolade of Colorado Springs urged cooperation between the state and cities, implicitly saying legislators should avoid passing policies that would curtail their ability to adopt additional criminal penalties. “Cities must retain the ability to implement solutions that are responsive to community concerns and assign appropriate sentences when crimes are committed,” the mayors said in a joint opinion piece. “It is only through continued cooperation between state and local governments that we will sustain and build upon the progress already achieved.” While they didn’t specifically cite the bill, the mayors are likely referring to a proposal backed by some Democrats to prohibit local courts from imposing more severe sentences than state courts for the same crimes. Under the proposal, if there is no comparable state offense, the maximum punishment for city offenses would default to the state’s petty offense sentencing guidelines of up to 10 days in jail and/or a $300 fine. In addition, the bill declares that municipal court defendants have the same right to counsel as suspects before a state court.
11:45 a.m. The budget
A $700 million hole in the state budget means no new spending. House Speaker Julie McCluskie told reporters Tuesday that she has said “zero” when asked about legislation that could seek new state funding. Polis points to his budget proposal, including privatizing Pinnacol, the state’s worker compesnation insurance of last resort, as well as investments in public safety, protecting the social safety net and fully funding schools.
11:42 a.m. Unions/Labor Peace Act
Polis is expected to address what will be the hottest topic in 2025: union efforts to eliminate the second election in the state’s 80-year-old Labor Peace Act. Polis is making a request for unions and business to work together on this, as well as on overregulation that has sunk Colorado’s business competitiveness rankings over the last two years.
“Take a good look” at state laws and regulations and “question whether they are adequately balancing consumer protection, health and safety, while minimizing red tape and reducing costs for the private sector.”
Last year, Polis vetoed a bill on wage theft, carried by House Majority Leader Monica Duran. She’s bringing back that bill, in a slightly different form, this year, and Polis indicated he is working with her and Rep. Meg Froellich, D-Englewood on the measure.
As to reform of the Labor Peace Act, he asked that lawmakers (and businesses and unions) avoid the rancourous fights of the past.
ANNOTATION: Established in 1943, the law, called the Labor Peace Act, governs unionization and collective bargaining agreements. While the other 49 states are either “right to work” states — meaning employees aren’t required to union be members or to pay a “representation” fee as a condition of employment — or not, Colorado’s law is uniquely somewhere in the middle. At issue in the upcoming battle at the Colorado General Assembly is whether to upend the law and eliminate the provision requiring a higher election threshold — 75% yes vote from workers in a unionized company — in order to impose this “representation” fee. Business leaders said Colorado’s current law has achieved that difficult balance of permitting a union to charge representation fees but only if a supermajority of workers and not a simple majority agreed, and that environment has allowed the state to not only compete but surpass the competition. Labor groups, meanwhile, argue that Colorado’s law is effectively anti-union and that eliminating that required second election to impose union dues on non-union members means law workers have more freedom to negotiate for safety and better pay.
J.J. Ament, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, said Colorado has thrived under the Labor Peace Act. Ament cited reports saying Colorado has outperformed both right-to-work and non right-to-work states when it comes to unemployment growth over a 20-year span. The data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics shows Colorado’s average annual growth rate between 2003 and 2023 at 1.6%, higher than right-to-work states’ average of 1.3%, as well as non right-to-work states’ 0.7%.
The chamber official also noted that seven of CNBC’s Top 10 states for business are right-to-work states, many of which are Colorado’s biggest competitors.
Meanwhile, the coalition of unions pushing to eliminate the second election pointed to Colorado Fiscal Institute’s research, which suggested that unionization benefits a state’s economy — due to their effects on workers. Union workers earn an average of 10% more than non-union workers, according to CFI’s “Strong Unions Mean Strong Economic Outcomes for All Coloradans.” The report also said wages in right-to-work states are on average 3% lower than those in non-right-to-work states.
11:40 a.m. A focus on the outdoors, except…
Polis notes the state has sought new funding sources for “care and preservation of the outdoors,” including the Keeping Colorado Wild state parks pass.
No mention of wolves, the most controversial program in the natural resources space.
11:37 a.m. Clean energy
This is likely to be the part of the speech that gets the side-eye from Republicans: he’s mentioned a bill from Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder on financing for energy efficiency improvements. “We will continue to lead the way to tackle climate change an dpollution, with or without federal support.”
That got strong applause from Democrats and stoney silence from Republicans.
11:34 Transit
Polis continue to focus on high-density transit options. Nothing in the speech about fixing roads, bridges and highways, an issue Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, spoke to him about Wednesday. Polis focused instead on the Winter Park Express, and the high-speech rail along the I-70 mountain corridor to Craig.
Polis also spoke about RTD, a long-time target of his because of RTD’s failure to get light rail to Boulder and Longmont. “Trust but verify,” he said about the agency.
“We hear from local and regional partners around the state – in rural and urban communities – about the need to improve and add bus and train stations.”
11:33 Homeowners insurance
Polis is calling for reforms on the high cost of homeowner insurance.
11:29 a.m. Condos and construction defects
One of the most divisive topics in the 2024 session was on construction defects, a bitter battle between trial lawyers and realtors/builders. Three bills failed to get out of the legislature. Polis had little to say on the issue this year, but he’s indicating full-on support for a fix to the state’s construction defects law, which has blocked builders from constructing condos, considered the entry point for young families and the place where seniors can downsize from single family homes.
Polis called for meaningful conversation about construction defects reform, in a way that protects homeowners but makes it less expensive for builders to deliver housing. The main bill on this issue is being sponsored by Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster and Senate President James Coleman. Bird carried the construction defects reform bill in 2024; this year’s bill is expected to be quite different.
ANNOTATION: Last year, notably, lawmakers tried but failed to pass Senate Bill 106, which intends to assist the construction industry with what developers and others believe is the most significant barrier to building condos — the insurance cost for dealing with “construction defects.” That insurance can increase the individual price of a condo from $9,000 in the early 2000s to more than $41,000 in 2023. A report last September from the free-market think tank Common Sense Institute said that “insurance costs for condominiums surged to 5.5% of a project’s hard costs, more than 233% higher than multifamily rental home projects, which had insurance costs as low as 1.1% to 1.65% of project hard costs.” Insurance costs are tied to lawsuits over construction defects, according to supporters of SB 106. As introduced, SB 106 would modify the state’s 2001 Construction Defect Action Reform Act. That law set up a process for homeowners to sue builders when they find defects, which can range from serious issues, such as cracks in the foundation or HVAC problems, to smaller problems, such as defective cabinetry and leaks.
11:25 a.m. Vision for Colorado’s future
He’s heading into the meat of the speech: his priorities for 2025, including for the 2025 General Assembly. This starts with a salute to lawmakers who carried major legislation in 2024 on affordable housing (accessory dwelling units), housing in transit-oriented communities and property taxes.
11:23 a.m. “Free State of Colorado”
It’s a theme that you’ll hear throughout the speech, whether it’s on immigration, same-sex marriage (a constitutional measure adopted by voters in November) and abortion (also enshrined in the Constitution in November).
And in not-so-veiled swipe at Trump’s plans to enact the largest mass deportation in American history, the governor said that, in the “free state of Colorado, we stand strong against baseless attacks on law-abiding Coloradans who want nothing more than to contribute to our society.”
ANNOTATION: President-elect Donald Trump identified a Colorado city as the launching pad for what he dubbed “Operation Aurora,” the start of what he promised to be the largest mass deportation in American history. What “Operation Aurora” and mass deportations would look like remains to be seen. The Trump administration faces potential legal hurdles — the ACLU and other groups have been preparing for protracted court battles in anticipation of a second Trump presidency — and logistical ones, particularly since such a campaign, to be effective, would need the cooperation of local governments. The latter is unlikely in Colorado, a “sanctuary” state. No legal definition of a “sanctuary” city or state exists, but, broadly speaking, it refers to a community that expressly refuses to cooperate with federal authorities on enforcing immigration laws. Back in 2019, Colorado adopted a law whose provisions fall under the broad outlines of what constitutes a “sanctuary” state. Several Colorado counties have sued the state over the law. In addition, Colorado’s most populous city — Denver — is also a “sanctuary” city. Critics argued that the mass deportation plan would be costly, while supporters maintained that it’s not only feasible but necessary, particularly because Trump vowed to fight illegal immigration, a top issue for American voters, during his campaign. Supporters also argued that illegal immigration enforcement in America’s interior cities, along with strict border controls, would serve as a deterrent, much as Denver’s offer of free housing and transportation drew tens of thousands of immigrants to the city over a two-year period.
11:22 a.m. Onto the Trump administration and Republican control of Congress
“I refuse to allow the disagreement, division and disorder in Washington DC to deter us in Colorado…” as well as criticizing Trump for the tariffs he’s proposing.
ANNOTATION: From the Associated Press: President-elect Donald Trump has identified what he sees as an all-purpose fix for what ails America: Slap huge new tariffs on foreign goods entering the United States. On Monday, Trump sent shockwaves across the nation’s northern and southern borders, vowing sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, as well as China, as soon as he takes office as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. He said the new tariffs would remain in place “until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!”
11:21 a.m. Sundance
The governor’s support for moving the film festival to Colorado, which is the focus of a bill from Reps. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada; Speaker Julie McCluskie; and Sens. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder and Mark Baisley, R-Woodland Park, also got bipartisan applause.
11:20 a.m. Bipartisan applause and a standing ovation
For his support for keeping Space Command in Colorado.
11:19 a.m. A shout out to the Broncos and…
To the state’s newest sports team, the women’s soccer team, and also, “the Rockies play here.” ‘Nuff said.
11:17 a.m. Altitude
Simply breathing at this altitude is sometimes an act of strength, leading into a salute to the San Luis Valley and its potatoes, grown in “the largest and highest cro-producing alpine valley in the world.”
11:15 a.m. State of the State speech has begun
The speech takes aim at the Trump administration as well as attention to the issues he’s focused on in the past: affordability, including housing; climate, education and public safety. And the speech is liberally sprinkled with his favorite geeky cultural references: Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings and a Taylor Swift song lyric. But he started off with a moment of silence for the late President Jimmy Carter, whose funeral is taking place today in Washington, D.C.
11:14 a.m. The governor has arrived
Escorted by six lawmakers, the governor is making his way to the podium.
11:07 a.m. Senate President takes the gavel
Senate President James Coleman has taken the gavel to conduct the joint session, to a standing ovation from almost everyone.
He’s just asked the escort committee to “go get the governor,” in his inimitable style.
11:05 a.m. The joint session of the House and Senate has begun
Lawmakers, cabinet officials and dozens of invited guests are here. House Speaker Julie McCluskie jokingly asked the “Alec Garnett Social Club” to take their seats (the former House Speaker and former Polis chief of staff was chatting with Attorney General Phil Weiser, former Polis Chief of Staff Rick Palacio, State Treasurer Dave Young and current Polis Chief of Staff David Oppenheim.)
9:55 a.m. Polis gets on Facebook
Gov. Jared Polis got on his Facebook page to say he is about to give his seventh State of the State address. The annual address is slated to start around 11 a.m.
Polis to outline his agenda
Gov. Jared Polis is set to address the Colorado General Assembly this morning to outline his agenda for the year and persuade legislators to focus on his priorities, which will likely include a nod to affordability challenges amid complaints by businesses of overregulation.
Polis is also likely to talk about public safety and housing, two major issues that have consumed his last few years and which, at times, has put him at odds with lawmakers, notably members of his own party.
The governor is also likely to touch on climate-related policies, even as he is pushing the state to quickly transition away from fossil-fired energy and adopt “renewable” sources of power. Critics have said that transition is happening too fast and companies are struggling to comply with aggressive timelines to reduce their carbon emissions.
A recent study commissioned by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce says Colorado is the sixth-most regulated state in the country and nearly half of its roughly 200,000 regulations are “excessive or duplicative.” The finding poses negative ramifications on economic growth, on productivity and, ultimately, on residents, says the study, which is the latest to examine the state’s regulatory environment and to argue that the regulations lead to job losses associated with compliance costs and lost sales.
Affordability emerges as major issue of the session
On Wednesday, Senate President James Coleman welcomed the chamber back to work for the next 120 days.
Coleman said senators can agree that more needs to be done to meet Coloradans’ economic needs, such as a safe, affordable place to live, a well-funded school, and health care that won’t break the bank.
Senate Majority Leader Paul Lundeen said Colorado and the nation are “wrestling with its very soul,” with questions about what the state hopes to become.
He called on lawmakers to review and repeal policies that suffocate Coloradans and their businesses. These policies “wrap themselves around our economy, our communities, and our people like a wet blanket, stifling dreams, and snuffing out ambitions:” regulations, fees, and “disguised taxes” that collectively weigh heavily on Coloradans.
After leaders took the stage, the chamber unveiled the first 10 bills introduced, with several focusing on affordability, unions and guns.
In the House, leaders agreed that affordability for Colorado residents is the top priority this year.
Colorado Speaker of the House Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, and Minority Leader Rep. Rose Pugliese opened the new session by decrying the economic burden residents. But they also hinted of their divergent — and at times clashing — policy prescriptions.
McCluskie said the General Assembly is committed to reducing the cost of living for Coloradans, citing measures from last session that provided tax credits for community college students, as well as proposed legislation this year to tackle what sponsors described as rent-setting algorithms by landlords.
“Let’s foster an even stronger economy in this state by lowering costs for businesses and working families, and finding fair opportunity for all,” she said.
Pugliese echoed that message but approached affordability from a different angle.
“We as a legislature have to acknowledge the role that we have played in making Colorado unaffordable,” she said. “I think it is incredibly important that we have a conversation about fees. Literally, people are talking about these fees at the door and that they cannot afford to raise their families here. Seniors are scared that they’ll have to leave the state because they can’t live on a fixed income.”
She added: “The legislature did that. And when we talk about affordable and attainable housing, we, the legislature, we did that.”
The House also introduced the first 10 bills of the session, pushing for affordability in healthcare, childcare and other areas for residents.
Colorado lawmakers suggest chief justice’s request for new judges may be nonstarter
Also yesterday, some members of the legislature’s powerful budget committee cautioned Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez on Tuesday that it would be difficult to justify a spending increase for new judgeships in light of substantial cuts to be made elsewhere.
Márquez appeared before the Joint Budget Committee to field questions about the Judicial Department’s $813.2 million budget request for the upcoming fiscal year. The top priority, she said, was the creation of 29 new judgeships over a two-year period. The total cost, including associated staff, would exceed $20 million annually.
“What our judges need right now, particularly in districts where they’re feeling quite overwhelmed — they need hope. They just need hope that relief is coming,” said Márquez, adding that the judiciary would remain understaffed even if lawmakers approved the request.
“We’re beginning to lose judges who are choosing to leave because of workload overwhelm. We are starting to backslide in recent gains among diversity of our bench and we’re seeing an unfortunate drop-off in applications for judicial vacancies,” she continued. “This does not bode well for the future of our judiciary.”
In response, Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton, described at length how the roughly $672 million budget deficit facing the state would make it impossible to entertain any new spending.
“We can’t afford any of it,” she said. “You have said several times you wish to be good partners. Well, from my perspective, being a good partner is: you need to help us find where we’re gonna make cuts. Certainly not make increases.”
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Publish date : 2025-01-09 03:00:00
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