January 14, 2026 12:40 PM UTC

What to Know as Colorado Legislature Kicks Off 2026 Session

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• by: Colorado Pols

And we’re off!

The 2026 Colorado legislative session kicked off this morning with the traditional speechifying from the House Speaker, Senate President, and minority party leaders. Governor Jared Polis will deliver his final “State of the State” speech on Thursday.

The theme of the day from the Democratic majority in both chambers was “affordability,” a concept that President Trump seems to think was invented by Democrats. As The New York Times reports from Tuesday in the continuation of a regular theme from Trump:

President Trump, under political pressure over economic issues as attention turns to the midterm elections, defended his policies at the Detroit Economic Club. He made a series of false or dubious claims, including that Americans weren’t paying the costs of his tariffs and that inflation was “way, way, down,” although it is roughly in line with the level when he took office. Mr. Trump promised more measures to address high prices, while still insisting that affordability is a “fake word by Democrats.” [Pols emphasis]

Alrighty then. Here’s how Colorado Democrats talked about their “fake word” of affordability today:

Colorado House of Representatives

♦ Remarks from House Speaker Julie McCluskie begin at around 55:00. CLICK HERE for a transcript of McCluskie’s prepared remarks.

MCCLUSKIE: We know hardworking people are struggling to stay ahead under the lingering effects of inflation and global tariffs. Now skyrocketing costs are sinking all boats…

…That’s why this session we will do three things: 1) Lower everyday costs; 2) Protect our successes; and 3) Sustain targeted investments in our future.

♦ Remarks from House Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell begin at around 1:21:00.

 

Colorado State Senate

♦ Remarks from Senate President James Coleman begin at around 58:00. CLICK HERE for a transcript of Coleman’s prepared remarks.

COLEMAN: Coloradans need a safe place to live, they need to be able to go to the doctor without driving for miles or paying a fortune, they need to be able to afford gas, groceries, and childcare. They need clean drinking water and enough water to work the land and grow livestock and crops. And they need us to stand up for their rights and protect their liberties.

♦ Remarks from Senate Minority Leader Cleve Simpson begin at around 1:14:00.

 

Also today, Democratic leaders in each chamber announced their first 5-10 bills of the 2026 session. Keep reading for the list of legislative priorities as outlined via press release from each respective chamber…

First 10 House Bills

♦ The HOME Act (HB26-1001, sponsors Representatives Andy Boesenecker and Javier Mabrey and Senators Tony Exum and Julie Gonzales)

Creating housing options that Coloradans can afford is one of Colorado Democrats’ biggest priorities. The HOME Act would allow schools, nonprofit organizations, and transit districts to use underutilized land to build housing, breaking down barriers to building affordable homes near transit, local businesses and the heart of our communities.

 

♦ Improving access to behavioral health care (HB26-1002, sponsors Representatives Kyle Brown and Lindsay Gilchrist and Senators Matt Ball and Byron Pelton)

Everyone deserves getting the behavioral health care they need, but Colorado’s workforce shortages can limit patient access. This bill will bring more behavioral health workers and substance use disorder experts into the workforce by expediting the credentialing process and updating licensing requirements for social workers.

 

♦ Saving small businesses money (HB26-1003, sponsors Representatives Naquetta Ricks and Sean Camacho and Senator Chris Kolker)

This legislation would make the successful CLIMBER pandemic recovery loan program permanent to support small businesses, create more good-paying jobs and boost local economies.

 

♦ Making child care more affordable (HB26-1004, sponsors Speaker Julie McCluskie, Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell, Senate President James Coleman and Minority Leader Cleave Simpson)

To save families money on child care and spur the creation of more high-quality and affordable child care facilities in our community, new bipartisan legislation will extend an income tax credit that helps fund child care facilities.

 

♦ Worker Protection Act (HB26-1005, sponsors Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, Representative Javier Mabrey and Senators Jessie Danielson and Iman Jodeh)

Our economy should work for everyone, especially hardworking people. To empower workers, increase wages and strengthen the middle class, this legislation would update the 80-year-old Colorado Labor Peace Act by removing the need for a second election to form a union.

♦ Improving higher education outcomes (HB26-1006, Representatives Elizabeth Velasco and Matthew Martinez and Senator Dylan Roberts)

To equip students with the education and skills they need to secure a good-paying job after graduation, new legislation will establish a thriving designation for post-secondary higher education institutions. This bill aims to boost Colorado’s higher education landscape and support students from diverse, low-income and rural backgrounds.

 

♦ Reducing energy costs with easy-to-access solar panels (HB26-1007, sponsors Representatives Lesley Smith and Rebekah Stewart and Senator Cathy Kipp)

In an effort to expand access to solar energy, new legislation will remove barriers to ‘plug-in solar’ so more Coloradans, especially those living in apartments or in shared spaces, can benefit from cost-saving solar.

 

♦ Bolstering outdoor recreation and rural economies (HB26-1008, sponsors Representatives Meghan Lukens and Rick Taggart and Senators Janice Marchman and Janice Rich)

From the Western Slope to the Eastern Plains and everywhere in between, Colorado’s public lands are essential to our way of life. Colorado supports a $65.8 billion outdoor recreation economy, and this bill improves collaboration between conservation efforts, agriculture, private landowners and other public land users.

 

♦ Prioritizing public safety and supporting victims of domestic violence (HB26-1009, sponsors Majority Leader Monica Duran and Representative Ryan Gonzalez and Senators Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Byron Pelton)

Supporting crime survivors and keeping our communities safe are top priorities for Colorado Democrats. New legislation would require police officers responding to a domestic violence case to conduct a “lethality assessment” in their report. Based on the findings, the peace officer would immediately connect the victim with a victim advocate if they believe the victim is at risk.

 

♦ Supporting older Coloradans in the workforce (HB26-1010, sponsors Representative Jenny Willford and Jamie Jackson and Senator Jessie Danielson)

Colorado’s economy continues to evolve and no worker should be left behind. New legislation will help ensure older Coloradans have more opportunities to grow and thrive in their careers by studying their participation in the workforce and ensuring they have a seat at the table when making recommendations to better support and uplift them.

 

First 5 Senate Bills

♦ SB26-001
Senator Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco
Representatives Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, & Chris Richardson, R-Elbert County

Currently, counties are prohibited from using general fund property tax revenue to support multi-jurisdictional or statutory housing authorities, like the Eagle County Housing and Development Authority in Senator Roberts’ district. Senate Bill 1 cuts red tape by removing that restriction; providing counties the ability to use property tax revenue to support workforce housing and housing authorities.

♦ SB26-002
Senators Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins, Tony Exum, Sr., D-Colorado Springs
Representative Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn

Affordable electricity is increasingly crucial as Colorado transitions to renewable energy. Senate Bill 2 tackles unaffordable utility bills through creation of the FARE (First Allotment of Residential Electricity) service program. For income-qualified customers of an investor-owned utility, the program would provide a minimum level of electricity needed to support basic living needs at a marginal cost rate. The bill also stipulates that implementation of the FARE service must not directly increase the cost of utility services for other customers.

♦ SB26-003
Senators Katie Wallace, D-Longmont, & Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County
Representative Kyle Brown, D-Louisville

Colorado is a national leader in electric vehicle (EV) adoption and keeping that momentum is critical to addressing air pollution, as transportation is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Senate Bill 3 would expand last year’s Battery Stewardship Act to include EV batteries and put the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Hazardous Waste Division in charge of regulating end-of-life management for electric vehicle batteries. The bill provides the framework for the reuse and repurposing of economically viable batteries via the free market, while ensuring that unwanted batteries are responsibly recycled and not improperly stored or disposed.

♦ SB26-004
Senator Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial
Representative Meg Froelich, D-Englewood

Senate Bill 4 would add health care facilities that employ co-responders and health care professionals to the list of community members that may petition the court for an extreme risk protection order (ERPO). It would also add health care facilities, behavioral health treatment facilities, K-12 schools, and higher education institutions as institutional petitioners that may petition a court for an ERPO.

In 2019, Colorado Democrats passed legislation allowing for the issuance of ERPOs, wherein qualified individuals may petition a judge to temporarily remove a firearm from a potentially dangerous individual and interrupt gun violence before it has a chance to occur. In 2024, the most recent data available, there were 164 ERPO petitions filed in Colorado.

♦ SB26-005
Senators Mike Weissman, D-Aurora, & Julie Gonzales, D-Denver
Representatives Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, & Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins

Currently, there is no adequate legal remedy in state or federal court for federal constitutional violations by officials in immigration enforcement. Senate Bill 5 protects constitutional rights by establishing a state court cause of action for damages suffered through violation of the U.S. Constitution in the context of civil immigration enforcement. Under the bill, those found responsible for violations could be held liable for legal or equitable relief, and any claims would have to be filed within two years of the incident.