Colorado Gov. Jared Polis delivered his seventh State of the State address Thursday, delving into Donald Trump, housing policy, public safety and “The Lord of the Rings.”
The speech in the Colorado House chambers before state lawmakers, members of his cabinet and statewide elected officials lasted 55 minutes.
The Colorado Sun pored through the speech and talked to lawmakers about what was in it to annotate the address.
Find our analysis in the gray boxes. We added the full names of the state lawmakers mentioned in the governor’s address for clarity. We also edited the speech for style. Otherwise, the following is a direct transcript of the governor’s address.
Welcome.
As you know, today is a national day of mourning, and of course it’s appropriate to begin with a moment of silence in memory of President Jimmy Carter, whose funeral is being held today in Washington, D.C. Please rise for a moment of silence.
Thank you. You may be seated.
You know on this day of national mourning we should all take to heart the spirit and the integrity of service, regardless of whether you agreed or disagreed with Jimmy Carter, the great integrity and spirit that he brought with him — of course as a public official — but just as importantly that he embodied in life post-presidency.
In Colorado, our gentle and welcoming spirit reflects our magnificent landscape. We always rise above — as a beacon of freedom and opportunity — a home for innovation and ingenuity. We are a people of honesty and integrity.
Altitude, rising above — that’s part of who we are as Coloradans, from our highest point at 14,440 feet atop Mount Elbert, to our lowest elevation at 3,315 feet at the Arikaree River in Yuma County. In fact, our lowest point is actually the highest point of many other states.
Living here in Colorado, sometimes simply breathing can be an act of strength, a fortification of mind and body, a constant reminder of our resolve. Altitude is in many ways our secret ingredient to our unrivaled agriculture industry, including our San Luis Valley potatoes, grown in the largest and highest crop-producing alpine valley in the world. Assistant Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson hosted me on his farm near Alamosa where I signed a bipartisan law to protect our water resources and support farmers and ranchers to adopt practices that build healthy soil and drought resilience.
It was interesting that the first lawmaker Polis mentioned in his speech was Simpson, a Republican.
Polis was highlighting a bipartisan bill creating tax credit for farmers and ranchers who use sustainable practices, like rotating crops or reducing tilling, which he signed into law at Simpson’s Mountain Valley Farms in Center in May. He also signed a bipartisan bill to study green infrastructure options for water quality facilities at the same event.
Athletes from around the world come to train and compete at Colorado altitude, whether its in Boulder or the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, looking for a taste of the grit and endurance that pushes athletes and our championship teams, including the playoff-bound, Buffalo Bills-bustin’ Denver Broncos! And attracting new teams, like Colorado’s newly announced National Women’s Soccer League team coming to Colorado. And also the Rockies play here. There’s always next year.
News outlets reported last week that the National Women’s Soccer League will grant Colorado an expansion team. The official announcement is pending.
The Broncos take on the Bills at 11 a.m. Sunday in Buffalo in their first trip to the NFL playoffs since 2015, when Peyton Manning was Denver’s quarterback.
The Rockies have consistently been among the worst teams in professional baseball in recent years.
Altitude is more than a place to put down roots. It’s a pathway to the stars. It is the high road that means we’re a mile closer to space, the epicenter of our nation’s aerospace industry and proud supporters of military readiness, and of course contributes to Colorado being the rightful and permanent home of U.S. Space Command. At altitude, the sun’s rays shine stronger and brighter, spotlighting our bold leadership in everything from innovative technology to the creative arts. Last year, working with Representatives Alex Valdez, Matt Soper, and Senator Jeff Bridges, Colorado made history, winning the coveted opportunity to establish Colorado as America’s tech hub for quantum technology.
The governor’s line about Space Command elicited a standing ovation from Democrats and Republicans.
President-elect Donald Trump is widely expected to move the headquarters to Alabama when he takes office. President Joe Biden in 2023 reversed a decision Trump made in the eleventh hour of his first administration to send Space Command to the southern state from Colorado Springs.
The headquarters battle is a rare area where Colorado Republicans have shown a willingness to push back on Trump. Keeping the HQ in Colorado is a priority for politicians and the business community.
This year, along with our legislative champions Speaker Julie McCluskie, Representative Brianna Titone, Senators Judy Amabile and Mark Baisley, our sights are set on raising the curtain for Colorado as the new home of the world-famous Sundance Film Festival.
Boulder is one of three cities still in the running to host the massive Sundance Film Festival, which is looking to leave its current home of Park City, Utah, in 2027. A decision is expected after this year’s festival concludes Feb. 2.
Amabile, Baisley, McCluskie and Titone on Wednesday dangled a significant incentive in House Bill 1005. If it passes, it would create “a new refundable tax credit only if at least one qualified film festival with a multi-decade operating history and a verifiable track record of attracting 100,000 or more in-person ticket sales and over 10,000 out-of-state and international attendees (global film festival) commences the relocation of the festival to Colorado by Jan. 1, 2026.”
In Colorado, good enough is not good enough.
We aim to do more, to do better, for more people to climb higher, to improve our standard of living. To keep communities cleaner and safer. To increase access to housing that Coloradans can actually afford and to offer the jobs, careers and businesses that we want, we need, we deserve. To protect our wild spaces. To help every student thrive — right here, right now. No excuses.
To save people money on everything from groceries to health care. To show hardworking taxpayers that we respect their efforts and will be good stewards of their tax dollars.
You know, last year after my speech, pundits said things like “Polis, as expected, underscored housing and affordability,” and “the governor is a nerd” who loves sci-fi references. And I guess they’re right.
The governor was referencing The Sun’s annotated version of his speech in 2024. Respectfully, governor, we are not pundits. And you are, indeed, a nerd.
Because what really matters most to Coloradans is what matters to most of us, and that’s saving money and the cost of living. And yes, there are a few more “Star Trek” fans out there than you may realize.
Told you so. He’s a nerd.
Our values and our way of life are not dependent on who is in the White House or who is in the United States Congress. And I refuse to allow the disagreement, division or disorder in Washington, D.C., to deter us in Colorado. That’s simply not how we roll. Here in this legislature, in our state, we can and we will do better.
My principle is simple: I’ll always work with everyone and anyone when it’s good for Colorado, and I will oppose anyone and everyone when it hurts our people or it hurts our state. Very simple.
This was Polis’ first reference to President-elect Donald Trump. The Democrat returned to Trump many times in his address.
Just as I spoke out against President Joe Biden’s solar tariffs that could increase energy costs for Coloradans, I will strongly criticize President Donald Trump’s proposed in many ways even worse tariffs that would raise the costs of everything from groceries to housing to energy.
Alongside Commissioner Kate Greenberg and our hardworking farmers, we worked with the federal government to open the Mexican domestic market to Colorado-grown potatoes and will fight against misguided efforts that threaten the progress we’ve made, hurt our farmers or ranchers, or drive up the price of groceries.
In 2022, Colorado potato farmers were finally able to begin shipping their tubers into Mexico beyond the first 26 kilometers past the border. It was a battle farmers had been fighting for decades and one that was resolved by a decision by a Mexican judge.
At the time, growers nationwide expected the ruling could grow fresh potato exports to Mexico to $250 million by 2027.
Polis is referring here to Trump’s threats to enact large tariffs on imported goods, a move that likely would result in market implications for growers sending produce and meat to Mexico.
Now, none of us need to shy away from disagreements on policy — be it with the president of the United States, between any members of the legislature, or, yes, even with me. But let me be clear — there is a big difference between disagreeing on policy and attacking our democratic institutions.
The governor frequently clashes with members of the legislature, namely Democrats, on policy. This line received some eye rolls.
“I appreciate the separation of powers,” said Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, a Denver Democrat. “I think the bills we’re running are good for my caucus and good for what we stand for as Democrats.”
In the free state of Colorado, we’ll fight against any attempt to rob us of our freedom.
In the free state of Colorado, we understand what government is, and isn’t here to do.
This is a new line the governor coined for his State of the State address. He repeated it many times during the speech and was a theme, similar to his use of altitude and elevation.
Government is not here to dictate who we love, who you marry, or if, when, and if and when to choose to start a family.
Democrats gave a standing ovation for this line, which referenced abortion access. Republicans uniformly stayed seated.
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.
In the free state of Colorado, we protect and expand our freedom, tempered by the knowledge that freedom demands personal responsibility and accountability. And we know the only way to continue to climb higher to even greater altitude is together.
Regardless of what happens in Washington, D.C., we’re going to keep our eye on the ball, on what matters most to Coloradans: affordability, livability, sustainability.
Much like our iconic aspen groves — among the largest living organisms in the world — we know that sometimes what appears on the surface to stand alone is often interconnected by roots that run deep. And that also holds true for our vision of Colorado’s future.
It’s a vision in which Coloradans can live safe in our vibrant communities, in homes that we can afford, near convenient transit, near job centers, with clean air to breathe, fresh water to drink, high-quality and affordable health care.
And while on the surface, these priorities may seem to stand alone, by digging a little deeper, we can see the roots that connect our climate goals, our transit goals, our health care goals, our affordability goals — just like our beautiful aspen tree groves, or an even larger organism — mycorrhizal fungi networks, or Wood Wide Webs. We’re all interconnected.
This attempt at humor fell flat. There were groans in the House chamber.
When people can walk, or bike to get where they want to go, guess what, it can improve their health. So there’s so many ways that we can address these issues working together. And I’m proud that working with you last year we took real meaningful steps to deliver more housing and reduce costs and I want to thank you for coming together to take some of the first important steps to help housing supply start to catch up with demand while cutting property taxes and lowering the residential property tax rate, thanks to the work of Speaker Julie McCluskie, Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, and Senator Barb Kirkmeyer and Senator Lisa Frizell, thank you.
And from giving Coloradans more freedom to build accessory dwelling units on their property, thanks to work of Senator Judy Amabile, Senator Tony Exum, Senator Kyle Mullica and Representative Ron Weinberg, to expanding housing near transit and job centers, thanks to the work of Representative Steven Woodrow, soon to be Senator Iman Jodeh, I guess Representative Jodeh, I don’t know. Ending discriminatory occupancy limits, thanks to the work of Representative Manny Rutinel and Senator Julie Gonzales. And very importantly, getting rid of parking requirements above and beyond what people or the market want or need, thanks to the work of Representative Woodrow and Senator Nick Hinrichsen. With these policies in place, we’re starting to make it easier to build housing that’s inherently more affordable, fill critical gaps in communities where the needs are greatest, to power our economy.
There’s a growing consensus among urban planners that local restrictions on housing density and parking requirements have constrained the supply of housing and contributed to rising costs. But efforts to change that have been a politically dicey proposition, dominating state politics over the past two years. In the 2024 session, lawmakers passed several bills to promote the construction of higher density housing, particularly along transit corridors.
In Colorado, we say “yes” to more housing. We say “yes” to unlocking prosperity. We say “yes” to opportunity for Coloradans at every budget level. And to narrow the gap between supply and demand, we need to continue this important work to expand choice and speed up timelines and reduce red tape and costs for new housing to come to the market.
We’re looking to do this in three key ways: working with Senator Jeff Bridges and Senator Tony Exum, leaning into innovation to streamline the process for modular housing options to be built faster, at lower cost with new emerging technologies. Working with Representative Andrew Boesenecker and Representative Woodrow to empower builders to build smart-stair apartments or homes; and, alongside Representative Andrew Boesenecker and Representative Javier Mabrey, and Senator Julie Gonzales, allowing faith-based and educational partners to use land they have to build housing that we need for our communities.
This is known as the “Yes In God’s Backyard movement,” which has been spreading across the country in recent years as affordable housing advocates look for ways to increase the supply of units.
We’re already seeing faith leaders across the state step up to be a part of Colorado’s housing future, including at Solid Rock Christian Center in Colorado Springs, now home to 77 affordable housing units on church property. And today, we are joined by Pastor Ben Anderson from Colorado Springs. Thank you for your work Pastor Ben.
And we’re excited to do what we can to help faith leaders and school districts round the state be able to do more work on providing the housing that we know that we need that people can afford.
And rather than force developers to build massive one-size-fits-all apartments that take up entire city blocks, let’s empower them to build apartments or homes that are affordable and fit the neighborhood through smart-stair reform.
Last year lawmakers introduced House Bill 1239, directing local governments to adopt building codes allowing multistory, multifamily buildings to be designed around a single stairwell, as they were before modern fire-safety codes were adopted requiring buildings to have two sets of stairs. The idea is to devote more space in a building to living units and encourage more diverse building forms. Though similar codes have been adopted in New York and Seattle, the bill did not make it out of committee.
To unlock housing supply, we need to allow more housing Coloradans want that Coloradans can afford. And that often includes the need for more condo construction, which often start at a lower price point, providing affordable homeownership, and with it, the foundation for wealth building — building a nest egg for financial security. And yet in Colorado, we’ve had a major decline in condo construction. Before 2008, condos made up about 20% of new home starts in Colorado, dropping to about 5% now. About 10 years ago there were nearly 3,000 condos on the market under $400,000. Last year, there were only 22.
It’s not just Colorado. Condominium construction has fallen to near all-time lows nationwide, according to the Urban Institute.
Today there are more than 400 condo listings under $400,000 on Zillow in Denver alone.
Now in the past, this conversation about meaningful condo liability reforms that of course balance homeowner protections and de-risk the market but fundamentally allow more condos to be built has often been stifled. Now it’s time to turn the page to have a real dialogue about what’s preventing condos from being built in our state, and to finally solve for it.
I know we can get this done in a way that protects homeowners of course when there is a defect, but also makes it less expensive and cumbersome for builders of all kinds to start projects and deliver housing for the people of our state.
A bipartisan bill in the legislature last year aimed at making it harder for condominium owners to sue builders failed, highlighting how so-called construction defects measures are so contentious.
If a similar bill is pursued this year, it’s likely to face a rocky road.
“I think there needs to be some compromise,” said Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, a Denver Democrat who has chafed at legislative efforts in the past to make it harder to sue homebuilders. “It’s always making sure that somebody who (makes) their largest investment of their life on their house that they have recourse if their house was built fault.”
The governor, in a news conference after the speech, did not offer specifics on what changes to Colorado’s construction defects laws that he would like to see.
We look forward to working with you starting today side-by-side, along with Representative Shannon Bird and President James Coleman to make condo ownership an achievable dream for more Colorado families — starting now!
Coleman, a Denver Democrat, worked on last year’s bill but said before the session that he would sit on the sidelines this time around.
We are also seeing — in Colorado and across the country and of course, as homeowners or renters, many of you have experienced this — skyrocketing homeowners insurance rates. I hear from Coloradans across our state — I’m sure you have too — who either can’t find coverage or who are seeing very large increases and getting priced out of the market for the coverage that they have. And the rising cost of insurance of course doesn’t just affect homeowners. It‘s also passed along to renters, too.
Just as “Lord of the Rings” fans know that one does not simply walk into Mordor, one does not simply fix homeowners insurance.
Nerd.
There’s many factors that contribute, largely the increased risk of hail and fire. But we need to start somewhere, and we need to start now.
Wildfires and hail storms are responsible for massive insured losses in Colorado and people attempting to buy coverage for their vehicles and homes have begun to feel it in big premium hikes.
The wind-driven Marshall fire that raced through Superior, Louisville and unincorporated Boulder County three years ago, burning 1,000 structures, was, as of Thursday, the 10th most costly U.S. wildfire on record, with about $2.8 billion in insured losses.
The fire likely will drop off that list as losses attributed to the fires burning in and around Los Angeles are already projected to exceed $50 billion.
Today, I’m calling for needed reforms to tackle the high cost of homeowners insurance and expand access so every homeowner can get the insurance they need, learn more about ways to reduce their rates and thanks to the leadership of Speaker Julie McCluskie, and Representatives Brianna Titone and Kyle Brown and Senator Judy Amabile, and Assistant Majority Leader Lisa Cutter — we appreciate their work helping to deal with the largest cost drivers like hail and fire, and looking at risk-reduction efforts that can directly translate to lower costs for everyone.
Rep. Brianna Titone, an Arvada Democrat, told The Colorado Sun her bill will aim to make insurance companies more transparent with homeowners about the wildfire dangers they face, so they have more information about steps they can take to mitigate that risk.
“Insurance companies will give you a wildfire score if you ask them. Some of them give it to you a little bit more freely, but they don’t tell you much about what that score means,” Titone said. “Once we get enough people participating in reducing their risk, then rates will inevitably come down.”
Polis, at his news conference, also wants insurance companies to pay for roofs that need to be replaced because of hail damage to be replaced with hail-resistant roofs.
“The most substantial thing that we can do moving forward is to make sure that as people’s roofs are replaced, they’re replaced with hail-proof roofs that can resist hail and can live for a longer time with hail,” the governor said.
And as we address climate-induced costs, like rising homeowners insurance, we’re also focused on giving Coloradans more options to get where we need to go.
Transportation congestion isn’t just annoying for all of us — it’s also a leading source of pollution, and by expanding public transit and rail options, we can save people time and money on daily commutes and getting where they want to go while improving our air quality and decreasing traffic congestion.
We won key federal funding and made a $90 million down payment for passenger rail expansion on the Front Range. We secured a framework thanks to the work of John Putnam and Lisa Kaufmann for the Moffat Tunnel lease to put us on track for Mountain Rail Service.
Lisa Kaufmann is the governor’s former chief of staff and longtime political confidant. She was seated front and center during the speech, next to Polis’ husband, Marlon Reis.
Kaufmann is often entrusted with spearheading the governor’s most important projects. In his final years in office, she has been focusing on his legacy goals.
Putnam is a senior adviser to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
And thanks to the steps we’ve taken, starting today, Jan. 9 —this was a coincidence — the Winter Park Express will now run five days a week, at lower cost, from Denver’s Union Station to Winter Park.
Tickets as low as $19 for adults and $10 for kids.
But we’re not done yet. And we’re not yet to the point where Scotty can beam us up to Craig. But with the support of Speaker Julie McCluskie, Senator Dylan Roberts, and Representative Meghan Lukens, we are well on our way to offering affordable, reliable, convenient — dare I say — fun service between Denver and Granby by 2026, and then of course onwards to Craig.
Front Range rail is the long-term goal for Polis, but last year he started talking about resuming passenger train service from Denver to Craig. That now seems more feasible in the near future given the tracks and stations already exist.
We haven’t heard him use the 2026 date before, though. That would be just before his final term as governor ends.
Last year, we brought together Colorado’s leading oil and gas producers and environmental advocates — people who seldom see eye to eye — but thanks to the support of Speaker Julie McCluskie, Assistant Majority Leader Lisa Cutter, Representative Elizabeth Velasco and many others, we reached a historic agreement that will boost Colorado from 42nd in the nation for transit funding to 23rd.
These steps move us closer to a Colorado where you can step out of your door and choose from a variety of affordable, convenient, reliable ways to get where you want to go while of course cutting down on pollution and traffic. And even if you’re not somebody who wants to bike or take the bus or walk or take the train you still benefit because, guess what? Other people will and that means less traffic for you!
To make this vision into a reality, it takes all of us working together — and that means state, regional, and local partners. My administration has sought to partner with RTD to support RTD with new funding, from some of these new efforts, but we also need to continue to push for better governance, more budget transparency and accountability, and ultimately, a district that is laser focused on getting more people where they need to go.
The governor was behind an effort last year to reshape the RTD board and give Colorado’s governor more say over who sits on it. The measure failed after being panned by the transit agency.
I know that’s a goal that we share, increasing ridership. And having an A-plus transit agency for Colorado’s largest metropolitan area is absolutely critical to meet the needs of a growing state, to achieve our climate goals, and while we trust, we also must verify. And I want to thank Senator Faith Winter, Representatives Meg Froelich and William Lindstedt for continuing to lead this very important effort.
We hear from local and regional partners across the state — in rural and in urban communities — about the need to improve and add bus and train stations to ensure riders can safely and easily get where they want to go. And we look forward to using innovative financing tools at the state level to help meet this need and encourage new stations and help our local partners boost ridership.
Polis’ emphasis on transit drew sharp criticism from Republicans, who say the administration has neglected the state’s roads in favor of transit options that relatively few people use.
“The people of Colorado are voting with their feet. They’re saying no (to mass transit),” said Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen of Monument. “It’s money out of the people’s pockets to create social engineering programs that the people of Colorado don’t want to be a part of.”
“We as an agricultural community need to get our commodities to market, and it’s really hard to do that when our roads are in such a shambles,” added Sen. Byron Pelton, a Republican from Sterling. “It’s the No. 1 concern that I keep getting over and over and over from my constituents, is how bad our transportation system is in rural Colorado, but all the emphasis from this administration is that they need to fix climate change first — transit and EV chargers.”
Our housing and transit goals go hand in hand with our air quality goals, our climate goals and our affordability goals.
More, better, less-expensive options to get where you want to go, housing closer to job centers and transit hubs, save money and mean less pollution and less congestion.
As they say in “The Mandalorian” — “this is the way.” The way to build a clean energy future, to tap into low-cost clean energy, to protect Coloradans from volatile price swings in natural gas, to save people money, and to create jobs.
Nerd. (It’s OK. We’re nerds, too.)
We’re working with local government to end costly permitting delays and automate processing of rooftop solar and other clean energy applications. These fixes will help reduce lag time, and allow local governments to focus on other important priorities, while making it easier for Coloradans and homeowners and businesses to buy low-cost clean energy.
We are also working with Representative Junie Joseph on a bill that will help more Coloradans save more money and reduce pollution with low-cost financing for energy efficiency improvements in their homes, which can then be paid back over time from their savings on utility bills.
And while we welcome help from Washington, D.C., to accelerate our transition to better transit and to a clean energy future, Colorado will continue to lead the way to tackle climate change and pollution — with or without federal help.
We are truly masters of our own destiny. And our bold climate action protects what helps make Colorado special: our incredible quality of life, our air, our water, our land, our iconic wild spaces.
This was kind of a gut-check line from Polis. He was reassuring Coloradans that no matter what happens on the federal stage under Trump, Colorado will go its own way.
Thanks to the steps we’re taking together, including last year with Senate Bill 230, starting next year we’ll have over $50 million more to preserve our public lands and wildlife. And we continue to find new and innovative ways to support our thriving outdoor recreation sector that contributes over $36 billion and over 400,000 jobs to our economy each year. And that includes looking at new funding streams for the care and preservation and access to our great outdoors, building on the success of Keep Colorado Wild pass, which cut the cost of entry to Colorado’s amazing 43 state parks, and expanded access to all Coloradans and outdoor equity to make sure that every Coloradan knows that the outdoors are for them and that they have a place in enjoying what Colorado has to offer.
The governor is referencing revenue from a new fee on oil and gas produced in Colorado.
Since my days in Congress, and in my time as governor, I am focused on making government more efficient. Simple ideas like eliminating the penny would save hundreds of millions of dollars. Here in Colorado, digitizing services — like we’ve done with the MyColorado app — and making DMV and tax services more easily available to people, helps make government more efficient, accessible and responsive.
I am proud that we have recruited the best and brightest from the private sector to work on digitizing government through Colorado Digital Services, which has become a national model. We’re working with Senator Mike Weissman to drive efficiency and close tax loopholes. And a few weeks ago, I sawed through 208 old executive orders — some going back a century — cutting down, quite literally, on needless bureaucracy and paperwork.
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Now, continuing this work to reduce unnecessary laws and regulations requires your help. I urge the legislature, in partnership with the Colorado Chamber, Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, to take a good look at all of Colorado’s laws and regulations and honestly question whether they are balancing consumer protection, health, and safety with minimizing red tape and reducing costs for the private sector and for Coloradans.
As you make this review, you’ll have our full cooperation and I encourage thinking about what more could be done to unleash small businesses and drive economic growth in our great state.
We all have a role to play to foster a healthy business environment that works for everyone. That includes protecting business certainty and keeping our economy competitive and ensuring good wages and opportunities for all Coloradans.
It means engaging in good faith with those that you may not agree with on sticky issues, hearing one another’s concerns, and making changes when and where possible. Knowing that just because you can pursue a costly and divisive fight doesn’t mean you should.
In the words of Taylor Swift, “I think I’ve seen this film before and I don’t like the ending.” She’s a little better than me.
Polis is a self-described “Swiftie.” He is also objectively pretty bad at singing.
Together, we can take steps to keep Colorado the best place to live, work and to do business.
We’re working with Majority Leader Monica Duran and Representative Meg Froelich to strengthen our wage theft laws in an effective way to ensure that workers are paid the money that they’ve earned and are owed for the work they do. It is also now time to address the way local minimum and tipped wage credit works to ensure restaurants — so important to the fabric of our communities — can thrive across the state and that workers, including those in both the front and the back of the house, can make a good wage.
Polis is referencing a coming proposal that would change state law to let local governments increase the minimum wage in their jurisdictions without it affecting the tipped minimum wage in a way that places a disproportionate burden on business owners.
The Labor Peace Act in Colorado has a long history. Since its inception in 1943, that’s the year before my parents were born, the act has provided a path to require that workers have mandatory dues deducted from their paychecks via election to get their consent.
In fact, business interests and organized labor have worked together to preserve this compromise by blocking efforts to move Colorado to become the 27th right-to-work state — and that’s something I agree on, that we should not be a right-to-work state.
In that same spirit of collaboration, my ask is that if there are any efforts to reform the Labor Peace Act, that they include the support of both workers and business to avoid the rancorous fights of the past.
On Wednesday, the first day of the 2025 lawmaking term in Colorado, Democrats in the legislature introduced a bill that would eliminate a barrier before unions and employers can negotiate whether all employees should have to pay representation fees to the union, whether they are part of the union or not. That’s known as union security.
Right now, those union security negotiations can only happen after a vote of employees, and it requires as much as 75% of eligible workers’ support to pass.
The governor previously told The Sun that he’s “leery” of the change. Business groups are vehemently opposed.
“Colorado’s current labor laws strike a unique balance between unions, employees and the business community. Protecting this balance is a top priority,” Loren Furman, who leads the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, said in a written statement.
Supporters of the change were less than enthused with the governor’s remarks on the Labor Peace Act.
“He said ‘free state’ a lot of times and ‘getting rid of regulations,’ so I think government shouldn’t be involved with negotiations between employees or their employer,” said Rodriguez, the Senate majority leader and a lead sponsor of the bill to change the Labor Peace Act.
“I don’t know what a compromise might look like, or if there is one,” added Titone, a Democrat from Arvada. “This is a very, very old law.”
And if there is a possible agreement to change the status quo that’s served to avoid significant disputes for more than 80 years, we look forward to working with you together to find it.
For reference, the status quo is that of the 25 union security votes taken in Colorado since early 2020, 16 have passed.
The governor said during his news conference that he’s not sure how the needle should be thread on the issue — and he suggested it may not happen.
“I don’t know if there’s a new compromise that can withstand the test of time for 80 years, that business and labor can come together and work on but I’m hopeful that there is,” Polis said.
This year, we’re navigating a return to tighter budget conditions thanks to lower inflation and increasing health care costs.
This is true, but it’s not the only reason the state faces a shortfall that could be north of $1 billion. Budget officials say the state has had a structural deficit for years, relying on federal funding to help sustain the recent growth of key services like Medicaid, K-12 and higher education. Those federal dollars are drying up, leaving the lawmakers unable to continue increasing spending on these programs at the same rates they have in recent years.
The balanced budget I’ve put forth includes proposals that pair meaningful cuts with new enterprises; the conversion of Pinnacol to better support workers for the future; and targeted, high-impact investments to improve public safety, fully fund our schools, and protect our social safety net.
State leaders committed to paying off the budget stabilization factor last year, a Great Recession-era finance tool that allowed the state to fund schools below their constitutionally required level as the state grappled with a financial crisis.
Doing away with that last year meant Colorado funded its schools to the level required by the state constitution for the first time since 2009. However, even with that boost in school funding, dollars only stretched so far as they would in the late 1980s when accounting for inflation and enrollment growth.
Eliminating the budget stabilization factor did not actually allow the state to fund schools at a level reflecting current student needs, school district officials say. The state would need to pump an additional $3.5 billion to $4.1 billion into education to adequately fund public school students, according to recent results from two studies commissioned by the legislature.
I want to thank the JBC for their leadership and for partnering with us to do the difficult work of making cuts while thinking creatively about how to avoid bad outcomes. This is going to be hard, so hug a JBC member when you see one.
“We could use hugs right now,” said Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Greenwood Village Democrat and chair of the Joint Budget Committee, which drafts the state budget. “Every hug counts.”
Bridges even solicited a hug from a Colorado Sun reporter.
We look forward to working together with you all to ensure that even and especially in light of the tough budgetary environment we find ourselves in, we’ll continue to put the needs of Coloradans first.
Nothing communicates genuine quality of life better than a safe and secure community. Three years ago, I established the bold goal of making Colorado one of the 10 safest states in the country. And we, working with you, got right to work.
Democrats and Republicans came together to pass a common-sense, data-driven public safety plan to crack down on crime, to prevent it from happening in the first place. And these targeted investments are making a real difference. From 2023 to the same period in 2024, crime rates dropped in every category, essentially:
- 20,000 fewer property crimes — that’s 15% less
- 21 fewer homicides — that’s 9% less
- 8,000 fewer car thefts — that’s a 26% decrease
We know there’s a lot more work to do.
Last year, I called on the legislature to empower the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to crack down on illegal firearm activity. And together, we added a stronger law sponsored by Senator Tom Sullivan and Majority Leader Monica Duran and Representative Meg Froelich, that has resulted in 62 illegal firearms seized in the past four months alone, making our streets, neighborhoods and communities safer.
But to make Colorado the front-runner in public safety, there’s more work to do.
This includes boosting Colorado’s emergency dispatch system to ensure that our brave and dedicated first responders can get where they’re needed without delay. It includes working with Representative Ryan Armagost and Majority Leader Monica Duran to strengthen the penalty for theft of a firearm, regardless of market value.
A bill last year that would have done this was rejected in the House by Democrats who worried it would lead to overpolicing of communities of color. But that measure didn’t have Duran as a lead sponsor — and it didn’t have an explicit endorsement from the governor.
And while crime rates are down statewide, one area in need of improvement is preventing and reducing youth crime. That’s why my budget calls for additional support to prevent crime from happening, expand resources for youth, and increase bed capacity at the Division of Youth Services so young adults who do enter the criminal justice system can get back on track and avoid becoming repeat offenders. Under my proposal, youth offenders who are currently being sent all over the state will be able to stay closer to home to get the support they need faster from their families and their communities.
Our commitment to public safety extends to all who call our state home — people and animals alike.
The governor did not mention the bill being pursued by a large number of Democrats who would ban the purchase, sale and transfer of semiautomatic rifles and shotguns, as well as a slate of semiautomatic pistols, if they have detachable ammunition magazines.
The governor’s office said Polis is reviewing the bill, but he is expected to be a hurdle to the legislation becoming law.
The governor dodged a question about the bill during his news conference, saying he was focused on changing the law around penalties for gun theft.
Livestock theft is unfortunately not a thing of the past, and we are committed to holding cattle rustlers accountable, with local sheriffs and brand inspectors leading the way. I’ve directed our leaders at the Department of Agriculture and Department of Public Safety to coordinate and provide additional support, working closely with local law enforcement, to use the full extent of the law to catch and convict wrongdoers.
Western Slope ranchers reported at least 187 head of cattle, mostly calves, missing from summer grazing pastures this fall. Colorado Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg confirmed this coordinated commitment to catching rustlers Wednesday evening during a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting.
We’ll continue to support our ranchers, and I am glad by the way that National Western moved the Stock Show parade back an hour so I can speak for another hour.
The National Western Stock Show said in a news release it was delaying the parade start because of weather concerns.
It was actually because of the snow. But thank you to National Western.
Safer communities are more humane communities and we should also create and enforce tougher penalties to crack down on illegal wildlife trafficking, which is often linked to other crimes like gun, drug and human trafficking.
Our partners in law enforcement play a key role in making Colorado safer, and I am proud that today we’re joined by Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown, La Plata County Sheriff Sean Smith, Moffat County Sheriff KC Hume, Prowers County Sheriff Sam Zordel, Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain, Arvada Police Chief Ed Brady, and leaders from the Colorado State Patrol. Thank you for the work you do.
This election, voters made their voices heard clearly to support strong public safety measures, including support for crime victims, investing in law enforcement to help attract and retain quality police officers, and providing more certainty in sentencing for the most serious offenses.
I want to thank and congratulate Majority Leader Monica Duran and Representative Meg Froelich, for their leadership on Proposition KK, which will bring valuable support, dedicated for victims services, school safety and behavioral health, including for our brave and dedicated veterans. Thank you, Majority Leader Duran.
I’m also confident that, thanks to the action of the voters passing Proposition 130, we will as a state be a better partner in funding law enforcement, with $350 million in support for hiring, retention and training.
Our brave and dedicated police officers give their time, talent and tragically sometimes their lives to keep our communities safe.
Proposition 130 also 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 that 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 Nov. 6, receives the support that was passed the day before his death.
Golden Police officers Evan Dunn and Bethany Grusing were outside their patrol cars Nov. 6, investigating a crash near Colorado 58 and Washington Avenue when a suspected drunken driver struck them. Dunn and Grusing were pinned under a vehicle. Dunn died. The day before on Election Day, Colorado voters had approved Proposition 130, which, as part of a $350 million infusion for law enforcement, established a $1 million death benefit for law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
The measure did not set a deadline for when the money had to be spent, and members of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee have signaled they plan to postpone spending as they contend with a nearly $1 billion budget deficit.
“The voters of Colorado made it really clear they want us to increase our support of law enforcement and did not put a timetable on when that needs to happen,” said Bridges, the JBC chair.
Bridges said the funding should start this year, but that balancing it with the need to fund education, Medicaid and other programs is “a huge challenge.”
And we’re joined today by Golden Chief of Police Joe Harvey and Officer Dunn’s widow, Annalise.
Annalise, we extend to you our deepest condolences. And thank you for joining us here today.
It is now our role and responsibility to implement the will of the voters.
The governor wants the law changed so that Annalise Dunn can collect the benefit even though it technically didn’t go into effect until after her husband was killed.
In addition to funding for public safety and the other public safety-related measure, this election, Coloradans voted in favor of a number of measures and — whether individual voters agree or disagree with them — it is now our responsibility to implement those measures in good faith with full fidelity to voter intent.
Coloradans voted to establish a veterinary professional associate — like a PA for humans — to help fill workforce shortages and expand access to quality veterinary care.
The State Board of Veterinary Medicine will implement this measure and fulfill the will of the voters while ensuring high standards of protection for animals and for consumers. And we encourage any of you to share input you have with the veterinary board.
Coloradans also voted overwhelmingly to enshrine fundamental freedoms into our Constitution and to help ensure the state of Colorado remains free.
This includes a ballot measure that took hateful definitions out of our constitution and allows the legislature to protect the right to marry who you love.
The voters also approved constitutional language to protect the fundamental right for a woman to make her own reproductive health care choices, including abortion.
This line drew loud cheers and an ovation from Democrats in the room. Republicans, who opposed the ballot measure, sat silent.
And now we work to implement the will of the people and where necessary — and only where necessary — pass implementing legislation consistent with the spirit that those measures were passed.
To be clear, in Colorado, we have zero tolerance for those who commit crimes, whether they are American citizens or not.
And I truly hope that President-elect Trump and Congress can work together quickly to secure the border, stop human trafficking and stop the illegal flow of guns and drugs. And as a state, we welcome more federal help to detain and deport dangerous criminals. I also hope that Congress finally provides legal pathways to citizenship for Dreamers and those who seek to come out of the shadows to help make Colorado greater.
There are thousands of immigrants living in Colorado who have protection from deportation under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
DACA shields people who were brought as children to the U.S. illegally by their parents from being deported. DACA recipients are often referred to as dreamers.
But we don’t support efforts to deport American citizens, to target those on pending legal status, to break up families, to create orphans of American children whose parents are alive and who come to this country to build a better life for their families.
Democrats in the legislature have vowed to pass legislation pushing back on any attempt by the incoming Trump administration to complete mass deportations.
Republicans, meanwhile, are pursuing legislation that would eliminate Colorado’s prohibitions on local law enforcement working with federal immigration agents. The measure will fail in the Democratic-controlled legislature.
The governor said during his news conference that while he thinks local law enforcement should be able to work with federal authorities on criminal matter, immigration is a civil matter that they should handle themselves.
We’ll stay true to the core values upon which our country was built: opening the door of freedom and opportunity and hope for all.
We’ll support businesses in Colorado who follow state laws to make sure that they can continue to retain their employees who are doing work that’s so important for our economy — whether it’s agriculture or construction or service or industry. It’s the moral thing to do, it’s the right thing to do for our economic success.
Take Sofia, whose name we’ve changed for her safety. Sofia is a nurse who works day in and day out to provide critical health care to patients. She is a DACA recipient. She has been in Colorado over 20 years.
If you look in the gallery, you will notice an empty seat.
We’re not joined by Sofia today — who we checked in with earlier today — because of the grim reality that Sofia and many other immigrants who enrich our communities and our economy every day are living in fear. Those who are following our laws and contributing to our economy deserve the opportunity to live the American dream and make Colorado and America an even more amazing place.
Genuine opportunity is all about being able to start a good life and earn a living. It’s about making ends meet and still having enough leftover to pursue your dreams. It’s about having a clear path to prosperity.
That’s why I am focused on saving people money on the biggest cost drivers: health care, housing, transportation. Yes, that includes health care.
And as you know one of my first actions as governor was to create the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, led by our fabulous Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera. And we have been very serious about taking on the hard fight to lower the cost of health care and living for Coloradans from day one.
We have been very serious about taking on the hard fights to lower the cost of health care and living for Coloradans since day one. We’ve made lifesaving progress: capping the price of insulin, passing bipartisan reinsurance that has reduced rates by nearly 25%, the landmark Colorado Option and nation-leading price transparency legislation. But we also know there’s a lot more work to be done.
This program is only for people who buy health insurance on their own and not for the much bigger chunk of Coloradans whose insurance is tied to their employer.
Robert Redford, University of Colorado attendee and founder of the world-renowned Sundance Film Festival— wink, wink — wisely observed, “problems can become opportunities when the right people work together.”
And we’ll continue to call on the FDA to approve our prescription drug importation plan. We don’t always find ourselves on the same side of an issue as Florida. But as the only two states taking much-needed and long overdue steps to cut the costs of prescription drugs by importing them from Canada, our patience is wearing thin for the FDA slow-walking our well-qualified application to import lower cost prescription drugs and pass the savings along to our fellow Coloradans.
Colorado and Florida want to import prescription drugs from Canada, where they are less expensive, and sell them in local pharmacies. While Florida’s application to the FDA has been approved, Colorado’s remains stalled. But FDA approval is only one obstacle, and opposition from drug manufacturers, distributors and the Canadian government arguably present bigger challenges.
We can and we should take additional steps to save people money on prescription drugs, which is why I support the work of Senators Janice Rich and Dafna Michaelson Jenet to protect and expand prescription drug discounts to better serve our most vulnerable.
And we’ve learned through our nation-leading policies to increase hospital pricing transparency that Coloradans and employers are still paying far too much for hospital services.
While Coloradans with commercial insurance are paying nearly three times what Medicare pays for hospital services, our safety net providers, like Clinica Family Health and Wellness, Marillac Health in Grand Junction, Denver Health, Pueblo Community Health and many others, are often left behind.
Polis last year unveiled a website that allows people to compare these prices.
Now is the time for us, alongside Representative Kyle Brown and Senator Jeff Bridges, to take real action to deal with excessive hospital pricing and protect our safety-net providers.
Colorado clinics that serve mostly lower-income patients are struggling with rising numbers of people who are uninsured and Medicaid payment rates that threaten to stagnate due to this year’s budget crunch. To save money, Polis has proposed cutting payment rates to some Medicaid providers.
Together, we can prevent hospital costs from going up and “Defying Gravity.”
This attempt at a “Wicked” reference was out of tune.
A few months ago, I had the honor of delivering a Colorado kid the 1 millionth book given free of charge through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
As famous Wyoming rancher RuPaul says, “reading is WHAAAT? Fun-damental.” Reading helps young people cultivate their dreams — dreams that grow — yes, he’s a Wyoming rancher by the way, I didn’t make that up. The path from dreams to skills to prosperous careers in the fields that inspire us is truly worth fighting for, and that’s what we’re doing in Colorado.
Last year, thanks to Representative Emily Sirota’s work as well as the voters of Colorado two years ago, the first class of universal preschool saved families an average of $6,100. And making preschool free, approved by 67% of voters in red counties, blue counties, rural, urban, suburban, propelled Colorado from 27th to seventh in the nation for preschool enrollment.
And beyond the family savings and learning benefits, new research shows that universal preschool also drives economic mobility. On average, parents who enroll their kids in universal preschool earn 20% more than parents without access to universal preschool, and long-term studies show that the kids will also do better when they grow up.
Polis was referring to a National Bureau of Economic Research paper published in December. Researchers were focused on a universal preschool program in New Haven, Connecticut, and concluded that the earnings of parents increased 21.7% during the years their kids were in the preschool program and persisted for about six years after, with the largest gains experienced by middle-income families. The researchers were less decisive about the academic impacts than Polis suggested here.
Thanks to Speaker Julie McCluskie, Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, we also created a new school finance formula that focuses on students — not systems. Our task going forward is to implement that formula, ensuring that schools that serve students who are English language learners, that come from poverty, get the resources they need to help every student succeed.
But we must ensure the gains we have made are sustainable. Colorado is an outlier when it comes to school funding — with our current system funding based on students who or where they were enrolled four years ago. We are talking about counting students that attended nearly half a decade ago. To fully fund our new school finance formula and ensure we never have to go back to the budget stabilization factor, we have to start funding students where they’re at in their schools today in ways tailored to their needs. It is truly past time to eliminate the antiquated system that funds empty chairs rather than actual students.
Under Colorado’s current school funding formula, school districts receive funding for students based on averaging their student counts over five years. A new school funding formula slated to go into effect for the next school year would shift that approach to funding districts based on averaging their student counts over four years. This averaging method cushions the financial hit to districts facing declining enrollment.
Polis outlined in his budget proposal a push to do away with averaging altogether, turning to a school finance model that would fund districts based on a one-year count of students. Polis argues that the averaging method of funding districts gives schools money for students not in seats, commonly referred to as “phantom students” or “ghost students.”
His proposal would mean funding cuts for districts experiencing declining enrollment.
This line received tepid applause.
And we have a responsibility to guarantee every Colorado student has access to a quality education. That requires creating innovative pathways for students and schools to succeed; no excuses, no exceptions.
Today, in Colorado, tragically, there are “education deserts,” as President James Coleman calls them — where 90% of students — imagine a class of 25 students, 22 are behind grade level in math and reading. That is unacceptable.
We need to clear the way for these students to get back on track is by making it easier for high quality and innovative schools to start and operate in Colorado, supporting students whether they’re in a traditional school or a charter school, and giving parents the ability and empowering them to choose the option that is best for their kids.
And there are some amazing examples of what works! Global Village Academy North in Thornton is a school that serves over 50% low-income students, and over 80% of 8th graders are at grade level or above on reading, over 90% on writing. Yes, we can do it. This school and many others across our state are changing lives for the better, and I’m thrilled that Head of School Nicole Wetzel and Principal Chelsea Byrd are here with us today. Thank you for your work for kids in Thornton.
And there’s more work to do to make achievement like this the norm in district schools, in innovation schools, in charter schools, because every student means every student.
As a state, we are firmly focused on winning the future. And we’re putting the tools in place to do so, including making the first two years of higher education free for many Colorado students thanks to Representative Rick Taggart, Representative Shannon Bird and Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer.
This is a reference to the state’s new Colorado Promise program, which builds on similar promises most state institutions already made to low-income students. Passed last year, the program offers tax credits to offset the cost of tuition for families making up to $90,000.
This year, I have the honor of serving as chair of the bipartisan National Governors Association. My initiative as chair, Let’s Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success, is all about preparing students for real life and our economy for real success. We’re looking at how we can better ensure that learners develop the skills and talents they need in today’s and tomorrow’s job market.
Our mission is to learn how to better measure success so we can expand and scale what works, and change or adjust what doesn’t work.
This is one of many ways I’m partnering with governors —both Democrats and Republicans, from states across the country — to tackle the challenges and embrace the opportunities that cross state lines and unify us as a nation.
That means stepping up to support one another. And I’m proud that Colorado is now sending critical firefighting resources, including multi-mission aircraft, fire engines and firefighters, to California as they face their devastating fires.
In Colorado we are unfortunately no stranger to wildfires, and we work better together in our times of need.
Every step of the way, we take lessons and inspiration from the breathtaking nature around us.
For example, the thin bark of the lodgepole pine is quickly burnt when wildfire strikes. But instead of destroying the trees, the fire melts a resin that seals shut the cones. And when the resin melts, the seeds open and spread, returning life to the burn scar.
This is the perspective — finding opportunity in obstacles — that I’m taking with me as we drive progress and prosperity, as we climb higher, in the years ahead.
Nearly 130 years ago, Katharine Lee Bates wrote the iconic words of “America the Beautiful,” from Pikes Peak.
Pikes Peak, of course, today remains a national treasure. And I am so excited that Colorado Parks and Wildlife is partnering to better care for and expand recreational opportunities on America’s peak.
A plan was proposed last year to give Colorado Parks and Wildlife oversight of recreation on Pikes Peak, which logs about 24 million annual visitors. Late Thursday afternoon, Polis’ office announced CPW and key Colorado Springs-area partners are officially negotiating a management pact.
Nearly a century and a half later, Colorado continues to lead and inspire. Next year, we will celebrate our great state’s 150th birthday — sesquicentennial, I taught you how to say that last year but there are some new members, sesquicentennial — as well as America’s our 250th birthday.
Over the last 150 years, we have faced trials and tests. We have weathered challenges and we’ve risen above, always coming out on the side of freedom.
In the free state of Colorado, it’s your body, it’s your marriage, it’s your choice.
In the free state of Colorado, diversity is a strength, not a threat.
In the free state of Colorado, we open the door to opportunity, to abundance, to prosperity.
These were the governor’s money lines. Democrats and his supporters stood and offered a sustained ovation for this section as the governor raised his voice.
The moment felt, dare we say, presidential. It also was a clear repudiation of Trump. Republicans stayed seated.
This is a Colorado for all.
This is the state of our state: strong, prosperous, free. Always striving to climb higher.
Now let’s get to work, and get it done.
God bless you all, God bless Colorado, and God bless the United States of America.
Colorado Sun reporters Erica Breunlin, John Ingold, Shannon Mullane, Michael Booth, Jason Blevins and Tamara Chuang contributed to this report, as did editors Dana Coffield and Lance Benzel. Digital production was handled by Eric Lubbers and Kevin Jeffers.