Date Posted: 1.6.2025
SENATE LEADERSHIP
President of the Senate James Coleman (D-Denver)
Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez (D-Denver)
President Pro Tempore Dafna Michaelson Janet (D-Commerce City)
Assistant Majority Leader Lisa Cutter (D-Littleton)
Majority Whip Nick Hinrichsen (D-Pueblo)
Majority Caucus Chair Dylan Roberts (D-Frisco)
Minority Leader Paul Lundeen (R-El Paso)
Assistant Minority Leader Cleave Simpson (R-Alamosa)
Minority Whip Senator Janice Rich (R-Grand Junction)
Minority Caucus Chair Byron Pelton (R-Sterling)
SENATE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources (7 members / 4D & 3R)
Chair: Senator Dylan Roberts (D-Frisco)
Vice Chair: Senator Jessie Danielson (D-Wheat Ridge)
Members:
Senator Nick Hinrichsen (D-Pueblo)
Senator Janice Marchman (D-Loveland)
Senator Byron Pelton (R-Sterling)
Senator Rod Pelton (R-Cheyenne Wells)
Senator-Elect Marc Catlin (R-Montrose)
Senate Appropriations (7 members / 4D & 3R)
Chair: Senator-Elect Judy Amabile (D-Boulder)
Vice Chair: Senator Jeff Bridges (D-Greenwood Village)
Members:
Senator Chris Kolker (D-Littleton)
Senator Julie Gonzales (D-Denver)
Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer (R-Weld County)
Senator Mark Baisley (R-Roxborough Park)
Senator Larry Liston (R-Colorado Springs)
Senate Business, Labor & Technology (7 members / 4D & 3R)
Chair: Senator Jessie Danielson (D-Wheat Ridge)
Vice Chair: Senator Nick Hinrichsen (D-Pueblo)
Members:
Senator Faith Winter (D-Thornton)
Democrat Vacancy
Senator Larry Liston (R-Colorado Springs)
Senator Byron Pelton (R-Sterling)
Senator-Elect Marc Catlin (R-Montrose)
Senate Education (7 members / 4D & 3R)
Chair: Senator Chris Kolker (D-Littleton)
Vice Chair: Senator Janice Marchman (D-Loveland)
Members:
Senator-Elect Cathy Kipp (D-Fort Collins)
Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet (D-Commerce City)
Senator Paul Lundeen (R-Monument)
Senator Janice Rich (R-Grand Junction)
Senator-Elect Scott Bright (R-Platteville)
Senate Finance (9 members / 6D & 3R)
Chair: Senator-Elect Cathy Kipp (D-Fort Collins)
Vice Chair: Senator Janice Marchman (D-Loveland)
Members:
Senator Chris Kolker (D-Littleton)
Senator Julie Gonzales (D-Denver)
Senator-Elect Marc Snyder (D-Manitou Springs)
Senator Kyle Mullica (D-Thornton)
Senator Cleave Simpson (R-Alamosa County)
Senator-Elect Scott Bright (R-Platteville)
Senator-Elect Lisa Frizell (R-Castle Rock)
Senate Health & Human Services (9 members / 6D & 3R)
Chair: Senator Kyle Mullica (D-Thornton)
Vice Chair: Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet (D-Commerce City)
Members:
Senator Lisa Cutter (D-Bear Creek)
Senator-Elect Mike Weissman (D-Aurora)
Senator-Elect Lindsey Daugherty (D-Arvada)
Democrat Vacancy
Senator Janice Rich (R-Grand Junction)
Senator-Elect Lisa Frizell (R-Castle Rock)
Republican Vacancy
Senate Judiciary (7 members / 5D & 2R)
Chair: Senator Julie Gonzales (D-Denver)
Vice Chair: Senator-Elect Mike Weissman (D-Aurora)
Members:
Senator Dylan Roberts (D-Frisco)
Senator-Elect Lindsey Daugherty (D-Arvada)
Democrat Vacancy
Senator-Elect Lisa Frizell (R-Castle Rock)
Senator Mark Baisley (R-Teller County)
Senate Local Government & Housing (7 members / 4D & 3R)
Chair: Senator Tony Exum Sr. (D-Colorado Springs)
Vice Chair: Senator Julie Gonzales (D-Denver)
Members:
Senator-Elect Marc Snyder (D-Manitou Springs)
Senator Faith Winter (D-Thornton)
Senator Rod Pelton (R-Cheyenne Wells)
Senator Janice Rich (R-Grand Junction)
Republican Vacancy
Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs (5 members / 3D & 2R)
Chair: Senator-Elect Mike Weissman (D-Aurora)
Vice Chair: Senator Tom Sullivan (D-Centennial)
Members:
Democrat Vacancy
Senator Mark Baisley (R-Teller County)
Senator Larry Liston (R-Colorado Springs)
Senate Transportation & Energy (9 members / 6D & 3R)
Chair: Senator Faith Winter (D-Westminster)
Vice Chair: Senator Lisa Cutter (D-Bear Creek)
Members:
Senator Nick Hinrichsen (D-Pueblo)
Senator Tony Exum Sr. (D-Colorado Springs
Senator Tom Sullivan (D-Centennial)
Senator Kyle Mullica (D-Thornton)
Senator Cleave Simpson (R-Alamosa)
Senator Byron Pelton (R-Cheyenne Wells)
Senator-Elect Marc Catlin (R-Montrose)
HOUSE LEADERSHIP
Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie (D-Dillion)
House Majority Leader Monica Duran (D-Wheat Ridge)
Speaker of the House Pro Tempore Andrew Boesenecker (D-Fort Collins)
Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon (D-Denver)
Majority Co-Whips Matthew Martinez (D-Monte Vista) & Iman Jodeh (D-Aurora)
Majority Caucus Co-Chairs Mandy Lindsay (D-Aurora) & Junie Joseph (D-Boulder)
Minority Leader Rose Pugliese (R-Colorado Springs)
Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter (R-Trinidad)
Minority Caucus Chair Anthony Hartsook (R-Parker)
Minority Whip Ryan Armagost (R-Berthoud)
HOUSE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources (13 Members / 9D & 4R)
Chair: Representative Karen McCormick (D-Longmont)
Vice Chair: Representative Tisha Mauro (D-Pueblo)
Ranking Member: Representative Ty Winter (R-Las Animas County)
Members:
Representative Elizabeth Velasco (D-Glenwood Springs)
Representative-Elect Katie Stewart (D-Durango)
Representative-Elect Lesley Smith (D-Boulder County)
Representative Mandy Lindsay (D-Aurora)
Representative Matthew Martinez (D-Alamosa)
Representative Meghan Lukens (D-Steamboat Springs)
Representative Tammy Story (D-Evergreen)
Representative Matt Soper (R-Delta)
Representative-Elect Dusty Johnson (R-Fort Morgan)
Representative-Elect Larry Don Suckla (R-Montezuma County)
House Appropriations (11 Members / 7D & 4R)
Chair: Representative Emily Sirota (D-Denver)
Vice Chair: Representative Shannon Bird (D-Westminster)
Ranking Member: Representative Rick Taggart (R-Grand Junction)
Members:
Representative Andrew Boesenecker (D-Fort Collins)
Representative Brianna Titone (D-Arvada)
Representative Elizabeth Velasco (D-Glenwood Springs)
Representative Junie Joseph (D-Boulder)
Representative Karen McCormick (D-Longmont)
Representative Scott Bottoms (R-Colorado Springs)
Representative Stephanie Luck (R-Penrose)
Representative-Elect Lori Garcia Sander (R-Eaton)
House Business Affairs & Labor (13 Members / 8D & 5R)
Chair: Representative Naquetta Ricks (D-Aurora)
Vice Chair: Representative Steven Woodrow (D-Denver)
Ranking Member: Representative Ryan Armagost (R-Berthoud)
Members:
Representative Bob Marshall (D-Highlands Ranch)
Representative-Elect Gretchen Rydin (D-Littleton)
Representative Regina English (D-Colorado Springs)
Representative Sheila Lieder (D-Jefferson County)
Representative Tisha Mauro (D-Pueblo)
Representative William Lindstedt (D-Broomfield)
Representative-Elect Max Brooks (R-Castle Rock)
Representative-Elect Chris Richardson (R-Elbert County)
Representative-Elect Rebecca Keltie (R-Colorado Springs)
Representative-Elect Larry Don Suckla (R-Montezuma County)
House Education (13 Members / 8D & 5R)
Chair: Representative Meghan Lukens (D-Steamboat Springs)
Vice Chair: Representative Matthew Martinez (D-Alamosa)
Ranking Member: Representative Mary Bradfield (R-Colorado Springs)
Members:
Representative Eliza Hamrick (D-Centennial)
Representative-Elect Jacque Phillips (D-Thornton)
Representative Jennifer Bacon (D-Denver)
Representative-Elect Lesley Smith (D-Boulder County)
Representative-Elect Lindsay Gilchrist (D-Denver)
Representative Tammy Story (D-Evergreen)
Representative Anthony Hartsook (R-Parker)
Representative-Elect Lori Garcia Sander (R-Eaton)
Representative-Elect Dusty Johnson (R-Fort Morgan)
Representative-Elect Jarvis Caldwell (R-Colorado Springs)
House Energy & Environment (13 Members / 9D & 4R)
Chair: Representative Alex Valdez (D-Denver)
Vice Chair: Representative Elizabeth Velasco (D-Glenwood Springs)
Ranking Member: Representative-Elect Dan Woog (R-Frederick)
Members:
Representative-Elect Amy Paschal (D-Colorado Springs)
Representative Iman Jodeh (D-Aurora)
Representative Jenny Willford (D-Northglenn)
Representative Junie Joseph (D-Boulder)
Representative Kyle Brown (D-Louisville)
Representative Manny Rutinel (D-Commerce City)
Representative-Elect Sean Camacho (D-Denver)
Representative Ken DeGraaf (R-Colorado Springs)
Representative-Elect Ryan Gonzalez (R-Greeley)
Representative-Elect Carlos Barron (R-Fort Lupton)
House Finance (13 Members / 8D & 5R)
Chair: Representative William Lindstedt (D-Broomfield)
Vice Chair: Representative Brianna Titone (D-Arvada)
Ranking Member: Representative Anthony Hartsook (R-Parker)
Members:
Representative Bob Marshall (D-Highlands Ranch)
Representative Junie Joseph (D-Boulder)
Representative Lorena Garcia (D-Denver)
Representative-Elect Rebekah Stewart (D-Lakewood)
Representative-Elect Sean Camacho (D-Denver)
Representative-Elect Yara Zokaie (D-Fort Collins)
Representative Ron Weinberg (R-Loveland)
Representative Ken DeGraaf (R-Colorado Springs)
Representative-Elect Max Brooks (R-Castle Rock)
Representative-Elect Ryan Gonzalez (R-Greeley)
House Health & Human Services (13 Members / 9D & 4R)
Chair: Representative Kyle Brown (D-Louisville)
Vice Chair: Representative Sheila Lieder (D-Jefferson County)
Ranking Member:
Representative Brandi Bradley (R-Highlands Ranch)
Representative Eliza Hamrick (D-Centennial)
Representative-Elect Gretchen Rydin (D-Littleton)
Representative Karen McCormick (D-Longmont)
Representative-Elect Katie Stewart (D-Durango)
Representative-Elect Lindsay Gilchrist (D-Denver)
Representative-Elect Lisa Feret (D-Arvada)
Representative Regina English (D-Colorado Springs)
Representative Mary Bradfield (R-Colorado Springs)
Representative-Elect Dusty Johnson (R-Fort Morgan)
Representative-Elect Lori Garcia Sander (R-Eaton)
House Judiciary (11 Members / 7D & 4R)
Chair: Representative Javier Mabrey (D-Denver)
Vice Chair: Representative-Elect Michael Carter (D-Aurora)
Ranking Member: Representative Matt Soper (R-Delta)
Members:
Representative-Elect Cecelia Espenoza (D-Denver)
Representative Chad Clifford (D-Centennial)
Representative Jennifer Bacon (D-Denver)
Representative Lorena Garcia (D-Denver)
Representative-Elect Yara Zokaie (D-Fort Collins)
Representative Ryan Armagost (R-Berthoud)
Representative-Elect Jarvis Caldwell (R-Colorado Springs)
Representative-Elect Rebecca Keltie (R-Colorado Springs)
House State, Civic, Military & Veterans Affairs (11 Members / 8D-3R)
Chair: Representative Jenny Willford (D-Northglenn)
Vice Chair: Representative Chad Clifford (D-Centennial)
Ranking Member: Representative Stephanie Luck (R-Penrose)
Members:
Representative-Elect Cecelia Espenoza (D-Denver)
Representative Javier Mabrey (D-Denver)
Representative-Elect Lisa Feret (D-Arvada)
Representative Meg Froelich (D-Greenwood Village)
Representative-Elect Michael Carter (D-Aurora)
Representative Naquetta Ricks (D-Aurora)
Representative Scott Bottoms (R-Colorado Springs)
Representative Brandi Bradley (R-Highlands Ranch)
House Transportation, Housing & Local Government (13 Members / 9D & 4R)
Chair: Representative Meg Froelich (D-Greenwood Village)
Vice Chair: Representative-Elect Rebekah Stewart (D-Lakewood)
Ranking Member: Representative-Elect Chris Richardson (R-Elbert County)
Members:
Representative-Elect Amy Paschal (D-Colorado Springs)
Representative Andy Boesenecker (D-Fort Collins)
Representative Iman Jodeh (D-Aurora)
Representative-Elect Jacque Phillips (D-Thornton)
Representative Mandy Lindsay (D-Aurora)
Representative Alex Valdez (D-Denver)
Representative Steven Woodrow (D-Denver)
Representative-Elect Dan Woog (R-Frederick)
Representative-Elect Carlos Barron (R-Fort Lupton)
Representative-Elect Larry Don Suckla (R-Montezuma County)
JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES
Joint Budget Committee (6 Members / 4D & 2R)
Chair: Senator Jeff Bridges (D-Greenwood Village)
Vice Chair: Representative Shannon Bird (D-Westminster)
Members:
Senator Judy Amiable (D-Boulder)
Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer (R-Weld)
Representative Emily Sirota (D-Denver)
Representative Rick Taggart (R-Grand Junction)
(We will add additional joint committee assignments as they become available.)
Notes from the Capitol
Volume 2 – January 24, 2025
Good afternoon, folks. We are 17 days into the 120-day legislative session, with 103 days remaining. Legislators have introduced roughly one-sixth of all bills we expect this session.
SMART Act Hearings
Legislators are typically preoccupied with SMART Act hearings during the first two weeks of the session. This year was no exception. Annual SMART Act hearings allow state agency staff to brief legislators on the agency's mission, core roles and functions, structure, operations, and priorities — while enabling legislators to scrutinize each agency publicly. Due to the state’s $1 billion budget shortfall, legislators have the unenviable task of deploying meat cleavers to the budget; the tone and tenure of the back-and-forth committee between agency staff and legislators was, shall we say, uncharacteristically adversarial.
Among the most contentious committee hearings this week were a special joint House and Senate energy committee during which Democrat and Republican legislators assertively peppered Public Utilities Commission (PUC) staff about the PUC’s pipeline safety program. Likewise, during a specially convened joint House and Senate Health & Human Services Committee hearing, legislators of both parties sharply questioned Department of Health Care Policy & Financing staff about substantial cost overruns in the state’s Medicaid program.
Legislation
The first batch of House-initiated bills have cleared the House and will be introduced in the Senate next week.
Intent on restructuring (or gutting, depending on whom you ask) Colorado’s Labor Peace Act (circa 1943), the Senate Business, Labor & Technology Committee hosted a four-hours-long hearing on Worker Protection Collective Bargaining (SB25-005). The bill seeks to eliminate the second of two required votes for collecting dues on non-union members, thereby making it substantially easier for workers and organized labor to establish union shops. Historically, the statutorily mandated second vote requires the affirmation of 75% of the workers.
Understanding the highly controversial and politically charged nature of the bill, which, if approved, would reconstitute the relationship between business/management on the one hand and workers/organized labor on the other, the committee chair, Senator Jessie Danielson (D-Wheat Ridge), limited proponents and opponents to two hours of testimony each. Following four hours of testimony, the committee passed the bill 4-3 on a straight party-line vote.
Separately, a much-anticipated consumer protection bill to Prohibit Restrictions on 340B Drugs (SB25-071) seeks to prohibit drug manufacturers from unfair and deceptive trade practices. The bill bans pharmaceutical companies from limiting discount drug programs to benefit only their preferred pharmacies. SB25-071 tees up a colossal battle between hospitals and pharmaceutical companies.
Controversy Over Vacancy Committee Elections
The Democratic House District 41 Vacancy Committee met on Saturday. It appointed Jamie Jackson (D-Aurora) to fill the vacancy created when a different vacancy committee appointed then-Representative and now-Senator Iman Jodeh (D-Aurora) from the House to the Senate.
While partisan vacancy committee appointments are legal and routine, the frequency of their use raises eyebrows across the political spectrum and various media outlets. By securing an appointment via a partisan vacancy committee, thirty legislators — roughly one-third of the 100-member 2025 General Assembly — initially circumvented the public scrutiny of the regular primary and general elections. However, most of these appointed legislators subsequently ran for and won their respective seats in the election cycle following their vacancy committee appointment. Since 2018, we’ve seen multiple poorly organized and ineffective attempts to eliminate vacancy appointments in favor of special elections. To date, all such efforts have failed.
Ethics Committee Investigation
As reported in Colorado Politics, Senator Sonya Jacquez Lewis (D-Lafayette) faces a bi-partisan ethics committee investigation of allegations that she consistently mistreats her legislative aides. The Office of Legislative Workplace Relations received a formal complaint on November 15, 2024. Though she remains eligible to cast votes on the Senate floor, Senator Jacquez Lewis serves on no Senate committees and is barred from using Senate funds to pay for her legislative aides.
Stay tuned. The legislature is off to a fast start. Have a great weekend!
Steve Balcerovich & Tim Coleman
Date Posted: 2.7.2025
Notes from the Capitol
Volume 3: Friday, February 7, 2025
As of today, Friday, February 7th, 89 days remain in our regular annual 120-day legislative session. As of yesterday afternoon, legislators have introduced 351 bills and continue shopping around late bill drafts for stakeholder input. A mad scramble is underway to push bills with no fiscal impact through both chambers to the governor's desk before legislators are consumed with brutal budget battles destined to commence in late March – all in the context of eliminating an estimated $ 1 billion from our state budget.
General Update and Legislation
Last week, chaos and confusion unfolded at the Capitol when the Trump Administration, citing the need for a comprehensive financial review, issued a memo temporarily halting federal grants, loans, and other financial assistance to all fifty states and countless local jurisdictions nationwide. Although the administration later rescinded the freeze, the defacto policy whiplash alarmed state and local officials across the political spectrum.
A NOT-SO-TANGENTIAL SIDE NOTE…
We would be guilty of professional malpractice if we failed to acknowledge the precarious position of Colorado’s federal workforce, facilities, and economy. Amid a $36.3 trillion national debt and a $711 billion U.S. budget deficit, grueling uncertainty exists regarding the degree to which, and under what conditions, federal funds will continue to flow to states and territories — especially so-called ‘Blue States’ like Colorado. Though quantifying potential revenue losses may be premature, the practical reality is that Colorado will likely receive substantially fewer federal dollars in the coming fiscal years, exacerbating Colorado’s budget challenges. The Denver Federal Center, headquartered in Lakewood, boasts the largest concentration of federal agencies outside of Washington, DC. Likewise, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), headquartered in Golden; the National Center For Atmospheric Research (NCAR), headquartered in Boulder; and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Denver Branch, headquartered in Denver, are but a small sample of the many federally funded facilities throughout Colorado.
For statistical information about the federal workforce, check out the Congressional Research Service’s Current Federal Civilian Employment by State and Congressional District (December 20, 2024).
Meanwhile, back at the ranch…
On January 28th, legislators experienced their longest committee hearing so far this year. After nine hours of intense testimony and debate on SB25-003-Semiautomatic Firearms and Rapid-fire Devices, the bill passed the Senate State Veterans & Military Affairs Committee on a 3-2 party-line vote. The bill proposes to ban the sale of semiautomatic weapon firearms that accept detachable magazines. Advocates of SB25-003 have run multiple versions of this legislation for years; the bills typically pass the House and subsequently die in the Senate. We think this bill has a 50% chance of making it to Governor Polis’ desk. It remains entirely unclear whether he would sign it.
Republicans introduced a controversial bill on Wednesday, February 5th, to lower state regulatory costs. Focused primarily, but not exclusively, on environmental regulations, if approved, the 19-page bill would repeal several existing regulatory boards and their associated regulations. With only Republican sponsors, this bill seems destined to gain little traction. Nevertheless, rest assured, it will serve as a spectacle of testimony and debate in the House State, Military, and Veteran Affairs Committee.
We are tracking a number of consequential preliminary draft bills that have yet to be formally introduced. One such eyebrow-raising bill originates from the Colorado Energy Office. It would require electric utilities to reduce emissions by 95% by 2035 — and by a whopping 100% by 2040 (compared with the 2005 baseline). Due to the renewable energy and battery storage investments needed to meet these goals, the bill would result in higher utility rates across the state.
We are standing by to review the proposed Construction Defect-, Tap Fee-, and Data Center Incentives-legislation, none of which are quite ready for prime time.
Manny Rutinel Seeks Colorado’s 8th Congressional District.
State Representative Manny Rutinel (D-Commerce City), serving his second year in the Colorado House representing HD32, recently announced his intent to unseat freshman Congressman Gabe Evans (R-Fort Lupton). Most local political observers recall that Congressman Evans narrowly defeated incumbent freshman Congresswoman Yadiro Caraveo (D-Thornton) in November. While State Representative Rutinel is a relatively new face in Colorado politics, he has impressive campaign fundraising credentials. Within 24 hours of launching his congressional bid, he raised over $400,000. CD-8 is Colorado’s most competitive congressional district and will likely remain as such – at least until 2032, following our next once-in-a-decade congressional reapportionment.
Sergeants-At-Arms
Please join us in extending a warm and sincere THANK YOU to our House and Senate Sergeants-At-Arms. When visiting the statehouse, you will find the Sergeants guarding the House and Senate Chambers entrances and delivering message cards to legislators during floor work. Our Sergeants-At-Arms are among the unsung heroes of the General Assembly. They maintain order and enforce decorum on both chambers' floors and visitors’ galleries. The Sergeants also provide support during the legislative committee hearings, often answer visitor questions about the process, and ensure committee hearings remain uninterrupted. Whereas Sergeants in the House wear green blazers, they wear red blazers in the Senate. Next time you visit the State Capitol Building, thank the Sergeant(s) you encounter for their exemplary service.
We’ll catch up with you via our Notes from the Capitol in two weeks. In the meantime, please contact us with questions, insights, and/or suggested topics you’d like us to feature in the future.
Onward and upward!
Steve Balcerovich Tim Coleman
Steve@BalcerovichColeman.com Tim@BalcerovichColeman.com
DATE POSTED: 2.21.2025
Notes from the Capitol (Vol 4)
As of Friday, February 21, 2025, 75 days remain in the legislative session. Nearly 500 bills have so far been introduced. In what can only be fairly characterized as a well-intentioned annual ritual, the leadership in both chambers claim they intend to crack down on the introduction of ‘late bills,’ thereby streamlining the second half of the session and allowing for more thoughtful, contemplative, responsible legislating. Many more late bills are in the pipeline. In the context of the existing constitutional limit of 120 days per regular annual legislative session, forcing legislators to consider and debate 600 or 700 substantive bills thoughtfully constitutes a wholly unnecessary pressure-cooker environment. We wonder whether legislators or voters will be the first to seriously consider limiting the number of bills each legislator can introduce per annual session. Hhhmmm…
General Update and Legislation
Governor Jared Polis, legislators, state agency staff, and interest groups are alarmed about the Trump Administration’s withholding of $570 million in previously allocated federal funds for Colorado and the practical consequences of the unceremonious dismantling of the federal workforce, which, if it continues in the context of the TABOR Amendment, will severely impact Colorado’s people, families, local jurisdictions, and economy. Governor Polis and Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper issued a joint letter urging the Trump Administration to release the funds. Congress earmarked most of that $570 million for emission reduction, grid resiliency, and renewable energy production programs. Fearing the worst, stakeholders are in financial and planning limbo as they await a resolution.
Check out the following responsible, reliable media stories:
ï§ Sarah Mulholland of Colorado Public Radio: As job cuts for Colorado’s federal workers roll across the state, some share their stories.
ï§ The Congressional Research Service’s Current Federal Civilian Employment by State and Congressional District (Dec. 20, 2024).
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has joined other State Attorneys General in filing lawsuits against the Trump Administration. Colorado has joined in lawsuits relating to the federal funding freeze, defunding medical and public health research, questioning the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) legality to access the U.S. Treasury's central Payment System, and more.
Our bitterly divided national politics continues seeping into debates under Colorado’s Gold Dome. Sharply emboldened by the Trump Administration, Republican legislators have introduced legislation to align Colorado with federal policies on immigration, abortion, gender-affirming care, and more. Lopsided Democratic majorities, however, push back by introducing progressive bills and by
killing bills inconsistent with the left’s agenda that cost Democrats the White House and both chambers of Congress in 2024 – to say nothing of the reigning conservative supermajority on the U.S. Supreme Court.
We respectfully acknowledge the nation’s $36.3 trillion (and growing) national debt and our over $700 billion U.S. budget deficit. However, we are increasingly concerned that the behavior of Colorado’s progressive legislature will enrage the Trump Administration, which is better positioned by the day to strip Colorado of federal highway funding, national park funding, and other federally funded institutions. How wise is it to poke a wild Kodiak Bear in the eye while he’s feeding? For their part, President Trump and Elon Musk are floating the idea that 20% of DOGE’s $2 trillion savings be redirected away from paying down the national debt to, instead, issuing each American citizen a $5K. Really? It’s good to be President.
Nevertheless, the Democratic-controlled Colorado Senate passed two landmark bills this week, including SB25-003: Semiautomatic Firearms & Rapid-Fire Devices and SB25-005: Worker Protection Collective Bargaining, which we highlighted in an earlier Notes from the Capitol. Unlike previous years, both bills have passed the Senate and now face little opposition in Colorado’s more progressive House.
Featuring fanfare from Governor Polis and bill sponsors earlier this week, Democrats introduced their highly anticipated construction-defect legislation, HB25-1272. The bill requires an independent third-party inspector to conduct inspections during condo construction and mandates builders to address any identified issues before project completion. However, they did so after the Colorado Trial Lawyers and their allies introduced a competing measure, HB25-1261, creating a more favorable litigation environment for individuals pursuing condo construction-defect claims. The debate over these two bills sparks substantial tensions within the ruling Democrat majority.
Senator Sonya Jacquez Lewis (D-Lafayette) Resigns Over Ethics Complaints Via a Facebook post and following a series of ethics complaints, Senator Sonya Jacquez Lewis (D-Lafayette) resigned on Tuesday, February 18th. As noted in a previous edition of Notes from the Capitol, the bipartisan ethics committee was investigating her for alleged mistreatment of her legislative aides. She abruptly resigned immediately before the ethics committee was scheduled to discuss a new allegation that at least one letter of support she submitted was fabricated. Before her resignation, Senator Jacquez Lewis was stripped of all committee assignments for the 2025 legislative session and was barred from using Senate funds to pay for her legislative aides.
Before stepping down, Senator Jacquez Lewis claimed the allegations were an effort by legislative aides to push for collective bargaining but failed to cite the ethics complaints as a reason for her resignation. The Senate District 17 Democratic Vacancy Committee of Boulder, Broomfield & Weld Counties will select Senator Jacquez Lewis’ replacement. However, the vacancy process could take several weeks.
Shoutout to Legislative Legal Services
Legislative Legal Services serves as the nonpartisan, in-house counsel for the Colorado General Assembly. Its staff attorneys play an essential role in drafting state legislation, preparing amendments, and providing legislators with procedural and legal guidance throughout the bill drafting, committee hearings, and floor work. Their work is extraordinarily challenging, requiring them to draft amendments on demand in committee hearings and on the floors of both chambers. In addition, Legislative Legal Services staff reviews administrative rules, provides public comments on initiated ballot measures, and serves as a vital public resource. Though behind the scenes, these attorneys ensure that statutes accurately reflect legislative intent throughout bill drafting and amendment processes. Without their expertise and hard work, the General Assembly would come to a standstill. Please join us in extending a warm and sincere thank you to all the members of Legislative Legal Services!
With nearly two-thirds of the legislative session ahead, please contact us with questions, insights, and/or suggested topics you’d like us to feature in the future.
Onward and upward. Have a great weekend!
Steve Balcerovich Tim Coleman
Steve@BalcerovichColeman.com Tim@BalcerovichColeman.com
