The Colorado General Assembly will kick off its 2025 session today.

Here are five things you need to know.

Ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. 

The House and Senate will convene at 10 a.m. The lawmakers will be sworn in by the chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court. In the House, everyone will be sworn in; in the Senate, the new senators will take their oath. The state Capitol typically takes on a festive atmosphere on opening day, with lawmakers bringing in their families, including babies and young children. Once everyone has taken their oath of office, the Senate President, Speaker of the House and leaders of the minority parties will give speeches.

New members, new chemistry

Lawmakers will need to figure out a way to govern with new leaders — and dozens of new members. The Colorado House will welcome 21 new members, plus one more to replace a member who will be joining the Senate. Democrats will hold 43 seats in the House, three fewer than last year. Republicans will have 22 members. Meanwhile, 11 new members will join the state Senate, with eight coming over from the House and three new members. The chamber will consist of 23 Democrats and 12 Republicans, the same as the 2023 and 2024 sessions.

Over the last few days, Democrats picked legislators to represent vacant seats. In Senate District 31, the party chose Matthew Ball, a policy director for the city of Denver, to replace Sen. Chris Hansen. In Senate District 29, Democrats chose Rep. Iman Jodeh of Aurora to succeed state Sen. Janet Buckner.

Earlier, Republicans picked former University of Colorado regent John Carson to succeed former Sen. Kevin Van Winkle, who resigned in December to accept an appointment to the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners.

Big fights ahead

Businesses and unions will clash over a proposal that will eliminate the requirement for a second election under union laws in order to require non-union members to pay a union fee. While other states only require a single election among workers to decide whether or not to begin discussions on “union security” agreements, Colorado requires two: the first requires a simple majority to unionize; the second must receive a 75% favorable vote to pass. Businesses argue that the Labor Peace Act sets Colorado apart from the rest of the country in a good way, providing a competitive economic environment that draws new businesses to the state. Unions, meanwhile, contend that the second election requirement is a significant barrier to unionization, which they say positively affects both workers and the state’s economy. 

Meanwhile, another proposal will likely spark heated debate about local control. The proposal would prohibit local courts from imposing more severe sentences than state courts for the same crimes. If there is no comparable state offense, the maximum punishment for city offenses would default to the state’s petty offense sentencing guidelines of up to 10 days in jail and/or a $300 fine. In addition, the bill says municipal court defendants have the same right to counsel as defendants going before a state court.  Local governments and organizations like the Colorado Municipal League and Colorado Counties, Inc., are likely to oppose the legislation. Notably, Aurora officials, who have passed tougher penalties for retail theft, car theft and “dine and dash” offenses, have long maintained that a tougher approach is needed to curb crime. The Aurora police said car theft in the city dropped 22% since the ordinance went into effect, a downward trajectory seen statewide.

Finally, the fight over a proposal to allow online gaming, such as casino-style games, is beginning to take shape. Two tribal casinos in southwestern Colorado could be affected. Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Summit County, whose district includes Gilpin County, said the bill, which would require voter approval, would decimate the economies of Blackhawk and Central City, which are 90% reliant on tourism and casino revenue. It is not immediately clear how the proposal would affect the community colleges, which have received gaming tax revenue since voters approved casinos in 1990. That tax revenue generates about $13 million annually for the community colleges. The most recent change in state gambling law took place in 2019, when voters approved a measure referred to them by the General Assembly allowing sports betting, with tax revenue paying for state water plan projects.

Spotlight on Colorado’s competitiveness

The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce recently published a report showing that Colorado has substantially slipped in its business competitiveness, and yesterday, legislative leaders delved into the subject. Incoming Senate President James Coleman said he’s looking for an assessment and evaluation of regulations and how to incentivize businesses in the 2025 session. House Speaker Julie McCluskie said, “(While) I appreciate the focus on competitiveness, at the same time, I want to see balance. Are we falling in the rankings, but what are we doing to improve livability?”

House Minority Rose Pugliese said the “livability” issue is tied to the fees the General Assembly has levied on Coloradans in the last few years, such as the grocery bag fee and the retail delivery fee, which she called “nickel and diming” Coloradans. It isn’t just about rolling back regulations, she said. The legislature needs to roll back fees so people can afford to live in Colorado.

Pugliese said she will sponsor a bill to repeal the grocery bag fee.

A budget headache

The biggest headache for lawmakers in the 2025 session is crafting the state budget, which under the constitution must be balanced. In September, members of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee were told by state economists that they face a $1 billion shortfall in general fund dollars, which is the discretionary money lawmakers use to start new programs and fund existing obligations, from K-12 education to corrections to paying state employees. That number got just a little smaller, briefly, with the December revenue forecast, but a voter-approved ballot measure on public safety added another $350 million obligation, although without a set timeframe for funding it.