Polis calls for housing, transit and affordability measures in State of the State
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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis used a joint session of the General Assembly to lay out a multi‑year agenda focused on housing supply, transit expansion, public safety and measures to reduce everyday costs for Coloradans.
Polis urged lawmakers to speed approval for accessory dwelling units and modular housing, pursue liability reforms to encourage condo construction, and allow faith-based and educational partners to use existing land for affordable housing. "We say yes to more housing. We say, yes to unlocking prosperity," Polis said.
The governor framed housing as central to affordability and economic opportunity, noting policy changes last year that cut residential property tax rates and expanded the ability to build near transit. He cited a long‑term decline in condo construction — from roughly 20% of new home starts before 2008 to about 5% today — and urged lawmakers to pursue liability and market reforms to increase condo supply.
On transportation, Polis highlighted a $90,000,000 state down payment for Front Range passenger rail planning and said the Winter Park Express will run five days a week with fares as low as $19 for adults and $10 for children. He said the administration is advancing a framework for the Moffat Tunnel lease to enable mountain rail service and set a goal for affordable rail service between Denver and Granby by 2026, with later extension to Craig.
Polis tied transit, housing and climate goals together as mutually reinforcing: more housing near transit can cut pollution and commuting costs while improving health through walking and biking. The governor said Colorado rose from 42nd to 23rd in the nation for transit funding after recent agreements and pledged continued state support for local and regional partners, including RTD.
On energy and climate, Polis called for speeding rooftop solar permitting, expanding low‑cost financing for home energy efficiency and defending the state's climate initiatives with or without additional federal action. He said passage of Senate Bill 230 will generate more than $50,000,000 next year for public lands and wildlife preservation.
Polis proposed reforms to address rapidly rising homeowners‑insurance costs, saying the administration will pursue measures to lower rates tied to hail, wildfire and other climate drivers. "One does not simply fix homeowners insurance," he said, then urged targeted reforms and risk reduction as starting points.
On public safety, Polis credited recent bipartisan investments with statewide drops in several crime categories and urged further measures: expanding Colorado Bureau of Investigation authority, strengthening penalties for firearm theft, and increasing bed capacity at the Division of Youth Services so juveniles can remain closer to home for treatment. He also noted voter measures approved in the last election—Proposition KK and Proposition 130—and said the state must implement them "with full fidelity to voter intent."
Health care measures highlighted included continued work to cap insulin prices, preserve the bipartisan reinsurance program that Polis said reduced rates by 25%, advance the Colorado Option for coverage, and press the FDA to approve drug importation plans. He also said more must be done to curb excessive hospital pricing and to support safety‑net providers.
On education, Polis celebrated universal preschool expansion and a new school finance formula, and urged the legislature to begin funding students where they attend school rather than using an outdated four‑year lag in enrollment counts.
The governor closed by emphasizing a collaborative tone: "My principle is simple. I'll always work with everyone and anyone when it's good for Colorado, and I'll oppose anyone and everyone, when it hurts our people or it hurts our state." He ended the address by calling on lawmakers to act on the priorities he outlined.
Procedural actions tied to the joint session were recorded on the floor: the morning roll calls of the House and Senate were used for the joint session after an updated House roll call to reflect late arrivals; the governor's message was ordered printed in the House Journal; and the joint session was dissolved by motion after the address. The House later recessed and several resolutions were laid over one day under house rules.
Polis urged lawmakers to speed approval for accessory dwelling units and modular housing, pursue liability reforms to encourage condo construction, and allow faith-based and educational partners to use existing land for affordable housing. "We say yes to more housing. We say, yes to unlocking prosperity," Polis said.
The governor framed housing as central to affordability and economic opportunity, noting policy changes last year that cut residential property tax rates and expanded the ability to build near transit. He cited a long‑term decline in condo construction — from roughly 20% of new home starts before 2008 to about 5% today — and urged lawmakers to pursue liability and market reforms to increase condo supply.
On transportation, Polis highlighted a $90,000,000 state down payment for Front Range passenger rail planning and said the Winter Park Express will run five days a week with fares as low as $19 for adults and $10 for children. He said the administration is advancing a framework for the Moffat Tunnel lease to enable mountain rail service and set a goal for affordable rail service between Denver and Granby by 2026, with later extension to Craig.
Polis tied transit, housing and climate goals together as mutually reinforcing: more housing near transit can cut pollution and commuting costs while improving health through walking and biking. The governor said Colorado rose from 42nd to 23rd in the nation for transit funding after recent agreements and pledged continued state support for local and regional partners, including RTD.
On energy and climate, Polis called for speeding rooftop solar permitting, expanding low‑cost financing for home energy efficiency and defending the state's climate initiatives with or without additional federal action. He said passage of Senate Bill 230 will generate more than $50,000,000 next year for public lands and wildlife preservation.
Polis proposed reforms to address rapidly rising homeowners‑insurance costs, saying the administration will pursue measures to lower rates tied to hail, wildfire and other climate drivers. "One does not simply fix homeowners insurance," he said, then urged targeted reforms and risk reduction as starting points.
On public safety, Polis credited recent bipartisan investments with statewide drops in several crime categories and urged further measures: expanding Colorado Bureau of Investigation authority, strengthening penalties for firearm theft, and increasing bed capacity at the Division of Youth Services so juveniles can remain closer to home for treatment. He also noted voter measures approved in the last election—Proposition KK and Proposition 130—and said the state must implement them "with full fidelity to voter intent."
Health care measures highlighted included continued work to cap insulin prices, preserve the bipartisan reinsurance program that Polis said reduced rates by 25%, advance the Colorado Option for coverage, and press the FDA to approve drug importation plans. He also said more must be done to curb excessive hospital pricing and to support safety‑net providers.
On education, Polis celebrated universal preschool expansion and a new school finance formula, and urged the legislature to begin funding students where they attend school rather than using an outdated four‑year lag in enrollment counts.
The governor closed by emphasizing a collaborative tone: "My principle is simple. I'll always work with everyone and anyone when it's good for Colorado, and I'll oppose anyone and everyone, when it hurts our people or it hurts our state." He ended the address by calling on lawmakers to act on the priorities he outlined.
Procedural actions tied to the joint session were recorded on the floor: the morning roll calls of the House and Senate were used for the joint session after an updated House roll call to reflect late arrivals; the governor's message was ordered printed in the House Journal; and the joint session was dissolved by motion after the address. The House later recessed and several resolutions were laid over one day under house rules.
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