Jesse Paul

Many business groups are already lobbying against the measures. Gov. Jared Polis, as well as more moderate Democrats at the Capitol, could pose a roadblock to the bills becoming law, too.

Nonpartisan staffers told lawmakers this month that the way they spent billions of dollars in one-time federal funds given to Colorado during the COVID pandemic contributed to the state’s budget shortfall.

Ethics complaints. Gov. Jared Polis’ final year. New leaders. A lawmaker who died in November. The legislature has a lot to navigate in 2026 beyond its policy agenda.

State Sen. Mark Baisley is leaving the race to run instead for U.S. Senate. Former U.S. Rep. Greg Lopez has left the GOP to become unaffiliated.

“These projects did not align with President Trump’s ambitious America First agenda or were redundant,” a U.S. Department of Transportation spokesperson said in a statement

Russ Vought, President Donald Trump’s budget chief, called NCAR “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country”

Faith Winter, a Broomfield Democrat, was a fierce advocate for transit. She was entering her 12th and final year as a state lawmaker.

Each year the cycle continues, state lawmakers will have fewer ways to address the gap without cutting state programs and services. Skyrocketing Medicaid costs are primarily to blame.

Presentations about the so-called big, beautiful bill to the Executive Committee of the Legislative Council on Wednesday was a precursor to a special lawmaking term expected to be called by Gov. Jared Polis for the coming weeks.

The seat of Colorado’s government can sometimes feel like a doggy day care as Gov. Jared Polis and several state lawmakers frequently bring their pups to work.