Where we Stand
Economy
Colorado families have been hit hard the past few years. Between pandemic-induced inflation, civil unrest, catastrophic wildfires, and the rising cost of living in Colorado, families are feeling squeezed. From housing and health care to higher education and child care, the basic necessities folks need are too often out of reach.
Democrats understand that it’s simply too hard for working folks to get by these days - which is why we’ve rolled up our sleeves and gotten to work cutting costs and fought tirelessly to pass bills that create a fairer, more equitable tax code, put money back into the pockets of hardworking Coloradans, and make it more affordable to live in our state.
We’ve saved families millions of dollars by taking bold action to cut property taxes, and we also passed bills that will lower your utility bills, bolster critical Earned Income and Childhood Tax Credits, and increase access to healthy and affordable food for lower income families.
Democrats have also passed legislation that will save homeowners hundreds of dollars on their property taxes, make it easier and cheaper to start a business, and increased access to healthy and affordable food for lower income families.
Today, Colorado is seeing some of the fastest job growth in the country with businesses of all sizes starting and moving here, and our unemployment rate sits well below the national average. Thanks to smart, responsible budgeting our economy is well positioned for the next decade, and Democrats are committed to building on these gains, to ensure every Colorado can enjoy the financial freedom they need to thrive.
Health care
Every Coloradan deserves access to quality, affordable health care that meets their needs without breaking the bank. But too many of our neighbors still aren’t able to get the care they need.
Exorbitant costs, lengthy wait times, chronic understaffing and health care deserts all contribute to Coloradans’ lack of access. Democrats have made it a priority to break down those barriers to care, and from implementing the landmark Colorado Option - which is already lowering premiums and out of pocket costs - to reducing prices on prescription drugs through the innovative Prescription Drug Affordability Board, Democrats have made real strides to make it cheaper and easier to get the care families need.
We also recognize that mental health care is just as important as physical care. That’s why Democrats have invested millions of dollars in fixing our broken behavioral care system. We’ve passed bills that expand access to critical services for adults, youth, and families; increase access to substance use disorder treatment; bolster Colorado’s behavioral health workforce; and add more residential treatment beds so that fewer of our neighbors are denied care for lack of space.
There remains much work to be done - today, far too many of our neighbors still lack adequate access to affordable care. But the reforms Democrats have implemented have made it easier for more of our neighbors to access the critical health care they need to thrive.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Like many states, Colorado has experienced a post-pandemic spike in crime, and folks are feeling less secure in their communities. Democrats know that every Coloradan deserves to feel safe in their communities, and we’re committed to improving public safety across our state.
That’s why we’re working hand-in-hand with law enforcement representatives, survivors, community, and faith-based organizations, and educators to develop common sense, bipartisan legislation to tackle rising crime head-on.
We took action to address the fentanyl crisis, with legislation to increase access to harm reduction tools & treatment while preventing overdose deaths, and crack down on dealers by increasing criminal penalties on those dealing or importing fentanyl. We’ve also passed bills to cut down on auto and catalytic converter thefts, increased support and resources for law enforcement, and helped local governments make improvements to their neighborhoods to help prevent crime and build safer communities.
Democrats are committed to providing critical resources to help communities cut down on crime, address law enforcement workforce shortages, and get folks in crisis the help they need to prevent crime from occurring in the first place, and we’ll keep fighting to create a safer Colorado for us all.
CLimate
Coloradans are already experiencing the impacts of climate change firsthand. Unpredictable storms, record drought, and increasing severe wildfires are all results of our changing climate and the effect it’s having on our landscapes and our ecosystem.
From dangerous flash floods, to endless and increasingly severe drought, to year-round wildfire threats, every Coloradan has felt the impact of our changing climate. It also threatens our economy. From farming and ranching to outdoor recreation and tourism, Colorado depends on a healthy and clean ecosystem.
Democrats have led the charge in addressing climate change. Instead of burying our heads in the sand, we’ve taken a clear-eyed, responsible approach to tackling one of the defining issues of our time.
Among many initiatives to address this crisis, Democrats have provided millions of dollars in annual tax incentives for businesses and consumers for decarbonization investments, including clean transportation, heat pumps, geothermal energy, and industrial emissions reductions, and we’ve passed bills to develop a roadmap to help Colorado undertake carbon management projects to reduce carbon in the atmosphere.
Further, Democrats know that the transit sector is our state’s top carbon emitter, which is why we’re reducing single-passenger trips through our innovative Zero Fare for Better Air program, and why we’ve worked to expand electric vehicle infrastructure so we can get more EVs on the road, faster. Taken together, these are critical investments that will reduce our state’s carbon emissions, create cleaner air and water, and put us on a path to a healthy and sustainable climate future.
But we’re not done yet. The climate crisis won’t be solved in a day, a year, or even a decade. It’s the project of a lifetime, and Democrats are committed to ensuring Colorado continues to pursue sensible, forward-looking climate policies that will preserve our Colorado way of life for generations to come.
Education
Every Colorado student deserves a quality education that gives them the tools they need to navigate the world and prepare them for success. Education is a critical public good that supports our families, nurtures our communities and grows our economy. But for too long, we have short-changed our children by underinvesting in our public schools and our higher education system. Schools have been forced to abandon courses such as art, band, and physical education and more and more districts are shifting to 4-day school weeks just to get by. Meanwhile, our remaining teachers have come under increasing fire, struggle with low wages, and are expected to manage ever-growing classroom sizes.
We can and must do better for our children, our educators, and our state. We have made record investments in education in recent years, and we are committed to ensuring students and teachers have the resources they need to build equity and guarantee every child can receive a great education. Under Democratic leadership, we’ve come closer than ever before to eliminating the budget stabilization factor with a commitment for it to be fully eliminated by the 2024-2025 school year, and we have provided critical resources to start lowering class sizes while getting students the extra help and support they need.
Democrats fundamentally believe our education system should prepare all our students for a lifetime of learning, and to be informed, engaged citizens of our communities, our country, and our planet. That means we must make post-high school education accessible and affordable. From craftsmanship to coding school to college, every student deserves access to the path that best suits them and their future.
Justice for All
Every Colorado family deserves to feel safe and secure in their homes and throughout their community. We are committed to doing everything we can to make our communities safe across Colorado. But for too long, our criminal justice system has failed to keep too many of our neighbors safe - especially communities of color.
While Republicans are focused on failed, punitive policies that overpopulate our jails and waste taxpayer dollars, Democrats are focused on fixing our broken criminal justice system and improving public safety by addressing the root causes of criminal behavior and preventing crime before it happens.
Specifically, we are working to improve access to safe, affordable housing; increasing resources for Coloradans suffering from substance use disorders and behavioral health issues; and helping offenders successfully reenter society with the tools they need to thrive.
Colorado Democrats are committed to continuing our work finding bipartisan, evidence-based solutions that will keep our communities safe and secure while ensuring justice and equity for all Coloradans.
Gun Violence Prevention
Colorado has witnessed some of America’s most devastating mass shootings. From Columbine to the Aurora movie theater to our grocery stores and to Club Q, our state’s history is stained by tragedy. But we’re also suffering from a more routine - yet no less tragic - epidemic of gun violence that is plaguing our communities and preventing our families from feeling safe.
Nobody should live their life in fear, which is why Colorado Democrats are committed to passing policies that will prevent further gun violence and make our communities safer. We’ve come a long way towards that goal recently: in 2023 alone Democrats passed a suite of laws that will crack down on gun violence and save lives.
Democrats passed bills to expand who can file an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO), require gun sellers to wait for an approved background check or three days from the initiation of the background check - whichever is later - to deliver a firearm, remove Colorado’s overly-broad immunity protections for gun sellers and manufacturers and allows legitimate lawsuits against the gun industry to move forward, raise the age limit to purchase any firearm to 21, with limited exceptions, and crack down on ghost guns - unregulated, untraceable firearms without serial numbers that can be bought online and assembled at home, often through DIY kits or downloadable blueprints which bypass necessary background checks and records of sale.
These reforms will make our state and our communities safer, and we’re committed to enacting further commonsense measures that will protect our families, keep our public spaces like schools and grocery stores safe, and reduce the threat of violence across Colorado.
Wildfires
It’s become cliche to mention that wildfire season has morphed into a year-round threat. But with wildfires occurring regularly throughout the year, the reality couldn’t be more stark - or dangerous to people, property, and communities.
Addressing our increasingly severe wildfires is a top-of-mind priority for Democrats. It’s essential that we act now to prepare for and mitigate future climate-induced disasters, and improve our response to the destruction left in their wake.
We’ve invested millions to help local governments develop and fund sustainable forest management and wildfire mitigation efforts, and we created the Office of Climate Preparedness in Colorado to better prepare for and respond to future disasters.
Further, Democrats have passed bills that expand and improve our forestry workforce, help homeowners cover the cost of retrofits or other structural improvements to their property to make them more resilient to wildfire risk, and support Colorado’s local volunteer fire departments so they have the resources to purchase necessary equipment, provide training and behavioral health care services to firefighters and respond safely to wildfires.
Mitigating and responding to wildfires is a challenge that isn’t going away. Democrats will continue providing communities and homeowners with the resources they need to better prepare for and mitigate the threat posed by wildfires, and we stand ready to assist families and communities when disaster strikes.
Reproductive Freedom
Every Coloradan deserves to live a life where they can make their own choices and access the care they need without fear, shame, or institutional obstacles. Health care is a right, not a privilege, and that includes access to reproductive and gender-affirming care.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs. v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Democrats have worked tirelessly to defend and expand access to reproductive and gender-affirming care in our state. In anticipation of that disastrous ruling, Democrats passed the landmark Reproductive Health Equity Act in 2022, which updated Colorado’s laws to protect reproductive rights and establish a fundamental right to choose to continue a pregnancy.
The next year we followed that up by going even further to protect abortion rights, including by protecting the rights of patients, providers, and future health care professionals and those assisting patients; prohibiting deliberate misinformation in our communities; and making care more affordable and accessible by closing gaps in insurance coverage.
Colorado Democrats are committed to ensuring that reproductive and gender-affirming care remains accessible, affordable, and supported all across our state.
Housing
Housing is a human right, and it’s critical that every Coloradan is able to access a safe and affordable place to live. But recently our housing supply hasn’t kept pace with our growing population, leading to massive increases in rent and home prices and preventing too many of our neighbors from living in the communities where they work and play.
Democrats have been laser-focused on addressing the housing crisis, and we’ve invested more than $430 million to increase our housing supply and create more homes for Colorado families. Democrats have passed bills to help keep folks in their homes, including expanding protections for renters by limiting security deposit amounts, capping income requirements, and reducing barriers to housing eligibility.
But there is much more work to do in order to truly fix this crisis. We must increase our housing supply and eliminate barriers to growth that tie up projects in red tape and prevent communities from growing. We’re going to continue fighting to build more housing now so that every Coloradan can have a place to call home.