What should be the focus of the 2025 legislative session?

Lisa LaBriola

As the Colorado General Assembly convenes for its 2025 legislative session, residents across the state are watching with a mix of hope and urgency. Colorado is at an economic crossroads, facing a ballooning budget deficit, rising living costs and economic uncertainties. Lawmakers must seize this opportunity to prioritize affordability for families, promote sustainable economic growth and confront the deficit head-on.

For years, Colorado has been one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, but that growth has come at a cost. Housing prices have skyrocketed, property taxes have surged, and the cost of everyday essentials continues to climb. Meanwhile, businesses — especially small and midsized enterprises — are grappling with rising operational costs and regulatory burdens. These challenges have put immense pressure on working-class families and entrepreneurs, straining budgets and affecting economic prospects.

This legislative session offers a chance to reverse those trends.

Economic growth cannot be ignored as part of this equation. Colorado’s economy thrives on innovation, tourism and agriculture, and I hope lawmakers look to support these industries. Strengthening workforce training programs and expanding access to higher education and trade schools can also ensure Coloradans are equipped for emerging job opportunities.

The looming deficit adds complexity to these challenges. Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) imposes strict revenue limits, often constraining the state’s ability to make investments. Legislators need to balance budget discipline with strategic investments to promote long-term economic stability.

Collaboration will be key. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle must work together to find common ground on policies that make Colorado more affordable and fiscally sound. Leaving ideological arguments at the door and supporting bipartisan initiatives for the good of the state is what we need to help Colorado thrive.

The stakes are high. Families are struggling to keep pace with rising costs, and businesses need stability to plan for the future. Colorado’s elected officials have an obligation to act decisively, balancing compassion with fiscal prudence. If successful, this session could mark a turning point — ushering in an era of affordability, opportunity and sustainability. If they fail, the burden on residents and businesses will only grow heavier.

This year’s legislative session isn’t just about bills and budgets; it’s about ensuring Colorado’s economic promise remains within reach for its residents. Here is to hoping that our lawmakers can deliver.

Counterpoint: Sage Naumann

It has become quite difficult to offer a unique perspective on Colorado’s state Legislature from a conservative perspective. It becomes a rote task of reciting numbers, reminding folks of the tab run up by past General Assemblies, combined with typing the word “no” repeatedly.

During my last appearance on PBS12’s “Colorado Inside Out”, I was asked to provide my “word of the year” for Colorado in 2024. I chose “mediocre.”

Colorado has become mediocre. U.S. World & News Report tagged Colorado as the third-least safe state in the union last year, while CNBC ranked us 39th for cost of doing business and 32nd for business friendliness. Now, even UHaul’s numbers show we have fallen as a destination state, dropping from their ninth best growth state in 2023 to 40th — the largest year-over-year drop of any state in the nation.

To reverse these trends, Democrats in leadership must begin employing the word “no” more often in their caucus meetings, backroom conversations and even in committee and on the floor. Luckily for them, our state’s tightening budget might give the perfect cover for such rejection.

The most unique change in this year’s legislature has little to do with the body itself, and that is the return of President-elect Donald Trump. Rhetorically, it is of no surprise Democratic leadership in the Colorado House and Senate want to act as a foil to a president whose new fixation is the potential annexation of Canada.

After all, Colorado’s legislative “red wave” was chomping back just three seats in the lower chamber. That isn’t nothing, but it certainly doesn’t send a strong signal to Democrats that Coloradans are about ready to trust Republicans again with a gavel.

But, at some point, politics must become more than gamesmanship and campaigning. If legislators are focused on conducting studies and expanding the bureaucracy with more ridiculously titled offices and full-time employees instead of making it easier to start a business and buy some eggs, then there should be no surprise when Democrats find themselves losing more and more ground.

We shouldn’t expect Senate President James Coleman or House Speaker Julie McCluskie to put on a MAGA cap and begin making trips to Mar-a-Lago, but we should expect they set aside their hatred for Trump when possible. Partisan theatrics are great fundraising fodder, but I think we’d like to return to telling folks how Colorado is safe, affordable and reasonably governed as we could in the past.

This legislative session must be focused on reversing Colorado’s trajectory, and our policymakers can do that by getting government out of the way, not expanding its influence further. Unfortunately, it seems we might see more regulatory burdens, fees, TABOR workarounds, and liberty-threatening laws introduced this session. Will leadership have the courage to say “no” when all eyes are on them? I hope so.

If Democrats fail to live up to this challenge, then Coloradans must send a message by returning Republicans to power in at least one chamber come 2026.

Lisa LaBriola is a principal at Husch Blackwell Strategies and was a Senate Democrat staffer for close to a decade. She served as chief of staff to former Senate Minority Leader Lucia Guzman and former Senate President Leroy Garcia. Opinions expressed here are her own and do not reflect the opinions of any other organizations. Sage Naumann is a conservative commentator and strategist. He operates Anthem Communications and was the spokesman for the Colorado Senate Republicans. Follow him on Twitter @SageNaumann.