2025 Legislative Session Begins

Introduction

The 2025 legislative session – technically the First Regular Session of the 75th General Assembly – started this week. And just like the 75th Hunger Games, the tributes this year will be selected from the pool of victors in each district. In Catching Fire this ultimately led to a rebellion against the Capitol at the end of the book/movie. We’ll have to wait and see how much life will imitate art and if this installment of the games, I mean session, will turn out the same way. 

To get you ready for everything that is going to happen this session, this week will cover 25 things to watch for in 2025, opening day speeches from legislative leadership, and the Governor’s State of the State address. 

25 Things to Watch For in 2025

The biggest issue this session is going to be the budget facing a possible billion-dollar deficit. One of the biggest drivers of the deficit – and now the department with the largest individual share of the budget – is Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF). Watch out for what happens with funding decisions on Medicaid providers rates.

1. One of the most contentious fights at the Capitol this year will be over the Labor Peace Act. Right now it looks like there will be a lot of lobbyist labor on this bill and not much peace between business and the bill proponents. 
2. Another legislative battle will be over construction defects. Last session a bill was put forward to address the issue but that spurred a competing bill from the far-left and both bills ultimately died. Watch out for this to play out again this session. 
3. One of the biggest undercurrents to this session will be the next election. There will be several high level offices with no incumbent to run in 2026. The most consequential is obviously Governor and one candidate has already officially announced he’s running (AG Phil Weiser). Watch out for what other big names jump in as well. 
4. A big focus last year was on Colorado's first-in-the-nation bill regulating artificial intelligence, but everyone from the Governor to businesses agrees there needs to be some changes to that bill. A task force is still meeting on this issue and this will likely be one of the biggest bills at the end of the session. 
5. Back to the tight budget, the second largest share of the budget goes to K12 school finance. Last session there was a major overhaul of the school finance formula that will be phased in over several years. Exactly how long and what the state does on averaging student counts or not will be a big fight between the Governor and school districts. 
6. Another big battle brewing is between hospitals and pharmaceutical companies over efforts to expand a federal prescription drug discount program further than it was intended. You might not have heard of 340b before but you will. 
7. In addition to the legislative fights there will certainly also be some side-show antics. On the first day of session far-right Republicans attempted to not certify the election results. Without any proof and despite the fact they were voting to undo their own election wins, six House Republicans voted to not certify the election results. 
8. And the side-show antics from some members will surely spill out of the chamber and onto social media. We’ve already seen a representative say something insensitive online and subsequently delete his social media account. This wasn’t the first time for something like that with a legislator and definitely won’t be the last. 
9. The biggest side-show issue this session could end up being what happens with Senator Jaquez Lewis and her ethics issues. She’s already been removed from committee assignments and barred from employing state-paid aides. She is also facing a campaign finance complaint at the Secretary of State’s office and likely to face an ethics committee process at the legislature.
10. Speaking of Secretary of State, that office will also be open in 2026 and we’ve already seen one candidate officially jump in the race (Jefferson County Treasurer Amanda Gonzales). Several current and former legislators are reportedly considering running, including Senators Bridges and Danielson and former Senate President Fenberg.
11. The names being floated for Attorney General include several District Attorneys and Senator Roberts name has been mentioned as a possibility. There are also several other current legislators who are attorneys and could take a hard look at this race.
12. After a big fight all the way up to the final hour of last session, there is another fight this session between banks and credit unions over the issue of credit unions wanting to be able to purchase bank assets, thereby removing tax revenue to the state and community reinvestments through loans in underserved local communities. 
13. Another big issue we expect to see during this year’s session will deal with wage theft. After last year’s session, Governor Polis vetoed House Bill 1008, which specifically added worker protections from wage theft in the construction industry. This year, another wage theft bill is expected to be introduced which would apply to hourly paid contractors across all industries. 
14. Other than Medicaid and K12, the next largest share of the budget is higher education. In tough budget times higher ed, and capital construction spending, often takes a big hit. Watch out for the difference between what the Governor has proposed for funding and what the higher ed institutions say they need, and where the JBC decides to land. 
15. Newly appointed Senator Iman Jodeh was appointed to her Senate seat this week, leaving a vacancy in House District 41. Potential appointees who have expressed interest are: Anne Keke, a member of the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education; Aly DeWills-Marcano, whose husband is a former Aurora City Councilmember; and Jamie Jackson, a public health and criminal justice advocate.
16. After November’s election, Democrats across the country have been wrestling with the idea of taking a more moderate approach in upcoming election cycles. Colorado was one of the only states in the country to move further left in the 2024 Election (in terms of presidential results), while almost every other state moved further right. That being said, the relatively moderate outcome in Colorado’s slew of ballot measures in November could tell a different story, and this trend will be one to watch.
17. State treasurer Dave Young is also set to term out in 2026, which will be another seat that several Democrats are eyeing in the upcoming year. Among the rumored potential candidates so far, current state Representative Brianna Titone has expressed interest in running for this office. 
18. After a win for Republicans in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, Democrats have already started to float names for potential candidates to unseat Congressman Gabe Evans in 2026. Among the names at the state Capitol, Senators Kyle Mullica and Dafna Michaelson Jenet, as well as Representative Manny Rutinel, have consistently been mentioned. This is easily the most competitive congressional seat in the state, and one of the most competitive in the country. 
19. Many of the current state House members could have the opportunity to run for Senate in 2026 and some have been announcing early, to deter any potential competition in the primaries. Among the names we’ve seen so far, current House member Shannon Bird has announced candidacy for Senate District 25 and current House Majority Leader Monica Duran has announced candidacy for Senate District 22. 
20. In November, Colorado voters passed Proposition 130, which directed the General Assembly to put $350 million toward law enforcement resources, training, and support. The Joint Budget Committee will have to balance how to fund that in a tight budget year. There was no timeline in the ballot language but denying the will of the voters on this funding will be difficult. 
21. The dynamic of Colorado Democrats and the Trump Administration will be one to watch with lots of moving parts. On one hand, Governor Polis has strongly endorsed RFK Jr., and has expressed similar sentiments to state Republicans related to cutting red tape. On the other hand, Democrat leadership in both chambers have vowed to protect Colorado from potential Trump policies dealing with immigration.  
22. Vacancy committee reform is also expected to be a hot topic this year. After the November election, three newly reelected state senators resigned from their seats, triggering a vacancy appointment process. The appointment process can be controversial because a person is appointed to a seat, rather than elected to a seat. There are currently 20 state legislators who have been appointed to their seat. 
23. As always, we expect to see several controversial bills that will likely result in many late nights of second and third reading debates. Expect long debates on guns, abortion, and gender affirming care. Immigration issues might also fall under the late night category this year, as Democrat leadership in both the House and Senate alluded to preserving Colorado’s current policies ahead of the Trump Administration coming into office. 
24. From the Governor, to Republicans, to business organizations, repealing regulations has been top of mind. In a recent report from the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, Colorado ranks as the 6th most regulated state in the country. It’s evident this ranking has the attention of Polis, who echoed Republican messaging in his State of the State address to cut regulation. 

Opening Day Speeches

Senate
President Coleman began this year’s session with a speech to Senate colleagues focused on their common goal of building a Colorado where everyone can thrive. Among challenges for the upcoming year, Coleman mentioned affordability, housing, healthcare, and the highly controversial Labor Peace Act Proposal. In the Senate Minority Leader’s speech, Minority Leader Lundeen called on his colleagues to repeal policies that overregulate or create “fees disguised as taxes”. This will be Senate Republicans’ priority for this year’s session. 

Read more: Colorado Senate leadership sets tone for 2025 with opening-day remarks

House
In the House, leadership from both sides of the aisle called for a focus on affordability and reducing the cost of living for Coloradans. In Speaker McCluskie’s speech, the state’s budget deficit was acknowledged, and McCluskie also mentioned immigration issues as a result of the 2024 Presidential Election. Minority Leader Pugliese also touched on these issues, as well as parental rights. 

Read more: Colorado House leaders kick off 2025 session with focus on affordability

State of the State

On Thursday, Governor Polis delivered his seventh State of the State address. Although Polis acknowledged the budget deficit situation, he didn’t go into too much detail on his proposal to balance the budget. Similar to the speeches from Republican leadership in both chambers, Polis called on lawmakers to cut regulatory policies that have become burdensome for Coloradans. Polis also mentioned his goals of increasing affordable housing, saving Coloradans money on healthcare, and encouraged compromise in the anticipated labor issues this year.

And finally, the news you’ve been waiting for – which nerdy references the Governor worked into the speech this year. He managed to include a line on Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, the Mandalorian, and of course Taylor Swift too for good measure. 

Read more: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ seventh State of the State address, explained

Read more: From cutting regulations to taking on Trump, Gov. Polis lays out his annual vision for Colorado

Read more: Colorado Democrats laud Gov. Jared Polis, Republicans criticize his policy prescriptions in state address

Conclusion

The session is only three days old but there are already 125 bills that have been introduced. Expect around 500 more bills to get introduced. 

Next week the Joint Budget Committee will turn their attention to supplemental budget requests for the current fiscal year, joint committees of reference will continue to hold SMART Act hearings, and committees will begin to hold hearings on bills. 

Have a good weekend.