COLORADO LEGISLATIVE STRATEGIES NEWSLETTER

“Just smile and wave, boys. Smile and wave.”
-Skipper, Madagascar (2005)
 
Not only was it a busy week at the Capitol, but it was also a busy week at the Denver Zoo. Recently, the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (DZCA) welcomed a Huon tree kangaroo joey. Huon tree kangaroos are considered an endangered species, so this is an important milestone for the zoo, and the species itself. 
 
Kangaroos are marsupials, meaning they are born underdeveloped and usually grow inside an abdominal pouch. Huon tree kangaroo joeys are no exception, and they are about the size of a jellybean when born. From there, they develop in their mother’s abdominal pouch until they’re ready to be on their own. Denver’s joey was born in July of 2025, so he’s just recently started to make his presence known at the zoo, peaking out of his mom’s pouch more often. 
 
Our quote for this week comes from the movie Madagascar, an animated movie about animals from the Central Park Zoo. One of the most recognizable lines in the movie comes from Skipper the penguin, telling the other penguins to just “smile and wave”. 
 
Although Skipper offers some words of wisdom that resonate with all of us at the Capitol, he can’t compete with the cuteness of Denver Zoo’s newest kangaroo. 
 
Read more – Baby Bulletin: DZCA Welcomes Endangered Huon Tree Kangaroo Joey
 
Senator Michaelson Jenet Announces Resignation 
 
On Tuesday, Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet announced plans to resign from her seat in Senate District 21, effective today. Michaelson Jenet will join the David Merage Foundation for Confronting Antisemitism, and will start her new role next week. In her announcement, Michaelson Jenet shared that the financial burden of serving as a state lawmaker has become too difficult for her family over the last ten years. In her time at the legislature, Michaelson Jenet was a champion for improving access to mental healthcare, especially for children.
 
The resignation also means there will be a vacancy committee convened to appoint someone to finish the rest of this session, before needing to run for election in Senate District 21 later this year. So far, one of the biggest names in the running for the appointment is former House Representative Adrienne Benavidez, who served in the House from 2017 until 2022.
 
Read more – A top Democrat in the Colorado Senate is resigning to take nonprofit job, citing legislative pay
 
Faith Winter Memorial 
 
Today, lawmakers held a memorial for late Senator Faith Winter, who was killed in a car accident last November. Current and former legislators gathered to share stories and memories of the Winter, and to honor her legacy. This year would’ve been Winter’s final session before terming out. Throughout her career, Winter was known to be a champion for environmental issues and workers’ rights issues. 
 
Choosing the "Colorado Way" for Data Centers
 
The debate over data centers at the Capitol this year will come down to a choice between a carrot and a stick. House Bill 1030 offers a Colorado way of utilizing strategic incentives to attract billions in investment and create a robust workforce in the energy and tech sectors, while ensuring protections for resources like energy and water. On the other side of the aisle, Senate Bill 102 proposes a future of prohibition, saddling existing and new large-load customers with aggressive regulations that could dismantle our state’s tech-friendly reputation.
 
Supporting House Bill 1030 is about more than just infrastructure; it is about securing Colorado’s position as a national leader in the digital economy while providing a massive boost to local tax bases and school funding. By fostering this critical industry, we create a "win-win" that fuels high-paying jobs for our constituents and ensures our state's grid remains modernized and resilient for decades to come.
 
Affordable Housing Bills
 
On Monday, House Bill 1036 was killed in House Finance after a nearly five-hour hearing. The bill was highly controversial, and would’ve allowed local governments to impose vacancy taxes on empty homes. Representatives Camacho, Marshall, and Stewart all joined Republicans in voting to postpone the bill indefinitely on a 7-4 vote. 
 
However, this is just the beginning of a very long housing conversation we’ll see for the rest of the session. In addition to a Democrat-backed affordable housing bill package, Representative Woodrow has indicated plans to introduce a bill that would allow for a land-value tax system.
 
Read more – Committee kills vacancy-tax proposal, but more housing debates are coming
 
Study on Colorado’s Legislative Activity Increase
 
An interesting report released by the Common Sense Institute this week found that Colorado has adopted increasingly more bills in the last several years. In the 2025 legislative session, the General Assembly passed 487 bills – a 56 percent increase from bills passed in 2012. 
 
The report also reflected that statewide ballot initiatives have quadrupled from four to sixteen, between 2012 and 2024. Interestingly, the report also shows that almost three-quarters of the bills passed during the 2025 session had bipartisan sponsorship.
 
Report – Colorado’s Legislative Pace: 2025 Update
 
What’s Next
 
This week, the Capital Development Committee (CDC) finalized their list of prioritized projects, which the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) will take into consideration as they continue to write the budget. It’s also likely there will be a couple late nights in committee next week, as multiple gun bills are scheduled for committee hearings in both the House and Senate.