Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday vetoed four bills, including one that would have imposed new safety regulations on social media platforms and another that would have charged fees on some video game purchases to fund youth mental health programs.
He also nixed a decision made by the Joint Budget Committee that would have cut an after-school grant program in half, restoring $1.75 million in funding to nonprofits like the Boys and Girls Club that provide children’s programming to low-income kids.
In his veto letter for House Bill 1355, Polis said Colorado’s revenue picture was expected to improve enough in its next budget forecast that the state could afford to continue fully funding the out-of-school grant program for its final year.
The vetoes were his first of 2026, and came about two weeks after the end of the state’s legislative session.
House Bill 1418, which passed the state Senate by a single vote, would have required online gaming companies to charge a 5% fee on in-game purchases to fund youth mental health programs.
In his veto letter, Polis said he was worried the fee could run afoul of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, which requires there to be a clear connection between user fees and the programs they fund.
“The fee imposed on these add-on transactions means that consumers would not only be charged extra for things like character costumes and upgrades, but also for storyline content for online games,” wrote Polis, an avid gamer. “This type of content represents digital storytelling and artistic expression, and I do not support such a fee.”
House Bill 1255, the social media measure, would have established a duty for platforms to report posts to law enforcement that contained threats of physical harm or incited criminal activity.
Polis cited free speech concerns, saying it would have had a “chilling effect” on online discourse. He also objected to a provision that would have given social media companies 24 hours to respond to search warrants.
Polis also vetoed House Bill 1286, which would have prohibited large commercial vehicles from being operated by an autonomous driving system unless a qualified driver with a commercial license was present and able to take over driving for safety reasons.
The governor said it would have had the opposite effect, preventing Colorado from deploying self-driving technologies that could make roads safer. In his veto letter, he noted that he vetoed a similar bill last year.
The measure passed with wide bipartisan support.