May 08, 2025 11:16 AM UTC

Winners from the 2025 Legislative Session

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• by: Colorado Pols

The 2025 legislative session officially came to a close on Wednesday night, which means it’s time for our annual “Winners and Losers” assessment.

We’ll start today with our “Winners” list:

Tom Sullivan

In his sixth year at the State Capitol, Sen. Tom Sullivan (D-Centennial) continues to shepherd smart gun violence prevention measures through the legislature. Senate Bill 3, signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis, was initially crafted as a way to create better enforcement of a 2013 measure banning large-capacity magazines. The legislation was revised to require people (beginning in August 2026) who purchase most semiautomatic weapons with a detachable magazine to complete a rigorous safety training course that includes information about Colorado’s successful “red flag” law. Senate Bill 3 also requires that additional background checks be conducted by a county sheriff. Gun rights groups opposed SB3, as they do anything that includes a whiff of restraint, but this is smart policy.

Freshman Lawmakers

The freshman class of legislators made an immediate impact under the gold dome. Reps. Sean Camacho (D-Denver); Lindsay Gilchrist (D-Denver); Lesley Smith (D-Boulder); Katie Stewart (D-Durango); Rebekah Stewart (D-Lakewood); and Yara Zokaie (D-Larimer County) were able to pass several significant bills. Among them:

• Gun Show Requirements (HB25-1238);
• Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (HB25-1239);
• Colorado Bureau of Investigation Reforms (HB25-1275);
• Price Gouging Prohibitions (HB25-1010);
• Federal Benefits for Foster Children (HB25-1271);
• Requirements for Sale of Firearms Ammunition (HB25-1133);
• Turf Limits in New Residential Developments (HB-1113);
• Student Athlete NIL Modernization  (HB25-1041);
• Insurance Coverage for Breast Cancer Examinations (SB25-296);
• Health Insurance Prenatal Care (SB25-118);
• Health Care Coverage for Children with Complex Conditions (HB25-1003);
• Limitations on Local Anti-Growth Development (HB25-1093);

It wasn’t all Democrats who impressed in their first legislative session. Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson of Ft. Morgan was able to pass a number of bipartisan proposals, including an important change to how Pharmacy Benefit Managers are compensated in an effort to lower prescription drug prices (HB25-1094). 

Johnson’s most important role in the legislature, however, may have been her insistence on acting like a normal Republican in a caucus full of right-wing nut jobs. Her willingness to do more than just oppose every bill from Democrats didn’t go over well with Chief Lunatic Brandi Bradley (R-Littleton), who forced Johnson off of the House Health and Human Services Committee. Colorado Republicans would be much better off with more Dusty Johnsons and fewer Brandi Bradleys. 

Library Books

Right-wing snowflakes have spent recent years trying to remove library books that make them sad, but they’ll now have to go through a more formal process to object to every piece of literature that mentions words like “gay” or “dick” (egads!). Setting reasonable standards on a local level should help fix problems like this dipshittery in the Elizabeth School District.   

Sen. Dylan Roberts

The Democrat from Frisco continues to churn out legislative wins for mountain and rural communities. You could spend a lot of time just reading through SIX PAGES of bills that had Roberts’ fingerprints on them, which include:

• Investment Authority for Affordable Housing (SB25-006);
• Tire Chain Services for mountain drivers (SB25-069); 
• Continuing Wildlife Stamps (SB25-049); 
• Personal Data Protection in Wildlife Injuries (SB25-038); 
• Coal Transition Grants (SB25-037)    

Labor Unions

Governor Jared Polis may end up vetoing a bill to repeal the onerous and outdated “Labor Peace Act” that requires people interested in forming a workplace union to hold two separate elections in order to complete the process. But even if Polis sides with big business interests over workers, it shouldn’t take away from the fact that labor unions were able to convince Democrats to pass SB25-005 through both chambers of the legislature despite warnings from the Governor. 

Sen. Tony Exum

The Democrat from Colorado Springs played a significant role in addressing the state’s desperate need for more affordable housing and overhauling an HOA’s ability to foreclose on properties because of smaller violations (HB25-1043). Exum also sponsored a number of important measures aimed at keeping Colorado’s young people out of trouble (SB25-197) or helping them dig out of an early hole (HB25-1294).

Petition Gatherers

Colorado Republicans have responded to their inability to win elections and pass meaningful legislation by outsourcing policy-making to right-wing groups like Advance Colorado and the Independence Institute that are pushing a number of ballot measures in 2026. A refusal by Senate Republicans (again) to support a proposal to hold sexual predators accountable will also force supporters to gather petition signatures for their own ballot measure.  

Education Funding

Lawmakers gave final approval to HB25-1320 on the last day of the legislative session that will implement a new school funding program passed in 2024 and allocate an additional $10 billion to public schools for the 2025-26 school year. This is a big win for public education in a year in which the legislature was forced to make $1.2 billion in state budget cuts across the board.