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Wheat Ridge council backs plan to finalize 2026 legislative agenda and formalize advocacy process
Summary
Council reached unanimous consensus to have staff return the 2026 legislative agenda for adoption after staff described a four-part advocacy program that will have a legislative committee select 3–5 priority bills, begin lobbying quickly when committee moves bills, and hold biweekly meetings during the 2026 session.
Wheat Ridge councilors on Jan. 5 signaled unanimous support for staff to return a revised 2026 legislative agenda for formal adoption and described an updated, more active advocacy process to guide city positions during the Colorado legislative session.
Senior Management Analyst Cole Hayslip told council the city formed a four-part legislative advocacy program in late 2024 to create a formal process for adopting positions and lobbying during fast-moving sessions. Hayslip said the program includes adoption of a high-level legislative agenda, a legislative committee to screen bills, adoption of advocacy position resolutions for a small set of priority bills, and staff-led lobbying once the committee moves a bill.
"A bill can be introduced on a Monday...the committee might be able to take a look at it on a Tuesday," Hayslip said, arguing the city must be able to start lobbying during the window before a resolution reaches the full council.
Hayslip reviewed 2025 positions for context (for example, the city opposed SB25001 — the Colorado Voting Rights Act — which passed; the city supported HB251272 on construction defects, which passed; and opposed HB251220, which was vetoed) and said the legislative committee used outreach to boards and commissions during the off-season to solicit feedback and make minor edits to the draft agenda.
Hayslip said the committee set threshold criteria to narrow 50–100 bills to 3–5 priority bills based on alignment with the city’s legislative agenda, impact on Wheat Ridge and community consensus. He identified priority policy areas including housing, public safety, utility governance and transportation, and said the committee will begin biweekly meetings on Jan. 13 and continue throughout the session.
Council members praised the committee’s work and the threshold approach. Councilor Holten, the legislative committee chair, said bringing boards and commissions into the process increased awareness and created a potential pool of volunteers and subject-matter expertise to support advocacy when bills align with board interests. Councilor Larson and others described a tiered approach to engagement — from sending notes to representatives to offering in-person testimony — and said the program helps the city act quickly without immediately expanding staff or hiring outside lobbyists.
Hayslip asked for consensus to bring the 2026 legislative agenda back for adoption at a future meeting; the council indicated unanimous consensus. Staff said they will continue biweekly committee meetings, provide examples of board feedback and present the agenda for formal council action in early February.
