{"id":409966,"date":"2026-01-16T02:24:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T02:24:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/409966\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T02:24:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T02:24:29","slug":"colorado-state-of-the-state-gov-polis-final-address-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/409966\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado State of the State: Gov. Polis’ final address, explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis delivered his eighth and final State of the State address on Thursday, using the occasion to take a victory lapla and highlighting where he overcame his skeptics on policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The speech was more reflecting than forward looking, though he managed to slip in some of his final-year plans on housing, health care and the environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Below you\u2019ll find an annotated version of Polis\u2019 entire speech, which spanned nearly an hour and a half, except for his welcoming remarks and acknowledgements of officials in the room \u2014 during which he took a selfie and posted it to social media<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Find our analysis in the gray boxes. We added the full names of the state lawmakers mentioned in the governor\u2019s address for clarity. We also edited the speech for style. Otherwise, the following is a direct transcript of the governor\u2019s address.<\/p>\n

\"YouTube<\/p>\n

To my family \u2014 they\u2019re here \u2014 you\u2019ve been with me on this crazy journey since day one. Thank you, Marlon, for your unwavering support and for your inspiring work as Colorado\u2019s first gentleman, especially your contributions to animal welfare, to recycling and composting, to voter participation, and to LGBTQ rights \u2014 and of course for being an incredible father to our children. I know that you\u2019re relieved that we are nearing the end. We\u2019re almost there.<\/p>\n

The governor rarely talks about his personal life. This was an interesting look into how being governor has affected his family.<\/p>\n

Marlon Reis, Polis\u2019 husband, has faced blowback from Republicans for his activism on behalf of animals. He doesn\u2019t often step into the public eye<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To my mom and dad, who have been here every step of the way. My sister and brother, who are amazing. To my kids, you guys should be in school, but we\u2019ll give you an excuse today.<\/p>\n

To my friend and partner on this long journey, my lieutenant governor, Dianne Primavera. Thank you for all you do everything that you do every single day to serve our state. We appreciate for the General Assembly \u2014 all the work you do, with your strong moral compass, your passion and your strength. My family, members of the General Assembly have been an inspiration to my administration and, of course, helped us to navigate so many difficult issues.<\/p>\n

To my chiefs of staff, Lisa, Rick, Alec, David, thank you for steering the ship with joy, fortitude and steadfast dedication.<\/p>\n

And to my senior staff, the governor\u2019s office team, our incredible team across the agencies and state government who have contributed to my administration, thank you. It is with your expertise and commitment to service that we\u2019ve achieved even bigger and bolder things than we could have imagined \u2014 and we\u2019re not done yet!<\/p>\n

Seven years ago, I stepped up to the plate as your governor: baseball aficionado, gamer, tech geek, a head mostly full of hair at that point, ever-hopeful Rockies fan, at least I was hopeful back then.<\/p>\n

Take a look at these photos<\/a> of the governor from his first inauguration. We\u2019ll let you decide.<\/p>\n

At the time, I certainly couldn\u2019t have predicted all that we would face as a state, as a nation, as a world.<\/p>\n

Now of course, there\u2019s all that we planned and worked for to put Colorado ahead of the curve. Shared achievements like: delivering on the promise of free kindergarten and preschool, saving families thousands dollars and giving our youngest a strong start.<\/p>\n

Building out low-cost clean energy for more Coloradans to save money on energy bills and protect our air and water while creating good-paying jobs.<\/p>\n

And making it easier and more affordable \u2014 even free in many cases \u2014 to get the skills needed to get a good job.<\/p>\n

Of course our work breaking down barriers to housing for Coloradans at every budget level.<\/p>\n

And of course getting rid of the Budget Stabilization Factor and fully funding our schools.T<\/p>\n

Together, and with the voters, we cut income taxes three times and we cut property taxes five times while supercharging the earned income and child tax credits.<\/p>\n

This is somewhat misleading. Ballot measures slashing the income tax rate in recent years were placed there and funded by Republicans. The governor offered support when asked<\/a>, but he was hardly part of the campaign to pass the measures.<\/p>\n

Polis did support multiple rounds of property tax cuts<\/a>, as well as an income tax cut passed in 2024<\/a> as part of a deal to overhaul how taxpayer refunds are issued. That deal included large increases to the earned income and child tax credits, but only when economic conditions allow. They will be turned off in 2026 because of lower tax collections caused by congressional Republicans\u2019 One Big Beautiful Bill Act.<\/p>\n

We established the Family Affordability Tax Credit, which helped cut child poverty rates by nearly 41%. And I couldn\u2019t be more proud along with you that Colorado has the lowest childhood poverty rate in the nation.<\/p>\n

The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau<\/a> shows Colorado has the 12th lowest child poverty rate. The governor\u2019s office cited a recent Denver Post story<\/a> about a forthcoming study from Washington University and Appalachian State University researchers showing Colorado has the lowest rate of childhood poverty.<\/p>\n

\"\"Gov. Polis used the speech to highlight achievements made on housing, education and transportation over his tenure, work that he said would continue through his final year. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)<\/p>\n

Together we generated more than $470 million new funding a year for our roads, bridges, and transit \u2014 with the vast majority going to roads and bridges.<\/p>\n

And of course, there\u2019s the \u201cpinch me\u201d moments, that I\u2019ve had the opportunity to work on as governor when we\u2019ve seized opportunities, expected and unexpected, and we called our shot to deliver monumental achievements for Colorado.<\/p>\n

Becoming the new home of the world-renowned Sundance Film Festival<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Keeping the Broncos in Denver while collaborating with Mayor Johnston on the revitalization of Burnham Yard.<\/p>\n

Other moments, like standing atop Fishers Peak, Colorado\u2019s 42nd state park<\/a>. I encourage you to visit.<\/p>\n

Bringing the MLB All-Star Game to Colorado, which boosted our economy as the world recovered from the pandemic.<\/p>\n

The 2021 All-Star Game was relocated to Denver from Atlanta in response to changes to Georgia\u2019s voting laws.<\/p>\n

Polis gave a lot of sports teams a shoutout on Thursday, but didn\u2019t mention the Denver Summit FC, the state\u2019s new National Women\u2019s Soccer League team.<\/p>\n

Of course, receiving Colorado\u2019s first COVID vaccine shipment, marking a historic and scientific achievement and, of course, a return to life lived together.<\/p>\n

Celebrating President Biden\u2019s designation of Camp Hale as a national monument, an effort that I helped begin more than 15 years ago during my time in Congress. First Pup Gia, who is here with us also today in Marlon\u2019s lap, accompanied me to that signing at Camp Hale<\/a>. And The Denver Post front page picture ignored Sen. Bennet, and Sen. Hickenlooper and me, it just had our legs, but front and center was Gia! Front and center at Camp Hale.<\/p>\n

Earning national recognition as the epicenter of quantum computing technology in which work continues, and I appreciate the bipartisan work of this chamber.<\/p>\n

And of course, amid those moments of celebration, there\u2019s also the curveballs that come with the job. The unforeseen events that altered and shaped the trajectory of Colorado forever.<\/p>\n

The Denver-Boulder area was designated a U.S. Tech Hub<\/a> for quantum computing in October 2023. The technology has also found support<\/a> within the Trump administration, so the local community is hopeful federal support won\u2019t evaporate for the Tech Hubs effort as President Trump punishes Colorado for refusing to release Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk serving a nine-year state prison sentence for orchestrating a breach of her county\u2019s election system.<\/p>\n

COVID was unlike anything we\u2019d faced before. And while the world was plunged into uncertainty, we came together to support our brave and dedicated doctors, and nurses and front-line workers, and charted a path forward to make sure we didn\u2019t exceed hospital capacity.<\/p>\n

Polis had only been governor for about a year when he had to contend with COVID. We wrote a lengthy profile<\/a> about how it affected him personally and his work.<\/p>\n

At the height of the pandemic, I held three press conferences a week to help explain to Coloradans frankly what we knew \u2014 and what we didn\u2019t know at any given time. Leading with data and science, we shared the most up-to-date information to empower Coloradans to make informed decisions, weigh their risks, and choose how best to protect themselves and their families.<\/p>\n

And when Washington told states to figure it out for themselves, we all stepped up for Colorado. We quickly expanded life-saving tests, PPE and when they were finally available, thanks to President Trump\u2019s Operation Warp Speed, vaccines, too. And pushed hard to be one of the first states to safely get our schools and economy back up and running.<\/p>\n

The first mention of Trump in Polis\u2019 speech was a positive one.<\/p>\n

With the expertise of our Department of Public Health and Environment Director Dr. Jill Ryan, who I believe is the only public health director in the country to still be serving after the pandemic and continue her amazing work, and with my Chief of Staff Lisa Kaufmann, at the time, Colorado led the way in wastewater testing, and made it easier and quicker for Coloradans to get a COVID test. I am proud we had among the quickest vaccine uptakes of any state and one of the 10 lowest death rates of any state.<\/p>\n

This stat depends on the timeframe examined. At the two-year anniversary of the pandemic, Colorado did have the 10th-lowest death rate<\/a> per 100,000 people. But Colorado\u2019s death rate ranked higher<\/a> for other intervals.<\/p>\n

The state\u2019s death rate in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, was 16th-lowest. From 2020 through 2023, the state had the 11th-lowest death rate.<\/p>\n

In the middle of it all, we came together, the legislature meeting under extraordinary conditions, to deliver on the promises we made long before the pandemic hit.<\/p>\n

Democrats, Republicans, my administration all worked together to keep Colorado safe while at the same time, passing free preschool and historic transportation funding. When we work together, we truly can do big things. And that year, 2020 that was just the year that kept on giving, we also faced the three largest wildfires in the history of Colorado. And the very next year, we faced the Marshall fire, the most destructive fire in Colorado history.<\/p>\n

And I want to recognize and thank Department of Public Safety Director Stan Hilkey. Stan! You know, me and my chief of staff always, we have this \u2014 it\u2019s not a joke, it\u2019s a truth \u2014 but when Stan calls at 9 p.m. or 3 in the morning, it\u2019s never anything good. Stan, just call and say \u201chi\u201d sometime. We appreciate that.<\/p>\n

Stan\u2019s team of course, the Director of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Mike Morgan, Director of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Kevin Klein, Chief of Colorado State Patrol Matt Packard, Colorado\u2019s National Guard Adjunct General at the time and now I\u2019ve called her out of retirement, our CPW acting director, thank you Gen. Laura Clellan.<\/p>\n

CPW\u2019s former director, Jeff Davis, who ushered in the state\u2019s wolf reintroduction program amid widespread scrutiny over many of his decisions, resigned<\/a> from the position in November to avoid being fired<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A search is on for a new director as the federal government threatens to take over<\/a> Colorado\u2019s wolf program if CPW doesn\u2019t meet certain demands.<\/p>\n

You know, there\u2019s so many Coloradans at so many levels that contributed during that difficult time period, from nurses, from volunteers, to community leaders, to get Colorado through our most trying time.<\/p>\n

During my governorship, we\u2019ve also witnessed horrific mass shootings at the STEM School in Highlands Ranch, Club Q in Colorado Springs, King Soopers in Boulder, and most recently at Evergreen High School<\/a>. We\u2019ve also endured a horrific antisemitic attack on Pearl Street Mall<\/a> in Boulder.<\/p>\n

And grief has also struck right here in our state Capitol, with the sudden and tragic passings of our former colleagues Sen. Faith Winter and Minority Leader Hugh McKean.<\/p>\n

And of course to honor their legacy, as Faith would say, \u201cwe\u2019ll lift as we rise,\u201d and let\u2019s do a moment of silence for the late Sen. Winter.<\/p>\n

For all of us here, we\u2019re going to bat for Colorado\u2019s future, to leave our great state even better than we found it.<\/p>\n

\"\"Gov. Jared Polis, center right, hugs his husband, Marlon Reis, in the House chamber of Colorado Capitol in Denver. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)<\/p>\n

You know, seven years ago, some, there are skeptics out there, thought my bold goals were far-fetched.<\/p>\n

And by the way, I\u2019ve got the receipts, I mean headlines, to prove it \u2014 doubting if I\u2019d be able to get any of the stuff I\u2019ve talked about done.<\/p>\n

From 2019 headline: Will Polis get full-day kindergarten, or will Colorado give another flaky promise?<\/a><\/p>\n

One year later, headlines: Colorado\u2019s free, full-day kindergarten boosted enrollment by nearly 25%<\/a><\/p>\n

In my first year, the intrepid reporters at The Colorado Sun published a tracker of my campaign promises, and 9News even wrote a song about it!<\/p>\n

Now, I really appreciate the press holding us accountable for our bold goals. Although, I did notice that they stopped keeping track because it\u2019s simply not as exciting when we keep delivering on our promises.<\/p>\n

Thanks for the shoutout, governor, but we did actually keep up with our Polis promise tracker<\/a> through your reelection bid. You haven\u2019t kept your promises to \u201cend our investment in private prisons,\u201d \u201cpass an initiative to better fund our schools\u201d or \u201cget rid of dark money\u201d in politics.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve still got some time to catch up again on which promises<\/a> you kept and which you didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

But for me, it\u2019s always been about delivering real results, not headlines or what people are saying.<\/p>\n

To me, politics is very simple: You say what you\u2019re going to do, and then you do it.<\/p>\n

We posted a transparent dashboard to share month-by-month updates with Coloradans on our progress across state agencies delivering wildly important goals \u2014 what we call WIGs internally, once we even bought blue wigs for my cabinet \u2014 we\u2019re bringing ease and convenience to government services with the launch of things like the mobile DMV offerings and the myColorado app, now used by nearly 2 million Coloradans, hope you have it on your mobile device.<\/p>\n

And when it comes to turning my bold agenda into a better daily life for Coloradans, of course, we haven\u2019t always succeeded on our first try. But I\u2019ve always stepped back up to the plate \u2014 because that\u2019s what we do in Colorado.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re in this work to make life better, more affordable, safer for all of our fellow Coloradans.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, over the past 12 months, it seems like Washington is often in it to break it down. To make life harder and less affordable. To make Americans feel more fearful, more belligerent and more vulnerable.<\/p>\n

As you know, in the last month alone, the Trump administration has threatened over $1 billion in funding for Colorado, and many actions are making life more expensive and more difficult across our state and across our nation.<\/p>\n

Mean cuts that targeted short-term support for the most basic and essential needs for Colorado families and threatening child care support that Colorado families rely on.<\/p>\n

The president also recently denied two major disaster relief requests for the Lee and Elk fires<\/a> and of course the devastating flooding in southwestern Colorado<\/a>, hurting our recovery efforts. Of course he went on to veto a unanimously passed bill by Rep. Lauren Boebert, and Sen. Bennet, and Sen. John Hickenlooper to finally complete the pipeline<\/a> providing clean water to rural Colorado, a project that first was promised under President Kennedy. All while threatening to dismantle NCAR<\/a>, a global leader in weather and global science, and a crown jewel of America\u2019s scientific achievement.<\/p>\n

Some of Trump\u2019s attacks on Colorado that Polis mentions here may have been retaliation for the state\u2019s imprisonment of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters.<\/p>\n

Polis didn\u2019t mention Peters in this speech, but speaking to reporters afterward he called her sentence \u201cunusual and harsh,\u201d<\/a> hinting that he may commute her prison term.<\/p>\n

He wouldn\u2019t answer whether he\u2019s talked to the Trump administration about Peters\u2019 case, but he said he has not had conversations with Trump officials about trading Peters\u2019 release in exchange for something.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s of course before you get to the devastating impacts of HR 1, the Big Bad Bill, Big Beautiful Bill, whatever you call it<\/a>, had on our state, which as you know, and we talked about during the special session, cut our state budget \u2014 gutted it by over $1 billion, eliminating Coloradans\u2019 TABOR refunds, and also slashing Medicaid and SNAP.<\/p>\n

The governor is correct that the federal tax cuts have hurt the state\u2019s budget. What he leaves out is that the state income tax and property tax cuts<\/a> Polis touted earlier in his speech also contributed to the current budget crisis.<\/p>\n

All the while, tariff taxes on Colorado are driving up costs on everything from groceries to medicine. Trump\u2019s tariffs alone are expected to cost Coloradans an average of $1,700 for a single year. Tariffs, put simply, and make it unaffordable to live.<\/p>\n

In July, Polis asked state agencies to calculate the impact of the high tariffs on Coloradans. The report concluded that tariffs on Colorado businesses are effectively \u201cseven to eight times higher\u201d<\/a> than the prior year.<\/p>\n

Businesses that relied on imports were the most impacted.<\/p>\n

In August, the year-to-date value of imports to the state had fallen 2.6% from a year earlier. However, export values grew 6.3%<\/a> in the same period.<\/p>\n

Since day one, we\u2019ve worked together to save Coloradans money. To strengthen rather than destroy international trade and to make our state the best place to start and grow a business.<\/p>\n

Four years ago, you might recall, I stood here and sang, which I promised not to do with this one, about finding 50 ways to save Coloradans money, and we actually went on to deliver over 100. We are proud to be saving the average Colorado family of four over $600 a year on income and property taxes alone. And last year Colorado taxpayers saved nearly $2.5 billion.<\/p>\n

But just as we came together during the special session to close corporate tax loopholes, I am also hopeful that we can come together again to cut the income tax rate in Colorado. Republicans are supposed to \u2014 thank you.<\/p>\n

This line irked Democrats and Republicans alike. It received only tepid applause from some GOP lawmakers.<\/p>\n

The state is facing an $850 million budget shortfall this year \u2014 the gap between how much the legislature has to spend and how much it costs to continue the current level of state programs and services.<\/p>\n

Rep. Emily Sirota, a Denver Democrat and chair of the Joint Budget Committee, said cutting income taxes would be impossible given the state\u2019s financial situation. Sirota and fellow JBC member Sen. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, support an effort to place a measure on the November ballot amending the constitution to impose a graduated income tax. It is projected to reduce taxes for most people and raise them for the wealthiest Coloradans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think wealthy Coloradans need a tax cut right now, Trump just gave them billions,\u201d Sirota said.<\/p>\n

Assistant House Minority Leader Ty Winter, a Trinidad Republican, said Polis has talked for years about reducing the income tax but never gotten it done or even made a concerted effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf his office wants a bill, he can come up with a bill and he can call Republicans to help,\u201d he said. \u201cHe has brought this up time and time again. Where are the results? He could have made this happen, but it\u2019s a great talking point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking to reporters after his speech, Polis couched his comments.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always advocated for income tax cuts, but always in a way that\u2019s paid for,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve not ever talked about income tax cuts that are not paid for. So this would be part of a comprehensive tax reform package \u2014 so reducing special interest tax loopholes, using some of the proceeds for reducing the income tax.\u201d<\/p>\n

Polis said he would look to reduce the income tax rate to 4.2% or 4.3% from 4.4% if he had his way.<\/p>\n

We are fighting \u2014 hard \u2014 to protect every federal dollar owed to Colorado. In partnership with Attorney General Phil Weiser, our state has successfully defended nearly $900 million<\/a>. And we\u2019re grateful for your work.<\/p>\n

But there remains over $1 billion or more that\u2019s at risk or lost from cuts. And sadly, Washington Republicans \u2014 once the self-proclaimed party of states\u2019 rights and small government \u2014 today are too often the party of socialism, overreach and intrusion into people\u2019s daily lives in ways that are wholly outside of the scope of government. Whether it\u2019s picking corporate winners and losers, whether it\u2019s co-opting capitalism with cronyism. It often feels like big government is in our wallets, our doctor\u2019s offices, in our homes, bullying businesses of all sizes.<\/p>\n

This is not the Colorado Way.<\/p>\n

Driving up costs with tariff taxes is not the Colorado Way.<\/p>\n

Ripping away critical food and health access \u2014 not the Colorado Way.<\/p>\n

Tearing families apart with a costly and often cruel immigration agenda is not the Colorado Way.<\/p>\n

Democrats were unhappy about how Polis talked about immigration in his 2025 State of the State address. It appeared he was welcoming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the state.<\/p>\n

Polis\u2019 party was much happier with his remarks this time around.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis rhetoric totally shifted on immigration in a great way,\u201d said state Rep. Javier Mabrey, a Denver Democrat. \u201cI am so glad that he called out the abusive practices of ICE, the fact that most of the people being detained aren\u2019t criminals. I appreciated that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, nearly 75% of people who are being held in immigration detention centers have no criminal history<\/a>. And in America in 2026, a culture of fear and chaos has too often meant families debating whether they can go to work or send their kids to school out of fear that they won\u2019t come home. I want to remind folks of the words on the Statue of Liberty beckoning those who come to \u201cbreathe free\u201d can often ring hollow against the cruel realities that we are facing today.<\/p>\n

This is simply not who we are.<\/p>\n

Since day one, as you know, I\u2019ve worked hard to build a Colorado for All.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a mission that reflects our shared commitment to a compassionate, kind Colorado for everyone, and one that I hope and trust will continue well beyond my administration.<\/p>\n

In the words of Aurora Smoky Hill High graduate Bowen Yang<\/a>, the only way forward is to be joyous and celebrate one another.<\/p>\n

Yang is a comedian and a former Saturday Night Live cast member.<\/p>\n

At a time when Washington is often peddling the illusion that America somehow isn\u2019t for everyone \u2014 that somehow there\u2019s only room for some \u2014 some people, or some beliefs, or some love, or some prayer, I want to make it clear:<\/p>\n

In our Colorado for all, there is room \u2014 and opportunity \u2014 for all of us.<\/p>\n

This was a big applause line.<\/p>\n

Here, we welcome immigrants and refugees who follow our laws and seek to build a better life, who strengthen our economy and enrich our communities under the shelter of our democracy.<\/p>\n

In our Colorado for all, an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.<\/p>\n

In our Colorado for all, we safeguard our fundamental freedoms, protecting the right to be who you are, to marry who you love, and to choose when or if to start a family.<\/p>\n

There is space in our great big, hexahectaenneacontakaiheptagonal state \u2014 697 sides \u2014 for all of us.<\/p>\n

Though Coloradans have been conditioned to think the state is a rectangle with four straight sides, its boundaries are actually made up of 697 segments. Ripley\u2019s explains how early surveying challenges led our state to be Colorado: The 697-Sided State<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We are a state of adventure seekers chasing mountain peaks. Years ago my mom wrote a book \u201cCome into the Mountains, Dear Friend<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

We\u2019re a state of wide-eyed entrepreneurs, artists, devout Coloradans of faith, of poets, of vegans, of soccer moms and Ultimate Frisbee dads, of hunters and of union workers, of farmers and of ranchers, and yes, of immigrants and refugees.<\/p>\n

We respect our differences, and we\u2019re stronger and better off because of our rich diversity.<\/p>\n

In our Colorado for All, hope and kindness are part of our DNA.<\/p>\n

The legacy of Jane Goodall, who had a special place in her heart for Colorado<\/a>, lives on, as we take inspiration from her words, \u201chope does not deny evil, but is a response to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hateful and divisive rhetoric often doesn\u2019t stop at words. We are seeing online vitriol spill over into horrific violence, including here on our own doorstep.<\/p>\n

This is a reference to the deadly attack on a group of Jewish demonstrators in Boulder earlier this year. It also appears to invoke the assasination of conservative commentator and activist Charlie Kirk.<\/p>\n

You know, we refuse to sit idly by as a culture of targeting our fellow human beings festers in this country that we love.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe truth is, politics is different and, in many ways, worse than when I first entered,\u201d Polis recently told The Sun. \u201cI think there\u2019s a real danger there. There\u2019s a real vitriol there.\u201d<\/p>\n

In words and in actions, we must reject the politics of division and the poison of blind hatred by doubling down on respect, kindness, compassion \u2014 and truly learn to disagree better.<\/p>\n

These are the values that also guide our solidarity with those around the world fighting for freedom as we speak, in Iran, in Venezuela, and in solidarity with the brave Ukrainian people in their continued fight against Russian aggression.<\/p>\n

Polis sounded presidential here, but he recently ruled out a White House run in an interview with The Sun.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not want to run for president,\u201d he said. \u201cI really hope that good people do, but it\u2019s pretty brutal out there right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

In my first State of the State address, I shared a story of a conversation Marlon and I had with our kids. Our then-6-year-old wanted to know the difference was between the various political parties. And at the end, he went over to his 4-year-old sibling and asked, \u201cWhat political party are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

And without missing a beat, she answered, \u201cthe Happy Birthday Party.\u201d<\/p>\n

You know, Colorado\u2019s kids are wise in ways that we could all use a little more of.<\/p>\n

This year, we will celebrate our state\u2019s 150th birthday party, our country\u2019s 250th birthday party. And what a great opportunity to come together to honor these historic milestones, not as Democrats or Republicans, as liberals or moderates or conservatives, but as the Happy Birthday Party.<\/p>\n

You know, and we head into our special birthday we know that tackling our shared challenges that Coloradans of all political stripes face, in every part of the state \u2014 and first and foremost among many of them is folks that tell us that the high cost of housing makes it simply harder to live in our incredible and beautiful state of Colorado.<\/p>\n

In \u201cField of Dreams,\u201d starring Colorado rancher Kevin Costner, the wind whispers, \u201cif you build it, he will come.\u201d Or, as we say, if you build it, opportunity will come.<\/p>\n

Kevin Costner\u2019s Dunbar Ranch<\/a> near Aspen, named for his character in \u201cDances With Wolves,\u201d doesn\u2019t have livestock, but you can rent it for $36,000 a night. And it\u2019s up for sale.<\/p>\n

For too long, we\u2019ve run up against roadblocks \u2014 from outdated laws to piles of paperwork to costly delays that slow or stop new housing<\/a>, new transit and new clean energy from even being built.<\/p>\n

It reminds me of the words of Taylor Swift and, maybe Kevin Bommer too \u2014 \u201cI\u2019ll sue you if you step on my lawn.\u201d<\/p>\n

This jab at the executive director of the Colorado Municipal League drew some chuckles from the General Assembly.<\/p>\n

Bommer has been a steady critic of the governor\u2019s housing agenda in recent years, arguing that Polis\u2019 attempts to force local governments to zone for more housing violate local control under the state constitution. A handful of cities last year sued the state<\/a> over land use laws backed by the governor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

Not us \u2014 we say, let us build!<\/p>\n

We are empowering Coloradans with the freedom to build an accessory dwelling unit on their property, and let homeowners \u2014 not the government \u2014 make decisions about how much parking is needed<\/a>, thanks to the bipartisan work of Sen. Amabile, Sen. Hinrichsen, Sen. Exum, Sen. Mullica, and Rep. Weinberg.<\/p>\n

The benefits are even greater than we could have imagined. Just ask Speaker Pro Tem Boesenecker whose mother-in-law now lives in an accessory dwelling unit in his own backyard!<\/p>\n

This is true, per Boesenecker!<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve unlocked more housing near transit, we\u2019ve opened the door to single \u2014 or smart \u2014 stair homes, and we\u2019ve broken down barriers to low-cost modular housing, thanks to the work of Speaker Pro Tem Boesenecker, Rep. Woodrow, alongside Sen. Ball and Sen. Bridges.<\/p>\n

And at long last, we tackled construction defects liability to build more condos, unlocking the promise of starter homes and homeownership for more Coloradans thanks to the work of President Coleman and Sen. Roberts.<\/p>\n

The governor and Democrats in the legislature have passed many housing bills in recent years, but the effects of those haven\u2019t borne fruit \u2014 yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou fix the underlying issues on housing, it\u2019s not like the next week or the next month housing costs a lot less,\u201d Polis told The Sun. \u201cThis is a legacy item.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Gov. Jared Polis delivered his final State of the State address in the House chamber of Colorado State Capitol building in Denver, Colorado, on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)<\/p>\n

And you know, we put our skin in the game: speeding up contracting times through the DepartmenFt of Local Affairs, with our department now turning around contracts for new housing in 33 days, down from 61 days two years ago.<\/p>\n

Under Maria De Cambra\u2019s leadership, in partnership with the Housing Consortium, she helped launch the innovative housing hub to make it easier to apply for affordable rental housing tax credits, we\u2019ve stood up the Educator First initiative<\/a> to help 3,000 teachers buy their first home thanks to the work of Sen. Amabile and Frizell and Rep. Lukens.<\/p>\n

Through Proposition 123, we\u2019ve built over 10,000 new homes across the state, including in rural communities who are building affordable housing for the very first time.<\/p>\n

But we also know, there\u2019s a lot more work to be done.<\/p>\n

As Colorado-born Ji-young Yoo, the voice of the iconic Zoey in \u201cKPop Demon Hunters,\u201d said, \u201cI do have one idea. \u2026 Actually, 57, but let\u2019s start with my favorite.\u201d I share Zoey\u2019s enthusiasm when I think of the 57 or more ways we can unlock more housing at a lower cost.<\/p>\n

And this year, we want to ensure local governments have the resources they need to build and improve bus and train stations, and to pair these investments with housing near transit. I want to thank Speaker McCluskie and Rep. Woodrow, and Sen. Roberts and Sen. Exum for taking this important issue on.<\/p>\n

The Housing Opportunities Made Easier<\/a>, or HOME Act, will open the door to more housing by partnering with higher education, nonprofits, transit agencies, school districts, and housing authorities to build on underutilized land. With Speaker Pro Tem Boesenecker, Rep. Mabrey and Sen. Exum and Sen. Gonzales leading the way, these steps will significantly cut down on building times for new housing.<\/p>\n

Last year, a similar measure that would have allowed churches to build housing<\/a> on their land passed the state House but died in the state Senate.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s attempt leaves out religious institutions, distancing it from the \u201cYes In God\u2019s Backyard\u201d movement. But just like last year, the idea is already facing resistance from local governments.<\/p>\n

You know, Coloradans are eager to be a part of the housing solution. For example, in Edwards, the Eagle County School District opened up Miller Flats Apartments<\/a> with 37 homes for school district employees and teachers and paraprofessionals located right near schools, parks and transit. And there\u2019s many examples like that across the state.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re given homeowners the freedom to do more with their property. And it\u2019s only the start. By making it easier to subdivide and sell your property<\/a>, like an accessory dwelling unit, we can boost the supply of affordable starter homes so families can build wealth and help Coloradans stay in their homes.<\/p>\n

Together, we\u2019ve worked hard to make the senior homestead exemption flexible and portable, to help seniors downsize and also free up homes for growing families. And of course this year, we must make good on our promise to seniors by funding the senior homestead exemption.<\/p>\n

Doing so will require, as the Joint Budget Committee knows, finding $200 million in one-time funding for this year. We proposed in our budget converting Pinnacol as a way to shore up our workers compensation system to better protect workers, ensure Pinnacol can compete and thrive in today and tomorrow\u2019s marketplace, provide some relief to the budget shortfall, while making good on our bipartisan promise to seniors.<\/p>\n

This idea has been bandied about since at least 2009 \u2014 and it\u2019s the second year in a row Polis has suggested it. But lawmakers remain skeptical<\/a> that the idea has been properly vetted.<\/p>\n

Pinnacol is the state\u2019s workers compensation insurer of last resort, and it\u2019s not clear what privatizing it would mean for the businesses and employees who rely on its coverage.<\/p>\n

Supporters of the idea say it will make Pinnacol more competitive and diversify its risk pool by enabling it to sell insurance across state lines. Critics, though, worry it could mean higher premiums and reduced quality for its members.<\/p>\n

You know, once you have a home that you can afford with a monthly payment, keeping up with costs that come with it is often the next challenge. And that starts with the rising cost of homeowners insurance. It simply costs too much here in Colorado.<\/p>\n

This year we must bring homeowners insurance rates down. Costs continue to skyrocket, up 91% \u2014 an average of $2,000 from 2019 \u2014 and Coloradans in wildfire-prone areas are often having a hard time even finding insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You know, that\u2019s largely a function, almost entirely a function, of hail damage and fire damage claims increasing. But there are tools at our fingertips that can and will help bring down homeowners insurance rates for Coloradans.<\/p>\n

And of course, while we can\u2019t necessarily tackle the entire challenge overnight, it\u2019s long past time that we start, with very practical, commonsense steps like making, building more hail-resistant roofs \u2014 making them more affordable \u2014 and reducing fire risks. By doing that, we can drive down claims and and of course premiums, as a function of claims.<\/p>\n

I want to thank Speaker McCluskie, Rep. Brown, Sen. Amabile and Sen. Snyder, for taking on this important issue of rising homeowner insurance costs.<\/p>\n

Democrats want to make property insurance more affordable by creating programs to help people protect their homes against hail and wildfire, the two largest insurance cost drivers. The legislature tried to make that happen last year by imposing fees on policies to fund the mitigation initiatives, but the proposal was rejected<\/a> over concerns about imposing new costs on consumers.<\/p>\n

House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat who is leading the effort, said she\u2019s looking for a new funding mechanism.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am pursuing something that will hopefully drive funding for those homeowners that are willing to harden their roofs,\u201d she said. \u201cWe also want to pursue ways we can protect communities from catastrophic wildfire with either some type of reinsurance plan or deeper investments in mitigation.\u201d<\/p>\n

You know, the more we do to bring down costs, the more opportunity opens up for Coloradans in the ways that matter most \u2014 where we live, how we spend our time, how we spend our money.<\/p>\n

Five months into my time as governor, some of you might recall, an 8.5 million-pound boulder fell smack dab in the middle of Highway 145 just outside of Dolores, leaving a huge trench and destroying much of the road. When I learned that it would cost the state $200,000 more to get rid of the rock than to reroute the highway I found another way<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now, I\u2019m a rock tumbling enthusiast, much to Marlon\u2019s chagrin \u2014 for those who aren\u2019t familiar, check it out! But there was no way to tumble this particular rock. And so, heeding the wise words of the Beatles, we \u201clet it be.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is the same common sense I\u2019ve used to make it easier, safer and more affordable to get around our state, whether you choose to do so by car, bike, foot, bus or train.<\/p>\n

Today, getting around takes up too much of Colorado\u2019s budgets and too much time, away from our families and what we love to do, and puts out too much pollution. We\u2019re showing that there\u2019s truly a better way forward for Coloradans, one with more choices and greater convenience and lower costs.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve re-paved over 2,500 miles of roads in the last five years alone. And under the leadership of CDOT Director Shoshana Lew, we\u2019ve tackled long-neglected projects, including Floyd Hill, to finally get drivers over Floyd Hill safely and quickly. I know it will be done soon \u2014 taking away the scary drive that many of us relate to going to or from our beautiful Rocky Mountains.<\/p>\n

You know, when I took office in 2019, there were 18,000 electric vehicles driving around Colorado. Now, our energy office director Will Toor was one of those early adopters! Even back then.<\/p>\n

And I am very proud to report that Will no longer feels lonely, now with 10 times as many, more than 204,000 electric cars on Colorado\u2019s roads. We\u2019re No. 1 nationally for percentage of electric vehicle sales, and by embracing these clean, quiet, fun to drive cars, we\u2019ve cut emissions by almost 600,000 tons of carbon dioxide every year. And we continue to work on this.<\/p>\n

Colorado will need to double down with incentives if it wants to maintain progress toward its clean car goals, as the helpful $7,500 federal subsidy has disappeared, and the Trump administration is fighting California and Colorado rules requiring minimum levels of EV sales.<\/p>\n

And folks: We got this done because of policy.<\/p>\n

Working with Sen. Weissman, we want to continue to make it even more affordable to get an electric vehicle by directing savings to lower-cost electric vehicles.<\/p>\n

And of course the lion\u2019s share of additional transportation funding we\u2019ve secured has gone to roads and bridges. But we know that we can\u2019t just build our way out of the congestion that\u2019s robbing too many Coloradans of our precious free time and money.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s why we\u2019ve also supercharged state support for transit and getting around.<\/p>\n

We are blazing a trail on cost-efficient passenger rail, and we\u2019re doing it in record time. With a new lease and access agreement to begin Mountain Passenger Rail service through the Moffat Tunnel<\/a>, we are turning the promise of daily, year-round service from Denver to Craig into a reality with the first routes from Denver to Granby kicking off about a year from now.<\/p>\n

And looking to the Front Range, we are on the precipice of delivering a historic joint service partnership from Denver to Fort Collins, working closely with our partners, the Department of Transportation, RTD, and local governments to get Front Range Passenger Rail across the finish line.<\/p>\n

I want to thank Lisa Kaufmann for her amazing work on passenger rail. And before she started that work, she was under the illusion that being chief of staff was a hard job! Thank you, Lisa.<\/p>\n

The success of Bustang and Snowstang, Pegasus, and Outrider<\/a> show that Coloradans have a big appetite for reliable, affordable bus transit options. In the last five years alone, Bustang ridership has increased fivefold to serve nearly 2.3 million riders. That\u2019s 2.3 million cars off of our roads \u2014 less traffic, less pollution. Bustang now runs 20 routes, with lower fares and exciting partnerships with iconic Colorado events, like the X Games. And we\u2019re pursuing long-term sustainable funding so Bustang can continue to grow, providing even better service for more Coloradans now and in the future.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably less than that. Not all 2.3 million Bustang riders are traveling solo and would have driven their own car if they hadn\u2019t taken the bus.<\/p>\n

We are making major progress. But we all know the reality is, until we have a world-class metro area transit agency with RTD, we simply cannot meet our climate, affordability or convenience goals. And this begins with governance changes, increased accountability and transparency, and a stronger partnership between the cities it serves and the transit agency. And I want to thank Sen. Ball, Sen. Jodeh, Rep. Froelich, and the late Sen. Winter along with Maria Garcia Berry and the accountability committee for putting together a thoughtful and effective approach for how we can truly realize a world-class transit agency for our population centers.<\/p>\n

The governor has taken steps to add oversight to RTD, including signing legislation. He\u2019s been highly critical of the agency.<\/p>\n

Now, letting our Broncos leave Denver would have been like getting an invite to Taylor Swift\u2019s wedding and saying no \u2014 which is to say, not an option. And by the way, Taylor, I\u2019m an excellent officiant. Just ask Allie Kimmel on my team who I was proud to marry a few years ago.<\/p>\n

In all seriousness, the revitalization of Burnham Yard, one of our state\u2019s most historic properties, lays the groundwork for an amazing hub with multimodal transit, and shops, with restaurants, with entertainment, and of course, the AFC West champion Denver Broncos.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re gonna beat the Bills this Saturday, and of course, fully expect for you to join us in hosting a Super Bowl parade this next February.<\/p>\n

You know, we are looking at every piece of the puzzle to make it safer and more affordable to get where you want to go. Today, high auto insurance rates \u2014 the 5th highest nationally<\/a> \u2014 lead to far too many uninsured drivers, making our roads less safe and further driving up costs.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I launched our road map to reduce auto insurance premiums, an action plan to improve road safety and lower auto insurance costs.<\/p>\n

And by more than doubling the number of wildlife crossings statewide to more than 70, including the world\u2019s largest wildlife crossing in Greenland \u2014 no, not that Greenland<\/a>, Greenland, Colorado. Leave the other one alone! We\u2019re reducing wildlife collisions by 90%.<\/p>\n

And we\u2019re putting the days of too much time spent in traffic, too much money to get around, and too much pollution in the rearview mirror, pushing past the way it is to achieve the way it can be.<\/p>\n

You know, 26 years ago \u2014 that\u2019s more than a quarter century \u2014 I was driving around the state in an old school bus campaigning for the State Board of Education, demanding more investment in Colorado schools to ensure every student could get a high-quality education and thrive.<\/p>\n

My passion for education is what drew me into public service. And after starting my career as an entrepreneur, it continues to drive my work as your governor.<\/p>\n

There are so many ways that we can build a bright future for Colorado and almost all of them begin with education. Education is truly about opportunity. It\u2019s about hope.<\/p>\n

Colorado students today get a strong start with free preschool and free kindergarten, thanks to the work of Rep. Sirota and Sen. Bridges.<\/p>\n

And those students head into fully funded schools thanks to our work with the Joint Budget Committee. Now, indicators of class size are down by one full student today from when I first took office \u2014 and average teacher pay is up over $13,000 per year.<\/p>\n

Colorado has continued to increase its K-12 education budget and made progress last year when lawmakers paid off the budget stabilization factor<\/a>, a tool created during the Great Recession that allowed the legislature to give less money to schools than what they were owed under the constitution.<\/p>\n

But that does not mean that Colorado schools are fully funded. Results released last year from two studies commissioned by the legislature found that Colorado is underfunding its schools by $3.5 billion to $4 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Many districts have given their educators pay raises in recent years, but many teachers continue to cite low pay as a key problem for Colorado\u2019s teacher workforce, particularly as they battle the rising cost of living.<\/p>\n

In a report the Colorado Education Association released on the state of education last year, 48% of educators responding to in a CEA survey said they could not afford to live near their school<\/a>. The union\u2019s report on the state of education this year<\/a> cited the average teacher starting salary in Colorado at $42,421 and noted that teachers often must take on second jobs to make ends meet.<\/p>\n

If you visit a Colorado classroom today, as I did this week in Colorado Springs, you might notice something special about Colorado\u2019s first to third graders. These classes include the first group of Colorado students to go through free preschool and free, full-day kindergarten.<\/p>\n

Now, I\u2019ve met a lot of them in our schools and usually their first question is \u201cwho are YOU?!\u201d It has on occasion been followed by, \u201cI want to be governor when I grow up!\u201d<\/p>\n

But you know when I started out as governor, going to kindergarten for a full day of school, and going to preschool at all was treated like a bonus, if you\u2019re lucky enough to get it or if your parents could afford it. Not the necessity that it should be.<\/p>\n

And the data speaks so clearly otherwise.<\/p>\n

High-quality early education investments prevent achievement gaps from occurring in the first place, they help with reading, math, and long-term success in school, all while saving families $6,300 a year for preschool and $500 a month for full-day kindergarten.<\/p>\n

The state\u2019s universal preschool program only pays for about 10-15 hours per week for kids who don\u2019t have challenges that create additional learning needs, such as kids living in poverty.<\/p>\n

And Coloradans were eager to raise their hands to sign up for preschool and kindergarten, catapulting Colorado from 27th nationally in preschool enrollment to third in our very first year under the leadership of Dr. Lisa Roy.<\/p>\n

Today, 98% of kindergarteners take advantage of free full-day kindergarten.<\/p>\n

And we\u2019ve dedicated historic funding to Colorado classrooms, increasing funding per student from just over $8,000 in 2019 to nearly $12,000 today. And with the leadership of Speaker McCluskie, Assistant Minority Leader Bacon and the Joint Budget Committee, we\u2019ve tackled the beast \u2014 the Budget Stabilization Factor that for more than a decade hamstrung our schools with too little funding, along with implementing the new School Finance Act.<\/p>\n

At the same time, we\u2019ve worked to protect school funding for the long term, and the services Coloradans rely on from any kind of rainy day or recession. When I took office, the state\u2019s budget reserves were at 7.25%. Today, I\u2019m proud that we\u2019re in the double digits with 13% in the bank.<\/p>\n

And of course, while our reserves took a minor dip after President Trump and Congress passed HR 1, we\u2019re on track to get our reserves up to 15% in the coming years.<\/p>\n

As the governor noted, Colorado built its reserves up to 15% of general fund spending following the pandemic. But the state has been dipping into them over the last several months as it grapples with rising Medicaid costs and reduced tax collections, and Polis proposed reducing their required level to 13%<\/a> in next year\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n

Boy, I\u2019m glad the reserves got applause. Is it just the JBC or all of us? I hope it is.<\/p>\n

In Colorado, we\u2019re doing our part to help our talented, hardworking educators do their best: helping to shape the next generation of learners, of leaders, of fathers and mothers.<\/p>\n

Each of us can remember a teacher, or likely several, who helped us become who we are today.<\/p>\n

And I want to thank all of the teachers that are here today, and across Colorado, for your incredible contributions to our state now and in the future. Thank you, teachers.<\/p>\n

Now, a good education gives students a head start right out of the box, and high-quality skills and workforce development help Coloradans cross home plate to a good job.<\/p>\n

You know, last year, Colorado high school students enrolled in a record 146,000 courses through our Community College System, earning college credit before graduating and saving over $71 million in tuition costs, as well as saving time.<\/p>\n

Today, we are joined by Mariah, a nursing student at CSU Pueblo, who thanks to concurrent enrollment opportunities, Mariah earned two credentials and completed the first three years of her bachelor\u2019s degree, while still in high school at Swallows Charter Academy in Pueblo.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t even find out until today that I know her grandmother, which is fun.<\/p>\n

Today, Mariah is working in an ICU in Colorado Springs while completing her studies. Thank you, Mariah for being here and so many other students who benefit from dual and concurrent enrollment.<\/p>\n

Through the bipartisan National Governors Association, my chair\u2019s initiative \u2014 Let\u2019s Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success \u2014 kickstarted a long-overdue national conversation about how we better connect the skills students need in school with those that actually matter and lead to a good job.<\/p>\n

And now, we are putting those lessons learned from Let\u2019s Get Ready into action.<\/p>\n

Alongside six other states, led by both Democrats and Republican governors, we are tracking student readiness in real-time with a new dashboard that can move accurate and quick information to help make sure that students are ready and successful for whatever comes next, whether it\u2019s higher education or career or more job or workforce training or apprenticeships.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re saving Coloradans money with free and low-cost training opportunities, and of course making the first two years of college free for many Coloradans, thanks to the work of Speaker McCluskie, Rep. Taggart, Sen. Kirkmeyer and Sen. Mullica.<\/p>\n

Here he\u2019s referring to the state\u2019s Colorado Promise program<\/a>, which reimburses students for up to 65 credit hours at any Colorado post-secondary institution via tax credits. Students must maintain a 2.5 GPA. State budget writers have flirted with a four-year promise program<\/a> for low-income students, but the idea is on hold for now.<\/p>\n

And as one of the largest employers in the state, our state itself is leading by example by hiring for the right skills instead of the right degree, putting an end to the days where excellent candidates were turned away just because they didn\u2019t have the right degree or a particular degree.<\/p>\n

Our workforce investments are bold, innovative and nation-leading. And while there\u2019s a lot to be proud of \u2014 I\u2019m not going to talk the next three hours about it \u2014 instead I\u2019m going to talk about the work we need to do ahead. Because we know that people change jobs more frequently nowadays.<\/p>\n

And yet, our job-training system just isn\u2019t working for every Coloradan. There are so many examples of excellence, but it\u2019s not universal, it\u2019s a maze of more than 20 divisions and offices, and units across seven state departments. The 110 programs for workforce training and readiness have different eligibility requirements, and applications, and different outcome measurements.<\/p>\n

I will now name all 110 workforce programs.<\/p>\n

Thankfully this was a joke.<\/p>\n

Polis usually injects humor and nerdy stuff into his State of the State addresses. While some lawmakers lamented the length of this year\u2019s speech, they were happy he didn\u2019t try to sing.<\/p>\n

Winter, the assistant House minority leader, didn\u2019t appreciate the jokes or the Taylor Swift references.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to see somebody sit up there and talk about Taylor Swift and joke about the Lord of the Rings when good, solid blue-collar working people are put out on the streets \u2014 when it comes to oil and gas jobs, when it comes to coal mining,\u201d Winter said. \u201cHe tries to make it jovial, because when you\u2019re in a crowd of everybody that supports you, it\u2019s really easy to sit there and say things when you know people are going to clap for you. I wish he\u2019d give that speech in southeastern Colorado.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honestly, if even I as your governor can\u2019t name all 110 workforce programs, how can we expect job seekers and those seeking skills to get ahead and figure out how to navigate this maze?<\/p>\n

Transformative results require bold action. And that\u2019s why we\u2019re calling for a unified department to serve as a one-stop shop for Coloradans for easy access for high-quality skills and training and apprenticeships, and better tracking of successful outcomes thanks to the bipartisan effort led by Speaker McCluskie, Rep. Taggart, and Sen. Bridges and Sen. Frizell, which will truly unlock opportunity and prosperity for more Coloradans.<\/p>\n

Helping Coloradans get job-ready is another way we\u2019re making Colorado the best place to work and to do business. And today, we are proudly home to a very strong business-friendly ecosystem. We were ranked the top state in the nation for female entrepreneurs three years in a row, and fourth-best business environment overall by US News and World Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Denver Business Journal says<\/a> Colorado is fourth in the nation for female entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

Business leaders, however, often complain that Colorado has become less friendly to them. They argue policies pushed by Polis and Democrats drive companies to other parts of the country.<\/p>\n

With Eve Lieberman at the helm of our Office of Economic Development and International Trade, companies continue to thrive here in Colorado. Companies that are reinventing a better future: businesses like Boom Supersonic, a $1.5 billion company that started in a Denver basement and is now building supersonic passenger jets that can get us from Denver to London in just over five hours.<\/p>\n

You know, my own career is one that in its earliest days was shaped by the promise of emerging technology \u2014 at that time, internet 1.0 \u2014 when I launched an internet service provider from my college dorm room. This experience taught me a lot about how technology is a tool that must be used to maximize opportunity and innovation.<\/p>\n

Along those same lines, artificial intelligence has tremendous potential \u2014 but I assure you, did not write this speech! We must act thoughtfully to really embrace that amazing innovation while empowering and protecting consumers.<\/p>\n

ChatGPT has a word limit<\/a>, depending on the version, and this speech exceeds the limit.<\/p>\n

Today, we are called upon to ensure Colorado remains a leading state for artificial intelligence for consumers, for businesses of all sizes. And now is the time to get together in a way that drives innovation and of course protects our fellow Coloradans.<\/p>\n

Colorado\u2019s AI law has been criticized by technology companies inside and outside the state because of the potential to stifle innovation. In December, President Trump criticized Colorado\u2019s AI law and banned states<\/a> from adopting their own AI regulations.<\/p>\n

The state\u2019s law goes into effect on June 30. Its main sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver, has vowed to prevent any changes<\/a> if he feels they don\u2019t offer enough protections to consumers.<\/p>\n

In my time as governor, one of the greatest honors has been serving alongside the talented men and women who work for the state government \u2014 over 30,000. We\u2019re fortunate, and we\u2019re all fortunate as Colorado residents to have passionate, dedicated Coloradans \u2014 many of whom will outlast your service, outlast my service \u2014 taking on the most difficult challenges we face, bringing creativity and a commitment to their daily work every single day on behalf of us.<\/p>\n

Today, I am honored to be joined by Fidela Jacquez, one of our longest serving state employees who will have served 50 years next month. Thank you.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s worked across the Department of Public Safety, Transportation, and Revenue, and of course she\u2019s also been a wonderful mentor of her fellow state employees.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry by the way, she was over there \u2014 where are you, stand up so we can see you.<\/p>\n

I asked her, I said, \u201cAre you anywhere near retirement?\u201d She said, \u201cNo way.\u201d Thank you for the impact that you\u2019re making. The members of this body and I have term limits, but we\u2019re very grateful that you don\u2019t and you\u2019re able to bring your experience to a new generation.<\/p>\n

You know, our efforts to support Colorado\u2019s hardworking and dedicated state employees is further strengthened by our work with Colorado WINS, led by Hilary Glasgow. I want to thank Hilary and your team, including President Diane Byrne, who\u2019s here with us today, for your passionate advocacy and work on behalf of our workforce, for our partnership throughout my administration and governorship with our state employees.<\/p>\n

You know, since day one, I\u2019ve taken on special interests and tackled challenges that critics said could never be solved.<\/p>\n

This was a big theme of the governor\u2019s speech: proving critics wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to remind people when I did come in, people were skeptical,\u201d Polis told reporters after his speech. \u201cA lot of people thought we couldn\u2019t get those things done, and we did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amabile, the Boulder Democrat on the JBC, appreciated how the speech gave Polis an opportunity to highlight her party\u2019s victories.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it was good for him to have this opportunity to sort of sum up what not just he has done, but what all of us have done in the last seven years,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a lot \u2014 a lot of stuff around education, a lot of stuff about energy and environment \u2014 that\u2019s really made a big difference. Like, I have an EV. I wouldn\u2019t have bought an EV five years ago because that would have been too hard to manage with no charging stations and (no) tax credits. All of that has made a huge difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

And when it comes to health care, I would measure our accomplishments against any state in the nation. But it\u2019s very difficult to make real change.<\/p>\n

And of course, under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera and our Office of Saving People Money, we\u2019ve tallied nearly $3 billion in savings for Coloradans even as national costs continue to increase.<\/p>\n

Most of this comes from the reinsurance program, which helps health insurers pay their highest-cost claims, allowing them to reduce premium prices for everyone. The program only applies to insurance plans that people purchase on their own \u2014 it does not affect employer-sponsored coverage. It is estimated to have saved consumers $2.6 billion<\/a> in Colorado since it started in 2020.)<\/p>\n

We partnered with bipartisan legislators including Patrick Neville and Pueblo\u2019s own Daneya Esgar on our nation-leading hospital pricing transparency law. We passed the landmark Colorado Option and bipartisan reinsurance alongside Speaker McCluskie, Sen. Jodeh, Sen. Rich and Sen. Roberts. We brought Republicans and Democrats together to put an end to surprise billing.<\/p>\n

The Colorado Option is a state-designed health insurance plan that private insurers are required to sell. When it was created, the hope was that it would reduce insurance prices below what they were in 2021, but that didn\u2019t happen<\/a>. Instead, the Polis administration shifted to talking about the plans as better values than traditional insurance options.<\/p>\n

Some of Polis\u2019 biggest achievements in health insurance are now under threat as federal funding declines.<\/a> Lawmakers last year had to scramble<\/a> to maintain funding for reinsurance, for instance, and they will work again this year<\/a> to find more money to sustain the program.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve made six behavioral health care sessions free for Coloradans under 18 thanks to Sen. Michaelson Jenet. And thanks to the effort of Sen. Gonzales and Sen. Weissman, Rep. Froelich and Rep. Zokaie, we\u2019ve built in needed protections to make sure that Coloradans that are in need of emergency care and their doctor recommends an abortion to save their life, that they will not be turned away.<\/p>\n

With the leadership of Division of Insurance Commissioner Mike Conway, we have created a first-in-the-nation group that\u2019s finally capping the cost of the most expensive drugs. And we strongly suspect that we\u2019re on the right track, because we\u2019ve already been sued twice by Big Pharma. Years before the federal government did, alongside Sen. Roberts, we capped the price of insulin.<\/p>\n

But despite all this work \u2014 and there\u2019s more that many of you have been involved with \u2014 we of course know, we are not where we should be with regard to health care.<\/p>\n

High-powered and well-funded corporate interests have proven to be deeply entrenched in our politics. It\u2019s like the Avengers fighting Thanos. We\u2019re up against big hospitals, pharma, insurance \u2014 alongside a federal government that\u2019s often eager to cozy up to these special interests.<\/p>\n

Colorado\u2019s application to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada \u2014 thanks to the leadership of Kim Bimestefer and Senator Rodriguez \u2014 still languishes in Washington, first under President Biden and now under President Trump.<\/p>\n

In a report to the legislature<\/a> last month, the Polis administration said it had made some technical amendments to its application and was hopeful of receiving federal approval.<\/p>\n

Even if this application is approved, however, it would require both Canada and the pharmaceutical industry to go along \u2014 and neither have been keen on the idea<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The reality is, the incentives in health care are simply fubar. Americans are getting screwed on health care. You know it and I know it.<\/p>\n

Today, hospitals rake in billions of dollars in profits, and actually get away with charging $5,000 for an ice pack, $600 for a Band-Aid, while insurance companies and pharma raise prices on consumers. Now, Dianne and I were perhaps a bit naive to think we\u2019d be able to pull together a coalition to fight back against such absurd charges.<\/p>\n

Denver-area hospitals made $1.3 billion in profits in 2024, according to one recent report<\/a>, but the large majority of that wasn\u2019t from patient care. Instead, most of the profit margin came from other sources of revenue, especially investments but also grants or tax revenue.<\/p>\n

Too often, we fight over incremental progress, and when we stand up for systemic change, we are met with the might of the medical industrial complex and their highly effective scare tactics. I saw this firsthand when I was in Congress working to pass the Affordable Care Act, and I\u2019ve seen it time and time again as governor.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s truly mind-boggling that every other industrialized, wealthy, Western country in the world has figured out a way to provide universal health care as a baseline for everyone at a lower cost.<\/p>\n

Japan spends less than half of what America spends on health care with an older population, and their average lifespan is six years longer.<\/p>\n

Let me be clear: Our dedicated doctors and nurses and providers work around the clock to give Coloradans great health care, and they didn\u2019t set up the system.<\/p>\n

Our essential safety-net hospitals \u2014 especially in rural communities \u2014 are filling important gaps while fighting tooth and nail to keep their doors open, made all the more difficult by the federal government taking a sledgehammer to Medicaid.<\/p>\n

Fixing this broken cycle is not about spending more. We\u2019re already doing that, and it ain\u2019t working. The federal government today is about half of all payers through Medicare and Medicaid, the two largest payers, and it\u2019s long past time the federal government starts negotiating with prescription drug companies and hospitals and actually drives down costs.<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump on Thursday outlined a health care plan<\/a> that would send money directly to Americans while also aiming to lower drug costs.<\/p>\n

Trump has previously struck deals with manufacturers to lower the prices of some drugs, but the prices for many name-brand drugs have continued to rise<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Instead, premiums are skyrocketing across the country after Congress failed to extend the tax credits that millions of Americans rely on to keep health care more affordable. Look, in some ways, it\u2019s one of those $600 Band-Aids, but it\u2019s at least prevented major increases in insurance premiums as we seek reform.<\/p>\n

Health insurance premiums for people who buy coverage on their own increased by 23% on average<\/a> in Colorado this year. But the expiration of those subsidies<\/a> \u2014 which Congress could still extend \u2014 means that the average amount someone pays in Colorado more than doubled this year.<\/p>\n

In Colorado, we\u2019re doing the best with what we have, by maximizing efficiency, refusing to let Medicaid, the payer we do have, fail. The reality is that health care expenses are rising<\/a> far faster than the rest of our budget. We need to take action to bring Medicaid costs to a sustainable level and protect access for the 1.2 million Coloradans who rely on Medicaid.<\/p>\n

Health care now accounts for nearly a third of the state\u2019s general fund spending, surpassing what it spends on K-12 education.<\/p>\n

Since the 2018-19 fiscal year, Medicaid costs have risen about 86%, or $2.6 billion. But under the Taxpayer\u2019s Bill of Rights, the state general fund can only grow by the combined rate of population and consumer inflation \u2014 about 39% over that same period. As a result, health care is crowding out what the state can spend on other public services. But bringing costs down to a more sustainable level will be no easy feat; the growth in Colorado\u2019s Medicaid costs is not out of line with that of other states<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The numbers are stark \u2014 I almost brought my charts with me, but I\u2019ll just spare you and let you ask the Joint Budget Committee members. We simply can\u2019t afford to keep growing Medicaid at anything close to its current pace while still funding schools and roads and public safety.<\/p>\n

We need value. Like every other country, we need better results and spending less. So let\u2019s focus on spending less, let\u2019s focus on covering more people, let\u2019s focus on getting better health outcomes.<\/p>\n

As Babe Ruth famously said, \u201cNever let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

And let me be clear. We\u2019ve been in the game and with you, we are truly giving it our all. But when it comes to health care, special interests like big hospitals, Big Pharma, big insurance, pharmacy benefit managers \u2014 you name it \u2014 have far too much influence and are often the umpires and call the pitches the way they like.<\/p>\n

We will continue fighting for Coloradans, but ultimately, we need Washington to step up and take real action on a real solution. Call it what you will \u2014 a social insurance model, multi-payer universal health care, Medicare for All, a single-payer system with private insurance and care on top \u2014 no matter the jargon, no matter what you call it, no matter your policy preference, the outcome is what matters: health care for everyone at lower costs, like every other country has.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s long past time \u2014 long past time \u2014 that Washington got on the side of hardworking Americans, and out of the pockets of special interests.<\/p>\n

But just like our health, our safety is absolutely critical to being able to live a good life.<\/p>\n

And when I set the bold goal to make Colorado one of the 10 safest states in the nation, we got right to work taking data-driven, commonsense steps to prevent crime in the first place, better equip law enforcement and crack down on crime.<\/p>\n

And we\u2019re seeing real progress. A new report from our Division of Criminal Justice shows that in the past year, violent crime is down over 13%. Property crime is down 18%, which means 14,000 fewer victims of crime. Through targeted investment and increased penalties, we\u2019ve achieved a 61% decrease in auto theft<\/a> over the last four years.<\/p>\n

In a single year, we\u2019ve seen a 95% decline in catalytic converter theft in Denver<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Colorado\u2019s Division of Criminal Justice reported property crime was down 17.5% from January 2025 through June 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, representing \u201cover 13,000 fewer property crimes,\u201d not victims of crimes.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the support of voters, we are boosting state support for local law enforcement through Proposition 130<\/a>, which I supported. This year, the first round of $15 million in funding will go to local law enforcement to boost recruitment, retention and training.<\/p>\n

We are so grateful for the service, bravery and dedication of Colorado\u2019s law enforcement officers, our active duty military, our veterans. I want to thank all those here today who have served or do serve our state and nation with pride, ensuring our safety and security.<\/p>\n

Keeping Coloradans safer includes better preparing for, preventing for, and responding to the year-round threat of wildfires. I\u2019m proud that we\u2019ve worked to expand Colorado\u2019s arsenal of firefighting tools, including our state-owned helicopters like the Firehawk<\/a> and multi-mission aircraft, fire engines, crews, contracted air tankers, to make sure that we can quickly and decisively act whenever and wherever a fire breaks out.<\/p>\n

Our National Guard service members have been on the front lines \u2014 on the ground and in the air \u2014 in the aftermath of Colorado\u2019s devastating fires and floods<\/a>. Always at the ready, they flew helicopters to drop water on the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires, provided real-time data on fire spread, and helped control traffic out of evacuation zones in the Marshall fire.<\/p>\n

These are the missions that matter for our communities, and I want to recognize the bravery and commitment to service that exemplify our Colorado National Guard, under General Bob Davis, and show our respect for their commitment to keep us safe.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, there is more work to be done to make sure all Coloradans can thrive in safe communities. And, sadly, while the current administration in Washington leaves states in the lurch, canceling $29 million and threatening $19 million more in safety grants owed to Colorado, we are stepping up to do just that where we can to fill in the gap, refusing to leave our safety to chance or the whims of Washington.<\/p>\n

My balanced budget proposal includes support to monitor and protect Coloradans against the rising threats of political violence and extremism, along with support for emergency preparedness, response and recovery to make sure we are better prepared to act quickly if and when disaster strikes. Once again, this is work that we have normally counted on a strong federal partnership for, but now we know that Washington is threatening some of this very funding<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Keeping Coloradans safe includes protecting the spaces we gather, learn and pray. And today, over 73 nonprofits, including synagogues, mosques and churches, have been able to make security upgrades with support from the nonprofit security grants. Our students deserve to learn free from fear. And our Office of School Safety has supported 239 improvements to boost safety and emergency response at 190 schools across Colorado.<\/p>\n

Together, under the leadership of Sen. Sullivan and so many others \u2014 too many to name here \u2014 we\u2019ve taken commonsense steps to reduce gun violence while protecting our Second Amendment rights. The nation-leading red flag law<\/a> has been enforced over 478 times to protect Coloradans and our communities.<\/p>\n

Waiting periods, safe and responsible gun storage requirements, cracking down on ghost guns \u2014 all help keep Coloradans safe, and we\u2019re proud to support responsible gun ownership, including with expanded background checks, making the theft of any firearm a felony.<\/p>\n

Guns will not be a focus for Democrats at the Capitol this year.<\/p>\n

We are protecting the rights of Coloradans to own the gun of their choice while implementing new training to make sure those who purchase semiautomatic weapons are fully trained through the work Colorado Parks and Wildlife is doing with your local sheriffs<\/a>. By cracking down on gun trafficking and illegal firearm activity, we\u2019ve gotten 183 illegal guns off of our streets.<\/p>\n

To truly keep Colorado safe, we must act urgently to address gaps in our system related to those who cannot stand trial but are charged with a crime, and make sure that anyone who poses a danger to themselves or others is not just released onto the streets.<\/p>\n

There have been high-profile stories recently of people accused of violent crimes being released from jail and the charges against them dropped because the state didn\u2019t have the capacity to return them to legal competency.<\/p>\n

Polis wants lawmakers to spend $34 million over the next 18 months to treat criminal defendants deemed incompetent and unable to participate in their legal defense. Right now, those people must be released from jail and charges dropped after a certain amount of time<\/a> if the person cannot be restored to competency.<\/p>\n

The aim is to increase treatment options and make it less likely that incompetent criminal defendants will have to be released before the deadlines are reached.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is targeted at getting secure placements for people who are dangerous,\u201d said Amabile, who is working on the proposal, \u201cand to provide outpatient care for people who are not dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

My supplemental budget request includes funding for the state to work alongside local governments and the judicial branch to pursue appropriate, secure placements and services, and I am asking the legislature to move quickly to get bipartisan legislation to my desk and thanking Speaker McCluskie, Minority Leader Caldwell, Sen. Amabile, and Minority Leader Simpson for leading the bipartisan action on getting this done.<\/p>\n

Delivering real results for Coloradans is as much about our values as it is about making life easier and more affordable.<\/p>\n

And together we are showing that it is possible to cut pollution, to lower costs, to spur innovation.<\/p>\n

By cutting pollution, we are cleaning up our air in ways that we can see and ways that we can feel \u2014 helping to reduce bad air quality days, which are down from 65 days in 2021 to 30 days in 2025, which my dad in particular really appreciates.<\/p>\n

During my time as governor, the share of energy that Colorado gets from low-cost clean energy sources has grown by nearly 75%, enough power to supply 3 million homes for a year.<\/p>\n

I am excited about bright spots across our state, like Holy Cross Energy serving Eagle, Pitkin, Garfield, Mesa and Gunnison counties. At a seasonal peak last spring, Holy Cross generated 96% of its energy<\/a> from low-cost clean energy sources.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., is tipping the scale towards expensive, out-of-date coal production that drives up costs, pollutes our air, and subjects all of us to volatile price swings in natural gas.<\/p>\n

We saw this after the Texas winter storm a few years ago, which drove up energy bills for many Coloradans by nearly $20 a month for years<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In Colorado, we tackle climate change head on, instead of burying our heads in a pile of coal. I would say snow, but sadly there isn\u2019t any, and the snowpack is only 62% of average<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re charging forward on our plan to unlock clean energy, including our goals of achieving 100%. By 2030, I\u2019m proud to say that more than 70% of Colorado\u2019s electricity will come from low-cost wind and solar. But we need emerging technologies like geothermal<\/a> or carbon capture to get us to 100%.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s why we are taking action alongside Rep. Willford, Sen. Weissman and Sen. Amabile to maintain the important goal of 100% clean energy and building in the flexibility we need to adapt to the realities of federal headwinds and protect consumers.<\/p>\n

Now is the time to support innovation, to build more of what\u2019s needed to power our homes and businesses, including power lines and clean power plants.<\/p>\n

Local government plays a key role in moving energy and transmission projects along, but there is room to grow to ensure permitting across the state for needed energy is clear, fast, and consistent.<\/p>\n

Democrats plan to bring a bill this year that would aim to prevent local permitting from stopping clean energy projects. It\u2019s likely to stoke more friction between the governor and cities and counties over local control.<\/p>\n

Long before my time as governor, the oil and gas wars plagued our state. Colorado\u2019s patchwork regulatory environment had few meaningful standards.<\/p>\n

At best, Coloradans had to worry if oil and gas would be able to drill in their backyard or literally in their living room. For too many Coloradans, this worry became their reality. Even today, the <\/a>devastating Enterprise Pipeline gasoline spill still impacts the Southern Ute Indian Tribe land, showing us the importance of safety.<\/p>\n

In my first year as governor, we passed the most robust regulatory framework for oil and gas in the country, moving drilling operations further from homes and schools. And we drilled down to ensure that energy oversight is held to the highest standards, under the cutting-edge Energy and Carbon Management Commission, further supporting innovation in underground geothermal and carbon capture.<\/p>\n

I want to thank our ECMC Commissioner Jeff Robbins for being with us since day one, dedicating his passion, his vision, and his expertise to this incredible work. Thank you, Jeff.<\/p>\n

I also want to thank Erin Martinez who bravely shared her story after her home tragically exploded from an undetected gas leak from drilling operations near her, killing her husband and her brother, and of course all those who worked to pave the way to a safer future for Colorado.<\/p>\n

And I would add, the apocalyptic warnings that our gold-standard rules would somehow shut down the oil and gas industry in Colorado have proven to be completely unfounded.<\/p>\n

The oil and gas industry would probably disagree about this remark. But, yes, the industry still exists in the state.<\/p>\n

Today, we have a thriving and robust industry that is electrifying and getting cleaner<\/a> while adding protections for health and safety while being accountable to put health and safety first.<\/p>\n

We went on to bring responsible oil and gas companies and the environmental community together, preventing costly, divisive ballot measures and creating a new funding stream that moves our state from 42nd in transit funding to 23rd. I want to thank for this work the late Sen. Faith Winter, alongside Speaker McCluskie, Rep. Velasco, Rep. Willford, Froelich and Bacon and Sen. Cutter for their work on this.<\/p>\n

Ballot measures have been weaponized against the legislature to force their hand. See these examples<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Time and time again, we\u2019ve worked together to tackle the complex challenges we face and chart a sustainable, affordable path forward for Colorado.<\/p>\n

From securing our water future, to protecting our wildlife and conserving our public lands, we are taking these lessons with us to prepare for and build resilience for a hotter, drier climate.<\/p>\n

Colorado does seem to be headed toward a hotter, drier future. According to climate scientists, the state\u2019s average yearly temperature has increased 2 degrees Fahrenheit in the last 30 years. Streams and rivers flowing through Colorado and some of its neighboring states have shrunk by 20% over the past century.<\/p>\n

Under the leadership of Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Gibbs, we are implementing the visionary Colorado Water Plan, directing over $127 million in new funding to support local water projects. We are seeing record interest in Water Plan Grants, which so far have supported 530 local projects.<\/p>\n

The Water Plan Grant program launched in 2017, before Polis was elected governor.<\/p>\n

Since then, the program has awarded $127 million for 530 local water projects, but the number of projects peaked<\/a> in fiscal years 2022 and 2024. Recently, demand outstripped funding.The state received about $60 million in grant requests for 140 projects, but only had $37 million to spend.<\/p>\n

Agriculture is often on the front lines of the drought, and we are proud to be helping the next generation of producers get the tools and training needed to adapt to a changing climate and changing water reality. From Water Plan grants to the transformative work led by Ag Commissioner Kate Greenberg, who isn\u2019t here because she just gave birth to her first child three days ago. We are working to help farmers and ranchers to prepare for and build for success in the face of a hotter, dryer climate.<\/p>\n

Looking to the Colorado River, under the leadership of Commissioner Becky Mitchell, we are working to find consensus while protecting the water for Colorado, and the Upper Basin states<\/a>. There is no state better positioned to lead the way to a sustainable future for our namesake river.<\/p>\n

In light of the pine beetle outbreak spreading across the Front Range and foothills, we are stepping up to reduce the most harmful impacts, fire risk, and protect our communities, forests, and of course key water sources.<\/p>\n

The governor wants the legislature to spend about $4 million to tackle the pine beetle spread.<\/p>\n

We are also stepping up to support our pollinators, the workhorses of our ecosystems who are responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat. Together, we are building on our work to protect pollinators from threats faced including from some pesticides, including working this year with Sen. Kipp and Sen. Wallace.<\/p>\n

Well look, our treasured public lands are part of the fabric of who we are in Colorado, full of fun, full of adventure, home to incredible wildlife, a key to our economy and our fun.<\/p>\n

Elevating enjoyment and care of our great outdoors go hand in hand. And we\u2019ve expanded our state parks and wildlife areas by over 90,000 acres, we\u2019ve advanced conservation for 270,000 federal acres like the Thompson Divide, and we\u2019ve opened up access to over 1 million acres of state trust lands.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve created more than $120 million in new annual funding for the care and conservation of our public lands, including with the Keep Colorado Wild pass that cut the price of state park passes by more than half to $29, growing lottery funding for Colorado\u2019s outdoors.<\/p>\n

The first-of-its-kind outdoors strategy that sets the vision for the best care and use of our great outdoors and of course putting every dollar to its highest and best use.<\/p>\n

The moving words of \u201cAmerica the Beautiful\u201d have connected generations to Colorado\u2019s \u201cpurple mountains majesty,\u201d inspired by the beauty of Pikes Peak, where I was just a few days ago. We are working to ensure that America\u2019s Mountain remains as central to Colorado\u2019s future as it is to our nation\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Through Colorado Parks and Wildlife\u2019s partnership with the city of Colorado Springs \u2014 Mayor Yemi, Colorado Springs Utilities, the U.S. Forest Service, Great Outdoors Colorado, county and local leaders in the Outdoor Pikes Peak Initiative, and the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance \u2014 we are expanding opportunities, including new campgrounds, new trails, better facilities maintenance<\/a>, for Coloradans and those who visit us to enjoy and protect this hallowed and inspirational place for generations to come.<\/p>\n

And as we look ahead to our state\u2019s 150th birthday, what better way to honor Colorado\u2019s proud history and build towards a bright future than by elevating the care, conservation and enjoyment of our most iconic wild spaces.<\/p>\n

Our state\u2019s milestone year is also a milestone year for some of us, including me, who are embarking on our last year in this building, along with many of you.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019ve truly enjoyed working with everyone here in this chamber \u2014 well almost everyone \u2014 as well as those who came before. I want to recognize all of the legislators whose terms have matched up with mine and will be heading into their final session \u2014 congratulations to my fellow members of the class of 2026.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll take bets on who he was referring to.<\/p>\n

And I encourage all legislators, again in my last year, to take advantage of the opportunity to lead on issues you know that I agree with you on and perhaps the next governor won\u2019t, whether it\u2019s school choice, eliminating puppy mills, technology innovation, supporting blockchain and crypto, or reducing the income tax, now\u2019s your chance!<\/p>\n

And on issues you know I might disagree with you on, we might be able to work together to find an agreement. But much to my staff\u2019s chagrin, this year I ordered a special pen for that after poor Jeff Bridges couldn\u2019t even get a regular pen from David when I vetoed his bill a few years ago. At least you deserve a keepsake if that happens.<\/p>\n

The governor vetoed more bills last year than he had before. And lawmakers are worried that he will be more free this year to use his veto pen as he leaves office.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019d be nice if they just send me bills I support,\u201d Polis told reporters after his speech, \u201cbut that\u2019s not something that\u2019s in my purview. I\u2019ll look at each and every bill and make the decision of whether, on balance, it\u2019s good for Colorado.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mabrey, the Democratic representative from Denver, who often clashes with the governor over policy, said Polis has \u201csenioritis.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have worked with his office to change his mind on policy before,\u201d Mabrey said. \u201cSo, you know, never say never \u2014 until it\u2019s vetoed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mabrey is working for the second year in a row on a bill that would tweak the state\u2019s labor laws to make it easier for unions to force all workers at a company to pay fees for collective bargaining representation \u2014 regardless of whether they are members of a union.<\/p>\n

A forthcoming bill, once again dubbed the Worker Protection Act by supporters, would repeal a requirement that a union get the approval of at least 75% of workers at a company before they can negotiate with a business over union security.<\/p>\n

Union security is the term for when workers are forced to pay fees for collective bargaining representation, even if they have not joined the union. Unions are required to bargain on behalf of all workers at a company which is why they feel it\u2019s only fair that union security be imposed to cover the cost of things like lawyers and negotiating experts.<\/p>\n

Polis vetoed<\/a> the same measure in 2025, and he said he\u2019ll veto the 2026 version, too, if there aren\u2019t major changes. He\u2019s not willing to eliminate the union security vote altogether.<\/p>\n

\u201cNotable that he didn\u2019t explicitly call it out!\u201d Mabrey said.<\/p>\n

In the \u201cLord of the Rings,\u201d Sam speaks to Frodo, saying \u201cthere\u2019s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it\u2019s worth fighting for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colorado, there\u2019s so much good, and we keep fighting for more.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s good we\u2019ve achieved \u2014 more homes for every budget, more ways to get around easier without sitting in traffic, more opportunities for students and learners at every stage \u2014 and the good that we know is still possible that we continue to fight for.<\/p>\n

When I ran to serve as your governor, I promised to be bold \u2014 heck, I made a lot of promises, that together, we\u2019ve turned into reality for so many Coloradans.<\/p>\n

\"\"Gov. Polis quoted \u201cHitchhiker\u2019s Guide to the Galaxy\u201d right before the end of his speech: \u201cSo long, and thanks for all the fish.\u201d (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)<\/p>\n

Free preschool. Free full-day kindergarten. More housing. Less pollution.<\/p>\n

We dream. We dare. We do.<\/p>\n

Now, I\u2019ve been called many things \u2014 Colorado\u2019s education governor, marijuana governor, tech-bro governor, gay governor, socialist, fascist, communist, capitalist, libertarian.<\/p>\n

Whatever it is, I just keep putting in the work and let others decide the labels. But at the end of the day, it\u2019s always about delivering real results that leave our state better for the people that are in it than we found it. And it\u2019s also about showing loving kindness for everyone and everything. And I leave you with the advice to be kind and love your fellow humans.<\/p>\n

Through it all, what will always stick with me are the special moments that during my time as governor I got to experience \u2014 visiting all 64 counties, picking and eating a fresh peach in Palisade, warm from the Colorado sun, the breathtaking view from atop the mesa at Fort Lewis College.<\/p>\n

Attending church on All Saints\u2019 Day in Otero County. Trying with limited success to descend into the only active volcano in Colorado<\/a> in Dotsero on a wire tied to a tree. Taking our kids to see tarantulas crawl near La Junta. Picking Pueblo chiles<\/a>. Surprising seniors for lunch at the San Luis Senior Center.<\/p>\n

White knuckling it on the drive to the top of Pikes Peak.<\/p>\n

Just FYI: the governor doesn\u2019t really drive himself. The Colorado State Patrol takes care of that.<\/p>\n

Fulfilling a life goal by \u201cplaying\u201d Red Rocks with Colorado \u201cSouth Park\u201d creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. And, of course, getting married at the Mary Rippon Theater at the University of Colorado, Marlon\u2019s alma mater.<\/p>\n

Moments like speaking at the first preschool graduation ceremony for the class of \u2014 they were a little bit more squirrelly than you all, during my speech, but it was also a little bit shorter.<\/p>\n

Reading to the first class of full-day kindergarteners.<\/p>\n

And of course the people, the people, the people. The people of Colorado, of course also my cabinet, including those who have been here since the beginning, and I\u2019ve named many of them, you noticed I worked their names in the speech, I want to acknowledge and thank the others, including Joe Barela, Michelle Barnes, Patty Salazar, and Tony Gheradini, who have been there since the start. Thank you.<\/p>\n

Our incredible executive team, Daniela, Kara, Allie, Mark, Conor, Jesse, Danielle, our entire staff, and their families who have also dedicated and sacrificed so much because we believe in Colorado.<\/p>\n

Our beautiful, spectacular Colorado is matched only by the heart, the ingenuity, the creativity, the love and kindness of those who call our state home.<\/p>\n

Seven years ago, I joined you all in delivering my first State of the State address, and shared what an honor it is to be your governor.<\/p>\n

In the time since, forces beyond us have shaped our reality in many ways \u2014 a once in a century pandemic, widespread inflation, the biggest and most destructive fires in our state history, an unpredictable federal landscape, a massive wormhole connecting to the Abyss with an upside down version of Colorado and our only hope is a group of Dungeons & Dragons-playing teenagers \u2026 maybe not that one.<\/p>\n

The governor is flexing his pop culture and nerd muscles here, referring to the final season of the Netflix series \u201cStranger Things.\u201d<\/p>\n

But despite it all, we faced our challenges head on \u2014 never lost sight of our values, or what makes us who we are.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve stared down the Abyss, we\u2019ve destroyed our metaphorical Vecnas, and delivered big, bold progress for Colorado while rolling a natural 20 on landing Sundance, the All-Star Game and the quantum accelerator.<\/p>\n

This speech should have come with a spoiler alert.<\/p>\n

In this time of great division, now more than ever we must come together as Coloradans, leading with kindness, with respect to move our ONE team \u2014 our great state \u2014 forward.<\/p>\n

The state of our state is strong. Resilient. Loving. Kind. Innovative. Free. And ever bright with the promise of a Colorado for All.<\/p>\n

So long, and thanks for all the fish.<\/p>\n

This is the title of the fourth book in Douglas Adams\u2019 \u201cHitchhiker\u2019s Guide to the Galaxy\u201d series. It\u2019s also what the intellectually superior dolphins in the book said to the humans as they left Earth.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll leave you to read into this quote\u2019s presence in Polis\u2019 last state of the state speech what you want.<\/p>\n

God bless you all, God bless Colorado, and God bless the United States of America!<\/p>\n

Colorado Sun editors Dana Coffield and David Krause contributed to this report. Staff writers John Ingold, Shannon Mullane, Erica Breunlin, Michael Booth, Tracy Ross, Tamara Chuang and Olivia Prentzel also contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

Type of Story: Analysis<\/p>\n

Based on factual reporting, although it incorporates the expertise of the journalist and may offer interpretations and conclusions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Colorado Gov. Jared Polis delivered his eighth and final State of the State address on Thursday, using the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":409967,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[23,58866,35165,3,6589,157104,196826,21,19,22,20,25,24],"class_list":{"0":"post-409966","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-states","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-gov-jared-polis","10":"tag-legislature","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-state-government","13":"tag-state-legislature","14":"tag-state-of-the-state","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-united-states-of-america","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","19":"tag-us","20":"tag-usa"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=409966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/409967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=409966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=409966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=409966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}