Housing, transit, education, as well as the highs, lows and "curveballs" of the job were all part of Gov. Jared Polis' final state of the state address during a joint meeting of the Colorado Legislature in the House chamber on Thursday.
"Politics is very simple, you say what you're going to do. Then you do it," said Polis, highlighting his "bold agenda" to try to make people's lives better.
This is the governor's last year in office because of term limits, and longtime staff, his parents, his husband and children, and current and former cabinet members and statewide officials heard Polis reflect on his time in office and his goals for his final year as Governor.
"Of course, we haven't always succeeded on our first try, but I have always stepped back to the plate," he said.
Polis started on a somber note, highlighting the challenges of COVID, wildfires, and tragedies that occurred during his time in office.
"The STEM School in Highlands Ranch, Club Q in Colorado Springs, King Soopers in Boulder, and most recently at Evergreen High School. We endured a horrific antisemitic attack on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder," he recalled.
Polis also held a moment of silence for Democratic Sen. Faith Winter, who died in a car crash the day before Thanksgiving.
The hour and 22-minute speech was also a farewell address, as Polis discussed past achievements from establishing full-day kindergarten to increasing options for transit.
He also looked to the future as he delivered a few inside jokes and jabs, including that he'll need to get additional pens to pass out to lawmakers when he vetoes bills.
"This year I demanded a special veto pen," he said to groans in the audience.
The address is a message for the state and the public, but also for the 100 lawmakers who will work under the gold dome for the next four months to craft policies and send bills to the governor's desk to become state law.
"And I encourage all of you to take this year to lead on issues you know I will agree with you on perhaps more than the next governor, whether it's school choice, eliminating puppy mills, technology innovation, supporting blockchain and crypto, or reducing the income tax, now's your chance," he said.
He said he encouraged lawmakers to be kind to other humans. As for his legacy, Polis said he wasn't too concerned about how people viewed him.
"I've been called many things – Colorado's education governor, marijuana governor, tech bro governor, gay governor, socialist, fascist, communist, capitalist, libertarian. I'll keep putting in the work and let others decide the labels," he said.
Here are five big takeaways from the speech:
Pushback on Washington
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Colorado for its blue-state politics and policies, from mail-in voting and immigration laws to the court system that convicted former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters.
Polis said the Trump administration's actions on tariffs and federal funding cuts have hurt Colorado and continue to do so. He noted that in the last month, the Trump administration has threatened over $1 billion in funding for Colorado specifically.
"And is making life more expensive and more difficult across our state," he said.
He condemned the federal government's actions on immigration and blamed Washington for healthcare costs rising and funding cuts to public safety nets.
"Ripping away critical food and health access is not the Colorado Way. Tearing families apart with a costly and cruel immigration agenda is not the Colorado Way."
He added that too often it is Republicans in Washington that are the party of socialism, overreach, and intrusion into people's daily lives. "In ways wholly out of the scope of government."
Democrats appeared pleased that Polis took a stand against the administration.
"There were a lot of things that he said today that I was really proud of him for saying," Assistant House Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon said. "We've also been trying to figure out where he's at with President Trump a lot of times, and today, I felt like he was clear in regards to who we are, at least in our caucus, but also what the interests are for the state of Colorado"
However, the Governor did not mention the federal pressure campaign to free Peters from state prison or what he would do about it. His party and election officials have asked him not to commute her sentence. He hasn't said what he plans to do.
Housing
Boosting the state's affordable housing stock has long been a focus for Polis, and he continued to prioritize it in his speech.
"Coloradans – of all political stripes, in every part of our state – tell us that the high cost of housing makes it harder to live in the Colorado we love."
He listed the work his administration and the legislature have done already, from making it easier to build accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, to increasing housing density around transit hubs, to Proposition 123, which set aside hundreds of millions of dollars for affordable housing projects across the state when it was approved by voters in 2022.
But Polis also looked ahead to some of the housing policy work he wants the legislature to take on this year.
One of his priority bills, called the Housing Opportunities Made Easier Act, or HOME Act, would make it easier for public schools and universities, local public housing authorities, and certain nonprofit organizations to build residential units on their land.
The Democrat-backed measure was one of the first bills to be introduced in the House on Wednesday, the opening day of the legislative session.
Another measure Polis is backing builds on legislation passed in 2024 that made it easier for Coloradans to build ADUs on their properties. This year's bill would make it easier for homeowners in higher-density areas of the state, like the Denver metro area or Grand Junction, to subdivide and sell off a portion of their property.
Polis also took a jab at the head of the Colorado Municipal League, who has pushed back on Polis' approach and argued that it usurps local authority and zoning regulations. This follows an executive order Gov. Jared Polis signed on May 16 ordering departments to shut off some state grants to cities and counties that aren't following laws that could pave the way for denser residential development.
Polis also called on lawmakers to ensure Colorado's senior homestead exemption is funded amid ongoing budget challenges and the $850-million gap lawmakers have to fill to balance this year's budget.
"We've worked hard to make the senior homestead exemption flexible and portable, help seniors downsize and free up homes for young families," he said. "We can and must make good on our promise to seniors by funding the senior homestead exemption this year."
Polis said that requires about $200 million in one-time funding, and that the best way to raise the money is to sell or privatize Pinnacol Assurance, the state-affiliated workers' compensation provider. The proposal is nothing new, and lawmakers have opposed it in the past.
Polis also wants lawmakers to expand on past efforts to increase housing density near public transportation by making sure local governments have the resources to improve bus and train stations and build housing around them and to work on reforms to the Regional Transportation District.
Healthcare
Polis discussed his frustration with high and rising health care costs, blaming corporate interests from hospitals and pharma to insurance and other special interests, and threw his support behind universal health care. He said the state is spending more and more money on healthcare, and it's not working.
"It's truly mind-boggling that every other industrialized Western country in the world has figured out a way to provide universal health care at a baseline for everyone at a lower cost. Japan spends less than half of what America spends on health care, and their average lifespan is six years longer."
Polis said Colorado needs Washington to step up and take real action on a solution for the 1.2 million people in the state who rely on Medicaid.
"The reality is, the incentives are simply FUBAR," he said, using a profane acronym. "Americans are getting screwed on health care. Today, hospitals rake in billions of dollars in profits, and actually get away with charging $5,000 for an ice pack, $600 for a bandaid, while insurance companies and pharma raise prices on consumers," he said.
He added perhaps his administration was a bit naive to think it could pull together a coalition to fight back against what he called absurd charges.
'We can't afford to keep growing Medicaid at its current pace while still funding schools, roads, and public safety."
Democrats expanded Medicaid services as costs for services and usage have continued to increase.
Energy and environment
The Governor noted some past achievements such as avoiding huge fights at the ballot box between the energy industry and environmental advocates. In 2024, his office announced a truce that ended the prospect of multiple ballot measures and legislative proposals related to fossil fuel production and turning drilling into a major source of new public transit funding.
He said the state has gone from 42 to 23 in the state rankings for transit spending.
Polis continued his push for clean energy goals.
"We're charging forward on the plan to 100% clean energy to unlock the lowest cost clean energy for Coloradans. By 2030, more than 70% of Colorado's electricity will come from wind and solar. But we need emerging technologies like geothermal or carbon capture to get us to 100%."
He also highlighted policies to help people save money on electric vehicles
"We're number one nationally for percentage of electric vehicle sales, and by embracing these clean, quiet, fun to drive cars, we've cut emissions by nearly 600,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year."
And he pushed back on assertions that his energy goals have hurt traditional fossil fuel developers saying that the industry is thriving and robust.
"And getting cleaner, while adding more protections for health and safety, and is accountable to Coloradans," he said.
Policies Republicans might support
The Republican party, holding a minority in both chambers, regularly pushes back on Polis' policies on energy and healthcare to the budget, as well as social and hot-button political topics from abortion, to stricter gun laws, and LGTBQ rights.
But there are some ideas they do like. Polis once again reiterated his goal of cutting the state income tax rate. He also highlighted a bipartisan public safety bill and urged lawmakers to prioritize reforming laws for people who are not competent to stand trial.
"To truly keep Colorado safe, we must urgently address gaps in our system related to those who cannot stand trial but are charged with a crime, and ensure that individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others are not just released onto the streets," he said. "I am asking the legislature to move quickly to get bipartisan legislation to my desk."
In Polis' budget proposal this year, he said he included funding for the state to work alongside local governments and the judicial branch to pursue appropriate, secure placements and services for people deemed incompetent.
Republican Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson said public safety is one place where his caucus can find common ground with the governor, particularly when it comes to competency laws.
"I'm on the bill in the criminal justice space about how we deal with competency, so there are these avenues and places where we can connect and work together," Simpson said.
Simpson said he is also open to working with Polis on natural resource policy, but he and other Republicans criticized the governor for spending too little time talking about agriculture policy.
Polis also received tentative applause from Republicans when he mentioned he would like to see cuts to Colorado's income tax, a move many of the legislature's Democrats oppose.
And when it comes to artificial intelligence, Polis has not fully sided with consumer rights advocates who want Colorado to implement its AI anti-discrimination law starting in June. The topic has been a thorny issue between tech developers and deployers, the business community, and consumer and worker advocates.
Polis urged the legislature to work on a solution, but was light on specifics.
"We are called upon to ensure Colorado remains a leading state for artificial intelligence for both businesses and consumers. Now is the time to get this done in a way that drives innovation and protects Coloradans."
This is another area that might put Colorado in direct conflict with the Trump administration. At the end of last year, Trump signed an executive order designed to prevent states from implementing their own AI regulations.
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